Siyuan Desserts 思源糖水铺

It does seem that there is a particular trend of Chinese-style dessert soup establishments opening around the island of the late — while we had just written about Yat Ka Yan 一家人 Dessert’s new location situated at Tan Quee Lan Street, there has been some talk about 思源 Si Yuan that had also recently popped up in the local F&B scene as well. Si Yuan is situated at King George’s Avenue which is a short walk away from Lavender MRT Station; the stretch of shops where one can find Si Yuan is the rather prominent row of warehouses that one can also find the now-defunct The Refinery previously — other F&B establishments that are currently located there includes The Venue Skewers & Grill and the outlet of Soi 47 Thai Food there. Si Yuan takes up half a shop unit here, co-sharing the space with a dressmaker named Studio HHFZ 辉煌纺针 that specialises in gowns and cheongsam — both spaces seemingly being linked up via a door at the back of the shophouse. One thing that can be described about the interior decor at Si Yuan is its design language that exudes nostalgic and oriental elements in a way that is classy and chic; not too over-the-top whilst at it. Being an establishment that focuses on their Chinese-style dessert soup dishes, the menu seems to be kept rather lean when compared against the more established names serving the same within the local F&B scene; the desserts also being classified into two categories, being Warm Desserts and Chilled Desserts with more items listed in the former than the latter.

We usually would be more keen to give the Walnut / Almond / Sesame Paste a go whenever we visit a Chinese-style dessert soup establishment a go for the very first time. Quite happy to have found that Si Yuan does serve the 3 Mini Bowls which would allow patrons to try out all three (3) types of pastes that they have to offer in one single seating — all three (3) pastes coming in a smaller bowl than the individually-portioned ones to allow patrons to sample the pastes without overwhelming themselves. While other establishments like Yat Ka Yan Dessert does allow patrons to opt between a selection of pastes to form the three mini bowls that they would like to go for, Si Yuan’s 3 Mini Bowls comes with a standard set of Almond, Sesame and Walnut Pastes that cannot be swopped out with their other offerings. All three small bowls of the pastes come on a single platter, and all of them can be said to be well-executed. The Sesame Paste is one that we think would appeal to the purists whom prefer their sesame paste to highlight the heavy, roasty and slightly nutty (to the point of being albeit bitter) notes of black sesame — one thing to note on their Sesame Paste is how unadulterated it felt; not much use of sweetness to mess around with the flavours of the sesame. The Almond Paste is probably one of the more memorable ones that we had come across thus far; there has always been a chance for almond pastes to be a little bland and sometimes even diluted due to the lighter-tasting nature of this item amongst the three — we were pretty glad that the Almond Paste here came with a rich note that hit the spot for us.

The Walnut Paste is also pretty well-executed; sufficiently nutty and earthy with a slight sweetness to lift the flavours a little. All the three pastes come smooth, thick and creamy — suitably dense and definitely the right texture that it should be. During our visit to Si Yuan, we had also tried their Mango Sago; the Mango Sago does not come with any description on the elements included, though one can definitely observe mango mousse, mango cubes, sago pearls and coloured tadpoles included in their rendition of the dessert. The mango mousse came sufficiently dense and rich; aptly sweet while the cubes of mango provided a good bite and further enhances the flavour of the mango mousse with the usual of actual fruit; the sago pearls and coloured tadpoles provided an element of chew that created a good contrast against the mango mousse as well. We visited Si Yuan without much of an expectation on their Chinese-style dessert soups but left with a good impression — for one, the establishment does have quite a unique dining environment that is undeniably retro yet with a modern touch that exudes an oriental vibe; while the space can be a little tight especially considering the rather big pieces of furnishings that they opted for, the set-up does feel elaborate without being too intimidating at the same time. The same level of detail has also gone into the curation of the Chinese-style dessert soups that they have to offer; while the items come across as rather predictable for an establishment of its type, their Chinese-style dessert soup do feel like thoughtful creations made with passion and loads of effort — pretty commendable to say the least. Prices of their desserts are also pretty reasonable; the highest-priced item being the Cheng Teng with Peach Gum listed at $5.50. With quality desserts, tasteful decor and desserts priced at a good price point, Si Yuan is a spot we are most likely to revisit; also a name to keep an eye out for in the local F&B scene in time to come!