I-dtim Mat Phrao. That means ‘coconut ice cream’ in Thai. While we only used to see them sold by mobile ice cream vendors in Bangkok and stalls at JJ Chatuchak Weekend Market, Singapore is seeing a mini-wave of Thai dessert shops opening up.

What I like about the Thai Coconut Ice Cream – It is more than just ice cream, scooped in coconut husks, toppings of corn and peanuts, with juicy slices of fresh coconut flesh adding some superfood element.

Some shops also include coconut water, making it a ‘full-package’ dessert for a hot Singapore day.

5 Thai Coconut Ice Creams In Singapore

Pong Gelato
*Scape, 2 Orchard Link #02-18C Singapore 237978 (Somerset MRT)
Opening Hours: 1230pm – 10pm Daily

Likely the first shop to introduce this dessert in Singapore, and easily one of our favourites.

Opened by a brother-in-laws team whom one of them is Thai, the Coconut Gelato with Sorbet in a Husk ($5.50) would come with 3 toppings of your choice and a complimentary cup of coconut juice. Can eat, can drink.

Pong’s Coconut Gelato is smooth and thick, dairy-free, sweet but not cloying. Fresh fruits are used in the sorbet flavours, made fresh daily on site. Their sorbet interesting didn’t have the ‘sorbety’ texture, and was instead tasted almost like smooth gelato.

Juicy slices of coconut meat and sips off fresh young coconut water in the cup complete the cooling experience. (Read: Pong Gelato)

Qoolco
3 Pickering Street #01-30 (China Square), Singapore 048660 (Telok Ayer MRT)
Opening Hours: 10.30am – 8pm (Mon-Fri), Closed Sat, Sun

Qoolco’s menu is more extensive compared to their competitors. Instead of just coconut gelato, Qoconut offers coconut soft serves in cups or coconut husk.

Their signature items – Soft Snow ($3.80) made from coconut milk, and the Volcano ($4.60) coming drizzled with egg yolk sauce. Yes, egg yolk sauce.

Coconut husks are frozen (literally “qooling”) prior to serving to slow down the melting rate of the soft serve. The texture is milky, slightly icy with a lingering refreshing aftertaste of coconut. I like. And I think the people working around the CBD should like too (Read: Qoolco)

Waan Waan
Old Airport Road Block 51 Market & Food Centre #01-51, Singapore 390051 (Dakota MRT)
Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Thu-Tue), Closed Wed

Foon’s Thai Recipe popular for their Thai Wanton Mee at Old Airport Hawker Centre opened this dessert stall diagonally across. Wah, business must be good for them to open two within a short span of time.

Mango sticky rice ($5.90), and ice creams ($3.90, $4.90 and $5.50) in three different portions are available.

The coconut ice cream was rich, creamy with distinct coconut taste. In contrast, the mango ice cream was too subdued, ‘weak’, not as pleasurable. Thai Milk Tea flavour is their most popular.

However, plastic spoons are provided, making scooping of the coconut flesh a tedious task without the risk of breakage. (Read: Waan Waan)

Wimi Ice Cream
321 Clementi Avenue 3, #01-13, Singapore 129905 (5-10 min walk from Clementi MRT)
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon-Sun)

The simple takeaway store at the new 321 Clementi Mall, Wimi Ice Cream is named after the 2 owners, WIlson Lim and MIke Koh, selling Thai Coconut Ice Cream ($4.90), Coconut Softserve ($3 for cup, $3.50 for cone) and Fresh Coconut ($3.30).

The in-house made coconut ice cream set atop thin slices of coconut flesh with colourful toppings made it appetizing. They emphasized that no stabilisers and preservatives were added and everything was made fresh daily.

The coconut ice cream was thick and creamy, but lacked the richness of coconut milk. Without the toppings, it could be pretty bland on its own. We loved the coconut flesh which was smooth and fleshy though. (Read: Wimi)

Koko Ice Cream
7 Maxwell Road #02-104 Amoy Street Food Centre Singapore 069111 (Tanjong Pagar MRT)
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2pm (Mon-Fri)

Causeway Point 1 Woodlands Square #01-K10 Singapore 7338099 (Woodlands MRT)
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm Daily

One of the most price friendly versions in Singapore – a single scoop with 3 toppings in half a coconut shell, plus a small cup of coconut juice all at $3.50 (double scoops for $4.50).

Consumption of such desserts can be messy. Thankfully, the coconut flesh has already been scraped out, included below the ice cream, making eating a much easier affair.

The ice cream was not as creamy as I liked though, icy at parts.

A unique feature is Gula Melaka sauce drizzled all over, giving this Thai dessert a local flavour.

Other Related Entries
10 Thai Iced Milk Tea Desserts
Pong Gelato (Scape)
Qoolco (China Square)
Waan Waan (Old Airport Road)
Wimi (Clementi)

* Compiled by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary and Nicholas Tan @stormscape. Follow their food findings at Instagram, and now Snapchat and Weibo.

The post 5 Thai Coconut Ice Creams In Singapore – Same Same But Different appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Cake Spade calls its over the top milk shakes ‘Cakeshakes™’, complete with the trademark. If you are wondering what on earth is going on with these epic-looking milkshakes piled with ingredients of all kinds, they are the current trendy food on social media.

These milkshakes started (surprise, surprise) at Canberra Australia, when the owner of café Patissez wanted to created something instagrammable and photo-worthy. It obviously worked.

Singapore’s Benjamin Browns and Cake Spade followed suit. Other cafes such as The Lab SG will be introducing their versions soon.

Cake Spade offerings – Matcha Azuki, Mudslide and Vanilla shakes cost a whooping $16.90. (For comparisons, an Australian version cost about AUD$9.50.)

For a Mudslide Cakeshake, you get a dark chocolate ice cream shake, arranged and topped with a small slice of chocolate cake, Oreo cookies, toasted marshmallow popcorn, drizzled with caramel sauce. Many of the ingredients stay stuck to the side of the cup by Nutella, which functions as a ‘paste’ in this case.

I am a fan of Cake Spade’s cakes. Their Hummingbird, Carrot Cake, Tofu Cheese cake and Red Velvet cakes are decent.

The Matcha Azuki cake shake was a better tasting shake than the other one I tried. But other than the matcha goma cake, I couldn’t help thinking that the others are just rather ‘economical’ ingredients.

The shake itself was thin, while the rest of the components didn’t gel together well.

I can understand why the high price for each cup. The most expensive ‘ingredient’ is probably labour cost. Time is needed to neat-fully stack up everything without them toppling into or out of the mug. Therefore, the wait for each mug can be long too.

This is only my sense: Milk shakes work well in Australia because their dairy products are fresh and tasty. There is this quality creaminess that elevates the quality of their ice creams and related desserts.

In Singapore, these over-the-top milk shakes WILL appear on your Instagram feeds as they become more fashionable to drink, but the likelihood or them coming and going fast is high too.

Doesn’t matter. People will still want to get their hands, or more correctly said, their cameras on them.

Cake Spade
1 Tras Link, #01-06 Orchid Hotel Singapore 078867 (Tanjong Pagar MRT)
+65 64443868
Opening Hours: 12pm – 9pm (Mon-Thurs), 12pm – 10:30pm (Fri-Sat), Closed Sun, PH
(Cake Shakes only available on Mondays to Fridays from 5pm & Saturdays from 1:30pm)

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The humble French éclair has been around for some time, but the recent few months has made people sit up and pay attention to the long cream filled choux pastry.

Like a canvas board, the éclairs that have been surfacing in Singapore come with eye-popping colours and unexpected flavours.

What makes a good éclair: crisp pastry, velvety smooth fillings and that glossy even glaze.

Kudos to pastry chefs in Singapore who work hard with éclairs. The weather shows no mercy.

Here are 5 places in Singapore to get your éclairs.

Karafuru Desserts
8 Jalan Klapa Singapore 199320 (North Bridge Road, near Hyde & Co)
Tel: +65 62941 4430
Opening Hours: 1pm – 10pm, last order 9:30pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

A lot of thought is put into their pieces. Karafuru’s éclairs ($6-$7) are re-imagined from traditional Japanese flavours. Thus compared to French éclairs which we are more familiar with, these are light in taste and smaller in size.

12 eclairs are currently available, with some of the favourites being the Gianduja (milk chocolate hazelnut), Yuzu, Ume Shiso, Sakura Roase and Marc De Champgne.

