Food – Desserts – DanielFoodDiary.com

Twelve Cupcakes was founded by Jaime Teo and Daniel Ong – the celebrity couple who met on the set of Mr Kiasu, got married, had a kid, and opened 4 cupcake shops.

Their cupcakes had earned very positive reviews from critics, fans and friends, with some saying this is probably the best cupcake found in Singapore.

When I received an sms from Chef Willin Low saying “Yoz! Just walked past bugis junction n saw ur new place!! Congrats man!!! So happy for u guys!”, I knew it was a case of mistaken identity again. I am Ang, the famous Ong married Jaime.

But Daniel Ang knew it was time to visit Jamie, to try her so-wonderful Rose on a Rose cupcake, and to share with everyone this exclusive candid interview.

Hi Jamie, why Twelve Cupcakes? Not Nine, Ten, Eleven?
If you noticed, there are 12 holes in a baking tray. And 12 is a very auspicious number?

Let’s see. There are 12 signs in a horoscope, 12 animals in the zodiac calendar, 12 months in a yea…And 12 numbers on a clock. If you are a bowler, 12 strikes equal a perfect to a perfect game. And Daniel used to bowl quite often.

You have opened so many branches of Twelve Cupcakes in a span of one year. Congratulations!
Yes, response at the first outlet was overwhelming, so much that we felt the need to cater to more customers and also grab hold of the opportunity.

Opening a shop is not easy. There will be so many things to do. How do you manage?
Daniel will be helping with the admin and paperwork, while I keep myself busy in the kitchen.

You are a superwoman! You need to oversee Twelve Cupcakes, ‘take care’ of Daniel and your kid, plus host gigs with Fly Entertainment.
Actually, the husband and shop are quite manageable. Hahaha. It is being a mother which is the most challenging –there is no rest time. A mother is on standby 24 hours a day.

You have such multiple roles. You were Miss Singapore Universes, an actress, host, and even a singer with the pop group One Fifth. Oh yes, I remember the song “Ai De Man Dong Zuo”.
Aiyah, don’t bring out the history already! So long ago. (I think she wants people to forget that she was in a girl group which I think sang quite good songs.)

Few people know you are in fact a food blogger! And hosted many other food programmes. If you would want to introduce one F&B shop, what would it be?
I didn’t know about this shop till I opened Twelve Cupcakes at Millenia Walk – Pullman Bakery. I get to buy the freshest items because my shop is nearby. My recommendations are raisin milk bread and Danish roll. Do you know females like to eat bread that are longer in shape because they are less messy? And the ingredients such as the sausage do not feel processed – very gourmet in fact.

Let’s talk about your cupcakes. If you can recommend only one flavour, what would it be?
The Red Velvet. Customers go like “Wow, so pretty”. Its charm is that it is not too sweet and fluffy. Customers also like fruity cupcakes, such as the mango, lemon and lychee flavours.

How about Daniel? Which flavour does he like?
Daniel is a model husband – he is very supportive and eats EVERYTHING that I bake. He is the one who persuaded me to open a shop like this.

Where do you learn how to bake these delicious cupcakes?
The truth? From the internet! But I experimented with many versions because many online recipes are too sweet.

Thank you Jaime. Can I take a few photos?
Sure, but please please upload only the pretty ones.

When I first visited Jaime, I was kind of surprised to see her wearing her nerdy specs, face slightly covered with baking flour, wearing an apron… kind of like a housewife – very unlike the glam Ms Universe look she portrayed on televison.

But what I saw was her determination. She was really in the kitchen icing all the cream, making sure every cupcake looks perfect and to her requirements. Surely being famous did help her in the business, but we also know of many other celebrities who failed in F&B business. And this girl really works hard.

Twelve Cupcakes
B1-60 United Square, 01-52 Millenia Walk, 01-28B Golden Shoe Carpark, B1-03B Bugis Junction
Opening Hours: 11am – 730pm (Golden Shoe), 11am – 9pm (The rest) Daily or till stocks last

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The durian season is here again, as the main fruiting season occurs from June to August – which means the durians you get now are more ‘fragrant’ and yummy. Fragrance for durian is really subjective. As what Anthony Bourdain says, you either love or despite it, and your breath will smell as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother.

I hope nobody has ever done that.

Talking about durians, the best place to get your durian puffs and desserts has to be Coffee Lounge at Goodwood Park Hotel. Apart from the signature Durian Puffs and legendary Durian Mousse Cake, there are also all time favourites such as the Durian Crepe, Durian Strudel and Durian Cappuccino Cake.

I am no durian lover, but for the sake of this review, I ate each dessert twice with a showdown of its 5 popular durian desserts. *burp* (durian breath)

Number 1: “Mao Shan” Power Puff ($16.80+ per piece) comes in a shape of a powerful flying saucer, with creamy pulp in a mega choux pastry. This is crazy rich, and after having a quarter, the other durian puffs pales in intensity. Beware, this is limited stuff only for the month of June sold from noon to 7pm.

Number 2: Durian Puff ($6 for 2 pieces). I am sure this is the number 1 seller, looking like a profiterole with light mousse-y durian flesh. I like it that it is dainty, and fits into one mouthful.

Number 3: Durian Mousse Cake ($10.80 per slice). This star which kicked off their famous promotion in 1983 stood the test of time. The slice is velvety, yet not incredibly heavy.

Number 4: Durian Cones. The pair of mini chocolate and vanilla waffle cones filled with durian mousse delighted almost every girl in the table. So cute and petite. I never imaged anyone using ‘petite’ to describe a durian dessert. I was just okay with this, and wondered how it would be if it comes in an actual cone size.

Number 5: Durian ‘Pengat’ with Glutinous Rice and Gula Melaka only tastes good with the gula melaka sauce. On its own, the rice is too dry and ordinary. This is only available at the dessert buffet.

Some of the durian pastries are served in addition to the regular dessert buffet at the Coffee Lounge, $32.80++ with dessert only, $26.80++ additional top up with main course order, and $48.80++ with Taiwan Porridge buffet.

Warning though, bringing mints may not be enough, a toothbrush and paste is necessary for the attack of the durians.

Coffee Lounge, Goodwood Park Hotel
22 Scotts Road, Singapore 228221 (10 min walk from Orchard MRT), Tel: +65 6730 1786
Opening Hours: 9am to 9pm daily (for Deli)

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[Melbourne, Australia] Some say a visit to Melbourne is not complete without a trip to Brunetti – the Italian café famed for its cakes, gelatos, chocolates, crepes and coffees. You may say there is already a Brunetti at Singapore’s Tanglin Mall, but trust me, they are really quite different.

While there are branches in Melbourne’s City Square, Camberwell, Fitzroy and Myer, the one to visit is at the iconic Carlton near Lygon Street, one of its most original locations.

