Sweet-Tooths and Small Bites

Sweet-Tooths and Small Bites

All things sweet or small for the after-meal satisfaction.
Xing Wei Chua
Xing Wei Chua

It does seem that Alexandra Village hasn’t really seen much of a loss of specialty coffee spots even despite Venture Drive Coffee having moved out of its premises not too long ago; Rookie’s Coffee Shop does seem to have been holding up as a go-to spot for coffee lovers all around the island, while the ‘hood has also recently seen a new cafe opening up as well. Kyuukei Coffee had found home in a shop unit at Blk 121 Bukit Merah Lane 1; the shop unit of which that it occupies is rather prominent, considering its proximity to the overhead bridge that leads to Alexandra Central across the road, with its frontage facing Jalan Bukit Merah. Being a hole-in-the-wall space, Kyuukei Coffee is also a spot there has a story behind it — one can find a note placed right beside the door that narrates how Kyuukei Coffee was conceived by its founder; the brand had first started off as a coffee cart in April 2023 before transitioning into a brick-and-mortar store in November 2023. The interior of the cafe is rather tight but cosy — there is a bit of a Japandi design language adopted in its interior that gives a really zen environment good for a slow cuppa, though the interior also only consists of three bar counter seats facing the window; most of the dine-in seating area is actually located outside the shop space — comprises of a mix of outdoor coffee tables and wooden stools, as well as camping chairs and tables. Given the size of the space, Kyuukei Coffee’s menu is fairly lean — they do cater for those whom are feeling peckish, though their selection of toasties is limited to just a Mushroom Gremolata, a S.E.C.K., and a Ham, Cheese and Tomato. Otherwise, patrons can opt for the Cherry Tomato Focaccia, as well as the various danishes and other bakes stocked up in their display case at the counter. Beverages available at Kyuukei Coffee includes espresso-based specialty coffee, as well as tea and drinking chocolate.

We made our visit to Kyuukei Coffee on a Saturday afternoon — the only day in which it is open for business on the weekends. Whilst we were intending to give their variety of toasties a try, we were informed that they had already sold out of all their toasties even before lunch hour due to an unexpected increase in patronage as compared to usual on the day which he had made our visit; they weee also out of the Cherry Tomato Focaccia as well. Given how they were sold out of most of the items during our visit, we found ourselves resorting to giving their Canele a try — an item which we also found an interest in anyway that was still available at the time which we had made our visit. It is interesting to now that the Canele is actually warmed up before it is eventually served up at the table — a detail often missed out at other locations and even at big-name brands that serve up the same item. Slicing the Canele, we found that the Canele is crusty on the outside with a soft, honeycomb kueh-like texture for its interior. One thing to note about the Canele here was how it does carry that note of sweetness that one would expect out of a Canele, though this appears to be quite well-balanced since most Canele around might turn out to be a little bit sweet for the preferences of some. Overall, quite a well-executed Canele especially if this was something that was baked in-house. The Flat White we had went for was also pretty on point; a smooth and creamy cuppa that comes with a good proportion of milk — one with medium body that carried an earthy and nutty note that comes with a fruity finish. Still looking forward to give their line-up of toasties some day — Kyuukei Coffee is definitely a spot that works for somebody looking for a leisurely spot for a cuppa to spend a slow afternoon at!

Was scrolling through social media one day and found out about the new Strait Jacket that had recently sprouted up around Haji Lane. Turns out, Strait Jacket takes over the former premises of what used to be Emporium by Wassies, being situated at the second level of the shophouse located at 48 Haji Lane. The space had seen some sort of revamp since its days being Emporium by Wassies — gone would be the NFT-themed elements and the space seems to have undergone a more “underground” look with posters and graffiti art adorning its walls instead. The seating for dine-in customers are a mix-and-match of various kinds of furniture; from couch seatings matched with coffee tables to proper dining tables and chairs as well as bean bags — a bit of a rebellious character that is fun when all comes together. Strait Jacket is essentially a retail-cum-cafe concept; the retail section featuring a small selection of streetwear and is segregated somewhat away from the espresso bar and the food preparation area. Considering the lack of a proper kitchen space at Strait Jacket, they do actually serve up a small variety of soufflĂ© pancakes and waffles for those whom are feeling peckish. Otherwise, the drinks menu comprises of a variety of Chai, drinking chocolate and espresso-based specialty coffee offerings. Some notable offerings are Strait Jacket includes a Chilli Chocolate, Chilli Mocha, Orange Mocha and a Lemonade Espresso — just to name a few.