The slightly savory choux of the eclairs are hand-piped and filled with smooth creams dipped in a variety of vibrant glazes. My suggestion would be to take bites slowly to appreciate the detailed taste. Although they are dainty, one to two should suffice in keeping one satisfied. (Read: Karafuru)

L’ÉCLAIR
190 Clemenceau Avenue #01-28, Singapore 239924 (5min walk from Dhoby Ghaut MRT)
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Tue-Fri), 11am – 9pm (Sat), 11am – 6pm (Sun), Closed Mon

L’ÉCLAIR is opened by 2 graduates from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, Sarah Tan and Michelle Looi. Sarah explained that they use only French butter and quality chocolates, and much amount of work and labour goes into each piece. It is also a rather technical pastry to produce, in terms of control of humidity and temperature.

The classic flavours include the Vanilla & Pecans ($8), Dark Chocolate ($8), Salted Caramel ($7.50) and Ispahan ($8.50), which are permanent items on the menu. Our favourite flavours were the Matcha ($8), Mango & Passionfruit ($8) and Ispahan ($8.50). The matcha éclair was rich and not overly intense, with a slight bitterness after taste. (Read: L’Eclair)

Tarte by Cheryl Koh
1 Scotts Road, Shaw Centre #01-12, Singapore 228208
Tel: +65 62353225
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 7:30pm

The takeaway bakery may be more famous for their tarts, but do not give their mini éclairs known as ‘Carolines’ ($18 for 8 pieces) a miss.

The box comes with dainty pretty pieces in flavours like Vanilla, Pistachio, Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Lemon, Caramel, Hazelnut, Chestnut and Earl Grey.

A sister company to award winning French restaurant Les Amis, the same quality ingredients are used: Italian hazelnuts or pistachios that cost S$100 a kg. (Read: Tarte By Cheryl Koh )

Two Bakers
88 Horne Road Singapore 209083
Opening Hours: 11am – 9pm (Mon, Wed, Thurs), 11am – 11pm (Fri-Sat), 9am – 7pm (Sun), Closed Tues

Two Bakers is actually a bakery café owned by 3 girl friends. Bakers Kristl and Erica met in Paris while pursuing their Le Cordon Bleu adventure of learning French pastries. Erica hit it off with ex-colleague Jessica who had a passion for cooking.

The top sellers are éclairs with dark chocolate and salted caramel fillings, but it was their localised éclair that got the attention of many.

Its Éclair Ondeh Ondeh has Gula Melaka combined with the fragrance of Pandan and glazed beautifully with desiccated coconut. (Review: Two Bakers )

Angelina
Capitol Galleria #01-82, 15 Stamford Road Singapore 178906 (City Hall MRT)
Tel: +65 63840481
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon-Fri) 10am – 10pm (Sat-Sun)

One of the priciest éclairs in Singapore, an Éclair Chocolat goes for $10 for an Éclair Mont Blanc is at $12.

The Éclair Chocolat ($10) is bitter dark chocolate cream filling in choux pastry, with chocolate icing. We liked the velvety cream, but the pastry was dry, perhaps left out in the shelves for some time. (Read: Angelina Singapore)

Other Related Entries
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Tarte By Cheryl Koh (Scotts Road)
Two Bakers (Horne Road)
Angelina Singapore (Capitol Piazza)

The post 5 Best Éclairs In Singapore – These Pastries Get More Colourful & Bold appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

I know you are hot. I am hot too. So here are 15 Cooling Desserts In Singapore for you to enjoy this Cooling-Off Day.

For those going to vote tomorrow, Keep Calm and Eat Cheng Tng. Do what you think is right, and be confident that our country will have a better future.

J Cone
Available AmaSoy (Ion Orchard)

My female friend laughed and laughed and laughed while eating the J Cone. “This reminds me of…” (You imagine what you imagine.)

Not a pretty sight when you are doing that at Ion Orchard, struggling with eating a giant yellow J shaped cone.

It is filled with VANILLA soft serve. And so.

Italian Gelato
Available Giovanni L (Fort Canning Arts Centre)

I walked up 15 minutes under the hot sun from the MRT station (FB page says 5 minutes) to Fort Canning Arts Centre to get a cone of gelato to cool down. #TrueStory

Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream
Available Ice Queen (One Raffles Place)

Rapid freezing from liquid nitrogen produces an ice cream with particularly small ice crystals which in turn produces a smoother texture. Apart from that, using liquid nitrogen eradicates the need for excessive chemical additives such as stabilizers and emulsifiers.

By the way, the R.I.P. is not meant to curse any one (or party). This is their Death By Chocolate Ice Cream lah. (Get it?)

Mochi Ice Cream
Available Kane Mochi (Bugis+)

Cute ice cream in chewy mochi. You would have imagined this came from Japan.

Thailand actually. 55555.

Japanese Parfait
Available Karafuru (Jalan Klapa)

Japanese style parfait presented on an elegant white plate with sakura soufflé, vanilla pudding, Japanese dango balls (yeah to these) and inhouse-made butter sakura langue de chat. The entirety inspired by spring times in Japan.

You start feeling beautiful even before eating.

Korean Bingsu
Available Nunsongyee (Bugis)

The millennials pay $16 for a Korean bingsu and instagram that. They get many Likes.

The older generation pay $2.50-$3 for ice kachang and complain it is expensive. They have no-where to show their Dislikes.

Times have changed.

Ice Kachang
Available at various hawker centres

This Ice Kachang from Annie’s by the way, famous for their roasted peanuts on ice shavings. The stall supposedly moved to Golden Mile.

But, the thing about some hawker stalls in Singapore (like the laksas and tau hways), you really can’t tell which is ‘real’ or ‘original’ nowadays.

Thai style Coconut Ice Cream
Available Pong Gelato (Scape)

We have eaten this at JJ Chatuchak Market all this while and nobody said anything. Suddenly, it has become fashionable to eat coconut ice cream in a coconut husk.

Still not too bad.

Singapore gets real coconuts all the time, and suddenly it has become fashionable to drink coconut water too. Interesting how the world works.

Sng Bao
Available The Sng Bao Society

Childhood favourite. Ice popsicles in that plastic.

This used to cost me 20 cents. Now it is $3. INFLATION ahhhhhhh.

Nostalgia has become so hipster you must have it.

Taiwanese Glass Jelly
Available Blackball (Star Vista)

Blackball is said to be Taiwan’s No.1 grass jelly desert chain, with natural ingredients flown fresh from Guanxi (that’s why more expensive lah.)

Some people still think it is owned by ex-MediaCorp actor Zhang Yao Dong.

Cheng Tng
Available Ye Lai Xiang (Bedok Corner Food Centre)

Passed down 3 generations, 11 different ingredients, one of the best Cheng Tng around. Good stuff cannot bluff.

Mango Pomelo Dessert
Available Ah Chew Desserts (Bugis Liang Seah Street, Novena)

A lot of my female friends love Ah Chew (the shop, not the owner) because they claim the desserts will make them mei-mei. (I didn’t see the effects though.)

My favourite dessert there is the Yang Zhi Gan Lu aka Mango Pomelo Dessert. The sweetness of the ripe, juicy mango chunks is complimented by the refreshing, citrus pomelo pulps that burst at every mouthful.

Taiwanese Snow Ice
Available Mei Heong Yuen (Chinatown Point, Ion Orchard)

Local dessert store selling Taiwanese Snow Ice. This is innovation. Business opportunities.

Mei Heong Yuen Dessert was known for their peanut paste as it was connected to the iconic Farmer Brand groundnuts.

Their take on the Taiwanese snow ice proved to be a hit, with its smooth textures and localised flavours, such as the Chendol.

Frozen Yogurt
Available Milk & Honey (City Square Mall)

Spain has llao llao. Singapore has Milk & Honey.

While llao llao continues to attract queues (though shorter ones) in Singapore, we can also be proud of this home-grown artisan yogurt shop, serving yogurt parfaits topped with handcrafted toppings.

Most of their added ingredients such as macarons, cake pieces and brownies are made in-house by a patisserie chef.

Ice Cream Popsicle
Available Neh Neh Pop (161 Middle Road)

The name so notti.

This is actually a double coated ice-cream popsicle – strawberry ripple ice cream, white chocolate dip, and strawberry Pocky on the outside. Considered quite chut pattern also.

One is not enough.