The moment I stepped in, I went “wah-wah-mamma-mia”, and was immediately greeted by the high and mighty Profiterole right at the display, along with other mouth-watering desirable cakes that makes you go “Dear Profiterole, I want to savour you!”

The café is spacious and grand, like a supermarket, just that all your products are uncountable desserts and gelatos. I went up and down, not knowing even where to start. It was buzzing with energy and crowds – and spotted nuns lost in their desserts.

On one side is the Paninoteca savoury selection selling Italian savouries including panini, focaccia, bruschetta, fresh salads, savoury croissants and crepes, flat savouries, and pizza a taglio.

The food, such as my Lasagna and Insalata Di Proscuitto (AUD$13.90) wild rocket salad is decent, but I think you would have much wider and authentic options at “The Italian” Lygon Street just steps away.

Just how much better are the cakes at Melbourne’s Brunetti compared to Singapore’s?

On the left is Singapore’s version at Tanglin Mall (for real), and on the right is Carlton’s with chouz pastries filled zabaglione cream coated with overflowing generous dark chocolate ganache (AUD$7.90). Same same but different. Do you feel slightly… ‘cheated’ now?

The Lemon Brulee Tart ($6.50) – a shortbread base filled with a tangy lemon custard and topped with a fired sugar crust, is part sweet part sour that would give you a dessert awakening.

Brunetti Cakes began trading at the Faraday street location in 1985. The Angelé family acquired the business in 1991 and transformed the lovely café that it was into a truly authentic roman Pasticceria. They are also delighted to announce that the Brunetti café is moving back to its original home and will be located at 380 Lygon Street, Carlton from mid 2012.

Brunetti Carlton
194 – 204 Faraday Street, Carlton Vic 3053, Melbourne Australia, Tel: +61 03 9347 2801
Opening Hours: 6am–11pm (Sun-Thurs), 6am-12am (Fri-Sat)

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Chocolate Origin has been known for its extremely chocolate cakes, and they have only 3 products in its shop – The original chocolate, dark and lava cake. This reminds me when Awfully Chocolate started out selling just chocolate cakes as well.

While they have been dishing out chocolate goodness in Changi Village (who can be very far for many) – the good news is they have opened a new branch at 313 Somerset.

They do not sell by the slice, the smallest size being a 6 inch cake ($29) which can serve about 6 persons.

When my friends and I first savoured their original cake, it is what we call “chocolate love at first bite”. The chocolate literally melted in the mouth, bursting with such sensation that we almost went on a ‘chocolate coma’. Probably the best chocolate cake in Singapore.

Full Post at InSing.com – Chocolate Origin opens at 313@Somerset

Chocolate Origin
313 Orchard Road, #B3-10A 313 @ Somerset (Somerset MRT) Singapore
Opening Hours: 10am – 9:30pm Daily

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The taxi driver wondered why I would cab all the way to MacPherson Lane, “You mean you came all the way here just to eat ice cream??”

I did. Upon reaching, the rather ulu Alfero Gelato was not easy to find – somewhere in the middle of some old housing estate next to a green field, though the district was rustic, peaceful and beyond charming.

There is another branch of Alfero Artisan Gelato at a more convenient Marina Square, but MacPherson is where I can find the man himself – Marco Alfero. Since I am a fan of his gelato and described the texture as “creamy, rich, thick, smooth, heavenly”, I had meet its creator.

Marco, how long have you been in Singapore for?
I came from my hometown in Turin Italy since October 2009. I have been in Singapore for almost 3 years.

Were you in the ice cream business all along in Italy?
No, I was a finance manager in the semiconductor industry for more than 10 years.

I hear you enrolled into an ice cream university. Did you get a Bachelor of Ice Cream or something?
Haha, it was a certification programme with the famous Carpigiani Gelato University. They also produced the ice cream machine that I am using here.

Very smart of them. They sell machines to their students! How is your Italian gelato different from the usual ice cream?
Alfero Gelato contains only 2-9% fat, as compared to 18-30% fat in normal ice cream. Also, we use only the freshest ingredients – fresh milk, egg yolks, real fruits and nuts from Italy. Have you tried other gelatos in Singapore?

Of course, I am a fan of ice cream. But I feel they tend to be a little on the sweet side.
Yes, I have realised Singaporeans do not like overly intense and sweet things. That’s why I modified the recipe so that is less sweet.

Posing with the Italian ‘Godfather’

Yours is the first cafe in Singapore to store your gelato in covered pozzettos containers.
Yes, so that air and light do not affect the quality of the product. Customers used to wonder what I sell. Singaporeans are very visual people, and business was affected initially until they found out.

Any thoughts of opening a 3rd branch?
Yes, I am looking for a shop space now, probably by the end of this year.

I told Marco I almost tried every flavour available already, my favourites being the nuttier Bacio (kiss), Nocciola (hazelnut) and pistachio. Its turns out he just created two new flavours – the Snow White (Milk) and Tiramisu ($6.50 for a 2 flavour cup).

The Classic Tiramisu made with coffee, Marsala wine and Mascarpone cheese felt almost like I was eating the Tiramisu cake, only better because it was cold and creamy. While the Snow White felt a tad sweet initially, the simplicity of its flavour grew in me and you could appreciate the texture of the gelato on its own – truly the fairest of them all.

Alfero Artisan Gelato (Macpherson)
81 Macpherson Lane #01-37 Singapore (10-12 min walk from Tai Seng MRT) , Tel: +65 6848 4269
Opening Hours: 12pm – 9pm (Tues – Sat), 12pm – 6pm (Sun), Closed on Mon

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Au Chocolat is a delightful additional to Marina Bay Sands, with a part-pretty part-whimsical décor, and a huge 4,700 square feet space comprising bistro, confectionary, gelato counter and even a retail segment.

Located above the skating rink at MBS, you may have thought that Au Chocolat (pronounced o ∫okola) with all the chi chi tai tai dining ambience would have been opened by the French. No, it is actually opened by Singaporeans, by the same people who brought us Ku De Ta and Catalunya nevertheless.

There is a childlike charm at Au Chocolat. There is a little girl Danielle (created after the owner’s niece) who is the central character at the retail side, soft toys of two dogs OO and Yu Fa (also inspired by the owners’ pets) and a running train on the ceiling. You almost feel like a child walking into a big candy stall.

The bistro offers a delightful selection of all-day breakfast, salads, pastas, roasted meats, crepes and munchies.

Its Truffles Fries ($15), strips of crispy potatoes drizzled with white truffles oil, seasoned with truffle sea salt, and coming wrapped in a made-believe newspaper, is easily one of the best around. The New Paper’s Wee Teck confirmed this. The fragrance of the truffles is impeccable and you can almost do it without the mayonnaise and BBQ sauce served.

Who can deny that eggs benedict is THE IT brunch dish of the year? Au Chocolat’s version ($18) has its eggs almost perfectly poached, coming with hollandaise sauce infused with red wine and dark chocolate. Surprisingly, the chocolate sauce does not overpower the dish, and adds an interesting twist to the otherwise predictable flavour.

