Pre-order Goodies / Customised Treats

Comprising of five very different and exquisite pastries, Le Matin Pastry Box V4: Umami ($59) was well worth the splurge especially if you are looking for a unique selection of bakes. The most distinctive of the lot, I would say is the Cloudberry Lemon Verbena Tart. Concealed with a beautiful veil made from verjus decorated with herbs and flowers, the brick pastry tart was filled with cloudberry jam, amazake, and lemon verbena marshmallows. Sweet and zesty, the soft cubes were my flavourful part and it helped to counter the taste of the veil which was a tad too herbaceous in my opinion. Though, together, there was a fun play of flavours and textures.

Similarly, the Laminated Cheese Donut delivered in taste and texture with its flaky exterior and oozing cheesy goodness hidden in the center. Loaded with a 4-cheese custard and mead, the fried donut was finished with a disc of fig compote at the top and Tasmanian leatherwood honey. A good dose of sweet and savoury with the sugared sides as well.

None too cloying, the Laminated Chocolate Brioche was a treat. Think a classic Chocolate Brioche elevated by the addition of savoury walnut praline and sticky date toffee, encrusted with cocoa nibs and walnuts, then finished with a Pedro Ximénez glaze. It was chocolatey, nutty, and slightly bittersweet from the cocoa nibs. The sticky date toffee was a nice touch too, providing a pleasant caramelised sweetness.

However, my pick from the box would definitely be the Mushroom Foie Gras Danish that just screams umami. Baked with mushroom and seaweed, the layer of seared foie gras custard on the Danish pastry was chef’s kiss. Completed with a mushroom kombucha glaze and mushroom crisps, the earthiness was so well-balanced and very very enjoyable. And of course the signature Kouign Amann was amazing.

With a buttery biscuit-like base, @bolognaiise Cheery Cherry Tart ($38/ 16cm) was so so good and just delicious down to the last bite. Plump and sweet, the cherries still had the natural tinge of tartness which paired perfectly with the fragrant vanilla cream layered underneath the fresh fruits. The ratio of fruit to cream and tart also made the dessert more refreshing as there were ample cherries to go with each forkful. Although this seasonal number might set you back a fair bit, every element was very well put together - the sturdy tart, the smooth mildly-sweet cream, and juicy cherries.

Showed some loving care to my belly with @missvandough Care Package ($40) the week before. Packed with an assortment of goodies, the box I got contained their signature Pandan Speculoos Cookie, a lovely Blueberry Basque Cheesecake, rich Cornflake Brownie, fragrant Matcha Black Sesame Macarons, and three decadent Matcha Dulce de Leche Brookie Sando.

A combination that I love and is literally foolproof in my books, the lava-centered chunky cookie was so good and my favourite of the lot. I just really enjoyed the overall soft cookie texture with the gooey deep-caramel flavoured filling and the crunch from the toasted coconut shreds studded alongside the biscoff biscuit.

Sinful and oh so chocolate-y, the Cornflake Brownie was ingenious. Crowned with a sizable layer of sweet caramel enrobed cornflakes, the fudgy base was not too dense or sweet in my opinion but together might be a tad cloying for some. Best after a quick warm-up, the flavours worked out well and of course, the textures did too.

As for the macarons and brookie sando (no imposers for me), the tastes were all pretty intense. Perfect for black sesame lovers, the earthy flavours were rather pronounced. The macarons also had a great bite with a tender interior and a crisp yet chewy eggshell-like exterior. For an indulgent experience, look no further than the chewy-soft Brookie Sandos which came loaded with very “gao” Matcha Dulce de Leche.

Classic brownies done right, @deoven_ 8’ X 8’ squares were not too sweet and perfectly dense. At $30 each without additional toppings, the Fudgy Brownies came with specks of sea salt which helped bring out the chocolate-y flavours in my opinion. Decadent yet not overly cloying, they absolutely delivered with the nice fudgy middles and lovely crinkly tops. However, I would suggest adding the toppings which are chocolate chips (+$2) and/or pecans ($3) to really boost the textures.