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[New York City] Awarded “Best Belgian Waffle in NYC”, “Most Popular Food Truck”, “25 Most Fantastic Food Trucks”, Winner of the “NYC Vendy Awards” (this is like the Oscar of street foods) and “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” on the Food Network…

Wah, wah, wah, a trip to NYC seems not complete without trying Wafels and Dinges.

Wafels and Dinges started as a food truck, selling Belgian, Brussels and Liege waffles.

Dinges (Guess how you pronounce that?) is a Flemish slang word that means ‘whatchumacallit’, or just about anything and everything goes.

My tour guide who is a supposedly NYC food truck expert called it ‘din-gurs’. (Should be right).

Most would go for their signature Brussels Wafle (USD$6) which is light and crispy. Or you can try the Liege which is soft and chewy, or mini ones called ‘Wafelini’. (This is NYC, they call it anything they want.)

The first topping of the dinges is free, additional ones are at USD$1 each, and a scoop of ice cream at USD$2.

Choose from the favourite spekuloos spread (they really mean ‘speculoos’), dulce de leche (candy milk), Belgian chocolate fudge, Vermont maple syrup, walnuts, banana, Nutella, strawberry or spekuloos crumble.

It could be the weather, and the places that I was in. I tried Wafels and Dinges in Herald Square and Central Park, and it was amazeballs.

Eat them immediately after buying. Don’t wait.

Hot nutella sauce over a dense scoop of ice cream, sitting on top of chewy soft waffles with a little crispy exterior, further sprinkled with powdered sugar. The wafel served in a box is the size of a palm, but that should be worth a thousand calories.

This is the type of food mums will say “Don’t eat!” and go on to buy a portion for themselves.

As with most of American desserts, I also find this too sweet. Despite my love for it, I couldn’t finish beyond half.

Eat this with a friend, share the wafel, share the calories and also the joy.

Additional note: The Wafels and Dinges at Herald Square (outside Macy’s. Did I hear “shopping”?) is at a fixed place, the rest are moving food trucks.

Wafels and Dinges
Herald Square (at 35th street, between Broadway & 6th Ave), New York, NY 10001
(D,F,N,Q trains at all times, R train at all times except late nights, B & M trains weekdays)
Opening Hours: 8am – 10pm (Mon-Fri), 10am – 10pm (Sat-Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/wafelsanddinges
Google Maps

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The post Wafels & Dinges – Best Belgian Waffle in NYC, Most Popular Food Truck appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

If Waku Ghin’s $400++ price tag is too much to take for a regular affair, you can have a $12 ‘Waku Ghin’ cake at celebrity Chef Tetsuya Wakuda’s brand-new Patisserie Platine.

The selection of 18 types of petit cakes and pastries (priced between $10-$12++) are not available at Waku Ghin itself, but instead at RISE Lounge at the MBS Hotel side.

According to Chef Tetsuya Wakuda, this new concept came about after he saw how their cakes were received positively at the Epicurean Market.

Helming the team is Waku Ghin’s Executive Pastry Chef Yasushi Ishino.

My favourite is the Ghin Cheese Cake ($12) which incidentally is the restaurant’s most popular dessert. The word ‘ghin’ means silver which happens to be Chef’s favourite colour.

I always liked how unassuming Japanese pastries can be. Beneath the silverfish-white petite dome with a white chocolate feature is a lemon curd centre, which doesn’t steal the thunder from the overall taste.

There are light notes of cheese, and comes together rather harmoniously balanced. If I were to return to choose one cake, this will be it.

On the other hand, the Matcha Opera ($10) felt off-balanced, with the espresso and coffee butter cream suppressing its overall taste. Unfortunately, the matcha components turned out to take a weak secondary role.

If I may add, I wished the patisserie was in another location rather than within the hotel’s lounge. The entire set-up was like a testing-ground, left unattended and staff was occupied with serving other items.

Getting notice wasn’t the easiest thing, and there was nobody at the pastry counter doing some basic introduction.

The cakes deserve more.

Patisserie Platine by Waku Ghin
Marina Bay Sands Tower 1 Hotel Lobby RISE, 10 Bayfront Ave Singapore 018956
Tel: +65 6688 5568
Opening Hours: 11am – sold out Daily

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The post Patisserie Platine by Waku Ghin – Chef Tetsuya Introduces Dessert Concept At RISE appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

The Mille Crêpe Cake has slowly found its way to popularity in Singapore. The word mille means “a thousand”, implying many layers of crêpe (like very thin pancake) stacked up together.

Most of the crepe cakes in Singapore contain between 10 to 20 layers. Although the components seem straight-forward with layered crepes and pastry cream, the construction is about skills and the perfect recipe.

Every slice has to stay firm and neat after cutting, and still taste light and moist.

You can choose either to peel layer by layer, or take a bite of its entirety. My method is the former.

Here are 10 Mille Crêpe Cakes In Singapore.

Koskos
16 Raffles Quay, Hong Leong Building, B1-34, Singapore 048581 (Raffles Place MRT)
Tel: +65 6221 6151
Opening Hours: 8am – 5pm (Mon to Fri)

Koskos is a hidden find at the basement of Hong Leong Building, founded by the same team behind SPRMRKT.

The Rum & Raisin Mille Feuille ($8.50 for 1 slice, $59.50 for whole) has velvety Crème Chantilly layers with rather intense taste of rum. If you wonder why the cake taste so ‘alcholic’, the raisins use are soaked in Jamaican dark rum for weeks to infuse the full flavour, then blended so that you can get a mouthful out of every bite.

Alcoholic and creamy – I like. The main challenge though is that the cake overall is rather soft, and may present difficulty if you intend to eat it some time after takeaway.

Lady M
181 Orchard Road, Orchard Central #01-27 & #02-07 Singapore 238896)
Tel: +65 6509 3673
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm, Last order 9:30pm

One Fullerton #01-10, Fullerton Road, Singapore 049213
Tel: +65 6820 0830
Opening Hours: 11am – 11pm (Sun – Thurs & PH), 11am – 12am (Fri, Sat, Eve PH), Last orders 10:30pm and 11:30pm respectively

3 Gateway Drive Westgate #02-25/26 Singapore 608532 (Jurong East MRT)
Telephone +65 6250 8993
Opening hours: 10am – 10pm Daily (Last order 9:30pm)

The success of the entire Lady M chain from New Year Upper East Side to Singapore can be attributed to its winning Mille Crepe cake.

The Chocolate Mille Crepe (available only at Orchard Central) while costing more than a red-coloured note, with its twenty paper-thin handmade chocolate crêpes alternated with chocolate pastry cream and a caramelized surface, redefined smoothness and elegance for contemporary cakes available in Singapore’s cafe. Rich yet not indulgent.

By a small margin, I still prefer the Green Tea Mille Crepe ($9/slice) where the sweetness of the pastry cream weds the subtlety of the fine green tea powder.

First Love Patisserie
Ion Orchard B4-63 and Raffles City B1-67
Tel: +65 2388006 (Ion Orchard), +65 6337 2007 (Raffles City)
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm

I didn’t know First Love Patisserie was from Indonesia. The Mille Crepe Cakes can be found in two kiosks in Singapore, with flavours of French Vanilla, Mango, Cappuccino and Tiramisu available only for takeaways at $6.50 per slice.

The cakes based on an old Japanese Hokkaido recipe using natural vanilla beans, doesn’t taste too sweet. I liked its OREO flavour – surprisingly light and creamy.

Udders Pancake
17 Lorong Kilat #01-09 Kilat Court Singapore 598139
Tel: +65 64661055
Opening Hours: 12pm – 11pm (Sun – Thurs), 12pm – 12am (Fri, Sat, eve PH)

Many know about Udders ice cream, but fewer realise there is an Udders Pancake selling Mille Crepe Cakes at Lorong Kilat.

Their Mille Crepe cakes are made fresh daily using eggs, flour, milk, brown sugar, and molasses. Each crepe cake has around 20 layers of crepe, laid on layer-by-layer with whipping cream and mascarpone cheese.

The Baileys Tiramisu ($11.90) liqueur crepe cake is the eye-catcher, topped with a syringe filled with 100% Baileys Irish Cream (we call that ‘chut pattern’ food). So we squirt the Baileys over the cake before eating it. Emm, fun.

Henri Charpentier – Dempsey Hill Shop
9A Dempsey Road. Singapore 247698 (next to House)
Tel : +65 6479 5518
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm

The Mille Crepe ($9, also one of the cakes there at the cheaper range) has alternating ten soft flaccid crepes with sweet custard cream.
 