It won’t be too much to say Au Chocolat is a sweet treats paradise. If your girlfriend is cake, crepes, chcocolates and cupcakes person, do not think twice about bringing her here.

The Stuffed French Toast ($18), with two slices of brioche bread filled with plump berries and indulgent mascarpone cheese is “Wow” Instagram worthy. The outer layer is coated with cornflakes for a slight crunch. If only it comes topped with gelato. If only.

Some may just skip the dessert menu and head off to the Confiserie to choose from a variety of cheesecakes, macaroons and cupcakes. The Kalamansi Meringue Tart is the popular choice among the girls, though I won’t mind an extra large Blanc Feuilletine Macaron ($7.00) with dark chocolate and crispy wafers vanilla cream, or a rich and dense Au Chocolat cupcake ($5.50).

Nothing like a sweet treat to end a meal.

Au Chocolat MBS
Bay Level L1-03, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956 (Bayfront MRT) Tel: +65 6688 7227
Opening Hours: 10am – 12am Daily

Other MBS Entries
Caffe B (Marina Bay Sands)
The Moluccas Rooms (Marina Bay Sands)

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[Tokyo, Japan] The favourite past-time of Japanese ladies seem to be sitting down at a cafe, savouring a pretty tiny piece of cake after a tough day of shopping. One of the cakes places to be caught in is definitely Ladurée in Tokyo, which are available at Ginza Mitsukoshi and Shinjuku Lumine. Having pastries and tea here is ‘tai tai’ life at its best.

Think about it: Luxurious European furniture, macarons of every colours, cakes that are just too pretty to eat, packaging boxes that comes in pink, violet and beidge, with the touch of ribbons and their signature pastel green paper box. This is the place to be seen. And perhaps having silent conversations of handbags and flowers.

Yes. I also felt awkward to be the only guy in the entire store.

For fans in Singapore, if you still have not heard, Ladurée is coming to town. What’s the fuss you may wonder? They ARE the inventor of the double-decker macarons (one ‘O’ please), known to be one of the best macaron makers, and still sell more than 15,000 of them every day.

From Singapore’s hearty love for macarons sold anywhere from Antoinette, Au Chocolat, Obolo, TWG, Canelé, Jean-Philippe Darcis, and Jewels Artisan, you know we have a slight obsession with the dainty brightly coloured sweet things.

The Parisian luxury patisserie chain is reported to be located in town, close to its sister company PAUL Bakery at Orchard. Let me make a guess, Paragon? (Read: PAUL Bakery)

One thing I must say. I have never once had bad service during my 2 weeks in Tokyo, until at Ladurée Shinjuku. The grumpy faced service staff did not smile at all. Shocking. It may be normal in other countries, but in Tokyo, this must be called ‘service-sin’.

The cakes are drop-dead gorgeous, every piece of them. But also drop-dead expensive. The reddish artificial strawberry lookalike cake cost more than $15, but also perhaps one of my most memorable cakes ever (in a good way).

The chocolate gelato topped with nuts, brownie and caramel sauce also tastes as good as it looks.

The main let-down was surprisingly, the macarons, especially when they were also freaking expensive. Price was 2940 Yen for 8 pieces (SGD$45, USD$37). I wondered if it had anything to do with my ‘guyish’ choices of vanilla, chocolate and coffee, and should have picked the more bubblegum coloured looking blackcurrant violet, green apple or strawberry candy. Not that they were any bad, but they were just … ordinary?

Until then, I hope the macarons in Singapore does not cost $45 for 8. Even though, I am sure people will still throng to buy them. Macarons? It’s never really about the taste.

Ladurée
Ginza Mitsukoshi 4-6-16 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8212, Japan
Tel : +81 (0)3 3563 2120
Shinjuku Lumine 2, 1F, 3-38-2 Shinjuku-ku, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-0022, Tel : +81 (0)3 6380 5981

Other Tokyo Entries
Café & Meal Muji (Ginza, Tokyo)
Tsukiji Honten (Shibuya, Japan)
Menya Musashi (Shinjuku, Tokyo)
Mutekiya Ramen (Ikebukuro, Tokyo)
Tsukiji Fish Market (Tsukiji, Tokyo)

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The Star Performing Arts Centre has officially opened today – 1st November 2012, with a grand opening concert by David Foster and friends over the next 2 days. This is pretty exciting for the local arts culture with a new performance space boosting a 5,000 seat theatre.

So I have also been to The Star Vista downstairs which has indeed many many many food outlets, which hopefully can handle concert goers during peak hours. Though I cannot help feeling a little sweaty there because it has no aircon (all natural air), and I instinctively headed to the yogurt shop first for a quick cool-down. (Read: The Star Vista’s Complete Food & Restaurant Guide)

Sogurt is a home-grown, yogurt-by-weight shop that screams of pastel pink and lime green, likely to attract the young and cheery. Contrary to many other shops, they even offer students in school uniform a 20% discount. Adults are warned not to try squeezing into their pinafore or tight shorts.

I spoke to its owner Lee Li Ping, whom at age 25, has already opened 5 yogurt stores.

Why the name Sogurt?
Usually get people to guess this one, but think you can sorta guess? I chose Sogurt cos it rhymes with “yogurt”, and would have a catchy tagline “Sogurt is SOOO GOOOOD”. Was pretty amused with the name myself at the start. Initially, I was set on “YO-mama”, but later discovered that a froyo store in HK already had the name, and hence had to come up with a new one, “Sogurt”. No regrets!

Why did u choose to sell yogurt?
Yogurt is my personal passion. I still eat my froyo almost every day, even after 3 years of being in business. Not sick of it one bit yet.

What were you doing before going into yogurt business?
I started Sogurt 3 months after graduating from USC (University of Southern California) in LA. It all started with my obsession for froyo when I was there, used to drag my friends to eat it with me every single day. Helped a lot also that there was a rising froyo trend in the U.S. while I was studying there. I was especially impressed and enticed by the self-serve froyo concept, thus came back and decided to share this love with my fellow Singaporeans.

What is your personal favourite Sogurt flavour?
Chocolate! I have a sweet tooth, love Sogurt’s choc flavour with nuts, digestive biscuits and sunflower seeds. Awesome combo!

(I love Sogurt’s light and smooth chocolate flavour too. Somehow chocolate in yogurt form also feels less guilty.)

How about the customers’ favorite?
This is a tough one as there is no ONE favourite flavour, but I’d have to say our lychee flavoured yogurt is quite a hit.

How do you ensure the yogurt doesn’t melt too fast in Singapore’s blazing heat?
Have a good AC system in our shops to shield our customers from the hot hot heat. Besides that, I guess I can say our yogurt is pretty delicious that it is usually finished even before given a chance to melt!

For those unfamiliar with the self-serve concept, steps are simple: Take cup; dispense the yogurt ; select the toppings; weigh the cup and pay $3.00 for each 100 grams you take.

