Tiong Bahru Bakery

Date : 20 July 2012

Address: 56 Eng Hoon Street

Opening hours: 8am - 8pm, closed on Tuesdays 

Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru 

There's been so much hype about Tiong Bahru Bakery, most of my friends who visited the place gave squealing recommendations. One even threatened never to speak to me again if I didn't try the chocolate croissant. 

So I did. And I'm sorry to disappoint everyone, but i wasn't impressed! Not one bit. 

I don't know if it was the high expectations I built of it or just a down day for them. Or perhaps I didn't really try the "specialities" but I was really disappointed after my brunch at TBB. 

I stepped into the buzzing eatery that was already crowded before noon and was greeted by a friendly waiter. 

I like the layout of the counter, how it displays the food to make every one of them irresistible. I was only with one friend but we wanted to order everything we saw. It's a good thing I live nearby so I can always go back to try the rest of the food. 

The first item i sank my teeth into was the Lemon Tart - $6 

The crust was harder than I expected it to be and honestly very plain and boring. The lemon pudding on top was sour and sweet and I wonder if they put mandarin oranges in it cos there was an overpowering taste of them. 

I wouldn't have been able to finish one on my own just because it's very sweet and I rather dislike the crust. 

The moment had arrived.

This was the chocolate croissant ( $3.20 ) my friend had so highly recommended. 

I eagerly shoved a piece of it into my mouth and............ my heart sank.

The croissant was soggy and slightly tough, not crispy and fresh. 

Perhaps I had indeed gone on a bad day, but aren't they supposed to be serving good and fresh food all the time? My friend and I exchanged glances and she said " Okay only leh " and I couldn't agree more. 

This was a spontaneous order that we made and boy am i glad we did because it turned out to be the best item we had that morning. The Croque Monsieur ( with ham and cheese ) - $9.50 would be one pastry I would dare to recommend at TBB.

The bread was soft and together with the ham and cheese, each bite was a flavorful one.

"PANNA COTTA!! " I squealed in delight when i saw this among other dessert items. We tried the one with tropical fruits - $6.50 

I prefer the pistachio panna cotta at Saveur's because it's smoother and milkier whereas this one was dry and more starchy.

My brave friend bought the squid ink bread $4++  and regretted her choice almost immediately after having a bite of it. She hadn't tried squid ink pasta before so she had no clue what she was venturing into. However, if you HAVE tried squid ink pasta before and like how it better flavours your food, then perhaps you will fancy this. 

As disappointed as I was, I'll go back and try more of their food. Hopefully the next time, I'll have an improved impression of them. 

Flor Patisserie

Date: 3 June 2012

Address: 2 Duxton Hill 

Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 11am-5pm 

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar 

'Flor' is 'flower' in portuguese. I never asked why they picked a portuguese name for a japanese cafe though. 

The decor is simple, the cafe is small, there are seats for 6 inside and 4 outside. 

There were so many cakes to pick from. I can't wait to go back and try the rest. 

I picked this to try because it sounded too irresistible. Waguri Millefeurille - S$7.30

Simple and good. 

The pastry part is a little hard to break through but once you've got a hold on all the layers, they harmonize together in A CAKE SONG. If you've ever heard a cake song, erase it from your memory because this is so much better. The "Flaky" part served as the chewy textured layer, the sponge cake was buoyant and fragrant and the chestnut cream worked its way as the binder. I detest cream but this chestnut cream worked its magic on me and i dizzyingly fell for its lightness. 

Cacao Royal - S$6.60

Dark chocolate cake with chocolate cream and assorted fruits. Predictable and unsurprising but nonetheless, a good version of a chocolate cake.

Strawberry Souffle - S$6.60 

Light and creamy. The middle portion is a little denser than sponge cake, as expected. So it's safe to say this cake was pleasant but didn't have a wow factor. Also, I wish they'd excluded the berries cos they were useless - bland and dry. 