One of the must-try cakes if you are on a ‘tai-tai’ tea-time outing at Henri Charpentier Dempsey, where booth seats are spacious with silky draping, all looking rather French and romantic.

Doutor Coffee 株式会社ドトールコーヒー
Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 3, #01-05, 12 Marina Boulevard Singapore 018982
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 9:30am (Mon-Fri), 8:30am – 4:30pm (Sat-Sun)

Matcha please. For those craving for a taste of Japan, Doutor Coffee’s Mille Crepe cakes are flown in from Japan in limited quantities. One of the few cakes around where there is the more distinct taste of the green tea, matched with smooth and light cream.

Doi Chaang Coffee
321 Clementi Ave 3 #01-02 Singapore 129905
Tel: +65 8161 8621
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm

35 Rochester Drive #01-08 Singapore 138639
Tel: +65 8161 8621
Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm

Doi Chaang Coffee offers some of the hugest variety and interesting Mille Crepe flavours in Singapore. 10 in total, priced at $6.90 per slice, $60 for the whole cakes. The most popular ones being Matcha & Azuki and Earl Grey. Other top flavours include Hokkaido Chocolate Milk, Chocofee Praline (chocolate + coffee), Tiramisu and French Vanilla.

I AM
674 North Bridge Rd #01-01 (off Haji Lane) Singapore 188804
Tel: +65 6295 5509
Opening Hours: 11.30am-11pm (Mon-Thurs), 11.30am-1am (Fri/Sat), 11.30am – 10pm (Sun)

Halal Café I AM has expanded quickly in a short period of time, and a factor for its popularity can be attributed to its colourful Instagram-worthy bakes.

Their photographic Rainbow Mille Crepe Cake ($8.90 per slice, $80 for whole) made by the owner’s mother has white and dark chocolate cream in between layers of crepes, served with chocolate syrup drizzle for a sweet and rich treat.

(Photo credit: @PinkyPiggu)

Classic Cakes
41 Sunset Way, Clementi Arcade #01-06 Singapore 597071
Tel: +65 6762 8019
Opening Hours: 2pm – 9pm (Tues and Sun), 11am – 9pm (Wed – Sat)

Classic Cakes at Sunset Way is considered one of the first shops to introduce the Mille Crepe Cake to Singapore. Other than the Original, Chocolate and Coffee flavours, the Apple, Matcha and especially …. Durian Mille Crepes have earned fans with creamy D24 durian fillings.

Its freshly-made vanilla pastry cream, thin eggy crepe layers plus caramelised sugar topping make a wonderful combination.

Teddy & Me
6 Raffles Boulevard Marina Square #02-207A Singapore 039594 (City Hall MRT)
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm

Hmmm…. The Beantastic Rainbow ($8.80) and Strawberry Mille Crepe ($8.00) are worth many Instagram likes – but they can be too sweet, conquered by saturated colourings, and lined with cheap-tasting cream.

So what we will recommend if you happen to be there, go for the Yam & Red Bean Mille Crepe ($8.00) which is somewhat different from the other flavours out there.

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We should feel proud of the team behind TheJellyhearts, a story of home bakers turned entrepreneurs and shop owners.

It all started with the ‘Jelly Heart’, the piece of cake dessert with jelly on the top, cheesecake at the bottom, typically complete with a heart-shaped strawberry encapsulated in the middle.

I must have seen and eaten different variants of the Jelly Heart dessert over the years, of different colours, fruits, and recipes, but it was TheJellyHearts who probably started this whole trend.

Back then, husband and wife team Darren and Candie decided to turn their passion around in a much bigger way, and has stayed as the first and only shop that sells the full range of Jelly Hearts.

Candie started out baking as a hobby back in 2007, documented her recipes and creations on her blog like many other home bakers. Her Jelly Hearts became really popular, and the opportunity to set up a business came knocking.

That was just the beginning.

I asked, “What is stopping people from creating their own Jelly Hearts at home with online recipes?”

“Nothing. But through the years, we have perfected our recipe, and we are proud to say that we are the first in Singapore to sell a whole range of Jelly Hearts products.”

A 5-figure sum then was spent investing on a machine to produce the biscuit crust layer, and turned out to be money well-spent for the consistency achieved and effort saved.

Classic Original
6″ round – $29 (6 – 9 PAX), 10″ square – $43 (20 – 25 pax)
This is the most original form, and somehow still my favourite – red strawberry jelly, full cream cheese cake with digestive biscuit bottom.

I like how the piece actually stays in shape without wobbling much and doesn’t create a mess when consuming.

Plus those clean, clear edges must have took quite a while to get it all precise.

Luscious Lychee
10″ square – $47 (20 – 25 pax)
I bought this home and this turned out to be what my mum liked best. Not difficult to understand why. LYCHEES.

The staff at Raffles Place told, “The ladies like these pink coloured ones.” Now, who can resist pretty in pink.

Heavenly Blueberry
10″ square – $50 (20 – 25 pax)
One of the TheJellyHearts’ newest flavours. The Heavenly Blueberry uses blackcurrent jelly, blueberry fruits, blueberry cream cheese and a chocolate biscuit base. Good for those who prefer something slightly richer with that hint of sweet-sour aftertaste.

Mosaic Love
6” heart – $42 (6-9 pax)
The Mosaic cake is gorgeous-looking! Somewhat like a reverse Jelly Heart, jellies of different flavours and colours such as the red strawberry, orange, and yellow mangoes are added to the cream cheese layer.

Tempting Oreo
6″ square – S$19 (6 – 9pax)
Kids should enjoy this – crushed Oreo bits in the cream cheese, crunchy oreo base, still with the signature strawberry heart in the middle.

Mini Jelly Hearts 3”, Prices from $6 – $6.80 (pictured in the middle)
Jelly Cups, $2 each and 3 for $6 (pictured around the mini Jelly Heart)
For those who like to try a sampler-set, this is for you. Furthermore, these heart-shaped jelly cups can be further customised with tags and ribbons which would make terrific gifts for corporate events and weddings.

Making the Jelly Heart LOOKS simple, but those who have actually tried it will attest that A LOT of effort is needed, especially in terms of chilling each layer.

For me, other than saving some mess and sweat in the kitchen, TheJellyHearts has indeed grown their range of flavours and offerings, which you can purchase at your convenience online or at their shop spaces at Pasir Ris or One Raffles Place.

Cakes from TheJellyHearts are Halal-Certified, can last up to 3 days if stored properly in the refrigerator. Plus, you can now customise Jelly Heart cakes with wordings cut out from fruits. This rainbow birthday Jelly Heart is just too pretty.

TheJellyHearts
One Raffles Place #B1-08 Singapore 048616 (Raffles Place MRT)
Tel: +65 6635 1868
Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Mon-Fri) 10am-4pm (Sat, Sun, PH)

1 Pasir Ris Close, E!hub@Downtown East #02-111, Singapore 519599
Tel : +65 6583 8782
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Fri – Sat), 11am – 9:30pm (Sun – Thurs)

Order Online: http://thejellyhearts.com

* This post is brought to you in partnership with TheJellyHearts.

The post TheJellyHearts – Where To Get Rainbow, Mosaic, Lychee Jelly Hearts Of All Types. So Pretty! appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

The humble fried dough pastry Churros has gained much traction in Singapore of late.

Eaten as a snack or breakfast in Spain, found in Disneylands and amusement parks as carnival food, Churros have become very popular in Asian cities like Seoul. This is where the sticks can be filled with sauces of all kinds, or inserted in ice creams and desserts.

Some Singapore’s cafes and bistros have offered churros as part of the dessert menu; and we have also see whole shops dedicated to churros and ‘enjoyed’ 3-hour long queues.

For the love of Churros, we went to search for the Best Churros In Singapore, and ate from more than 20 places.

Here are some 10 Of The Best Churros In Singapore, some could be better than ‘better than your boyfriends’. (We wanted to use better-er, but no such word.)

Common Man Coffee Roasters
22 Marin Road #01-00, Singapore 239058
Tel: +65 6836 4695
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 6:00pm Daily
https://www.facebook.com/commonmancoffeeroasters

Common Man Coffee Roasters at Martin Road has built up a reputation for its coffee and bistro-quality food in a short manner of 2 years. Its sugar-dusted long 12cm Churros ($12++) has also been a popular must-order since Day 1 of the café’s opening.

While we liked the churro’s crispy exterior, the doughy interior was kind of a let-down. However, the chocolate sauce all rich and velvety provided that extra ‘oomph’ that was seductively tasty.