Since we were still hungry when we arrived Strait Jacket in the afternoon, it was needless to say that we were going to give their soufflĂ© pancake offerings a try. Strait Jacket does offer a small variety of two different types of soufflĂ© pancakes on their menu — the Big Ol’ OG Pancake and Berry Creamy Pancake. It is noted that the soufflĂ© pancakes are items which require a wait time of around 15minutes per order; a rather standard requirement especially for soufflĂ© pancakes that are made on the spot. The batter is whipped on the spot upon the order being made at the counter — the Big Ol’ OG Pancake being an item which is being described to come with elements such as soufflĂ© pancakes, honey and butter based on what is being mentioned on the menu. Simple as it may look on first sight, but it also does carry a really indulgent aesthetic considering how it has been drenched with honey and comes with a strip of butter over the top. We wouldn’t say that this was the lightest soufflĂ© pancakes we have ever had; that being said, the soufflĂ© pancakes here are definitely moist enough and slightly on the dense side of things — still satisfying fluffy whilst also carrying an evident eggy note as well. The generous drizzling of honey and knob of butter provided much of the flavour that the Big Ol’ OG Pancake needs; just sweet enough with a slight hint of savouriness — quite the indulgence without being over the top. We also gave their Espresso Tonic a go — that tonic water providing a slight sweetness and tanginess to the espresso shot; all that with a bit of carbonation to spruce things up a little. Make use of their Lunch Combo deal that runs between 11am to 2pm that allows one to order the Big Ol’ OG Pancake with any drink on the drinks menu at $10.90; definitely a unique location that is a hideout from the hustle and bustle along the ground level of Haji Lane that is worth checking out if in the area.

It seems that Keong Saik Bakery had gone to greater heights post-Keong Saik Road operations; while the bakery had always been known to be a small nook along the stretch of fine-dining eateries around Outram Park / Chinatown, it does seem that they have expanded quite a fair bit since. With their main shop space now within Luzerne around Boon Keng and also with another outlet located in Chip Bee Gardens, the latest location of Keong Saik Bakery at Jewel Changi Airport does seem to tell us how far they have came since their early days from how they have started. The location at Jewel Changi Airport is also fairly befitting to the brand, considering how Keong Saik Bakery has always been known as a brand that fuses traditional Singaporean flavours, culture and heritage with their offerings — the Sor Hei being a very good example of that being one of their offerings which had remained on their menu since Day One of their operations. Their latest location at Jewel Changi Airport is located on the ground level, conveniently located right in front of the Early Check-In Counter at Changi Airport Terminal 1 and are neighbours with other F&B establishments such as the outlet of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, as well as Kim’s Duet. More of a kiosk-style set-up as opposed to being an actual cafe operation like their Luzerne and Chip Bee Gardens locations, the outlet at Jewel Changi Airport has fairly limited seating; though does still offer quite a good variety of danishes and cakes which can be found at their other locations. There are outlet exclusives which are available only at the Jewel Changi Airport location, which includes the Cereal Prawn Croissant Eclair and Milo Creme Brulee Cruffin. For those whom are feeling peckish, there are also sandwiches like the Croque Monsieur and Roasted Chicken Sandwich to go for, while the list of beverages includes their bottled cold brews, coffee / tea, as well as some unique concoctions like the Purple Smurf.

It was needless to say that we made our way to Keong Saik Bakery’s outlet at Jewel Changi Airport for the Cereal Prawn Croissant Eclair — we are pretty much fans of anything cereal / salted egg / buttermilk and it is without a doubt that the item attracted our attention when we came across the offering of the outlet exclusive via posts on social media. For those whom are unaware, the Croissant Eclair range by Keong Saik Bakery isn’t exactly new, though the offering of the Cereal Prawn variant is new — the range of Croissant Eclair offerings can be found at both Keong Saik Bakery locations as well as Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee’s outlet at Guoco Tower. Interestingly, Keong Saik Bakery has went the route of using prawn paste rather than actual prawns for their Cereal Prawn Croissant Eclair here — likely a move to achieve consistency in terms of quality since the usage of actual prawns would likely prove difficult for them to maintain so.

Much like what one would expect from the zichar-style rendition of the Cereal Prawn, the Cereal Prawn Croissant Eclair comes with wok-fried cereal bits alongside curry leaves for that added note of fragrance. Truth to be told, we weren’t really expecting the cereal bits here to be particularly buttery since they would have been achieved by the flaky and buttery croissant eclair pastry itself. That being said, we did wish that there is a bit of sugar that could perhaps gel the cereal elements and the prawn paste with the pastry — something which could have bright everything together with that added sweetness. Also got to try the Milo Creme Brulee Cruffin during our visit here — yet another variety of their Cruffin line-up that comes with a crystallised sugar layer that features a sweet, malty and chocolate-y pastry cream beneath. Still, we would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the folks behind Keong Saik Bakery on the opening of their new outlet at Jewel Changi Airport — wishing these folks all the best for what is to come in the future!

