twelve + one =?

Twelve + One

Patisserie. Bakery. Cafe

It all started with some careless flipping of the newspapers. Hmph.. Twelve + One @ Rochester Park? I contemplated for a while, weighed the pros and cons between the two choices, Laurent Bernard's Cafe and Chocolate Bar and Twelve + One. Since I were to be making the trip together with Fen and Evan, I thought it would be nice to try out the newly opened establishment at rochester instead since Fen had already visited Laurent's upon a few occasions. Aren't I sweet and thoughtful?

Honestly, the truth is that I've never had a penchant for chocolate pastries. I, to suffer from a chocolate overload was nothing that I desired at that moment.. haha.

The four of us, Fen, Yuan, Evan and I then ventured into rochester on a lovely saturday afternoon. The sweltering heat and harsh lighting somehow just made the experience a whole lot better as we retreated into the comforts of a cottage-like colonial bungalow.

As we took our first midget steps into the cafe, we were greeted by blasts of lovely pastel pink and white motifs. Shelfs of bottled homemade jams and other goodies lined the walls. Dainty pastries and packed biscuits sat in pretty little wicker baskets on the other side. And a centralised glass case showcasing the artfully tasty desserts of the day. It was certainly a sight for sore eyes. (For more photos please go to Evan's site!)

After a bout of snapping and trigger-happy moments, we settled down to our table at the corner of the elongated dining area. The table was certainly a work of art. With its wicker seated chair and its lace cloth lined table tops, it reminded me of a scene out of a Martha Stewert Home Decor Book. The natural light spilled in throught the window panes which were side-drapped with blue curtains. How quaint. Just seating within the premises gave me such a homely feel. I was immediately drawn to the harmony of the lush forested surroundings and the lovely secluded cottage style decor. Definitely fit for a queen! not that i think i'm the queen or anything... heh.

We ordered our drinks first. I had my cappuccino. And boy was it good.. had been craving for one since.. yesterday! hah. The onslaught of desserts followed. Alright now, so lets do a little introduction game.

This is Morgane ( $7), an entrement made of blackberry, cassis and champagne (as quoted from Evan's Blog because other than the blackberry's presence, I couldn't decipher the rest of the component layers). Well, let's just say this cake is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Pretty on the outside but empty on the inside. Other than the slight tangy kick i got from the blackberry jam layer, I didn't quite like the rest of it.

the petit fours sampler ($7 for 6) comprising of tartlets, macarons and mignardises. These i felt were again not up to standard. Should you be interested in little pastries such as this, please do give Caffe Cova a try, it may be a little pricey though. The most disappointing of the lot were the macarons. The pistachio macarons beared zilch flavor of any pistachios, the shell comprised of a large pocket of air that proceeded to a cracking shell soon after i laid my spoon through it. Furthermore, the pastel shade of green almost close to mint was very unappetising for me. haha. Never try to inject too much color into my diet. It just irks me...


And finally this is Mistral ($7), my pistachio baby. I really liked this one, the classic combination of apricots and pistachios revisted once. The cake was a delight to nibble at, every bite comprising of almond biscuit joconde layer, a divine pistachio creme and apricot preserves. This for me certainly was a luxury on the palate.

And here's a shot of our entire spread of desserts. I didn't mention the tiramisu and chocolate tart because of their mediocre status. The Chocolate eclair ($6) however, is a whole different world together. The choux pastry was soft and tender and the chocolate pastry creme rich and velvety. Much like the one I had at Pan pacific a long time back except in skinny mode. And after the disappointing one we had the last time, I hope this experience made up for it Evan!

my gosh, just doing this post makes me want to head back there again! So craving for some afternoon tea yet? please head down to Twelve + One then. Be transported back to a different era with this truely vintage experience.

Thanks Fen, Yuan and Evan for the lovely afternoon! Let's do this again soon... Brad wanna join in?