Quick Picks: The Dessert Edition

While healthy living and the benefits of staving away from desserts may be admirable, once in a while, it's just nice to sink your teeth into sugar coated treats. Waffles and ice cream, move to the side as more culturally diverse confections tickle our taste buds. So, from Korean originating churros to immaculate hazelnut swirled danish pastries, dig in to my quick picks guide to the freshest and newest dessert joints in town!

Churros 101

Yeah, you like that don't you? Well, hold on to your mind as Singapore is getting a glimpse of Korea's best loved churro brand, Churro 101 with its first outpost opening up in the heart of town, Bugis Mall.

The churro fueled menu is designed just the way we like it, true to its form with all ingredients used specially imported from Korea, and recipes followed strictly to a T , if that doesn't guarantee consistency and authenticity, I don't know what else will.

What makes Churros 101 so highly attractive is it's very value for money pricing. Think original Plain Churro, about the length of a 30 cm ruler priced at just $3.30 whilst a Cream cheese filled Churro remains an affordable after-dinner treat at just a mere $4.70. Wildly decadent, yet easy on the pockets, I really enjoyed the Cinnamon Churro ($3.50), a oldie but goodie - the freshly fried churros, moist and light on the inside with a crispy exterior enhanced by a gentle coating of cinnamon sugar.

For those seeking more eccentric options, do give the filled churros a go. The Chocolate Filled Churro ($4.50) and Milk Custard Churro($4.80) spewing forth its warm, gooey mousse like fillings with every bite... not for those looking to retain a dainty image in front of good company; then again, these do live up to its saucy tagline of being 'better than a boyfriend'. Sweeter than them too, if you know what I mean.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, the Cream Cheese Churro ($4.70) comes and steals the show with its tangy sweet filling of mildly sweetened cream cheese that compliments the spectacularly good fluffy churros. One of my top favourites ,coming in a close second after the obligatory round of Cinnamon Churro. For something a little more substantial as a tea time treat, order the churro set, which pairs your Real Spanish Churro with a ice-cream, hot coffee or iced coffee. 

[NOTE]: Churro 101 opens with a bang tomorrow (12th Oct '2015) at Bugis Plus, offering all customers a full day of promotional 1-for-1 churros at their debut outlet! Monday's just got sweeter!

Churro 101 

Bugis Plus

201 Victoria Street

#04-01

S(188067)

Operating Hours:

Daily: 10am - 10pm

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FATCAT Ice Cream Bar

Lime Mojito Spheres

Mention Charcoal waffles with salted egg yolk sauce and FATCAT ice cream bar immediately comes to mind. 

Sure, the artisanal ice cream parlour set in the gentrified neighbourhood of Bedok North has carved out quite a niche following and die-hard fan base to its sweet cold offerings and more immaculate range of plated desserts available in ridiculously limited quantities. Yet, the hole-in-the-wall dessert stall is constantly in a phase of reinventing itself and pushing boundaries to offer something above and beyond what it is expected of. A truly respectable and remarkable move given the common knowledge of the average Singaporean's lack of adventurous spirit when it comes to culinary experimentation.

Possessing ardent minds in the techiniques of Molecular Gastronomy, the kitchen crew at fatcat rolls out the spheres - Lime Mojito and Green Tea Baileys ($4.50 each) - easy starters that look deceptively simple beneath gleaming smooth domes on teardrop spoons. Each bursting through gellified walls to reveal assertive torrents of flavors. My preferences lies with the more astringent lime mojito version, the green tea baileys a bit queer on the palate with a much anticipated grassy notes of the matcha overridden by milky nuances of the alcoholic baileys.

The new menu of plated desserts start from $10 per dish to a startling $18, for a set of 3; pre,main and post desserts. One of my absolute favourites being the Chocolate Jardin ($18) (sans the pre course of Greek yogurt bon bons and truffle mochi); the picturesque main combining chocolate in various forms, sour lemon marshmellow, seasonal fruit sorbet (carrot, in our case) and matcha. An earthy combination with big serious chocolately flavors complemented with zesty bursts originating from clouds of lemon fluff and grassy subtlety from the bed of matcha soil.

Top Left (clockwise): Wine Grape Sphere, Tom Yum Granita, Lychee Martini

However, not all the desserts were as pleasing to the palate as they were on the eye. The Strawberry Shortcake ($12) for one, was a mish-mash of ingredients placed meticulously with the precision of an artist on a black slate like a beautiful plating, but came across as a haphazard pairing of elderflower mousse, marshmellow and Japanese spongecake that was seemingly disjointed despite its intimate proximity. The tom yum granita, part of the post course in the Kyoho Dreams set ($18), irrelevant, like a foreign entity in the Kyoho grape led pre and main courses.

Kyoho Dreams

Reverse Smores

Right: Strawberry Shortcake

Right: Butter Beer

By now, your mind has probably been properly satiated by the crazy and exquisite presentations of all the desserts at FATCAT ice cream bar. However, it is my duty to disclose the reality of the hits and misses present on the table. While not all palates would be charmed by the peculiar sweet treats, we can guarantee that a choice of any one will be enough to satisfy either your appetite or your curiosity.

FATCAT Ice Cream Bar

Blk 416 Bedok North Avenue 2

#01-25

S(460416)

w: www.fatcat.sg/ 

Operating Hours:

Mon: 1pm - 9 30pm

Wed - Thu: 1pm - 9 30pm

Fri: 1pm - 10 30pm

Sat: 12pm - 10 30pm

Sun: 12pm - 9 30pm

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Antoinette: La Patisserie au Sofitel

Last but not least, Singapore based French patisserie, Antoinette sets out to tap into the CBD region with its latest venture in Sofitel So, situated conveniently beside local food purveying giant, Lau Pa Sat. If you've got a thing for French viennoiserie, you'll be pleased to find out that the new outlet packs in more than 20 pastries including their signature Pure Butter Croissant ($2.50) and Kuuglof  ($4) , on top of the lesser known items such as my treasured Bostock ($3). The Pear Danish ($3.50) is a true crowd pleaser, the warm chunks of pear at the bottom of the star shaped pastry enhanced by a dusting of confectioners sugar above toasted almond flakes littering baked yeasted sweet dough. 

Then there's the Satay Swirl ($3.50) created exclusively for this new branch. The filling stuffed between tight snail curls perfumed with the gentle lemongrass yet textured with the rough chop of peanuts. It's queer and apparently quite an acquired taste, especially if you have a right and stern mind as to what traditional viennoiserie should be like,

That being said, La Patisserie au Sofitel which seats up to 50 comfortably in the lobby of Hotel Sofitel in the central financial district may just be a perfect location for breakfast and lunch meetings, or even the rare and indulgent afternoon tea time session.

Antoinette @ Sofitel So

Lobby Level

35 Robinson Road

S(068876)

Operating Hours:

Daily: 8am - 10pm

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