Goldies is one of those establishments which we learnt about while scrolling through social media one day — the establishment itself is well hidden within the Queenstown neighbourhood at Blk 49 Stirling Road; not a location that one would somewhat find themselves to be in for the most part. Occupying a small shop unit, Goldies is pretty much a spot that is meant for takeaways even though there are two wooden stools that one could sit on if they do intend to dine-in on the spot. Based on how the establishment is named and how the products on retail are being displayed in the establishment, it seems that Goldie’s might be a spot where honey takes a central focus — available for retail at the store is a range of honey products sourced from The Rare Honey Company; a brand that seems to specialise in 100% Pure Raw Australian Honey based on their bio on their social media page that also has its own tasting bar and shop at Tan Boon Liat Building that is located near Havelock MRT Station along the Thomson-East Coast Line. For Goldies, it does seem that they have leveraged the idea of serving up pastries and cakes alongside specialty coffee to bring raw honey to the masses — their variety of bakes seem to have incorporated the use of honey, and some of its items on the beverages menu like the Honey Oat Latte and the Wildflower Honey Lemon. Of course, they do also offer espresso-based specialty coffee as well, which is brewed using Common Man Coffee Roaster’s 22 Martin blend.

Skimming through the display case on what they have to offer, we note that there were items such as the Hot Corn Bread Cream Karri, Lemon Honey Cheesecake and a few others that are available during the day which we made our visit. We found ourselves opting for the Jarrah Honey Sea Salt Croissant, which looked like a normal croissant in the display case. Turns out, the Jarrah Honey Sea Salt Croissant is drizzled with Jarrah Honey that is sourced from The Rare Honey Company when it was packed in the takeaway box; we also note that the sea salt croissant is also warmed up before being served to us. Simple as it might sound, but the Jarrah Honey Sea Salt Croissant is actually light, flaky and buttery with a tinge of saltish-ness coming from the use of sea salt. This would probably have made the croissant a little salty on its own, though this is where that drizzle of honey is particularly on-point; the Jarrah Honey carries a really evident note of raw honey that made the Jarrah Honey Sea Salt Croissant pretty much into a sweet-savoury affair. The honey is dense here; yet not overly sweet — especially soothing if we may say so. We had also tried their Honey Oat Latte during the visit — sold in bottles, their Honey Oat Latte is yet another star item here; whilst most bottled Oat Latte / Oat Cold Brew offerings that we have come across thus far are unsweetened and focuses much on the nuttiness of the oat milk itself, the addition of honey here really provides a contrast of flavours with that same floral sweetness that came with the Jarrah Honey added to the Jarrah Honey Sea Salt Croissant. Overall, Goldies does seem like an establishment that uses their specialty coffee and bakes as a vehicle to the 100% Pure Raw Australian Honey which they are retailing; and one that really seems to know what they are doing to bring the very best out of their honey products while at it — a spot that honey lovers should most definitely check out on the bakes and honey-infused beverages which they have to offer!

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Have only known about the existence of the new Smoff via social media recently. For those whom have not heard off the name before, Smoff is a relatively new F&B tenant which had moved into a kiosk at Singapore Management University recently — while other F&B tenants that had recently opened at Singapore Management University have taken up shop spaces either within the basement level with direct access to both Bencoolen MRT Station along the Downtown Line and Bras Basah MRT Station along the Circle Line (such as the likes of Kuro Kare) or the area around the open field (like Flourish Bakehouse), the stall that Smoff is located at is one that is situated near to the junction between Stamford Road and Bencoolen Street. Other F&B tenants situated around the area where Smoff is around includes that of Khoon Coffeehouse Express, The Tea Party Express and Kunyah Cafe. Smoff’s concept is one that is rather simple — the establishment has its focus wrapped around Japanese Taiyaki and soft-serve; patrons can either have one or the other or both combined, with the menu consisting of Smoffle (Japanese Taiyaki + Soft Serve), Soft Serve, Sweet Moffle (i.e. Japanese Taiyaki with sweet fillings) and Savoury Moffle (i.e. Japanese Taiyaki with savoury fillings). Beverages available at Smoff includes a small selection of cold brew teas such as a Lemongrass Tea and Peach Tea, just to name a few.

