Sugar, Spice & All Things Nice

Cones, waffles, and brownies I’ve had aplenty, but perched on a tart? That’s a first. The perfect foil to the fragrant homemade scoops of Genmaicha (tastes just like the roasted tea itself) and Goma (a scintillating blend of black & white sesame), the almond tart was deliciously buttery, crusty, and nearly molten on the inside. Defo worth a revisit.

Inspired by Hong Kong's Oddies Foodies? Perhaps. But this new, cheery space by Fika Swedish Cafe won our hearts by its own merit. Warm and chirpy team aside, the offerings here are very likeable as well.

A wide variety of scoop flavours are available here, such as Thai Milk Tea, Green Tea, etc. Would recommend the fragrant Earl Grey Fig and the good ol' nostalgic-tasting Chocolate. Eggettes-wise, there's the Original, Red Velvet, or half-and-half. The top bit had crisp edges and fluffy insides, but the ice-cream-soaked bottom was strangely comforting as well 🙃

Good to see ice-cream institutions constantly innovating to keep up with the competition. The selection here has expanded since my last visit a few years back, sporting interesting flavours such as Yuzu Ginger, Chamomile Honey, and Chocolate Stout.

I got the latter two and was really impressed by how pronounced the individual namesake flavours were—calming & comforting, robust and malty. Very delicious. The waffle on the other hand felt merely perfunctory as it was a tad hard and lacked fragrance. Their brownie might be a better option, if it's as good as I remember it to be.

Have heard good things about Apiary, and I'm happy to report that this place is a keeper! Ice-cream parlours may be aplenty in our sunny island, but there are only a handful of them that stand out in my books. And this new kid on the block checked both my requirements for great waffles and ice-cream at once.

They've got quite an interesting variety of ice-cream flavours here, a few being Hojicha (Roasted Tea), Cassis, and Earl Grey Lavender. Didn't get to try the (too) popular Milk Chocolate & Cookies flavour as it was sold out. Pistachio is definitely one of the better ones I've had, with a nutty aroma that perfumed every bite. Made using Matchaya's green tea powder, Uji Matcha was earthy with a bittersweet aftertaste. The densely creamy texture of the ice-cream gets my approval as well. 😋

The plain waffle ($4.50) wasn't available when I was there, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because the charcoal-flavoured option (add $1) was surprisingly good! Normally, I'll steer away from charcoal-anything because to me, it seems gimmicky and adds an Instagram-worthy touch but no extra flavour. But Apiary's version wasn't the case—a pleasant smokiness permeated the crisp-fluffy waffle—so much so that I exclaimed aloud upon the revelation that the charcoal touch here is REAL. Defo going back for more of this, and to try the rotating selection of ice-cream flavours!

"How is it that I took so long to try this gem of a creation?!", screamed the voice inside my head when I first tasted this soft serve-meets-eggette treat. Inspired by Oddies Foodies, no doubt, but delicious all the same with its own innovative spin.

Matcha Soba ($5.20 in cup) is the current rotating flavour, and I sure hope it becomes a permanent one. The earthy matcha fragrance, softened by lush milkiness, left behind an alluring trace of bittersweetness that made me yearn for more. This flavour comes with a sprinkle of dried buckwheat puffs that added a lovely toasty flavour. My other choice of adornments include the yuzu jelly, adzuki, and Gula Melaka sago (all at $1 each), which formed a nice combination, except for the latter which was muted out by the potent matcha-ness.

Also praiseworthy was the Puffle ($3), which remained crisp even after awhile, with soft mochi-like pockets imbued with cinnamon, a characteristic that sets it apart from the HK eggette. My choice of complimentary sauce was speculoos, which of course, makes everything even better. ❤️

Pleasantly surprised by the quality of their desserts. The Lemon Curd Tart was mouth-puckeringly delicious and beautifully balanced, as was the moist Carrot Cake, slathered with citrusy cream cheese and generously studded with nuts and fruit.

But the one that excels them all, is none other than the Matcha Milk Pie. Its robust, earthy matcha fragrance instantly arrests your tastebuds when you sink your teeth into it, the pleasure further amplified by the buttery tart and creme fraiche. Matcha lovers, be sure not to miss this!

A soft-serve treat made using only coconut water, organic and bio-fermented coconut powder—how cool is that? Unlike the usual creamy soft-serve, CocoWhip has a mousse-like texture that dissolves in the mouth, leaving behind a clean, delicate fragrance of coconut water. Other than the original, they do have 'flavour of the day'' options like Cacao Bliss, Matcha Slim, and Macqui Ripe. It's 97% fat-free, low in sugar, dairy-free, and gluten-free, making it a vegan- and lactose-intolerant-friendly treat.

Too plain for you? Jazz it up with superfood toppings (from $0.5-2) like chia seeds, macadamia nuts, cacao nibs, or even a slice of raw cacao brownie, and top it off with a range of sauces ($1 each): salted caramel, apple pie, burnt toffee etc. CocoWhip can be found at both Jar'd and Sarnies (Telok Ayer & Pasarbella).

Thanks Jar'd for the little treat, and Burpple for organising!

I love their bold, yet understated flavours—Strawberry Basil and White Chrysanthemum (with cacao nibs!!) on a fragrant homemade thyme cone. And that clean Scandi-chic space 👌 #goodvibes

The fresh-tasting ingredients are what draws me back each time. Everything in this bowl was distinctively good on its own – from the chewy-soft yam & sweet potato balls, fragrant honeyed sweet potato, tapioca pearls, to the silky beancurd and grass jelly. Add a splash of creamer for some milky indulgence.

The fluffy cake is a warm greeting of fall, which reminded me of pumpkin pie, which I lurrrrrve. Enjoy each ingredient on its own – distinctively aromatic Gula Melaka jelly, creamy & subtly sweet butternut, and crunchy pumpkin seeds granola – or spoon a little of everything and enjoy the hodgepodge of East-meets-West flavours in your mouth.

'cept that this is no lemon, but a mandarin or-leng sorbet with milk chocolate mousse, freeze dried pomelo and more 🍊 (dehydrated & deliciously intense). P.S. How apt is it that I just saw the very same gorgeous flask-looking plate-ish while catching up on Chef's Table. Alinea, someday.. 💭 #ChefsTableSG #ChefsTableNetflix #DoubleWhammyWednesday