Having missed Flourcrafts’ previous Kaiseki box, I was very pumped up about snagging his latest Kaiseki-aki and thankfully I wasn’t disappointed.

- Uji Matcha Canelé: Infused with Marukyu Koyamaen Uji Matcha, the canelé’s tender center had that lingering and pleasant bittersweetness. But the oozy, luscious Uji matcha ganache really delivered that punch which went perfectly with the caramelized crust.

- Genmaicha Canelé: My favourite item in the box, the earthiness blew me away as I wasn’t expecting the nutty, aromatic quality of the tea being translated so well into the pastry. The comforting roasty flavour of brown rice tea was pretty intense in the smooth genmaicha ganache too.

- Intense Matcha Madeleine: Much lighter as compared to the canelé, the matcha madeleine was sufficiently moist and still had a great tea flavour. The Uji matcha glaze also gave the classic madeleine that extra oomph and a slightly crisp shell.

- Genmaicha Madeleine with sea salt: Likewise, the flavours were a tad muted but still distinct and that extra touch of Maldon sea salt on the Genmaicha-glazed exterior was nice. Texture-wise, the glaze also provided the crisp outer layer and inside the pastry was tender.

- Yuzu Matcha Tart: Filled with homemade yuzu curd layered with Uji matcha ganache, the pairing of the signature tart is quite the match. To be enjoyed chilled, the matcha pate sucree held up well, was buttery, and had a delicate crumbly texture.

Deceivingly simple, Esora’s elusive sandos were such a treat! Jumping at the chance once I caught wind of their relaunch, I just had to order everything (except for Premium Omi Wagyu which would have caused too much damage to my wallet).

Hearing so much about the Tamagoyaki ($16) sando, I was not disappointed. Slightly sweeten, soft and with the lovely crisp golden exterior, the thick Japanese Style Egg Omelette would satisfy any egg lovers and its texture was the best part for me. Even the greens and bread didn’t overwhelm the flavour of the egg, in my opinion. Very luxe indeed!

Next, the Japanese Pork ($28) felt a little bit more substantial with the added protein. Thankfully the pork katsu wasn’t dry at all and was nicely seasoned. The layered bite with the greens and meat was also pretty well-balanced.

A great mix with the lean cut, the Black Angus Beef ($38) Sando was balanced by the crunch from the shredded cabbage, and zing from the addition of shiso leaf. While it does look a tad dry after the hour-long journey to my house, it wasn’t so and was sufficiently tender. The batter wasn’t thick either. It also had a tinge of sharpness from the Japanese horseradish to cut the richness.

Next, the Wagyu Potato Croquette ($18) was a pleasant surprise with the meaty texture. Essentially chunky mashed potato croquette with bits of wagyu between bread and greens, it wasn’t too heavy. The batter was thin and remained tantalizingly crisp.

Sending me straight to cheese heaven, these coveted golden brown Cheesy Garlic Buns ($27.50/ 5 pcs) from Farine Affair were simply amazing! So glad I managed to snag a box before they stopped taking orders for them.

Wonderfully crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, these bad boys were even better toasted after a quick minute in the microwave to achieve that crusty bite. The piping hot, gooey cheese was thankfully not too sharp in my opinion and harmonized well with the cream cheese as well as the herby garlic butter slathered within so the flavours are there without being overly punchy. And as you pull apart, you will also find a balanced bread-to-filling ratio so it was shiok but not that jelak. A tad sweet but mostly savoury and aromatic, @farineaffair have just ruined all other Garlic Cream Cheese Bun for me!

Had a tea-rrific break time with this limited period only collaborative set ($32/ including islandwide delivery) between @muyeombutter & @craftteafox! Available till 9 October, the box sees a small yet wonderful assortment of Korean-style pastries from Unsalted Butter with one Craft Tea Fox latte of your choice. 

Zooming in on the scones, the humble-looking Blacktea Choco Scone was an easy favourite. Not too crumbly or dense, the tender tea-infused scone was studded with bits chocolate which introduced great pops of bittersweetness. The tea flavour was also fairly prominent and complementary to the buttery-sweet undertone of the treat - a simple foolproof pairing. The Matcha Umbutter Scone on the other hand held more moisture in contrast and felt complex with the addition of a  thick slice of butter as well as the layer of azuki sandwiched between. Alone, the matcha scone performed better in my opinion as it had a very pleasant lingering tea flavour and a lovely almost-fluffy texture to it.