Smoff actually does allow patrons to try out their creations in a few ways — that being said, the best way to give their offerings a go would likely be through ordering the Smoffle. The Smoffle is an item where the Japanese Taiyaki actually comes served together with the soft-serve, enabling patrons to try both of Smoff’s core offerings in one single item. Patrons would first pick the flavour which they would like their Japanese Taiyaki to come filled with, and then pick the flavours of the soft-serve which they would like to go along with the Japanese Taiyaki. Smoffle actually offers quite a variety of fillings for their Taiyaki as well as their soft-serve flavours — for the former, one can look forward to fillings like Nutella, Red Bean, Ovaltine and Lemon Custard, while the latter includes flavours like Pandan, Ube, Cotton Candy and Acai. There are also a few toppings which patrons can opt to go for which includes Biscoff crumbles and chocolate pearls — just to name a few; it is well noted that the toppings at Smoff are unlimited for each order; this also means that one can simply opt for all of the toppings to go with the Smoffle / Soft-Serve at no additional costs.

For our order of the Smoffle, we went for the Taro filling for the Taiyaki, and the Pandan Ube soft-serve to go along with the Taiyaki; our toppings being the chocolate pearls. The presentation of the Smoffle does seem to be pretty playful — the Japanese Taiyaki being placed atop the soft-serve in a paper cup that is almost akin to the “fish” gobbling up the soft-serve. Going for the Taiyaki first, it is interesting that Smoff does call them the Mochi Waffles; that being said, we are not sure where the Mochi part of the Mochi Waffles actually is — there wasn’t a detectable stretchiness or chewiness within the Mochi Waffles. That aside however, the Mochi Waffle is actually fairly crisp and carried a light hint of buttermilk which we found to be pretty alluring. Our option of going for the Taro filling for the Mochi Waffle was a pretty sound one as well; the Taro filling here seems to emphasise a lot on the earthiness of the taro with the dense paste also consisting of some soft chunks of yam as well. When it came to the Pandan Ube soft-serve that we went for, the Pandan Ube soft-serve is actually a dual flavour swirl which consists of half Pandan and half Ube; we felt that the Ube soft-serve carried a stronger flavour as compared to the Pandan soft-serve and thus felt overshadowed by the Ube soft-serve. That being said, the Ube soft-serve does carry that earthy and sweet note of more commercially-made yam-flavoured ice-cream with an adequate level of sweetness which was particularly commonplace in the past — a flavour which resonates to us. Given its price tag at $5.90, this does sound like a fairly reasonable offering; think of it as a waffle and ice-cream creation suitable for an individual diner to say the least.

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With Ollella x Swish Roll’s move out of their previous premises at Cluny Court, it seems that both brands have since been segregated with a shop space that is dedicated to each of the brand names; we have written about Ollella’s new digs at Far East Square — it does seem that Swish Rolls have also settled down at their new location situated in the basement of Paragon. Swish Rolls takes over the space which was formerly tenanted to Matchaya some time back; this also makes Swish Rolls neighbours with other F&B tenants such as the outlet of Chalk Farm that is located there. Swish Rolls is pretty much a takeaway kiosk at its Paragon location; there are no dine-in seats located with the stall space that it is located in. Much of what they have to offer is being stocked up in the display cases at the counter area — this would include the danishes and pastries which most should be familiar with if they had patronised Swish Rolls back when they are at Cluny Court; think a selection of croissants, Swiss Rolls, Croon croissants and egg tarts.

Got the chance to try out the Soft Serve Egg Tart which is an item that comes complimentary for patrons whom are spending a minimum of $18 for their total purchase at Swish Rolls between 14 November 2023 to 19 November 2023. While the Soft Serve Mochi Croissant Egg Tart is not mentioned as a menu item anywhere on the shelves that have been handwritten with the names of the various offerings, the promotional poster for the above-mentioned opening promotion mentions that the Soft Serve Egg Tart is worth $6. Patrons are able to pick between the Original Croissant Egg Tart or the Mochi Croissant Egg Tart for their Soft Serve Egg Tart, and that the Soft Serve Egg Tart does not only come with soft-serve on top of the egg tart, but also a Mini Croissant topping as well.

We have had Swish Roll’s Croissant Egg Tart on one occasion prior, though this is the very first time which we had tried one directly bought from the store itself; we opted for the Mochi Croissant Egg Tart for our order — this also meant that there is a layer of mochi in between the croissant layer that acts as a base to the egg tart and the egg filling itself. We liked how the croissant base of the Mochi Croissant Egg Tart was not too greasy, yet carried a buttery fragrance being lightly flaky without causing a mess when one consumes it by hand. The Mochi layer in between was chewy, but does not stick to the teeth easily — something that we actually really liked about it. Meanwhile, the egg custard did carry a good egginess to it; all that whilst not being too sweet. We would say that the soft-serve is a good-to-have, though probably something not necessary for most — this is considering how it is plated and the size of the takeaway cup it is served in; just not very easy to consume both the egg tart and the soft-serve at one go and hence there is a certain factor where one would likely finish the soft-serve first to get to what is beneath. The soft-serve was smooth and creamy; had a good consistency whilst being rich in its milkiness that is pretty similar to some milk soft-serves at a better quality which we have had elsewhere — something which we would totally order if sold alone as-is. There’s still a couple of items that we have yet to try from Swish Rolls (yes, I am mentioning the Croons); with a more central location than where it was previously, guess the time to give the Croons a try would be fairly soon!