My Little Spanish Place
54 Boat Quay Singapore 049843 (Raffles Place MRT)
Tel: +65 6532 0665
Opening Hours: 12pm – 230pm, 5pm – 12am (Mon – Fri), 5pm – 12am (Sat), Sunday Closed (except special events)
http://www.mylittlespanishplace.com.sg

Hola! EVERYTHING here is made from scratch – the churro, ice cream, to the chocolate sauce. This Churro Con Chocolate ($14++) almost stole our heart!

The star shaped churros were dusted generously with coarse sugar. Crispy exterior – checked; fluffy soft interior – checked.

Although the churro was pre-made and fried upon order, there was no dense and doughy interior. The citrusy vanilla ice cream elevated the whole enjoyment, though we would have liked the chocolate sauce to be less watery.

UNA
1 Rochester Park Singapore 139212 (Buona Vista MRT)
Tel: +65 6773 0070
Opening Hours: 12pm – 2pm (Fri), 5pm – 11pm (Mon – Sat)
http://una.sg/

Churros with the element of romance. UNA at Rochester Garden is where many lovely couples would host weddings (and by the way, congrats Miss Tam Chiak!).

The 15cm long Churros were served with dark chocolate sauce and honey ice cream. By far, the accompanying chocolate sauce was one of the best that I have tasted.

In addition, the churros’ texture was crisp and airy, being raved by many. UNA was light handed on the powdering of sugar, and the cinnamon and other condiments went well together. Our main feedback was that the oil used tasted a bit stale.

If not, this would have easily been one of the best churros that I have eaten in Singapore.

Habitat Coffee
223 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574355
Tel: +65 6456 2567
Opening Hours: 11am – 10.30pm (Tue – Fri), 10.30am – 10.30pm (Sat – Sun)
http://www.habitatcoffee.com.sg
https://www.facebook.com/habitatcoffee

Coffee is not the only star at Habitat Coffee, the eight crispy finger thin Churros ($9) adorned with generous serving of cinnamon sugar are an affordable and addictive treat.

Dip into the chocolate sauce at the side for ultra-sweet experience.

Butterscotch Cafe
164 Bukit Merah Central, Singapore 150164
Tel: +65 6271 1164
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Tue – Sun)
http://www.butterscreate.com
https://www.facebook.com/butterscotch.cafe

Being one of the pioneer Halal hipster cafes in the heartland area of Singapore, Butterscotch Cafe located at Bukit Merah Central was seen with an unceasing queue during peak lunch hours.

The owner of Butterscotch Cafe has a passion for food, and insist that the chocolate sauce and churros ($11+) are all made from scratch.

We thought that the chocolate sauce has a lovely malty taste that goes well with the churros. With cinnamon in the churro batter, Butterscotch’s version is set to appeal to lovers of cinnamon.

Craftsmen Specialty Coffee
2 First Street, Siglap V, #01-01, Singapore 458278
Tel: +65 9658 0769
Opening Hours: 8.30am – 9pm (Sun – Thurs), 8.30am – 10.30pm (Fri & Sat), eve of PH is open till 10:30pm
http://www.craftsmencoffee.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Craftsmen.Specialty.Coffee

One of the most instagrammable churros, Craftsmen Specialty Coffee version ($10++) is pre-made and baked upon order.

While there was a crispy exterior, the interior had a chewy doughy texture which some may akin to the nonya “kueh kueh”.

The Saladicious
Food Republic @ Shaw Centre #B1-02 Orchard Road, Singapore 238868 (Orchard MRT)
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm Daily
http://thesaladicious.oddle.me/
https://www.facebook.com/TheSaladicious

One of the places that you will least expect to find churros, at the basement Food Republic Foodcourt, sold by a salad stall. Some may not be able to phantom how healthy salads and sugar-loaded churros can come together.

The Saladicious serves one of the cheapest affordable churros ($3 for 5 pcs) in Singapore, without additional GST or service charge. Add on another $0.50 for a chocolate or condensed milk dip for a sweeter experience. Taste wise, okay loh.

Alegro Churros Bar
3D River Valley Rd, Singapore 179023 (Clarke Quay MRT)
Opening Hours: 6pm – 3am Daily
https://www.facebook.com/AlegroChurrosBar

If you happen to be craving for something sweet after mid-night (or your partying hours), Alegro at Clarke Quay is opened till 3am to satisfy your midnight cravings.

We liked the bite sized (28 pieces -$12++) finger thin pieces, chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Salt Tapas & Bar
252 North Bridge Road, #01-22A Raffles City Shopping Centre, Raffles City, Singapore 179103 (Raffles Place MRT)
Tel: +65 6837 0995
Opening Hours: 11.30am to 10pm (Mon – Thurs), 11.30am to 11pm (Fri), 11.30am to 10.30pm (Sat), 11.30am to 9.30pm (Sun & PH)
http://salttapas.com
https://www.facebook.com/SaltTapasAndBar

The hot crenelated (that means with ridges) churro ($14++) remind us of those in Barcelona, and we can almost imagine a stroll down buildings of Gaugi, munching on sticks of churros.

With vanilla cream made from Madagascar vanilla pod and Valrhona dark chocolate sauce, resistance is almost futile.

They are also available as an item on their weekday high tea set.

Cafe Iguana
30 Merchant Road, #01-03 Riverside Point, Singapore 058282 (Clarke Quay MRT)
Tel: +65 6236 1275
Opening Hours: 4pm – 12am (Mon – Thurs), 4pm – 3am (Fri & Eve of PH), 12pm – 3am (Sat), 12pm – 12am (Sun)
http://www.cafeiguana.com
https://www.facebook.com/CafeIguanaSg

If one of the myths on the origin of churro is true, we say this churro ($12++) looks most similar to their counterpart from China.

We love artisanal products made from scratch. The vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and the churro batter are all made in house. A strong contender for the best churros in Singapore.

Our overall verdict
While Salt Tapas & Bar and UNA come very close in the race for title of best churro, Cafe Iguana’s version has the potential.

Additional note: It will be good to call or check the Facebook of cafes for the availability of churros at their premises. We met with hiccups of different kinds – stock not arrived, super long waiting times, temporary closures, availability only on certain days, oil not heated etc etc.

We are still on the quest of searching for a good churro. Let us know your favourites by commenting below. Till then Adiós!

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* Written by Daniel’s Food Diary Writer Hannah Chia. Find her at @MsHannahChia on instagram.

The post 10 Best Churros In Singapore – More Churros Which Could Be ‘Better Than Your Boyfriends’ appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

New waffles specialty shop Kaffles opens for only one time a week on Saturdays, 7 hours each time from 6pm to 1am. The team is not trying to do a secretive Whale-and-Cloud, but exploring the option of co-sharing spaces in rental-high Singapore.

The name Kaffles comes from a combination of the owners’ names Kenny and Kimberley with waffles. Both have some F&B experience – Kimberly the owner of now-closed Mean Bean & Wicked Grind, and Kenny the owner-operator of a small catering business.

Kaffles has four specialty waffles on its menu currently – Thai Milk Tea ($12.90), Nutella Kinder Bueno ($11.90), Speculoos Cookie Crunch ($11.90), Koko Kaffles ($11.90). You can also choose to match and mix.

The dessert contains two waffles at the bottom (looking similar to Creamier), topped with an inverted ice cream cone, then drizzled with sauce. People should find this reasonably photogenic or instagrammable (soon going to be a bad word).

I liked the Speculoos Cookie Crunch ($11.90), the buttermilk waffle was soft and still cakey, though I thought the outer layer could be crispier. The cookie crunch and chocolate-dipped cone added a variant of bite.

While The Thai Milk Tea Kaffles ($12.90) looked like it was the most popular flavor, I thought the Thai-tea element could have been more pronounced, and the use of vanilla bean ice cream didn’t gel that well overall.

It was sweet-base and sweet-top. Could have been more playful with the choice of ingredients, because a waffles shop is almost a dime in a dozen in Singapore.

The benefit of co-sharing spaces is that you can test-run your processes and products, without the additional burden of managing operations, manpower and logistics.

But other practical factors come into place: It IS a Saturday night when the bistro would get crowded, labour on the tight side.

If the main operator is also offering desserts (churros in this case), then most sides must reach a common understanding that in the end, customers come first, and they should always work together for a win-win.

