Matchaya (The Cathay)

Signature Koicha Azuki Roll ($6.00)
recommended by @matcha.nomster's favourite swiss matcha roll cake so I did wanted to give a try for a long time since last two years ago and just nice matcha yuzu tart just sold out that time :"). I realised that swiss roll cake got a lot of matcha powder topped with the cake and didn't get to eat red bean also (felt that red bean was too little already for me already) I really like their swiss roll to be moist, not that dry and quite bitter aftertaste. They also released other flavours at Paragon.

Strawberry Sakura Tart ($8.80)
I felt that sakura flavour was quite plain similar to sakura soft serve but adding with strawberry, it gave off some of sweet taste but I didn't fancy whipped cream hidden inside the tart.

Around $8 for each cup but the matcha taste was quite strong. Worth to share and try but it’s a little pricey in my opinion. The seats there are quite limited as well.

Remembered how I clearly loved their choux puff when they had first launched them at The Cathay — the crisp crust and generous portion of flavoured cream within was quite the winning formula for me; one that reminded me of the cream puffs that now-defunct 52 Sandwich Shack used to churn out. That being said, the latest revamp to their choux puff line-up wasn’t quite the thing I was excited with especially having had their latest seasonal flavour — Sakura Choux Puff.

While some may find the choux puff pretty as compared to the more basic aesthetic that they used to carry before the revamp, I felt that it was a little amateur-ish; perhaps something more accustomed towards younger audiences with embellishments that was not particularly up to my taste, and with elements that seemingly distract the flavour profile of the choux puff. Case in point, the choux puff comes with a white chocolate ganache glazed over the top; the light hue of pink probably hints at some form of infusion of Sakura, though flavour-wise, I am not too sure. The sweetness of the white chocolate ganache was a little stark when compared against the thick, dense and rich cream within — personally felt that it was a little too thick and slightly stiffened, though there are probably some who likes it this way; the flavours being rather flat tasting more heavily of its milk base. Felt that they kinda lost the flair that their choux puffs have had in their choux pastry when they first started out — whilst the pastry was not as dry and limp as how it was when I had their Christmas seasonal choux puff, it was still far from the crusty pastry with a soft interior like the Kurogoma Choux Puff that I have had when they first released the choux puff line-up.

It could be the wrong flavour of choice (what is Sakura supposed to taste like anyway?), but there are other choux puffs that stayed consistently good over the course of time — take the Choux a la Crème from Pantler, and Baristart Coffee’s renditions as an example. It’s just regrettable how Matchaya’s rendition fell so short of what it used to be; felt that it started off pretty well, and that its a pity what it has become ...

We tried their Matcha and Black Sesame ones, and as good as they sounded both were unfortunately exceedingly disappointing. For one the choux was dry, limp, and stale — basically lou hong so it was honestly a struggle to finish it. A good cream filling would’ve helped salvage the situation, but sadly both cream fillings were overly stiff and lacklustre in flavour. The matcha cream was way too bitter (not in the pleasant way mind you), the powder not completely dissolved so there was a very unwelcome grainy texture. The black sesame one had a much better flavour, but it wasn’t as rich and luscious as I would’ve hoped for.

Their mooncakes were really cute and delicious, while their mochi was soft and chewy😋 love the ice cream too