Y Dessert (888 Plaza)

Came to know about the existence of a Y Dessert outlet that is located at 888 Plaza in Woodlands whilst scrolling around the phone one day — it does seem that Woodlands had started to become a little more interesting when it comes to the F&B options around in recent times considering how this comes shortly after our visit to Scoop in the Woods. It does seem that Y Dessert is not a newcomer to the local F&B scene however; Y Dessert does state on its social media pages that it does have another outlet that is located at Buangkok Square. For its space at 888 Plaza, Y Dessert occupies a space that is half of the typical size of a regular shop unit there; itself being an independently-run eatery here. The interior of Y Dessert can be described as simple and functional; not particularly fanciful with the use of very basic wooden stools and tables with marble-esque table tops for its dine-in furniture — the relatively compact space that they had taken up also meant that there are only four tables in the dine-in area that is good for groups up to four (4) pax within its premises. Considering that Y Dessert is an establishment that serves up local-style and Chinese-style hot and cold desserts, the menu at Y Dessert mainly features its cold desserts, though has a section dedicated to its hot desserts named Hot Classics; patrons also do get to add on various toppings to their dessert with the toppings detailed in the Toppings section of the menu.

Whilst not an item which we would call a uniquely Y Dessert creation (the first time we had encountered such a combination was at Yatkayan Dessert), the Chendol Yam caught our attention whilst we were scrolling through the self-service POS machine at the counter — this was an item that only existed in the menu of the self-service POS machine, and is seemingly missing from the hard copy menu that one can find at the counter. The Chendol Yam was an item that really intrigued us considering how it is a combination of two of our favourite desserts — the classic Chendol and the yam paste (i.e. Orh Nee). Y Desserts does not describe on the elements that comes with their desserts on the self-service POS machine, but it could be observed from our order that the Chendol Yam comprises of red bean, chendol jelly, grass jelly, coconut milk, Gula Melaka, Attap Seed (Palm Seeds) and shaved ice — all accompanied with a dollop of yam paste over the top. There is a slight deviation from how the item is depicted in the menu, considering how the menu illustrates the use of kidney beans instead of red beans in the actual product. Digging into the Chendol Yam, the Chendol does seem to come with a decent portion of coconut milk that helped prevent the ice from clumping up — the portion of coconut milk isn’t as generous as some of the more stellar Chendol that we have come across from other establishments. It does seem that the Chendol Jelly carried a light hint of lingering pandan fragrance whilst maintaining a soft texture; the Gula Melaka also being one of decent quality that helps to add an earthy sweetness to further enhance on what is in the bowl. The Attap Chee helped add a soft bite and a chewy texture, though we would have preferred for the syrup that it is being soaked in to be drained off more adequately since the sweetness of the syrup does add yet another element of flavour to the dessert that might be a little unnecessary.

Thought the yam paste added was pretty satisfying; liked how it provided a dense, paste-y texture to the dessert — itself not being particularly sweet and carried a largely earthy note providing some balance against the Chendol. We had also given the Mango Pomelo Shaved Ice a go; the hard copy menu describes this item to come with elements such as shaved ice, creamy mango sauce, freshly-cut mangoes and pomelo. Here, the bowl of shaved ice felt a little more clumpy than that of what we experienced in the Chendol Yam — the shaved ice having froze up in the bowl after being shaved especially closer towards the bottom of the bowl. That being said, the mango sauce does seem to see an infusion of some form of cream or milk here for that “creaminess” as mentioned in the description; itself carrying a milky note amidst the sweet notes of the mango sauce — quite balanced without being overly sweet. The chunks of mangoes added were soft to chew on; absolutely sweet on their own and pretty much our favourite part of the dessert, while the addition of pomelo flesh adds a contrasting sourish tang with a burst of flavours considering the inherent texture of the fruit itself. We have yet to try Y Dessert’s hot dessert offerings, though we do note that these largely comprises of Chinese Tong Sui such as the Cheng Tng, Bobo Cha Cha, and Peach Gum with Snow Fungus — not so much on the traditional sesame / almond / walnut pastes. That being said, such indie establishments with a focus on serving up local shaved ice desserts and Chinese Tong Shui items are a rarity up North — with prices of their desserts ranging from $3.50 to $9 (the lowest-priced being the Grass Jelly with choice of Toppings, Barley Beanstick Gingko Nuts and Black Glutinous Rice; the highest-priced being the Durian Mousse MSK), Y Desserts is a great addition to the Woodlands neighbourhood that residents around the area would be appreciative of considering the quality of the desserts that they serve and the lack of such options in the vicinity as well.