Next up, the Walnut Banana Gugelhupf was pretty classic. The house-made caramelised walnuts held in the center was a nice touch too as it added nuttiness as well as crunch. Though slightly denser than I would have liked, it was well-balanced in both taste and texture. Lastly, sweeter and richer in comparison to all the other bakes, the Earl Grey Lemon Tea Cake had a faint zing with the buttery lemon cream. The cake was fragrant and sufficiently soft.

A little treasure trove of baked goods, last week’s @sugarthieves.co Omakase Picnic Box ($32) saw a wonderful mix of croissants, pastries and cakes.

Caramelized Onion Mushroom Tart - Topped with mushroom, mozzarella, and a generous layer of caramelized onions, the tart was fragrant, savoury, and sweet. The puff pastry was also buttery, light, and crisp after a quick pop into the oven.

Signature Carrot Bundt Cake - Chockfull of toasted mixed nuts, the mini bundt cake was lightly spiced and moist. Paired with lemon cream cheese and lemon pineapple curd which offered the perfect zing, the cake wasn’t cloying or overly sweet.

Levain Cookie - Soft, gooey, and lusciously chocolatey, the cookie was a classic done right. Best enjoyed warm, the big pockets of melted chocolate were superbly good with the buttery cookie.

Ispahan Croissant - A foolproof combination done on a freshly baked croissant, Sugar Thieves’ rendition uses rose cream, raspberry jam, and lychee bits. The floral-fruity number wasn’t too sweet for me even with the sugary glaze and was nicely balanced with the buttery pastry in my opinion.

Spring Onion Croissant - My second time having this and I am still loving the punchy aroma of spring onions and the slight tang from the sour cream on their croissant.

At $21 for a box of 4 (two flavours), Lookie Cookie’s Giant Stuffed Cookies may not be the most affordable out there but was certainly worth every penny and calorie in my opinion. Big, rich, and decadent; the Peanut Butter Stuffed Valrhona Chocolate Cookies were the perfect treat as you just can’t go wrong with the classic flavour power couple. Sweet-salty and gooey-crunchy, the cookies with their delicately crisp exterior and nutty center were so indulgent. They also smelled really good - I could barely contain my excitement when I broke them open!

And speaking of complementary flavours, the Uji Matcha Stuffed Cookies were indeed downright addictive. With more of a bittersweet profile, the chunky bakes had a great balance between the earthiness of the matcha as well as the boldness of the chocolatey batter. Made from premium French Valrhona 70% dark chocolate and Craft Tea Fox’s craft matcha; the oversized stuffed cookies tasted super luxe too. Texture-wise, it was a lovely mix between a crumbly cookie and soft fudgy brownie.

I had missed out on their Kaiseki Box previously, thus I was glad that I finally managed to snag Flourcrafts Tsukimi Box II ($30) last week. Presented with two of their signature Yuzu Matcha Tarts, two Classic Vanilla-rum Canelés, and two Uji Matcha Canelés; each item was a treat. A matcha made in heaven, the Uji Matcha Canelés had the pleasant earthiness of Japanese green tea which lends a nice counterpoint to the slightly boozy afternote due to the infusion of rum and whiskey. The classic, on the other hand, was a tad sweeter with a fragrant mix of vanilla and aged dark rum. No oozy lava centers with this bakesale box, but both canelés had that sought after crunchy caramelized crust that gives way to a custardy interior. A great contrast to the deep flavour of the canelés, the Yuzu Matcha Tarts tasted bright and citrusy. However, the added element of matcha takes a back seat and seems like more of an afterthought as the layer of homemade yuzy curd was pretty overpowering in my opinion. I would have loved for a stronger more bittersweet punch from the Uji Matcha Ganache and the grassy notes from the Matcha Pate Sucrée to be turned up a notch.