Get the chocolate. It is really SOOO GOOOOD.

Sogurt
The Star Vista, 1 Vista Exchange Green, 01-34, Singapore 138617 (Buona Vista MRT)
Other branches: 617 Bt Timah Rd (next to Coronation), United Square, NEX, West Mall
Opening Hours: 11am-10:30pm

Other Yogurt & Ice Cream Entries
Swirl Art (Liang Seah St)
Once Upon a Milkshake (Maxwell Chambers)
The Daily Scoop (Chip Bee Gardens)
Ci Gusta! (Anchorpoint)
Alfero Artisan Gelato (MacPherson)

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Rainbow pancakes, red velvet pancakes, bailey’s pancakes and design your own pancakes… The very idea of Nook already sounds way too exciting. What better way to spend a weekday afternoon than to doodle some pancakes with your friend, and then eating your creation? Hmmm.

Nook is out of the way at Lor Kilat, a few shops away from Carpenter & Cook and Udders. While there are many pancake shops in Singapore, people come all the way here because they are the only and first DIY pancake art concept in Singapore. Meaning to say, all their tables are customised with a griddle in the middle just so you can flip your own pancakes and make you own pancake art.

The shop name comes from the word “The Breakfast Nook” which actually is a term used by the Americans in the olden days. It is actually a small corner where the poor have breakfast in the morning, where they get to bond and have a nice breakfast meal together as a family. Over at Nook, they also want everyone to come in to have a good bonding session together over breakfast and pancakes.

If you are lazy, the Rainbow Pancake ($12) with 6-coloured stacks is a can-order, surely to send your facebook or instagram likes to a record high with the photogenic piece. As with all rainbow desserts, Uncle Daniel here says this is a tad too sweet for my liking, and too much sugar sends me on a food coma. (Read: Rainbow Cake at Le Chocolat Café)

The Red Velvet Pancakes ($10) is definitely their winning item, soft batter without being overly saccharine, with the cream cheese filling adding a smooth velvety touch.

If you want to do your art classes justice, or want to draw a face/write a name to eat, you can go for the DIY Pancake package.

A 2-flavoured pancake with 3 toppings will set you back by $28. I think it’s a tad steep but worth the price if you split the cost with many friends, because you can stay there for up to 3 hours and make many many many pancakes with the squeezer bottles provided.

Maameemoomoo and I decided that drawing pancakes is maybe not our forte. Make a guess what we created?

DIY pancakes is really quite a fun concept for friends and families with kids to play with. For the idler people like me, I would love to see more creations such as the classic stacks, chocolate banana, strawberry cream or anything with ice cream.

Nook D.I.Y House of Pancakes Giveaway!
Nook will be giving 5 sets of a DIY Pancake Making Experience worth $28 to 5 blessed Daniel’s Food Diary readers!

All you need to do is to
Step 1: LIKES the FaceBook page of Daniel’s Food Diary
Step 2: SHARE this post on Facebook or RETWEET the post on twitter
Step 3: Leave a comment below to describe your ultimate PANCAKE flavour and toppings. Be creative!
Results will be announced 1st Feb 2013 (Fri)

Nook D.I.Y. House of Pancakes
21 Lorong Kilat #01-03 Singapore 598123 (Upper Bukit Timah), Tel: +65 6466 1811
Opening Hours: 12pm-10pm (Tues-Fri), 10am-10pm (Sat), 10am-7pm (Sun)

Other Sweet Entries
Le Chocolat Café (Ann Siang Road)
K-ki (Ann Siang Hill)
3 Inch Sin (Millenia Walk)
Drips Bakery Café (Tiong Poh Road)
Dessert Cup (Raffles City)

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Fellow food blogger Jason Sim from “For The Love Of Food” concurred that Alfero Artisan Gelato is his best in Singapore. In his final blogpost, he wrote, “Don’t believe, then you got to try it to believe!”

For those who have yet to try out this “best gelato” in Singapore, you can make your way to their third branch at Lor Kilat. (Read: Alfero Gelato at Marina Square and Alfero Gelato at MacPherson) I know it is quite out of the way, so much so that my taxi driver does not have the slightest inkling of the location despite telling him “Uncle, at Bt Timah near Toh Tuck and Toh Yi.”

Though I was initially reluctant to travel, some compelling reasons to visit this new outlet is that it is neighbours with Carpenter & Cook (for round Two of desserts), Nook Panckes, Woorinara, Kim’s Family Restaurant and fellow competitor Udders. Owner Marco Alfero joked that if Udders is too crowded, ice cream lovers can always hop down a few shop to Alfero.

Marco who haild from Turin Italy is quite localised, scaling wet markets and fruit stalls to come out with new fresh flavours that Singaporeans would love.

Amongst the recently launched flavours such as Gula Melaka and Chocolate Mint, the pale green Avocado ($4.50 per cup) was the clear favourite, with the few of us scooping it all up despite diet plans. Unique is an understatement, unless you are Martha Stewart’s die-hard fan.

The avocado flavour subtlety lingers around your buds, tasting very real, milky and fulfilling. All without the ‘fake-ness’ that some fruit ice creams may have.

I was never never never a fan of durians – it’s the smell. But if you offer me a cup of Alfero’s Durian Gelato, I think I can finish a scoop. It feels like eating a smooth velvety refrigerated version of the real thing, without the heatiness and only a fifth of the smell.

Our table of weight-watchers was further assured that Alfero’s gelatos has only 2-9% fat, no artificial colouring or flavouring, less sugar than the usual, and is freshly churned at the MacPherson shop.

My friend Kenny who highly recommends Alfero is so confident that he says he will ‘blanja’ (treat) all of us if we did not like the gelato. Guess what – he did not need to. You really got to try it to believe.

(This blogpost is specially dedicated to food blogger Jason Sim. Artisan Alfero Gelato at Lor Kilat was his last-ever blog post and tweet, and we pray that he will have a never-ending supply of delicious gelato in a better place up there.)

Alfero Artisan Gelato
21 Lorong Kilat Singapore 598123 (near Carpenter & Cook) Tel:+65 64633835
Opening Hours: 12:00pm – 10:00pm Daily

Other Ice Cream Entries
Alfero Artisan Gelato (Marina Square)
Alfero Artisan Gelato (MacPherson)
Ci Gusta! (Anchorpoint)
Udders (Thomson Road)
The Daily Scoop (Chip Bee Gardens)

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My first Seventh Heaven was at Pasar Bella, which ironically did not bring me to any parts of paradise after having it. The server had problem scooping, and I was given a cup of very airy, less than half-filled ice cream.

Seventh Heaven has actually been around for a number of years, known to develop and craft innovative flavours of ice cream. Their previous choice of locations have always been less than favourable and out of the way, from Raeburn Park, Kaki Bukit, 112 Katong, to the present Orchard Central, Gardens by the Bay and Pasar Bella.