Haven’t been much of a fan of breads and buns from local bakeries for quite a while so I had been pretty dismissive of the existence of the Ultra Bake store that had opened for quite a while in the basement of Marina One even though there are times where I was looking to have a light bite. Ultra Bake is one of those bakeries retailing grab-and-go breads and buns with outlets that are mostly located in the Central Business District — the brand having outlets in locations such as Tanjong Pagar Plaza at Marina Bay Link Mall at one point of time, but have also expanded its operations in recent times with one at the basement of Marina One and another one at level 3 of Downtown Gallery. Its outlets are pretty much of a fuss-free, takeaway concept; no dine-in areas are available in any of their outlets — expect a variety of breads and buns that are pretty similar to that served at other neighbourhood eateries, as well as loaves of bread that one can also pick up as well. Interestingly, Ultra Bake also does serve up takeaway Nanyang-style Kopi and Teh as well to compliment their bread and bun offerings — something that is a little bit different from local bakeries that are often found in neighbourhoods around the island.

One thing that got us really hooked to it at Ultra Bake recently was the Red Bean Bun which costs $1.90. We actually had it as breakfast (a really rare occasion) where we weren’t in much of the mood to eat something that tasted too heavy, but we found ourselves already pretty much loving what we have got from the get-go. The Red Bean Bun at Ultra Bake comes studded with sesame seeds on the exterior — as much as how this makes it look like a seeded hamburger bun from the exterior, this actually helped add quite a bit of texture to the Red Bean Bun as one chews into the bread from the start. The bun is actually pretty soft (although that might only be due to the fact that we always grab this when it is freshly-baked), while the inside of the bun is especially well-filled with red bean filling. While we typically do not enjoy Red Bean Buns that are sold in local neighbourhood bakeries considering how thick, dense and sweet some of the red bean fillings are, the one from Ultra Bake is just soft and fluffy; not too sweet as well with an emphasis on the earthiness of the red bean paste. Best to be had when these are actually freshly-baked out of the oven — warm bread and all; also noticed that these tend to be sold out before lunch at the Marina One outlet at least. So good that we have pretty much started having a weekly breakfast habit just for this!

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It seems that Cluny Court has been through quite a bit of change after most of its tenants located outside of the mall had moved out of their respective shop units — this includes F&B establishments such as that of The Affogato Bar which had made their move to The Star Vista recently, as well as Ollella x Swish Rolls with the former making its move to Far East Square, and the latter having just opened their own location at the basement of Paragon. Since then, we have seen more commercial brands like Tiong Bahru Bakery take up tenancy within the building, though the new opening of Gelobuna still suggests that there is some indie F&B appeal to Cluny Court after its revamp. An establishment that aims to be “one place for artisanal gelato and specialty coffee” based on their bio on social media, Gelobuna might be a new name to the local F&B scene, though it does seem to be affiliated to brands that already has a presence in the local F&B scene — there are suggestions that the spot may be affiliated with PaPa Gelare by CoffeePlus and CoffeePlus; both brands having a presence at the Farrer Gardens neighbourhood at Queen’s Road near Farrer Road MRT Station. Indeed, the similarity in branding is pretty stark; while the decor and facade of Gelobuna can be said as pretty ultra-modern with a sleek look considering the use of metallic elements throughout the whole store, the splash of red used from the exterior to the interior is pretty consistent with the colour which CoffeePlus uses as a theme. As expected, the main offerings at Gelobuna would be their gelato — patrons would be able to opt between having their scoops of gelato in a cone, cup or with a waffle. Meanwhile, the beverage menu at Gelobuna mostly comprises of espresso-based specialty coffee, as well as drinking chocolate and Fiji water.

We were pretty much in the mood for surprises on the day which we made our visit to Gelobuna, so we left our dining partner to try some of the flavours which they have to offer in the display fridge and went with some of the flavours that we were presented as options to go along with a waffle. Our choices of the two scoops of gelato to go for would be the Pumpkin Pie gelato and the Muah Chee gelato. Some waiting time would be involved for those whom are enjoying their gelato with a waffle since the Waffle at Gelobuna is only prepared upon order; similar to the practice that most ice-cream / gelato parlours around the island adopts — it is interesting to note that we were not provided nor informed of any options on adding a sauce / drizzle for the Waffle here. As we dug into the Waffle, we found that the texture of the waffle was pretty decent being plush and of the sort that seems to focus on the fluffiness and denseness of the waffle from within, though one thing that really marred the entire experience was how alkaline or metallic the Waffle seemed to have tasting — almost akin to the addition of too much baking powder into the batter to the point that we found it difficult to finish the waffle anyway.

