Longans, Goji Berries, White Fungus, Gingko, Cold Brew Coffee.

Cheng Tng is a classic local dessert that rarely sees a modern take, which is why I was pretty surprised to see the Cold Brew Cheng Tng make its appearance on the menu here at Percolate. Cheng Tng usually comes with a lighter flavour profile that is rather refreshing; the use of Cold Brew here provides the Cheng Tng with a punchier note that is surprisingly not as heavy-handed as how black cold brews tend to be — it gives the dessert a distinct floral note amidst the slightly herbal flavour that is pretty much the signature of the dessert served in its usual form; all that with a pretty clean finish without overwhelming the tastebuds with the aroma of coffee after each spoonful. Coupled with the usual ingredients you will pretty much find in a usual bowl of Cheng Tng, it is interesting how the Goji Berries seems to be in a dehydrated, candied form — provides a sweet crunch almost akin to that of candies fruit which provides a contrasting flavour and texture to that of the Cheng Tng as opposed to the other ingredients such as the Longan, Gingko and White Fungus that provides some bite.

It’s not quite something meant for those who usually goes for safer items on the menu; definitely an item that is more abstract and meant for the slightly more adventurous ones — a take on Cheng Tng that is likely to stir the feelings for some but brings in surprises for those who may be open to such things. Still, this is probably as much of a novelty of an item I had got out of any dish I have tried thus far for the year — an item that is out there to showcase their knowledge on specialty coffee being a cafe that is part of the third-wave coffee movement; also an item that is pretty worth trying out at least once just to step out of the comfort zone, and to see how this modern iteration of a local classic would turn out to be.