We were at Orchard Central because my friend really wanted The Superman Mudpie ($13.90). “Look at the colours. They make me so happy.”

Indeed, the four-coloured blue, red, yellow and brown (the original superman didn’t have brown) mudpie named after our favourite DC Comics character made me happy too. It was so instagram worthy it got onto popular page and broke my personal record.

It is said that the Hershey’s brand of Superman ice-cream contains strawberry, banana and blue moon flavours, and I think Seventh Heaven’s do have traces of those. It remains a secret. The entire thing, while looking like an artificial gigantic paddle-pop, actually tastes better than it looks. Every scoop feels more exciting than the usual chocolate, with hints of banana (?) and other flavours.

There were an equal number of hits and misses though. The Simplicity Waffle ($9.70) was dry and airy, almost feels like eating a thick piece of love letter, compared to the usual moist denser texture.

Seventh Heaven offers flavours like Lychee Martini, Yuzu Sorbet, Kumkat Sorbet, Seasalt Caramel, Passion Fruit, Black Sesame, Butterscotch and Pecan. The Japanese Black Sesame and Matcha flavours worked for me – it is tough to find ice cream that tastes real.

But perhaps they were being too experimental, some of the flavours were cloying sweet, or artificial tasting (like the durian which was somewhat repulsive). Anyway, you can try their flavours before ordering.

Overall, I liked the bright and colourful vibes at Seventh Heaven. You just need to know which ice cream to order, and stick to it. If not, order their Matrix ($29 house decides, $36 you decide) for a sample of 12 best sellers.

Seventh Heaven
Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road #02-31/32 Singapore 238896 (Somerset MRT)
Opening Hours: 10:00am – 10:00pm Daily
Kiosks: Pasarbella at The Grandstand, Garden by the Bay

Other Ice Cream Entries
Alfero Artisan Gelato (Lor Kilat)
Cold Stone Creamery (Orchard Central)
Island Creamery (Serene Centre)
Udders (Thomson Road)
The Daily Scoop (Chip Bee Gardens)

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[Girona, Spain] Rocambolesc is an ice cream parlour brought by Jordi Roca, the youngest of the Roca brothers from El Celler de Can Roca. Yes, the 3 star Michelin restaurant which also won The World’s Best Restaurant award in 2013.

A discreet shop along the streets of Girona, you may just walk past and miss it. But as you enter, you would have thought you entered a magical shop by Dr Seuss with its industrial red and white striped pipes, a slushy machine and a bicycle on the side.

If you have dined at El Celler de Can Roca, you would unquestionably remember its petit fours served on a candy-store trolley. Jordi Roca wanted to bring that to an ice cream shop, thus the birth of a a fantasy place which interior is inspired by Willy Wonka’s land from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

There are only six flavours to choose from, such as Carrot, Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry and Baked Girona Apple. Along with a total of 34 toppings from fresh fruits, sugared cocoa beans, popping-candies, home-made cookies, assorted nuts and take this… cotton candy made on the spot.

The ice cream bases are prepared in El Celler de Can Roca’s kitchen and ferried to the shop by bicycle. A scoop with 3 toppings is only 3.75 €! Plus you can mix flavours.

I picked a chocolate and vanilla gelato and chose to eat it at the bus stop seat right outside Rocamboles, watching the world go by.

Is this the best ice cream I ever eaten in my life? Possibly yes.

It wasn’t exactly an oh-my-god moment, but the type that you would slowly savour and life’s beautiful moments would gently flow through your mind.

The sweeter carrot and baked apple combination was not as memorable, but still enough to make me smile.

I got a whiff of sadness when I was leaving Girona. “Am I not going to have this ever again?”

There is a legend that if you kiss the lion statue at Plaza de Feliu, you would return to Girona. When I first heard about it, I thought it was downright silly. Evening came, I went back, climbed the wooden stairs and kiss it.

Girona is located north of Barcelona and can be reached from there by train in about less than an hour (check the Renfe trains schedule). Yes, I want to be back one day to try Rocambolesc’s ice cream again.

Rocambolesc Gelateria
Carrer de Santa Clara, 50, 17001, Girona, Catalonia Spain, Tel: +34 972 416 667 http://www.rocambolesc.com
Opening Hours: 12pm-10pm (Sun-Thurs), 12pm-12am (Fri), 12pm-12am (Sat)

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Strangers’ Reunion at Kampong Bahru is best known for their buttermilk waffle, and it makes sense to open a shop next door because the crowd does get overwhelming over the weekends. When something works, why not expand?

The vibes at Waffle Slayer are very similar to Strangers’ Reunion, with an industrial café look, mis-mash of vintage furniture with a live kitchen of sorts in the middle.

Fans of sweet waffle would be delighted to know there are 8 different types – the one that grabs attention include Matcha Buttermilk, Passionfruit White Chocolate, Banana Brulee and Red Velvet (all at $14.90).

There are two savories – Squid Ink Waffle with Smoked Salmon or Crispy Bacon ($18.90) – this comes with vanilla ice cream on top. The special, which I hear is good, is the Buttermilk Waffles with Chicken Schnitzel and Kaffir Lime Mayonnaise ($19.90).

I strangely feel out of place here, a 30-seater 80% filled with girls looking between 14-25 max, mostly in flower dresses (not forgetting to instagram with a priced top-down shot of their waffles). The other males in the room came with their girlfriends.

Service while severely short-handed was actually friendly and welcoming. A rare find because some service staff at the become-popular cafes can almost bark at customers.

The Squid Ink Waffle with Smoked Salmon with Poached Egg ($18.90) could be improved. The waffle texture was soft and fluffy, but overall dry and strangely tasteless – I felt tempted to pour some kind of sauce down, hollandaise, maple, even just chilli sauce.

Waitress asked “How’s the poached egg?” I said, “Errr… not bad.” Not wanting to break her smile (and heart).

To give her credit, she was making waffle, poaching eggs (a hot pot near some electrical wires – yikes), taking orders and serving drinks simultaneously. So to come out with this, really not bad.

The sweet waffle, a Red Velvet Buttermilk Waffle ($14.90) with chocolate fudge and vanilla ice cream fared better. I suspect that this is probably one of the better waffle found in Singapore (because several just cannot make it), but is way behind what Australian counterparts could serve – The slight crisp and melt-in-mouth flufiness.

Coffee was a sad sad story, pretty in cafe art, sour to the taste. Sour. Blah.

There was a long line outside Strangers’ Reunion, and there were still a few empty tables here. Wait, if I can order items at Strangers’ Reunion at Waffle Slayer, why are the people queuing up to an hour next door? Okay lah, but now you know.

