Had been making more recent visits to Tarte by Cheryl Koh these days, thanks to a friend who actually can’t seem to have enough of their tarts (I swear he probably craves for one on a daily basis) — and that’s how I checked out the third iteration of Tarte by Cheryl Koh that now occupies an even larger dine-in space at the second floor of Shaw Centre.

If I left my friend to order whatever he fancies, this would be the exact tart that he would order (because he orders only what he likes 🤣) — one may argue about the simplicity of the fruit tart over their other more intricate creations; the Caramel Cashew Tart being one great example where more is being done in terms of execution and visual appeal, but it is also how this simplicity is being so well-executed here that draws most here. The Strawberry Tart defines finesse here — the strawberries used here are not too tart; just carries the right level of zing, all that whilst being fresh so it’s a joy that they are very generous with them here at Tarte by Cheryl Koh so that each morsel of the tart can be enjoyed with a bit of that premium strawberry that they use. If anything, the pastry cream beneath also comes well-executed — carrying a light hint of vanilla fragrance (yes, you can see speckles of the vanilla beans here), the cream is also pretty smooth yet luscious; a consistent texture without being overly dense or sinful, but yet binds the crust and the fruits so well. Then, there is the stellar crust at the bottom — shattering neatly as one attempts to break it with a fork, the crust never turns into a crumbly mess; holds up the heft of whatever that is above well whilst being almost cookie-like.

Tarte by Cheryl Koh has come a long way; lesser of a focus under the Les Amis Group when they had first started out being a takeaway space at Bar au Vin (dine-in also allowed in the bar), to its subsequent expansion to a proper space around sister brands Lemak Boys, Tenjin, Lino Pasta & Pizza Bar and Jinjo, to its current space just in front of the escalator at level two or as Shaw Centre, Tarte by Cheryl Koh has come a long way, and an established name for premium tarts in Singapore. There’s no doubt that Tarte by Cheryl Koh had also since garnered a following — be it simple fruit tarts focusing on the freshness and quality of the produce that they source, when it comes to the execution of local flavours such as the Pandan Coconut Tart and Milo Coffee Tart, or the sexier Caramel Cashew Tart that showcases their skill and execution; and its this consistency that probably brought them this far, which is why us, as consumers of this day and age, are a lucky bunch indeed.