Kaffles
15 Cheong Chin Nam Road (Inside The Stirling, Opposite Beauty World) Singapore 599739
Opening Hours: 6pm – 1am (Saturdays only)

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The post Kaffles – Specialty Waffles Only On Saturday Nights (For Now) appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

One in a while, we should reward ourselves with afternoon tea, spending relaxing quality time with friends over conversations and bites.

Other than the extensive buffet offered by Colony at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, the restaurant also offers a British style three-tier afternoon tea set from 3:30 to 5:30pm, Mondays to Saturdays.

The cosy and elegant British-colonial setting offers a choice of either sofa or booth seats, so you really won’t mind spending a lazy afternoon here.

The afternoon tea set kicks off with a flute of Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial Champagne served from a magnum.

My favourite component was Colony’s custom tea blend, which comes with a choice of a personalised tea syrup enhancement.

They come in flavours such as pandan, pineapple, ginger, lavender, French rose, palm and cinnamon. If you go with a few friends, perhaps you can pick different flavours to compare, and for some variety.

The pandan syrup enhancement was easily the most memorable for its uniqueness, which also gave the tea a light sweet aftertaste that complemented wonderfully well with some of the in-house pastries.

Enjoy French caviar served on a warm pancake followed by scones with clotted cream, finger sandwiches and desserts such as cakes and macarons, all made fresh daily and served on a three-tier stand. .

Every now and then, we all deserve a good treat.

Colony Champagne Afternoon Tea
3.30 pm – 5.30 pm Mon – Sat
British-style three-tier afternoon tea set with a glass of Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial Champagne
$49 per person

Colony
Level 3, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
7 Raffles Avenue Singapore 039799
Tel: +65 6434 5288
rc.sinrz.restaurantreservations@ritzcarlton.com

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore

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Looking for something to impress your friends but is easy to make?

Check out these no-bake cheesecakes in a cup, which are effortless to whip up (literally), but with maximum effect for your next Christmas party.

The recipe is for PHILADELPHIA Milk Chocolate and Raspberry Layered Cheesecakes, which is essentially made up of 4 layers – cookies for the base, chocolatey cheesecake layer, followed by tangy raspberry cheesecake, topped with fruits.

Who can’t resist OREO, chocolate, vanilla, raspberry and cream cheese TOGETHER?

Preparation Time – 20 minutes
Cooking Time – 5 minutes
Serves 4-6 pax

Ingredients
– 140g OREO Classic, roughly chopped
– 2 x 250g block PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
– 1/3 cup caster sugar
– 1 teaspoon vanilla
– 125g CADBURY (or other brands) Milk Baking Chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
– 1 cup cream, softly whipped
– 250g raspberries, or mixed berries
– Icing sugar for dusting
– 4-6 clear jars or cup. Tip: Get those with a wider rather than narrow opening for easier filling.

How to make it

1. PLACE the chopped OREO into the base of each serving jar and press down slightly.

2. BEAT the PHILLY, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth.

3. DIVIDE the mixture in two and stir the chocolate through the 1st half of the mixture. Then Divide the cream and fold half into each mixture.

SPOON the chocolate mixture into the bottom half of the jars over the OREO base.

4. Stir half of the raspberries through the remaining PHILLY mixture. Then spoon the raspberry mixture into the top half of the jars.

Chill.

5. TOP each of the cheesecakes with the remaining raspberries (and other fruits to your preference) then dust lightly with icing sugar. Serve immediately.

Handy Tips
1. The PHILLIY mixture once complete can be spooned into a plastic bag and chilled for 15-20 minutes. This allows the mixture to become firm enough to pipe. Snip a corner of the bag then pipe the mix into the cups. This helps to keep the cups clean for presentation.

2. For the base, you can also use digestive biscuits, graham crackers or other types of your favourite crumbly biscuits.

3. Instead of raspberries, you can top with other types of fruits such as blue berries, jam or lemon curd (just make sure it is not too sweet!)

4. For the chocolate cream cheese layer, I chose to create swirls rather than do an even tone – your choice.

5. Pick smaller cups that will be good for individuals and kids to enjoy.

The PHILADELPHIA Milk Chocolate and Raspberry Layer Cheesecake recipe above can also be found in this PHILADELPHIA Recipe Book 1.

Purchase any 2 PHILADELPHIA products and you will get this recipe book FREE which contains 10 Festive Cheesecake recipes for the holidays.

Available at SG Supermarkets: FairPrice, Cold Storage, Giant & Sheng Siong. The book is a collectible with a Recipe Book 2 (coming out soon). Limited edition, so hurry and grab a copy now!

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

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Making desserts can actually be enjoyable, experimental, and therapeutic all at the same time. For the holiday session, creating desserts for friends and family, or even inviting them to join in the process can really help in bonding. Speaking from personal experience.

This is a fun and easy recipe – a non-bake margarita cheesecake treat that can be prepared quickly in 25 minutes.

Here’s the additional touch: You can pack them in cute little mason jars, tie ribbons around for gifting which will impress your family and friends.

Experiment, play around with fruits and flavours that your friends enjoy, and make them your own.

Preparation Time – 25 minutes
Cooking Time – 10 minutes
Serves 10-12 pax

Ingredients
– 2 ½ cups biscuit crumbs
– 150 g butter, melted
– 2 x 250g PHILADELPHIA Block Cream Cheese, softened
– 220g CADBURY (or other brands) White Chocolate Melts
– 1 cup thickened cream
– ¼ cup caster sugar
– ¼ cup tequila and ¼ cup triple sec
– Finely grated lime zest from 2 limes
– Strawberries, extra for decoration (can use other fruits)
– 12 lime cheeks, cut from 3 extra limes, optional
– Sea salt flakes, for decoration

Note: You can replace the tequila and ¼ cup triple sec with juices (such as lemon with a zesty taste) for kids to enjoy. You can play around with this recipe, experiment with different fruits – smooth cream cheese and sweet tangy summer fruits go hand in hand together.

How To Make It

1. COMBINE the biscuit crumbs and butter, then press into the base of 12 serving glasses or jars. Chill.

2. COMBINE the PHILLY and white chocolate in a bowl over simmering water. And stir until the chocolate has melted. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

3. STIR the tequila, triple sec, lime rind and juice into the PHILLY mixture. (You can just add lime rind and juices for the kids.)

4. WHIP together the cream and sugar until stiff then gently fold through the PHILLY mixture.

5. SPOON 1/3 cup of the PHILLY mixture into prepared glasses. Chill for 2 hours or until set. Decorate with the fresh strawberries and other fruits, a lime cheek and a sprinkle of salt flakes just prior to serving.

Handy Tips

Once you got a hang of it, you can play around with different bases, combinations and fillings. Try out something new! Here are some handy tips:

1. The PHILLY mixture once complete can be spooned into a plastic bag and chilled for 15-20 minutes. This allows the mixture to become firm enough to pipe. Snip a corner of the bag then pipe the mix into the cups. This helps to keep the cups clean for presentation.

2. For the base, you can also use OREO cookies, graham crackers or other types of your favourite crumbly biscuits.

3. If you prefer pairing of different sorts, use stewed pears or peaches for the toppings.

4. You can layer with fruits (such as strawberry) within the cream cheese mixture, such that you can get fruits on every bite.

5. Pick smaller glasses that will be good for individuals and kids to enjoy.

6. You can get containers with a lid, and you can tie a ribbon around as a cute little gift.

The PHILADELPHIA Margarita Cheesecake Jars recipe above can also be found in this PHILADELPHIA Recipe Book 2.

Purchase any 2 PHILADELPHIA products and you will get this recipe book FREE which contains 10 Festive Cheesecake recipes for the holidays.

Available at all leading Singapore supermarkets, this book is a collectible with a Recipe Book 1 (check out the PHILADELPHIA Milk Chocolate and Raspberry Layer Cheesecake recipe here ). Limited edition, so hurry and grab a copy now!

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

The post PHILADELPHIA Margarita Cheesecake Jars Recipe – No Bake Dessert Fun appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

”Mummy, I want that (Sweet) Monster”, as kids started pointing at the Popcorn Ice Cream in our hands.

Korean franchise Sweet Monster ate its way into Singapore, and landed a spot at Plaza Singapura as a takeaway kiosk, which looked similar to its other shops around the world.

Revolving around a central theme of Sweet Monsters, the service crews were all dressed in bright blue attire like BlueMON, the Sweet Monster himself.

Each Sweet Monster mascot represents a part of their menu. The CookieMON characterises the cookie bits in ice cream and shakes, whereas the leMON represents the lemonade.