Waffle Slayer
37 Kampong Bahru Road (10 minute walk from Outram Part MRT), Singapore 169346
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon-Tues, Thurs-Sun), Closed Wed

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Hokkaido gelato!!! Opps, sorry that I got too excited over this, as the very thought of having good, yummy, smooth Milkissimo gelato in Singapore can make one overly thrilled. (Read: Japanese Sweets Collection)

Milkissimo is finally here in Singapore at Jurong Westgate Isetan, offering Italian style ice cream made from premium milk produced from Hakodate city (Hokkaido’s 3rd largest city) and the freshest ingredients from Hokkaido. (Friends from Hong Kong can also get your scoops from The One at Tsim Sha Tsui.)

The brand name is a combination of ‘milk’ and ‘issimo’ which means the finest milk in Italian, though having ‘kiss’ somewhere in the middle makes it very easy to remember.

There are many out of the ordinary flavours available which makes choosing all the more difficult: fondant chocolate, northern hascup (a type of sweet berry honeysuckle), arancia rossa (blood orange), pineapple and basil, sakura cherry blossoms, cream cheese, green tea milk, caramel macchiato, fresh corn, and milk.

My combination of purple sweet potato, cherry blossom and mango were magical and almost felt like I was savouring smooth flowers and fruits. The entire cup with bright accents was like spring time, and the mango gelato where you can literally imagine the fruit, is perhaps the best I ever had.

I would use smoothly-dreamy light to describe the texture, and it was not overly sweet. Pure happiness. ($6 single scoop, $7.50 double scoops, $9 triple scoops).

(To digress, the moment I posted an instavideo at @DanielFoodDiary, people were somehow more interested in the cute Japanese server rather than the gelato. Just saying.) Anyway, Milkissmiso is in Singapore for a limited period till 6th of June. After which they would decide whether they should stay or not. You would want them to remain.

Milkissmiso
Westgate Isetan Super Market, Basement 2 (Jurong East MRT)
Time: 10am – 8pm (Mon-Thurs, Sun), 10am – 9:30pm (Fri-Sat)
Till 6th of June 2014

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Cupcakes, pancakes, waffles… the next IT food could very well be churros, the fried-dough pastry Spanish doughnut. While it hasn’t exactly taken over Singapore by storm yet, you can now find them beyond theme parks, and in specialty cafes and occasional Spanish tapas bar dessert menu.

There is a sudden crowd at Orchard Central’s Level 5 as well, intrigued by the popularity of the Spanish Doughnuts brand which finally made its way to Singapore.

This is from that same Spanish Doughnuts from Melbourne’s Flinders Street Station. Hooray!

Would it taste the same, or at least similar? And afterall, churros are best eaten during the cold weather freshly fried and dipped in a cup of thick hot chocolate.

It took about 15 minutes for the hot churros to be served. At least you know they are freshly made and fried to order

The Choco Churritos ($9.90 for a conical container) original versions were agreeably crispy and light, and you could even eat on its own without any sugar dipping. Though I wished they were more piping hot.

You can pair them with dark, milk or white chocolate dips (recommended get all 3). Being quite sugar-intolerable recently, the dark chocolate cup almost quickly swept clean, while the other two proved to be opulently sweet.

For something unlike the usual, the Premium Churros ($4.30 each, $21.60 for pack of 6) with flavours such as Chocolate Bombon, Strawberry Cream, Triple Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Black Forest and Coconut Bombon may give the local Krispy Kreme a run for their money.

The thick cold ones come completely coated, and comes with (I hate to use this word again) sweet fillings. You may find yourself needing to visit the gym more than necessary. So I would say: Emm, you may want to save some calories.

As they are new franchisees and first-time F&B business operators, service can be unpolished and may appear tactless, especially when faced with a huge crowd. (Note: there were no plates, no utensils, no water when we asked. And were also ‘politely’ asked to clear the table when we were done.) Okay lah, cut them some slack.

Spanish Doughnuts Singapore
181 Orchard Road, #05-51/52 Orchard Central, Singapore 238896 (Somerset MRT)
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Daily

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[Bangkok, Thailand] ChikaLicious is perhaps the closest thing you can get to ‘dessert fine-dining’ in Bangkok, and indeed brings sweet treats on a different level.

Three course dessert menu? Can be a dream come true to many. Essentially, desserts for amuse, desserts for main, and desserts for petit fours. Pardon for the mouthful. The course is 400 Baht (SGD$15.40, USD$12.45) for the 3-course, additional 250 with wine pairing.

This concept at Central Embassy is an direct import from New York’s ChikaLicious Dessert Bar, famed for their 3-course Prix Fixe menu which has been described as “American desserts, French presentation with Japanese tasting portions”.

This 30-seater has a contemporary yet intimate setting. I chose to sit at the open counter where you can see the chefs plate and explain the food right before you. It helps that Bangkok’s Executive Chef Sam Dhanasobhon is em, very pretty and eloquent.

ChikaLicious’ signature is the Fromage Blanc Island ‘Cheese Cake’, which is exactly the same as what the brand offer at NYC.

This is no New York cheese cake, it is like no other. The white uncooked cheesecake made of fromage blanc (French white cheese) is shaped like a ball, served on bowl of crushed ice (to keep it cold), and poured over with heavy cream.

As you scoop it with a spoon, you would realize the texture is softer than gelato and disintegrates in your mouth. Taste-wise? Not even sweet to behind with, maybe a tad, but well, light-cheesy. It’s strange looking. It’s weird tasting. But the texture will send you thrills down your spine.

Japanese owner-Chef Chika Tillman said in an interview she was inspired by a French dessert served in Japan, and that it “freaked her out”. Almost how I felt.

The other dessert, a safer choice, is the Warm Chocolate Tart with Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream and Red Wine Sauce. Small delicate crumbly tart, that flows with warm dark chocolate from within. Still mildly surprising.

While cronuts were in the rage last year, ChikaLicious offers their own version of Dough’Ssant (85 baht) – a mixture of doughnut and croissant.

I thought it would be another fad-tish item, but when I took my first bite of the crème brulee Dough’Ssant, crispy, flaky and light, filled with smooth custard, I finished the entire piece even though I was full. So awesome.

Pssssssst, you read this here first. ChikaLicious is coming to Singapore by end of the year. The question now is, WHERE?

ChikaLicious Dessert Bar
L5-01/1R Central Embassy 1031 Ploenchit road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Opening Hours:
Serving time for 3 course dessert prix fixe: 4pm-10pm (Mon-Fri), 10am-12am (Sat-Sun)
Serving time for pastries: 10am-4pm (Mon-Fri)
Directions: 5 min walk from Phloen Chit BTS station (or Chit Lom station, both with covered walkways)

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Seriously. There are no preservatives, no gum, no stabilizers, less sugars used in these ice creams.

Owner Daniel Teo of the new Seriously Ice Cream parlour used to be a chubby kid, and health became his number one priority. He was in the creative field, and thus the flavours turned out to be more than wacky than usual too.