 When i asked the chef which was his specialty, his face lit up,  his fingers pointed to the display and he exclaimed " berry berries! "with great pride and pleasure. He had been standing at the corner in the back of the cafe, watching people come in and out, greeting everyone with his hands by his side. 

I admire the japanese for keeping their politeness, bringing their culture along to touch us with their generosity and warmth. 

Cakes here are known to be light but there is no compromising on their flavor. The 2 cakes that i've tried have been of delicate work and are exquisitely tasty. Yet another cafe to make you feel you can fill your life with food, when everything else seems to be falling out of it. 

-------------------------

Revisited : 12 June 2012

I'm becoming a huge fan of Chef Yamashita's cakes so i foresee myself going back to Flor again and again until I've tried all their cakes. Even after that, I'll probably still return regularly to be updated on their new creations. 

Today I ordered the Mont Blanc- S$6.95 to share with a friend.  

It reminded me of the Waguri cake except there wasn't the pastry. I still prefer the Waguri, out of the few cakes I've tried. Next up will be the Napoleon and Berry Berries. 

The Mont blanc cake was light and sweet, filled with chantily cream and topped with strands of french chestnut. I liked how un-oily the cream was. The regular under-the-block cake shops often have cakes with yucky cream that leave an oily layer on your lips. But this is different, the cream is light and sweet and doesn't feel oily. 

I don't know how that happens ( i don't bake for nuts ) but yay to non-oily cream cakes. 

 The lady working today asked if i was writing a review and offered to let us try their new creation. I'd seen it before - the Karai cookies but didn't bother since I wanted to focus on the cakes.

It was such a sensation!!!!!!! At first, you just taste the cheesey flavour and get reminded of Chinese new year cookies because of the texture but after a few more seconds, the spicy powdered flavour comes out and WOW was all I felt. 

I liked it so much i just had to get a packet for myself. I would have gotten 10 but then I wouldn't have any good excuse to return to Flor hahaha. 

Can't wait till my next visit to Flor!!! 

Drips Cafe

Date : 1 June 2012

Address: 82 Tiong Poh Road #01-05

Opening Hours: Mon-Thu 1030am-930pm , Fri-Sun 1030am-11pm (Closed on Tuesdays) 

Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru

Having opened not too long ago, this new addition to the community in Tiong Bahru is emerging to be a well sought-after hideout, one with delectable tarts and pastries. 

The walk from the train station is a little off-putting and parking may be challenging but rest assured, the treats this place offers are worth it! 

The high ceilings boost the uncluttered decor and gives the place a buoyant lift. 

There is an ample variety of tarts to select from and an amiable lady (co-owner) to give you recommendations and attend to your requests. 

The cinnamon pear tart looked amazing so I just had to try that one out! It turned out to be more than a piece of art but a really really really good tart too. It wasn't too dry and it wasn't too sweet, it was a like having an cold bath on a hot day, refreshing and energizing. 

The crust was basic, but everyone else on top was everything but basic. 

I was expecting the pears to be soft but they were like medium boiled potatoes. They retained the "Bitefulness" of the pears and kept the sweetness of it rolling amongst the dough. I didn't really taste the cinnamon i wonder which part it was in but it probably gave the tart that zesty oomph it had. For S$7.50, this reasonably sized tart filled a good, satisfied section in my stomach.

Cinnamon Egg tart - S$4.80 

Different from egg tarts that i've tried. Firstly, not warm, secondly crust isn't crispy. Crust was more similar to a doughy biscuit base. 

The tart was smooth but it didn't surprise me. It had a yolky, creamy taste which reminded me of custard pudding but this was sweeter than custard. Abit too sweet for me actually, after a few bites. 

Latte was good -S$4.80

Probably even better than 40 hand's. That's just my opinion of course. 