Takeaway cups, paper bags and popcorn boxes are all decorated with colourful (but weird-looking) monsters.

Known to serve American Festival Sweets, the Popcorn ($5.50), Ice cream ($4.80 – $6), Popcorn Ice Cream ($6.80), Milkshake, Cakes ($7.30 – $7.80) and Cake Ice Cream ($8 – $8.30) were commonly found in American festivals and carnivals.

Their signature Mix Flavour Popcorn Ice Cream ($6.80) came with both cheese and caramel flavoured popcorns.

Only available in one cup size (highly recommended for sharing), the height of the ice cream could vary depending on the skill of the scooper. See ‘heng sway’.

And in our case, a taller but slimmer monster – pretty scary with uneven popcorn surface.

Sweet vs savory. Hot vs cold. Smooth vs crunchy. Using at least 75% organic milk in the icecream, it was thick, rich, distinctively milky and slightly on the sweeter side, but rather well-balanced with the savory popcorns.

The PopMON are available in 5 flavours – Caramel, Milk, Choco, Strawberry and Mix (Caramel and Cheese).

Ordinary on its own, not as crisp as we would like liked, we would prefer eating the popcorns with the softserve.

We enjoyed our cup of Lemon Ade ($5.80) which reminded us of the colour of BlueMON. Sour, citrusy and refreshing to cut through the jelak-ness (richness) of the icecream.

Life is Hard, Enjoy Soft(serve).

Sweet Monster Singapore
Plaza Singapura, #B2-49, Singapore 238839 (Dhoby Ghaut MRT)
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon-Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/Sweet-Monster-Singapore-866489556797880

Other Related Entries
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* Written by Daniel’s Food Diary cafe correspondent Nicholas Tan. Find him on instagram at @stormscape.

The post Sweet Monster – Korean Popcorn Ice Cream Is Here In Singapore, And Scaringly Huge appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[Hong Kong] The iconic Hong Kong eggettes gai daan jai served atop gelato in a cup from Oddies Foodies are probably no stranger to most foodies out there.

Oddies Foodies, which started with a small unit in Wan Chai, has expanded to a second outlet at Sheung Wan, which is quite near the famed Kau Kee Beef Brisket Noodles 九記牛腩.

Journeying to Gough Street involves climbing up some steep flights of stairs (via Sheung Wan MTR) which may leave some breathless, but the upside is that the new space boasts a more spacious interior with several seats to chill in.

You can also venture there from Central’s Mid-Valley, which should take about 10-15 minutes or so.

The clean, sleek and white unit will attract many hipsters I reckon. We were greeted with warm, friendly service despite the store being understaffed at the moment.

A special addition to this branch is definitely the interestingly flavoured gelatos (Single Scoop (HKD$43, SGD$7.80), Double Scoop (HKD$68, SGD$12.30), Triple Scoop (HK$88, SGD$15.90).

We had a scoop of their best-selling flavour, Dark Matter – 80% dark chocolate gelato with chocolate frecks and fudgy brownie. The base is incredibly thick, or super “gao”. Chocolate lovers must try this.

The new flavour, Interstellar (probably inspired by the movie) stood out with its interesting mix of ingredients – mango gelato with black pepper, strawberry balsamic coulis, salted cashew nuts and shortbread pieces.

The cashew nuts gave a crunch to the smooth gelato texture and the black pepper resulted in a tinge of spicy aftertaste.

Yet another new addition is the Frozen Jar-Leto (HKD$58, SGD$10.50) which comes in 4 flavours – Tiramisu, Peanut Butter with Chocolate, Hokkaido Milk with Red Velvet and Mango Yogurt.

One of the more popular flavours would be the photogenic Hokkaido Milk Gelato with Red Velvet Cake Chunks, Cream Cheese Curd and Cinnamon Crumble served in a jar. It was akin to a red velvet cheesecake – a very rich one too. Add on HKD$15 (SGD$2.70) for a swirl of soft serve on top.

And then it was time for the virgin Famous Nightwolf (HKD$60, SGD$10.80) – Italian low fat twist soft gelato with butter crumbs, passion fruit panna cotta, brownie chocolate chip eggette and crunch flake.

The moment I brought it out of the store, glances started shooting towards my direction and people started peeking in.
The power of visual appeal.

There is nothing quite like the authentic eggette aka egg waffles in Hong Kong itself. We loved how the shell had a slight crisp and how the interior was soft and chewy. Despite being chocolate chip flavoured, the original flavour of the eggette was not overpowered at all.

Only gripe was that it might have gotten overly sweet when everything started to melt to the bottom.

Prices are not cheap, but people will still pay anyway. Came out in a dessert coma, feeling satisfied more than ever.

Oddies Foodies
45 Gough Street, Central Hong Kong (Sheung Wan MTR Exit A2)
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10.30pm Daily
http://www.facebook.com/oddiesfoodies
Google Maps

Wan Chai Outlet: Shop 1F, GF No. 149 Wan Chai Road, Wan Chai
Google Maps

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Sinmei Tea 川善茶居 (Hong Kong)

* Written by Crystal Wee. Check out her amazing Instagram feed at @crystal_wee and show her some love.

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Teapresso is quite unlike the typical bubble tea shops you see out there. A major difference is, tea is actually brewed and extracted on the spot.

If you walk past Blk 190 Toa Payoh HDB hub (or The Seletar Mall basement), you may notice this tea kiosk having a queue during peak hours, looking like any ordinary bubble tea house in terms of appearance.

When I went forward to order the drinks, I noticed this machinery looking almost like a coffee machine used in cafes.

Turns out that Teapresso uses a new style to brew tea, using tea filter holders and the unique bulk brewing system.

So unlike traditional espresso machines, the unique designs and multi-section pre-infusion enable the Teapresso machine to extract aromatic tea in a manner of seconds. This is contrasted with traditional brewing where shops will prepare tea ahead and keep them in containers for some time.

Therefore, you will find the tea having a fuller flavor and more delightful fresh tone.

Here are some 10 of the Teapresso drinks that I have tried:

Lemongrass & Ginger ($1.90)
A herbal tea based drink, possibly my favourite thirst-quencher amongst those tried. While both components can potentially be strong in taste, the bright cool lemongrass worked harmoniously well with the spiced ginger. It also kind of reminded me of an after-spa drink (in a good way). A plus point: both herbs have health benefits and anti-inflammatory properties.

Teapresso Yuzu ($2.20)
Cooling and refreshing, great for the hot weather. The yuzu drink tasted more to the sweet-tangy and citrusy side though, and I would have preferred more of the slight bitter after note.

Azuki Matcha ($2.90)
One of the top sellers, and many’s favourite combination of green tea latte with sweet red bean at the bottom. You can scoop it up towards the end of the drink, or mix them all together to have red bean on every sip.

Sour Plum ($1.90)
Not exactly what I would typically order, but I can imagine many of my lady friends loving this sweet-sour tang of this sng mui drink, especially as a perk-me-up during office hours.

Salted Caramel Ice Blast ($5.50)
Like a dessert drink, containing ladyfinger biscuit, whipped cream and almond. The texture is smooth like a milk shake, yet not overly sweet.

Passion Fruit Milk Tea ($2.90)
This has a mix of tangy tropical flavour of passionfruit with earthy taste of Highland tea.

Honey Lemon ($1.90)
Another of their best-selling thirst quenchers.

Cha Yen Thai Milk Tea ($2.50)
Interesting to see a Thai-based tea here, and Teapresso also uses the famous red labelled Number 1 brand from Thailand. The shop does not use evaporated or condensed milk though, so I felt something was missing after drinking.

Oolong Fresh Cha ($1.90)
I think it is an age thing, and I am starting to appreciate black teas like Oolong. This cup brewed from Alishan tea leaves, is fresh tasting with a faint sweet and fragrant aftertaste. I like.

Dark Chocolate Coffee Cappuccino ($4.50)
This has components that youths will like – dark chocolate, cappuccino coffee, topped with Oreo cookie crush. (Too big a cup, I couldn’t finish as I was watching calories, but should be popular among the students.)

Oki Machi
Other than Teapresso drinks, the kiosk also sells Oki Machi – Taiwanese style muah chee with different flavours such as Sweet Peanut, Matcha Creamy Milk, Tiramisu Cream and savoury types such as Nacho Cheese, Spicy Thai, and Ma La Spicy (1 piece $2, 4 pieces $6).

