Le Ruby Ice Cream Cafe & Bakery

The news on the opening of Le Ruby Ice-Cream Cafe & Bakery had already spread around much earlier than they had opened their doors to the public — there has been some words going around social media ever since they were spotted having replaced the now-defunct OC Cafe (previously known as OnlyCreamery prior to their shift to Toa Payoh from Chinatown) at the foot of Blk 79E Toa Payoh Central; those whom are familiar with the local F&B scene in the past couple of years would also identify the shop unit as one that was previously occupied by a defunct outlet of Mong Cha Cha Cafe 梦茶茶 and Moin Moin Gelato. We hadn’t visited the space after OC Cafe had occupied the premsies; that being said, there is a slight switch-up in the furnishings of the establishment which does give off a little bit of a cosy, homely vibe that is quite befitting for an ice-cream parlour situated in the heartlands. The interior does see a mix of dining tables that comes with terrazzo-rescue and wooden surfaces, while the seatings mostly comprises of stools — the tables here being largely configured to seat groups of four (4) pax irregardless of it being round or rectangular. The menu boards at Le Ruby Ice-Cream Cafe & Bakery are placed albeit in a rather haphazard fashion — the drinks and waffle menu can be found somewhere in the dining hall, while the finger food menu is placed at the counter; the range of ice-creams that they have to offer are on display at a counter that faces out of the establishment to the main road, which is probably intended to attract those whom are passing by so that they could grab-and-go without turning into the shop itself. They also do offer a range of bakes that seemed to be sourced externally that are displayed in its own shelf near the entrance of the cafe.

Noting how they carried quite a variety of waffles on the menu which includes the usual style, as well as renditions that comes with cheese / mochi / pandan, we found ourselves going for the variant that came with mochi — these folks do refer to the mochi variant of the waffles as “Waffle with Muah Chee”. The waffles here are all prepared fresh upon order; some waiting time will be required for the waffles to be served — the waffles do seem to come with maple syrup paired with it on the side by default as well. Digging into the Waffle with Muah Chee, it does seem that the waffle batter is tuned in a way that would be more suited for waffles that are ordered plain or with cheese; the waffle here being one that seems to come with an eggy and buttery aroma — also seemingly lighter and airier than most of the plush, buttermilk waffles that we are more used to seeing these days served elsewhere. This does somewhat make their Waffles with Mochi a little bit easier to finish, considering the lighter texture that is being matched with the chewy and stretchy mochi that is embedded within. The consistency of the mochi is a little inconsistent where it is a wee bit thinner in some corners. We initially ordered the Hibiscus Apple Sorbet to pair with the Waffle with Muah Chee, though the folks at Le Ruby Ice-Cream Cafe & Bakery ended up serving the sorbet in its own cup in fear that the sorbet would melt too quickly if it were to be plated above the waffle. The flavour is one that had caught our attention very early on when we were skimming through the display chiller for the ice-cream / sorbet flavours that they have to offer — the Hibiscus Apple being very unique and is described to feature elements such as hibiscus and chunks of caramelised apple. Coming in a bright red hue that one would probably expect from its namesake, we liked how there was lingering floral note for the sorbet — the lack of use of dairy for the sorbet also made things pretty refreshing here. The chunky pieces of caramalised apple here provided a soft crunch and a complementing sweetness that goes hand-in-hand with the hibiscus — definitely a flavour profile that we found to be unique and pretty appealing.

Le Ruby Ice-Cream Cafe & Bakery was offering a range of Mao Shan Wang-infused desserts when we made our visit there on a weekday evening — this would include a Mao Shan Wang Dumpling (essentially a triangular-shaped mochi that comes with Mao Shan Wang filling within) as well as a Mao Shan Wang Mille Crepe; we found ourselves opting for the latter. These are being displayed prominently in the display chiller within the store that faces the dining hall which is also stocked with the various canned beverages that they have to offer. Whilst Le Ruby Ice-Cream Cafe & Bakery does not describe the elements that comes within the Mao Shan Wang Mille Crepe, it can be observed that the item
does come with layers of crepe, pastry cream, durian flesh and a thin layer of sponge cake that serves as the base of the entire Mille Crepe. Durian purists would likely love the Mao Shan Wang Mille Crepe here considering it comes with thick layers of fibrous durian flesh in between layers of pastry cream and crepe; the pungent, buttery notes of Mao Shan Wang being the core emphasis here. We also have had the Flat White to go along with all of the desserts that we went for. Truth to be told, it does seem like espresso-based specialty coffee isn’t quite the forte of Le Ruby Ice-Cream Cafe & Bakery; the “latte art” here seems to have been drawn from stiff foam rather than frothed milk while the cuppa does come with a roasty and smoky note that was rather harsh.

Overall, it does seem that Le Ruby Ice-Cream Cafe & Bakery is run by some pretty down-to-earth folks that are hoping of making a mark in the local F&B scene in their own ways — there is definitely this neighbourhood-ly vibe going around the establishment with how the folks behind the counter interacts with their patrons; full of warmth and sincerity whilst also receptive to feedback to improve themselves further. There are some creations that really shine — things like their Hibiscus Apple Sorbet which is no doubt unique in its own right and absolutely hits the spot; they also do have some rather innovative flavours like the Toasted Pink Marshmallow Oreo ice-cream, Mango Lemon Sorbet, Tie Guan Yin and Osmanthus Mango Passionfruit Sorbet as well. That being said, perhaps Le Ruby Ice-Cream Cafe & Bakery might need some time to fine-tune their other offerings after gathering feedback; there is most certainly some room for improvement especially when it comes to their espresso-based specialty coffee. The externally-sourced pastries is also a shortcoming considering the word “bakery” in the namesake of the establishment. It is still early days for these folks however; with their earnest nature, we do hope that these folks would become a spot loved by Toa Payoh residents as they progress further into their journey in the local F&B scene here.