Photography Frenchescar Lim Art Direction & Styling Diane Ng
Try these modern twists on a few all-time favourite local deserts like milo dinosaur, kaya, ondeh ondeh, and gula melaka.
$8 each (available only in August), from L’eclair by Sarah Michelle, #01-28 Singapore Shopping Centre, 190 Clemenceau Avenue, tel: 6635-7909.
The duo behind Singapore’s most feted eclair boutique has put a local twist to the French classic pastry, perfuming it with an alluring coconut fragrance. Buttery choux is capped with silky house-made kaya pandan cream (we’d prefer it a little lighter though), melt-in-the mouth morsels of kueh bangkit-like coconut cookies and a flourish of desiccated coconut.
$13, from The Naked Finn, 39 Malan Road, tel: 6694-0807.
This, hands down, is the best chendol we’ve had. While the combination is quintessential, they’ve taken every care to perfect each component. The plump, chewy green chendol jelly is made from scratch, and the thick gula melaka syrup sourced from Indonesia is accented with a smidgen of sea salt. The piece de resistance is the house-made coconut sorbet, which replaces boring shaved ice. It’s flecked with coconut flesh and brimming with the natural sweetness of coconut juice.
Also on Simply Her:
* New places to get soft-serve ice cream in flavours like chendol and hojicha
* REVIEW: The chendol from this Toa Payoh stall beats the famous ones in Penang
$5 each, from Ollella, #01-01 Residences @ Somme, 3 Petain Rd, tel: 9139-9871.
Our beloved Milo Dinosaur has met its match, reinterpreted in confectionery form. We loved the crackly Milo choux, and the intensely gau Milo cream filling. While the crown of condensed milk-spiked Chantilly was a bit milky for our taste, the Milo-and-dark chocolate meringue hidden within was a delightful crunchy surprise.
$5.50 a slice, from Inthebrickyard, #02-01 JTC Summit, 8 Jurong Town Hall Road, tel: 8288-0402.
The slices looked thick with cream but we were pleasantly surprised that the gula melaka-infused cream was light on the palate – neither too sweet nor cloying – and paired well with the soft pandan sponge. Shavings of desiccated coconut broke up the monotony, adding texture to the cake.
$8 a slice, from Sinpopo, 458 Joo Chiat Road, tel: 6345-5034.
Dark and mysterious, this cake looked understated, but bowled us over with its intoxicating deep caramel notes. It’s a gula melaka trinity with moist, dense cake layers sandwiching a thick wedge of luscious gula melaka fudge, and swathed in a glistening gula melaka glaze. A svelte slice of this rich cake and black coffee is our idea of a perfect afternoon.
$8.50 each, from The Quarters, #01-09 Icon Village, 16 Enggor Street, tel: 6834-4174.
The creamy mao shan wang custard had a distinctive aroma that was enough to tease and satisfy without overwhelming the senses. The hot-cold contrast between the warm caramelised sugar layer and the cool durian mousse was also a welcome dash of fun.