On the other hand, the Orange Butter tea cake fell short of my expectations. It was too dry for my liking and it was already the "less dry" option compared to the chocolate one i originally picked out. That said, it's only because i usually prefer more oily teacakes (which isn't good) so this was probably a better option. It does however, go excellent with a sip of that marvelous cup of coffee - S$3

Wish i had gotten to sit in this section of the cafe!! I love how sunlight gets to stream in from the strip of window in the ceiling. Natural light breathes life into this fragment of the place, making even the furniture look chirpy.

As business gets better, I hope they consider an addition of seats but i also think the sparse number of seats allow customers to have their own sort of privacy. I'm not sure if they sell the photographs on the wall but they were lovely. 

I'm lucky to be living in Tiong bahru because i get to enjoy little slices of happiness like Drips anytime i want. Do do do do dooooo  please visit this place to try their tarts!! Many places are good with their cakes or pastries but few cafes specialize(and are good) in tarts. 

I look forward to the day i have time to sit in here with a cup of coffee and a book 

and just unwind the afternoon away. 

Bonheur Patisserie

Date : 23 May 2012

Address : 70 Duxton Road 

Opening hours : Mon-Thurs 10am-8pm, Fri-Sun 10am-10pm 

Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar 

This is one of the petite cafes along Duxton road. It's within walking distance from Maxwell market and places like Group therapy cafe (if you've been there before). I went in the afternoon so there weren't many people around. There also weren't many cakes to choose from.

I love Duxton/Ann siang hill area because it's just so nostalgic (not like i've been around in the 1950s-1960s but still)  it's nice to be around shophouses sometimes, a change from high rise buildings. There are plenty of boutiques and cafes around the area so if you have time and a friend to spend it with, this is a nice alternative as compared to somewhere like Orchard road which is always bustling with huge crowds that make me nervous and very uncomfortable.

They currently have 2 promotions, the picture is self-explanatory. 

 

While we were there, quite a few people came in to collect their orders for cakes. Looking from their samples they seem pretty good! The decor on some of the cakes are really exquisite and very detailed. I'm not sure about the taste though, maybe one day I'll try and we'll find out. 

Decor wise, the owner has kept it simple and homely. I say homely rather than inappropriate because i think their warm and friendly service made up for the fact that there is an altar at the back of the cafe. I didn't even realize it until my friend pointed it out. The fact that an altar is there doesn't bother me cos i'm not very religiously sensitive, but I guess if it makes my friend uncomfortable, it might do the same for other people. 

BUT ANYWAY, 

seating area is small so it definitely isn't good for big groups. I think it sits about 10-12 at most. 

As you can see, there isn't a wide range of selection of cakes. Which kinda made me a little disappointed but i chose to go with the Chocolate cake and an earl grey macaron. My friend tried the dark chocolate sorbet and had a coffee that came along with the cake-drink set.

There are all sorts of flavors of macarons but not all of them were available, which was a pity. 

Nus students get 10% off all regular items. Always remember to ask what discounts you're entitled to, whether you're a student or a card holder of whatever bank.

So I tried the Chocolate Cake which was S$8. It's more pricey than I would have liked to pay, but I thought why not. I love chocolate cakes and every cafe should have a good chocolate cake. It's like drinking a cup of milo, you can never be sick of milo but if you want a change then maybe you'll go for mint tea or whatever. I DIGRESS.

They had actually run out of chocolate cakes for the day but the owner said he could take one out from tomorrow's batch which was in the freezer.  I wish he had just rejected me and not given me a piece of cake that wasn't ready to be enjoyed. Though the cake was still quite nice, I couldn't properly savor it because I could still taste the ice bits in the cake. That sorely diluted whatever I was supposed to taste.

Maybe they just wanted to accommodate me but that led to a huge disappointment because i just couldn't get rid of the ice bits thingy that were quite annoyingly disturbing the flavor of the cake.