You may have seen stalls selling this at Taipei’s Shilin Nightmarket and Ning Xia Nightmarket.

The sticks are freshly grilled on the spot using a waffle-machine, may have to wait a while, but you will leave with these crispy, chewy sticks drizzled with addictive sauces.

Such an uncommon find in Singapore.

Teapresso
Blk 190 Toa Payoh Central, #01-568 Singapore 319196 (Toa Payoh MRT, next block to Toa Payoh HDB Hub)
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 9:30pm
https://www.facebook.com/hokkaidofreshteapresso

Teapresso and Oki Machi
The Seletar Mall #B1-K12, 33 Sengkang West Ave, Singapore 797653
Opening Hours: 12pm – 9:30pm

* This post is brought to you in partnership with Teapresso Singapore.

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Softserve and churros while like heaven and earth apart, seems to work well together. One’s crispy and hot, the other cold and smooth.

AmaSoy which now focuses on its Hokkaido Milk Drinks and Soft Serve (instead of the initial collagen soy puddings), has opened at Jurong Point (opposite Malaysia Boleh) and Bugis Plus (next to L4 DaeSsikSin). Note, may be slightly hard to find.

While the Matcha Softserve previously came plain on its own or with churros, there are currently options for toppings.

Here are some of the other AmaSoy items available:

Hokkaido Soft Serve
AmaSoy’s Hokkaido milk soft serve comes in vanilla, matcha and mixed vanilla-matcha flavours, and you can currently add 3 toppings ($5) such as red bean, fruits, granola and sauces, which were previously not available.

I went for one with red bean, mochi balls and cornflakes, and the combination had a more ‘Japanese’ take, along with a play of textures from the crunchy cornflakes and chewy balls.

The matcha soft serve is made with premium Japanese matcha powder imported from Kyoto Japan, a place synonymous with superior matcha. This gives the soft serve ice cream the delicate taste and slight bitterness of the green tea, matched with smooth texture.

Churros Twist
And since churros is very IN now. AmaSoy’s soft serve ice cream ($3.80 regular, $5.50 large) is probably one of the first in Singapore to pair softserve with hot piping Spanish churros.

Liked that there are small cups available, which makes it an easy-to-consume treat.

JCone
When Japanese soft serve meets Korean JCone. The JCone ($4.50), also known as ‘Jipangyi’ or ‘Seoul cane ice cream’ is a very popular street snack in Insadong Korea where corn snacks are filled with soft serve. These JCone shells are freshly made in Singapore (not imported from Korea) from 100% sweet corn.

Hokkaido Soy Milk Drinks
The existing Matcha ($4) and Azuki Red Bean ($3.5) Hokkaido Milk Drinks continue to be one of their best selling products. Premium milk from Hokkaido is used, which is known for its outstanding dairy products and rich farming culture, and the result is a thirst-quencher which is smooth and delicate.

AmaSoy
Jurong Point, 63 Jurong West Central 3, #03-42 to 47 (opp Malaysia Boleh) Singapore 648886 (Boon Lay MRT)
Bugis+ 201 Victoria Street #04-05 (look for DaeSsikSin), Singapore 188067 (Bugis MRT)
https://www.facebook.com/AmaSoySG

* This entry is brought to you with partnership with AmaSoy.

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[Hong Kong] Frequent travellers to Hong Kong should be familiar with City’super, a high-end supermarket and retail chain established in 1996.

You will find this brand Cha-no-wa at their flagship branches at Times Square, Harbour City and Cityplaza selling everything matcha – from roll cakes, cheesecake to cookies.

Cha-no-wa from Hiroshima Japan, and is the brand’s first foray overseas, known for its range of scrumptious matcha desserts.

Range of the elegant green items include Matcha Rollcake (HK$150), Egg Roll Cookies (HK$75 for 7 pieces), Matcha Baumkuchen (HK$200), Matcha Cheese Cake (HK$230), Matcha Full Moon Butter Cake (HK$200) and Matcha Momiji Manju (HK$25).

Even though the Matcha Roll Cake with a hefty price tag of HKD$150 (approx SGD$27.80) may deter many to make their purchase, the soft and fluffy texture will make everything worth it.

Generous amount of matcha cream were pumped into the sponge roll and it oozed out at the slightest touch. The texture of the sponge roll was extremely soft and light and the matcha cream were light, creamy with a subtle bitterness.

Cha-no-wa also uses a higher percentage of actual matcha in its powder, therefore its desserts are richer, stronger and aromatically mellow.

茶之環 Cha-no-wa
B1, City’super, Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon-Sun)

Other outlets:
City’super, 3/F, Harbour City, 17 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Shop 260-261, 2/F, Cityplaza I, 18 Taikoo Shing Road, Tai Koo

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* Written by Nicholas Tan Follow him @stormscape on Instagram for more foodie adventures.

The post Cha-No-Wa – For The Matcha Lovers In Hong Kong appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

[Hong Kong] This Japanese dessert shop has been creating some green waves on Instagram, known for its photogenic matcha desserts and fruit parfaits of quality. Three branches at Causeway Bay, one at Harbourcity.

Nothing is spared in using premium ingredients – Japanese Sawatari tea is used for the softserve, Kakigori shaved ice dessert is made using mineral water ice infused with fresh fruit, and some fruits are imported from Japan.

Like the Japanese Premium Melon Deluxe Soft cream Parfait (HK$220, SGD$40) served in half a muskmelon, both sweetness and hefty price tag included.

The Sawatari Tea- Daifuku Parfait from Kochi HKD 53 (SGD$9.70) is smooth and rich, with distinct matcha bitterness and well balanced by the Hokkaido milk softserve.

The combination of azuki red beans and matcha mochi is brilliant, and makes it as one of our favourite matcha desserts in Hong Kong.

I Cremeria
Shop OT-G03A, Ocean Terminal, Harbourcity, 17 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Opening Hours: 11am – 11pm (Mon-Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/iCremeria/

Other outlets:
Shop F-9, 1/F, 11-19 Great George Street, Fashion Walk, Causeway Bay
Shop P125, 1/F, WTC More, 280 Gloucester Road, Causeway Bay
Shop B2-18, Sogo, Causeway Bay, Causeway Bay

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* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape & Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary. Follow them on Instagram for more foodie adventures.

The post I Cremeria – Premium Matcha Softserve On Japanese Melons appeared first on DanielFoodDiary.com.

Excluding me, the average age of the customer at Sweet Monster Bugis Junction must be 7. A kids-friendly place with seats catered to their heights, as they eat away milk soft serve covered with coloured popcorn. (Read: Sweet Monster Plaza Singapura)

The South Korean brand Sweet Monster has reached here by storm, 2 branches – Plaza Singapura #B2-49 and Bugis Junction #M01-K1 in a month, with a 3rd at Novena Square coming soon.

The Bugis Junction outlet is placed at a strategic position right at the atrium, at the strategic location outside Ajisen, Nandos and TCC. .

Sweet Monster’s soft serve is made from at least 75% organic milk (so what’s the other 25%) covered with air-popped popcorn. I wonder if kids can tell the different between this, and say the much cheaper one served by the fast-food restaurant steps away.

A basic Real Deep Milk Soft Serve is at $4.80, while a popcorn-covered version with flavours of Caramel, Milk, Cheese Caramel Mix, Chocho or Strawberry is at $6.80.

“This customers wants to a pretty-looking softserve, who can do?” Server looked around and asked… “Okay, I do it then.”

It must be something about the weather and humidity in Singapore, the popcorn somehow lacked the crisp that I would have imagined. Lao hong both times I tried.

The texture of the soft serve was smoothly milky, denser that some of its competitors, BUT too sweet after a few mouthfuls.

Slabs of Monster Cakes in flavours of Pistachio Almond, Banana Nutella, Strawberry, Oreo, Caramel Walnut and Cherry are available at $7.80 which comes in a takeaway box. Pair it up with softserve at $8.30 if your weight allows it.

The cheesecake had a surprisingly light consistency (was expecting it to be denser), but true to its name, the combination was a SWEET monster. (Maybe it is an age thing – I can no longer tolerate such sweet things.)

Sweet Monster Singapore
Bugis Junction #M01-K01, 200 Victoria Street Singapore 188021 (Bugis MRT)

Plaza Singapura, #B2-49, Singapore 238839 (Dhoby Ghaut MRT)
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon-Sun)

Other Related Entries
Sweet Monster (Plaza Singapura)
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