As for the scoops of gelato, we did feel that the flavours were decent but they do seem to deviate a little from what they were intended to be; perhaps being so due to how they seemed to be holding back on the level of sweetness of their gelato creations. The Muah Chee (which was also indicated to have no peanuts according to the description card in the display freezer) was more like a sesame-flavoured gelato at-heart; the flavour was lacking of any stretchy bits of mochi for a texture that replicated Muah Chee, nor carried any distinct note of sweetness from rice grains that usual form the flavours of rice cakes in general. When it came to the Pumpkin Pie, the gelato did carry a hue of yellow that seemingly resembles the colour of the flesh of pumpkins, though the flavour profile of the gelato seemed to heavily focus on the spices such as cinnamon that one can find in the making of a pumpkin pie. What seems to be lacking is that underlying sweetness of pumpkin, while they could also look into adding some crumbles that could replicate the texture of the crust of a pumpkin pie that would give some contrast of textures to further elevate the gelato flavour. Overall, a product that one could tell that some effort was placed into the creation, though the execution could have been refined; a little bit of a shame especially considering how the texture of the gelato was actually smooth, creamy and a little sticky. Overall, Gelobuna isn’t really a bad place to stopover for some gelato and specialty coffee if one is around the immediate area of Botanjc Gardens MRT Station; that being said, we do think they could easily push themselves further if they are able to rethink how they do gelato — perhaps a spot that things will get a little clearer as time moves along once they get past the initial days of its operations.

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Found out about the new Duke Dessert çł–äŒŻä»˜ that had recently opened their doors at Fortune Centre recently — the choice for such a shop to open in the location being one that is rather odd especially for those whom are familiar with the building. Located at the second floor of the building, Duke Dessert takes over the former premises of the now-defunct Create Cafe; this makes them neighbours with other F&B tenants such as Ume San 100 and The Asia 2019 Korean Food. It seems that Duke Dessert had decided to went for a simple look for the establishment; there isn’t really a strong theme set in terms of the interior decor of the space. Rather, the interior design seems to be more focused on being functional rather than for style — there are some use of colours such as the pastel blue walls and red stools for a visual pop, though the other furniture and fittings mostly comprises of white, wooden and metallic elements. Being an establishment that is well-focused on their Chinese dessert offerings, it does seem that Duke Dessert emphasises a lot on their Tang Shui and Taiwanese-style beancurd offerings — the menu is being segregated into sections dedicated to Mango Specialties (also introduced to us as one of their signature offerings), Cold Desserts (mostly featuring yogurt-based desserts), Pudding / Jelly / Beancurd, Cold Desserts, Tapioca Balls and Hot Dessert sections. For those feeling peckish, Duke Dessert do also offer Small Bites such as the Vegetable Sushi Roll and the various variants of Chee Cheong Fun, while beverages available include a few herbal tea options, Original Almond Milk and Mineral Water.

Given the sheer number of dessert options which they have to offer on the menu, we were pretty much spoilt for choice on what to actually try here. That being said, we did notice that they do carry some items that are also being served at their neighbour that is located just a couple of doors away at Yat Ka Yan 䞀柶äșș, which we found to be a little bit of a strange move especially considering that their neighbours themselves are also a pretty established name which we had also come to love in the local scene of Chinese-style Tang Shui. We eventually settled for some items which we thought we would not be able to find in the menu at the neighbour; this includes the Beancurd Grass Jelly with Oatmeal Tapioca Balls which seems to be an item that draws more inspiration from stalls such as Nine Fresh äčä»™ with the use of taro balls, beancurd and grass jelly elements. For their Beancurd Grass Jelly with Oatmeal Tapioca Balls, one can find all the usual suspects as listed above; that being said, it also sees the addition of tapioca balls as a topping on top everything else that was mentioned earlier, whilst also coming with an interesting addition of instant oatmeal as well. On paper, the combination of instant oatmeal might sound rather odd considering how this was supposed to be a dessert item, but it does turn out to be a combination that absolutely worked in harmony since the combination of soy milk works with the instant oatmeal.

