Speculoos Apple Stuffed Bagel Icon Village at Tanjong Pagar has been seeing a trickle of new F&B establishments that are moving into the complex gradually — while the mall had saw quite a number of F&B establishments move out of its premises during and post-COVID 19, the mall had seen a new wave of F&B establishments such as that of Alice Boulangerie, Coffeeman, and Tai Kitchen that had called Icon Village home. The most recent addition to Icon Village would be Park Bäckerei; perhaps also one of the more unique F&B establishments to have set-up shop here as well. The design theme of the interior of Park Bäckerei can be described as simple and contemporary — there is dining space situated within the shop unit itself just behind the order counter, though extra seating can also be found along the shopping aisles just right outside of the queue line of Park Bäckerei as well. Describing themselves with the bio written as “Authenthic Handcrafted German Breads” on their Instagram profile, Park Bäckerei segments itself away from the majority of European-style bakeries in Singapore — most European-style bakeries typically serve up French-style patisserie and boulangerie. While one would typically expect croissants and danishes served at such bakeries, the offerings at Park Bäckerei surrounds around pretzels and pretzel buns, though there are also some other items such as bagels, sausage rolls (with pretzel-style bread of course), and dessert mousses served in cups for those whom are craving for something sweet. All of such items would be available from opening as part of their Bakes, Stuffed Bagels and Breakfast Combo sections of the menu — come 11am and Park Bäckerei also serves up a variety of sandwiches that comes with their pretzel bread, as well as salads which would better suit the office crowd at the Central Business District when Icon Village is located in. Beverages available at Park Bäckerei includes coffee, drinking chocolate, a range of sparkling tea sourced from Gryphon Tea Company, hot tea and juices.
Skimming through the display case to have a grasp on the variety of bakes which they have to offer on a weekend morning, we initially wanted to go for the Jalapeño Cheddar Stuffed Bagel. That being said, we went against that particular decision since we were also wanting to give the Mini Cheese Pretzel a go — the inclusion of cheese in the Jalapeño Cheddar Stuffed Bagel just felt rather same-same-but-different from the Mini Cheese Pretzel; that made us go for the Speculoos Apple Stuffed Bagel in the end. The Speculoos Apple Stuffed Bagel is being mentioned on the description card displayed in front of the bakes in the display cabinet to come with elements such as caramalised apples, Speculoos spice and crumbled Speculoos cookies. Taking a bite into the Speculoos Apple Stuffed Bagel, we were already impressed with how the dough has been perfectly proofed here — as we sink our teeth into the bagel, the bagel puffs up and releases the air within as we chew into the the bagel. Unlike most other bagels out there that we had tried, the Speculoos Apple Stuffed Bagel was less dense; more pillowy soft and easier to chew apart with some tension while at it. Chewing into the bagel also reveals the insides of the bagel; generously filled with cubes of caramalised apple coated with caramel sauce — the chunks of apple being cooked to a soft bite whilst the level of sweetness was well-controlled as well. We did notice a lingering hint of cinnamon going with the bagel; not sure if that was incorporated into the caramelised apples or the “Speculoos spice” sprinkled atop that bagel along with the crumbled Speculoos cookies — that helped to add a bit of contrast to the flavours of the stuffed bagel. The crumbled Speculoos cookies was a thoughtful addition — on one hand, it adds a varied texture to the bagel considering its inherent crunch, all that with another dimension of sweetness to go along.
Since we dropped by Park Bäckerei for breakfast, we had decided to go for one more item aside from the stuffed bagel that we had decided to go for. The other item that we had tried during our visit to Park Bäckerei was the Mini Cheese Pretzel — pretzels are quite an iconic form of German bread, and we did feel that it would have been quite odd if we gave the pretzels at Park Bäckerei a miss. For those whom are looking for a slightly larger sized pretzel, Park Bäckerei; does offer a regular-sized pretzel as well. The Mini Cheese Pretzel features elements such as cheddar, flour, milk, French butter, salt and sugar — while this is essentially a bread that is denser with a firmer bite as compared to the stuffed bagels, the Mini Cheese Pretzel does come with a cheese crust that some would call a “cheese skirt” that comes around the base of the pretzel. We really liked how the cheese crust provided for a soft contrast against the pretzel bread; apart from the cheese adding a slight savouriness, there was also a slight saltishness that tickles the taste buds as well — great for a tea-time snack. Whilst we would not be the right people to comment on how authentic the German breads at Park Bäckerei are (especially considering how we have little exposure to German breads, and we had never went to Germany before), we did feel that a lot of hard work has been placed in the development of their bakes — something which is worth commending; it also translates well into the traditional quality of the bakes, which hits the spot in terms of textures and flavours as well. For those looking to give their Lunch Menu a try, the sandwich / salad items are priced between $14.90 to $16.90; the individual bakes on the other hand are priced within the range of $2.20 to $7.90 — the more expensive items being the Sausage Rolls and the range of stuffed bagels. A spot that is definitely worth making that special trip to check out what they are all about; we would like to congratulate them on the opening of their shop, and wish them all the best in what is to come!
