Hadn’t been to Lola’s Cafe in quite a while —they are still popular as ever, considering that the cafe is pretty much at its maximum capacity even with dine-in restrictions in place, filled with patrons who have made a reservation and still bustling with takeaway orders as well; there is even a small waiting time involved for walk-in dine-in patrons as well.

Having seen how Lola’s Cafe had recently released a few new tarts and that I have been rather intrigued by tarts lately (must have been those visits to Tarte by Cheryl Koh lately; one time too many), I decided to stop by to give the Sakura Yuzu Meringue Tart a try. Consisting of elements such as White Chocolate Ganache, Fresh Yuzu Curd, Toasted Meringue and Salted Pickled Sakura Flowers, I actually found the Sakura Yuzu Meringue Tart to be pretty appetising. Whilst I had initial concerns that the White Chocolate Ganache carrying a distinct sweetness for a dessert that should be focused on the zingy notes of Yuzu, my fears were unfounded — in fact, the element seems to be largely unnoticeable if included still. The dominant flavours here come from the Yuzu curd — zippy and tangy whilst being smooth like how it should without being overly sour. I wasn’t too much of a fan of the Salted Pickled Sakura Flowers however; understand how it was supposed to provide a flavour contrast but there was this odd lingering sweetness even in the light, airy and smooth meringue that didn’t quite sit well with my taste buds. The tart base was however pretty well-made; slices off cleanly without crumbling into a mess — not too hard but also not too moist and soggy as well. I was actually pretty surprised how well the Sakura Yuzu Meringue Tart went so well with the Iced Peach Oolong Tea I have had on the side as well; a dessert and drink pairing that is especially well-matched to end the day with.

Lola’s Cafe has been pretty much the go-to spot at Kovan for most cafe-hoppers, and it is easy to understand why — reasonable prices and a decent quality of food for what one is paying for essentially makes them a pretty popular and almost “default” cafe option when dining in the ‘hood. While the Sakura Yuzu Meringue Tart has its own shortcomings when it comes to my preferences, it is an item that stays true to that narrative that made Lola’s Cafe what they are now. Would really like to see more creations from them such as these — something that would keep things especially interesting for a reason to revisit.