Located at Everton Park which was touted as Singapore’s “hipster enclave”, there is still a peaceful-quiet charm with indie coffee joints and bakeries (Nylon Coffee Roasters, Batterworks, The Provision Shop) co-existing with traditional Ji Xiang Ang Ku Kueh.

The flavours keep changing to keep things fresh, though some of the signatures remain ($3.50 for regular scoop, $4.30 for premium flavour).

During my visit, interesting favours on display included Miso Gula Melaka, Strawberry Basil, Orange Crush, Strawberry Cheese, Yuzu Marmalade, to more localised Onde Onde, Horlicks and Teh C.

Unlike some gelato shops where the scoops look luxuriously full on display, you may find some here scrapped to the bottom. No more left! I tried a sampler of Yuzu Marmalade, liked it a lot, but there wasn’t any more supply.

The owner painstakingly churns out ice cream till 2am, individually, in small quantities.

My tip is, try the ice cream before making your purchase decision. Some will appeal to you, some may not. There were some flavours which had a creamier texture which I am used to and enjoy more (Yuzu Marmalade, Strawberry Cheese), while others other a more icy-consistency (Onde Onde, Miso Gula Melaka) because they are purposely made more italian granita style.

While waffle is in a rage currently, the texture of their version ($4.50 for plain, $9.60 with 2 scoops) reminded us of the biscuit used to sandwich old-school ice cream. This light, crispy waffle with lots of air pockets could appeal to the 30-something and above (*cough cough*) who had this familiar taste before.

There is an egger and denser version closer to the American style waffle. Savoury styles ($6.50) with ham and cheese are also available, and you can also add sweet ice cream on top of those. Yes, seriously.

Seriously Ice Cream
Blk 4 Everton Park #01-44 Singapore 080004 (Outram MRT, walk towards Cantonment Police HQ, Everton Park is across the road from it)
https://www.facebook.com/seriouslyicecream
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sun), 11am – 11pm (Fri, Sat), Closed Tues

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Ice Queen has nothing to do with the “Let it go, let it go” Frozen’s queen, but is a liquid nitrogen ice cream parlour at East Coast.

Liquid nitrogen ice cream. While this ‘fad’ has become a been-there-done-that in other countries like Hong Kong, the response here is still kind of lukewarm, with the more noticeable stores being 320 Below and Just Like It.

This little shop at Katong East Coast Road with no seats yet (opp Chin Mee Chin, next to Spizza) is so called as a pun on the words “ice cream” and owner Ee Lin thought that her products could be fit for the royals.

She is no ‘ice queen’ herself. Instead, I saw a chirpy friendly person all smiles behind nitrogen fog.

Why liquid nitrogen?

Other than looking rather gimmicky that would cause kids to be fascinated with a theatrical smoke-filled room, the rapid freezing produces an ice cream with particularly small ice crystals which in turn produces a smoother texture.

If you have tried ice cream that has been stored in the freezer for a while and sometimes tastes “icy”, that’s because the ice crystals are very long which can result from a longer freezing process.

Apart from that, using liquid nitrogen eradicates the need for excessive chemical additives such as stabilizers and emulsifiers.

Ice Queen’s flavours include French Vanilla, Gula Melaka, Hazelnut, Mangoes and Cream, Sea Salt Caramel, along with Sorbet flavours of Coconut, Elderflower, Lemon, Passionfruit and Strawberry. A scoop is $4.90.

I would recommend the Thai dessert inspired Mango Sticky Rice ($6.50 per cup), with Mango and cream ice cream on the top, and coconut sticky rice at the bottom. Sweet and refreshing, matched with a balanced blend of textures, tasting almost like the actual Khao Niaow Ma Muang dessert.

After a taste test, yes liquid nitrogen ice cream is denser, smoother, milkier and feels more denser packed the usual, as though there is ‘no air’ with the scoop.

‘Pantang’ people may want to avoid The Death By Chocolate ($6.50), a valrhona chocolate ice cream, topped with oreo crumbs with a butter cookie that spells “RIP” stuck inside.

Superstition aside, this flavour was extremely rich, tasting intense and deep after a few mouthfuls, and would likely need some sharing. Unless of course, you live for chocolate.

The creations are very much influenced by foods that Ee Lin has grown up with, thus you would see cups like Chendol, Japan Hour (Matcha) and Nuts about Nutella.

Some of the flavours could be still in the stage of experimenting, thus the Gula Melaka tasted weirdly salty. And I would wish for a larger fuller bigger scoop for its price.

Do expect more surprises in creations in time to come. Let it go, let it go, can’t hold it back anymore.

Ice Queen
217 East Coast Road, Tides, #01-02 Singapore 428915 (opp Chin Mee Chin, next to Spizza)
Tel: +65 64408098
https://www.facebook.com/icequeensg
Opening Hours: 12:30pm – 10:00pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

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It is not surprising that the queue at Honey Creme, the Korean style soft serve to launch at Singapore’s 313 @ Somerset, is super-duper long.

The same happened in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the location next to a taxi stand is ‘conducive’ for queuing, and the PR agency handling its account is already known to be a powerhouse. Fans of llaollao yogurt downstairs, could find themselves upstairs pretty soon.

The Korean soft serve craze started with Softree, and Honey Creme found immediate success when it opened its first store in Taiwan in March 2014, subsequently the same popularity in Hong Kong, Macau and now Singapore. (Technically, the store shouldn’t be ‘Korean’, though some media reports may reflect otherwise.)

Things I do: decline the media tasting, and go queue on my own, just to experience what it is like to be a customer.

Time taken to get a Honey Creme on a weekday afternoon: 20-30 min. 20 outside, and another 5-10 after you order.

Number of people instagramming while queueing: Countless. My advice is to do it at the start of the queue, because you are likely to sweat. Thank goodness for the cool water dispenser inside the store.

The varieties available includes Original ($4.60), Comb Honey ($5.50), Honey Comb ($5.90), Affogato ($5.50), Organic Cotton Candy ($5.90), PopCorn ($5.90) to .. what…. Organic Mixed Grains ($6.20) – topped with flax seeds, black sesame, barley, oats and rye.

For price contrast, a comparable cup would be about NT$150 ($6.30) in Taiwan, and HK$36 ($5.90) in Hong Kong. Similarly expensive for its portion.

Honey Creme will say strike the iron when it is hot, and I say lick their soft serve when it is cold.

Undeniably the texture of Honey Creme was lovely – rich and milky, so smooth it could glide down the throat. Taste wise, the ice cream wasn’t overly sweet, including the cotton candy spun from organic sugars which also managed to stay fluffy for a while. A pleasant, if not expensive treat.

The Caramel Popcorn ($5.90) was a fun cup to savour, the crunchy bits contrasting with the creaminess, and the caramel adding a bolt of sweetness along the edges.

There will always be customers who would say “over-rated” and go back to their comfort zones at McDonalds and 7-Eleven.

Will I queue again? Actually, yes. But nothing more than 10 minutes.