In fact, this does sound and feel a little more nutritious and meal-like as opposed to the usual variant of the item that comes only with taro balls and pearls; sure enough, the taro balls of various colours provided a chewy, qq texture that gave a good bite — all that while the silky beancurd and jiggly beancurd provides a smooth mouthfeel and a complimenting note of bean-y and earthy notes with a dash of sweetness. The instant oatmeal was the element that provided a bit of a denseness and heartiness for the item; provided a wheat-y note and having absorbed some notes of bean-iness and sweetness from the beancurd and soy milk itself, binding itself with all the other elements of the dessert together and wasn’t an overwhelming experience for those whom might have thought that adding oatmeal would have caused the item to feel unnecessarily “heavy”. Other dishes that we had tried from Duke Dessert during our visit included the Vegetarian Sushi Roll; an item seemingly comprising of seaweed laver, lettuce, carrot and beetroot — something which seemed rather reminiscent to what the now-defunct Create Cafe that Duke Dessert had replaced was serving up previously. It was pretty tasty and felt close to eating a sushi roll despite featuring an entire composition of vegetables; something great to have as a light bite. While it is rather odd to see a new entrant with a focus on Chinese-style Tang Shui in Fortune Centre, it does seem that Duke Dessert’s target audience is probably a little different from that of Yat Ka Yan’s. With some unique dishes to boast with good execution (like their Beancurd Grass Jelly with Oatmeal Tapioca Balls), perhaps there is some space in the building for Duke Dessert to exist after all.

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Yet another day at the favourite place and yet another item that piques our interest. Not sure when exactly it was that the folks at Brawn & Brains had introduced the item on their menu, though we don’t really recall ever seeing “squares” being served on their BB – Cakes section of their online POS system when one dines in at any one of their locations.

Considering how their wedge-sized cakes can sometimes being rather overwhelming for one individual to consume as a tea break item together with a cuppa on the side, it does seem that the Cream Cheese Red Velvet Square is a slightly more manageable option for single diners here. The price point of the Cream Cheese Red Velvet Square also seems to have suggested so, considering how the item is priced at $4.80 as compared to their other non “slice” options like the Earl Grey Layer
Cake and the Honey Yuzu Cake that is priced at $8.00. Where flavours are concerned, the Cream Cheese Red Velvet Square is as classic as a typical Red Velvet Cake is; the cake layer comes with a dark red hue and carries an evident, but not heavy note of cocoa. To provide for some form of texture, a layer of cream cheese can be found both in between the red velvet cake layers and above the top layer itself; the mascarpone itself is sufficiently dense but not too greasy nor clumpy, while providing for a slight tang to round of the notes of cocoa in the cake layers without being too sweet — probably one of the more balanced red velvet cakes that we have had over the years. Yet another one of those cake items from the favourite spot that we are likely to see ourselves ordering again for how well it pairs up with our usual cup of Black on the single origin that we tend to go for here!

New Deli Bakery is one of those names which we have been hearing for quite a while in the local F&B scene — these folks have pretty much seem to have come a long way since the birth of the brand. Starting out as a home-based business from the start, New Deli Bakery had at one point of time been located in MacPherson Mall — the location being more of a production kitchen for them. They had since moved into a small shop unit within Blk 462 Tampines Street 44, occupying a small shop unit right beside the outlet of New Hawa Restaurant there. With this move, New Deli Bakery does seem to position themselves more towards a takeaway concept that welcomes walk-ins — there is actually a small dining space within the shop just right beside the entrance comprising of one dining table with three dining chairs for patrons whom wish to have their bakes in-house. The space of New Deli Bakery is decked in a way that is industrial and more for functionality — the space sees white walls, concrete flooring as well as metallic furniture and fittings; all that with an open-concept kitchen space where one can view the kitchen right up even from the entrance. Being a bakery that seemingly has a focus on French Boulangerie and danishes, New Deli Bakery does offer various pastries such as croissants, Kouign Amann etc. that are displayed prominently at the display cabinet facing the entrance; they also do retail loaf cakes, bread loaves and granola which are being stocked up on a separate shelf. New to New Deli Bakery would be their beverage offerings, which comprises of espresso-based coffee, drinking chocolate, Matcha and Houjicha drinks.