That said, I still found the cake very pleasant and interesting. The top 2 layers of the cake were just normal mousse (those were with the ice bits so the taste was diluted and the texture was soggy).
The bottom five layers were made up of a very queer compilation.
There was probably the usual crusted layer, a layer of cake, chocolate and then this layer that I really couldn't figure out. It gave the cake this unique texture, almost coconut-like. Crunchy but not brittle, rather dense and the after taste was a nutty one.
I took bite after bite, letting each layer distinguish itself and every bite was a different one.

The coffee my friend had was ordinary though, probably just one out of the coffee maker.
Their tea bags are from Grypthon.

This dark chocolate gelato was S$3.80. I forgot to ask if their gelato is home made because if it is, i highly recommend you try a cup. Gelato's hard to go wrong but when it does, it's bad. This one was slightly better than average and for 3.80? Why not. 

These were the available macarons available for the day. One of the ladies (im guessing the owner) recommended i try the earl grey one so I did. I think there was chocolate in there too.

It was nice and sweet, a little too sweet for me but if you share it, it's just nice. The earl grey flavor blends surprisingly well with the chocolate.

I wish they had more cakes for me to choose from. The prices are also slightly higher than average but service is warm and if you're around the area, it wouldn't hurt to pop in and see which cake might delight you. 

Canele Patisserie Chocolatarie

Date: 22 May 2012
Address: Raffles City Shopping Centre 
252 North Bridge Road #B1-46/47
Opening Hours: Mondays to Sundays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Nearest MRT : City Hall Station

I've read countless of good reviews on how Canele has the best cakes and to-die-for desserts so I finally went to try a few and they have left me wanting for more! I went with 2 other friends for tea on a tuesday afternoon and we were seated right away.

We decided to try a cake, a crepe and the famous sticky toffee pudding. I'd heard about the Le Royale cake and was very eagerly anticipating to try it. I must say I was fairly disappointed because it didn't taste as heavenly as I'd imagined it would be. Also because i have quite a high expectation of chocolate cakes since everyone can bake them, but not anyone can bake them well.

So this is the Sticky Toffee pudding and IT WAS INSANELY DELECTABLE. It's not a lava cake so there wasn't chocolate oozing out or anything, but there was no need for that because the texture of the cake was smooth enough. It's probably called sticky toffee pudding because it has a rather spongy yet moist consistency.

Match that with a pinch of Madagascar ice cream and a dab of the toffee sauce and you're in dessert heaven. It immediately made me feel guilty for not working out enough - so you know this must be really really good to be so sinful. The pudding comes with the ice cream and this costs S$12. Not at all expensive and definitely worth every cent.

This is the Le Royale and it was S$7.50. I know I said I was disappointed, but that's only because I had worked up such a high expectation for it, plus i'm not a big fan of dark chocolate. This cake had layers of chocolate mousse with crispy chocolate praline and cream, chocolate glaze and almonds and finally topped with dark chocolate. Use a fork to break through the layers and then have a full bite of all of them because they work together extremely well - which also means I don't like the taste of the layers individually. It has a smooth enough texture, with the crunchy bits and then the final after taste of dark chocolate left on your tongue. I thought it would go well with a cup of tea, something minty.

I kept telling my friend this cake reminded me of another cake down at the Cafe Pralet in Tiong Bahru. I'll do a review on that soon so we can have some comparison done.

Our choice of crepe was the Flower of the Sea. It was basically filled with Nutella, topped with berries, a wad of cream, praline icecream and caramelized filo. The caramelized filo (im guessing) is the biscuit-like stuff standing on top of the crepe. It tasted a little like tissue prata, it wasn't flimsy and didn't melt in your mouth like I thought it would. Instead, it was crunchy and mildy sweet, very appealing. You put a piece of that biscuit thingy, a slice of the crepe and a tinge of the ice cream and you've got it. A wonderful mixture of flavors and textures in your mouth as you slowly savor that bite.

This is why i love eating. Because no matter how full of failures your day has been, food never fails you ( if you go to the right places ). Canele was the perfect place for me that day, a place to save you from drowning amidst the strange, unreasonable and pressurizing moments of what we call life.