Honey Cream and other Korean style soft serve sprouting out around Singapore, should stay around for a while.

Honey Creme Singapore
313 Orchard Road, 313@Somerset #01-37 Singapore 238895 (Somerset MRT, next to 313 taxi stand)
Tel: +65 6884 8468
https://www.facebook.com/honeycremesg
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm

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It makes sense. Singapore is hot all year round, and soft serve ice creams and froyo (frozen yogurts) should do well. The only question is, what took us so long?

In Korea and Taiwan, soft serves have caused snaking queues from dessert shops to within mini-marts. Yes, go to a Family Mart and get in line for a tall vanilla serve.

Back in Singapore, the frenzy has just started. Just make a walk to 313 @ Somerset. It won’t be long before other shops take cue, and you may soon find honey combs stuck on the top of your sweet treats.

Here are 10 of the newest and best places you can find soft serves and frozen yogurt in Singapore. Time to be more than Under Happy and start queuing llao llao.

Honey Creme
313 Orchard Road, 313@Somerset #01-37 Singapore 238895 (Somerset MRT, next to 313 taxi stand)
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm

Best texture. Longest queue. Also most “over-rated”
Queue time can stretch anything from 10 to 40 min. The texture of Honey Creme was lovely – rich and milky, so smooth it could glide down the throat. Taste wise, the ice cream wasn’t overly sweet. But at $5.90 for a Caramel Popcorn, it can be a small and expensive cup. Many say it’s “over-rated”, but the lines are still going strong. (Read: Honey Creme 313 @ Somerset)

Sunday Folks
44 Jalan Merah Saga, #01-52, Chip Bee Gardens
Opening Hours: 4pm – 10pm (Tues-Fri), 12pm -10pm (Sat-Sun). Closed Mon

Best tasting flavours
From the originators of Creamier at Toa Payoh, Sunday Folk’s ice creams ($7.20) are freshly churned and served in a delicious handmade charcoal cone. Their flavours are distinct, from the popular favourites of Earl Grey Lavender and Sea Salt Gula Melaka, to the tried-and-tested Roasted Pistachio and Summer Strawberries. Most hipster looking. Will sweat if you come during the weekends.

AmaSoy
ION Orchard, #B4-64 Orchard Turn (Orchard MRT)
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm

Best value for money
Better known for their Japanese collagen soy puddings and Hokkaido milk drinks, AmaSoy’s newly introduced Matcha Softserve is great value for money at $2 per cone, and $2.30 per cup for its promotional price. $2!!! The texture is milky and smooth, as good as those you would get in Japanese restaurants, matched with a subtle delicate taste of green tea. So affordable. Get 2, or more! (Read: AmaSoy)

Honeycomb
30 Bali Lane Singapore Singapore 189866 (Bugis MRT)
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Mon, Wed, Thurs), 12pm-12am (Fri-Sat), 11pm-6pm (Sun), Closed Tues

Most gimmicky looking
The boys from Stateland Café next door diversified into Korean style soft serve and frozen yogurt. 5 flavours are available – classic, chocolate, caramel, matcha, and apple & cinnamon. All ranging from $6 – $7. Each cup comes with a real honey comb, and a gimmicky looking stringe which squeezes out liquid honey. Wished it didn’t melt that fast.

Thank you @elainegirlgirl for the photo

The Cold Pantry
131 Rangoon Road Singapore 218409
Opening Hours: 12-9pm (Mon, Wed-Thurs), 12pm-10pm (Fri-Sun), Closed Tues

Most interesting flavours
Thai Milk Tea yogurt? Take my money! The Cold Pantry which took over the shop space of Liberty Coffee serves froyo with home-made ‘honeycomb’ – not quite the real deal. They created the ‘honeycomb’ themselves. The Cold Pantry offers weird flavours, like their Movie Date ($5.90) with nacho chips and popcorn. Serious.

Beegurt
11 Sin Ming Road (Thomson V Two) Singapore 575629
Opening Hours: 12pm – 11pm (Mon-Thurs), 12pm-1am (Fri-Sat), 12pm-11pm (Sun)

First in Singapore – Yogurt & Honeycomb
Beegurt is probably the first in Singapore to combine the two – frozen yogurt and raw honeycomb. Their special honeycomb with yoghurt ($6.80) allows you to choose from 2 toppings from a variety such as fresh fruits, nuts and cheesecake. Also one of those shops that opens past midnight during weekends. Wait! Who eats froyo at 1am? You?

Tsujiri
100 Tras Street, #01-14 Singapore 079027 (Tanjong Pagar MRT)
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm

Most ‘Matcha’
For fans of Matcha, this 150-year old Japanese Tea House comes from Uji, Kyoto. Its Tsujiri Parfait ($7.50) may be a tad pricey for its size and quick to melt, it is definitely one delightful dessert you do not mind having again and again if you are a matcha fan. The humble shop now serve a new BIG O-maccha ($5) or Vanilla Soft Ice Cream ($4.80) topped with shiratama and anko red bean. Itadakimasu!

Godiva
Basement 2, Takashimaya Department Store, 391 Orchard Road, Singapore 238873

Most pricey and indulgent
We know Godiva. But how many know about their rich and indulgent creamy chocolate soft serve ($8) with smooth chocolate sauce. For chocolate lovers, you won’t want to miss this. Only available at Takashimaya branch. Warning: $8 can be gone in a mouthful.

Milk & Honey
180 Kitchener Road, #02-K14 City Square Mall, Singapore 208539

Most customizable
Milk & Honey serves yogurt parfaits where many toppings such as macaron, marshmallows, crumbles, meringue, and chocolates are handcrafted by their dessert chef with “5 star hotel experience”. There is an element of fun where customers can design their own parfaits which are available in regular, petite or mini sized. Quick! Instagram your creations before they melt.

Llao Llao
313 @ Somerset #B3-55, Plaza Singapura #01-22A, Singapore Polytechnic Food Court 3, Marina Square Shopping Mall Marina Link #B1-04 (NTU soon)

Most fast expanding
Save the best for last. Founded in Spain only during 2009, the brand is expanding at an amazing rate. Made from skimmed milk at the moment of serving, its Sanum ($6.50) is cleverly topped with fresh fruits, crunchy bits such as cereal, and drizzled with sauces. This gives people the perception it’s healthy. Perception. Oh well, I liked its texture, and having more fruits doesn’t hurt.

The queues are still going on, and on, and on.

Frozen by A Thousand Blessings from Melbourne has also arrived to Singapore. So which soft serve and froyo makes you “Above Happy”?

Other 5 Best Series
10 Best Restaurants In Singapore – The Fine Dining Edition
11 Best Carrot Cake Dessert In Singapore – Moist, Delicious & Spiced
5 Romantic Restaurants for Dates, The Budget Edition
5 Best Hotel International Buffets In Singapore
5 Best Liu Sha Bao aka Golden Custard Buns in Singapore

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