Skimming through the items that New Deli Bakery have to offer durian our visit made there on a weekend afternoon, it seems that the item that have caught our attention almost immediately was the Houjicha (Roasted Matcha) Kouign Amann. One can say that the Kouign Amann is a pastry that has been popularised in the past number of years (and probably thanks to establishments like Tiong Bahru Bakery), though a flavoured rendition — much more one that sees the use of a tea-infusion, is still rather rare. We did recall having one Houjicha Kouign Amann some time back from Matchaya, and truth to be told, the one from New Deli Bakery definitely put Matchaya’s rendition of the same dish to shame. We recalled Matchaya’s rendition of the Houjicha Kouign Amann being one that was just uninspiring to say the least — a Kouign Amann that saw the dusting of Houjicha powder to be called a Houjicha Kouign Amann. At New Deli Bakery, the Houjicha Kouign Amann sees the Houjicha element being fully infused into the danish — the Kouign Amann itself was light and crisp, yet gradually becomes slightly more dense without being overly buttery and sweet as one gets closer to the middle of the pastry. There is always a hint of sweetness with the Kouign Amann just like how we would have expected it to come with, though it does seem to hint more of a note closer towards condensed milk than caramel; each bite ends off with a distinct roasty and bitter undertone of the Houjicha that makes it oh-so-good — definitely a Houjicha Kouign Amann that turned out the way that it should have been. Apart from the Houjicha Kouign Amann, we had also managed to give the Homemade Salted Caramel Latte a go; we usually aren’t into flavoured lattes but this really just hit the spot with its good balance of sweet and salty notes — exceeded our expectations for a spot that seems to specialises in their bakes more than specialty coffee. Needless to say, a spot that is worth checking out, and one that residents around its vicinity would be excited to have in their ‘hood!

Compose Coffee probably does not need too much of an introduction these days — having opened its doors at Suntec City just a couple of months back, it had opened too much hype back then for being a coffee chain hailing from Korea; their Suntec City outlet being their very first location in Singapore. Their Suntec City outlet is located in the same area as where one would find the MarchĂ© Mövenpick outlet there, as well as the outlet of Eggslut and Butahage within Suntec City Mall as well. Their outlet in Suntec City is decked in a bright yellow colour scheme with black furniture and fittings; there are also LED boards will text scrolling which adds on to the futuristic look to the space — something that seems to be really in-tune with the brand’s appeal to hipsters and young folks that are particularly into the Korean culture. Being more of a chain that specialises in specialty coffee, Compose Coffee’s menu seems to focus heavily on their coffee offerings — apart from the usual espresso-based specialty coffee offerings which many other establishments also offer, they also do carry some rather unique conditions such as the Dolce Latte, Eispanner Latte, Coconut Latte, and their Busan Sea Salted Cream Latte. Apart from specialty coffee, Compose Coffee also serves up items such as frappes, milk tea, milkshake, fruit tea, smoothies and Sangha Farm Ice-Creams. For its food offerings, Compose Coffee offers patrons with a variety of savoury and sweet croffles, as well as some sweet bakes — all stocked up in the display case at the counter.

Since we are pretty much people who cannot understand the hype over croffles, we pretty much skipped on trying their line-up of sweet and savoury croffles even though they seem to be pretty much the signature here at Compose Coffee. Instead, we decided to go for the Sangha Farm Ice Cream, which we also paired up with their signature Busan Sea Salted Cream Latte. For the Sangha Farm Ice Cream, Compose Coffee only offers their soft-serve ice-cream in cups; there are also variants of the Sangha Farm Ice Cream such as the Sangha Farm Affogato (comes with coffee drizzled over the soft-serve ice-cream), or the Sangha Farm Ice Cream Latte which sees the Latte being served almost in a “float” format where ice-cream is being paired with the latte.

The Sangha Farm Ice Cream is probably the best way to try the soft-service ice-cream as-is; the Sangha Farm Ice-Cream being an ice-cream that is churned from organic milk from Sangha Farm — the texture of the soft-serve being all smooth and creamy with an incredibly rich milkiness without being too sweet. In fact, the Sangha Farm Ice-Cream does emphasise quite a lot on the notes of dairy from the organic milk that is used in the making of the soft-serve — one which we found to be more complex than what we have had expected especially in the finishing notes. Meanwhile, the Busan Sea Salted Cream Latte felt almost like a replica of M5 Coffee’s Singapore-exclusive Mount Faber in terms of aesthetics — the Mount Faber from M5 Coffee being a drink which also came with three layers that consists of milk, blue curacao syrup and coffee. The Busan Sea Salted Cream Latte we ordered came with a 25% sweetness level which was recommended by the staff. Given how the Busan Sea Salted Cream Latte consists of a sugar syrup, coffee, milk and a sea salt-infused cream cap on the top, one can taste the notes of coffee in the drink, though this was a little bit on the faint side; the drink mostly being a sweet-savoury mix of sea salt and sugar syrup that is no doubt decent and works just about fine, though coffee junkies might want to opt for more conventional items like the Americano, Cafe Latte or the Eispanner Latte for a more caffeinated punch. As commercial as Compose Coffee may seem, it is not too difficult to understand the hype around it — they do serve up pretty decent items and even have drinks and food that is likely to appeal to the hipsters that are well-versed with Korean culture; the brand’s youthful and vibrant image also does seem to align itself well with their target demographic as well. While the spot still does see queues for their coffee on weekends these days, we do think Compose Coffee is worth a try especially for those whom are curious once the crowd situation subsides in time to come.

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