Pastry Haven by Helen is one of those establishments which we had been passing by for quite a while whenever we are around the area. Situated at the second level of Alexandra Central, Pastry Haven by Helen is situated slightly away from where most of the other eateries that are located at the same level as them within the mall; in fact, Pastry Haven by Heaven is located closer to an Indian restaurant named Yummy Punjabi does is located within one corner of the mall. Operating in the mall for several months by the time of the writing of this post, Pastry Haven by Helen takes up a rather decently-sized shop unit in the building; one can see that the establishment is being set-up in a way that looks pretty cosy and well-decked to create a warm and inviting vibe. Seating space is pretty limited within Pastry Haven by Helen; there are only two proper dining tables that seats four (4) pax each, while the remaining dine-in seating would be the three high chairs they are coupled together with the high table located by the window. The range of pastries offered by Pastry Haven by Helen is rather limited; this would mainly surround around their selection of brownies as well as a small variety of financiers and Madelines. Beverages available at Pastry Haven by Heaven will include that of espresso-based specialty coffee, drinking chocolate and hot tea.

Drawn by the selection of Financiers that they have to offer, we found ourselves opting for both the Wakoucha with Chestnut Financier and the Matcha with Azuki Financier; the latter being one of the signature items that they have to offer. We were advised that both Financiers are best to be enjoyed being warmed up and we did find both Financiers to come with a firm cake layer that lingers of the respective teas that the batter was being infused with. We had a slight preference for the Matcha with Azuki Financier over the Wakoucha with Chestnut Financier; this is especially given the ganache component that sits in the middle of the Financiers. For those whom are unaware, Wakoucha is a type of Japanese black tea and we did find its deep earthy roasty and smoky notes being pretty alluring to say the least — we note that the hint of Wakoucha within the ganache component of the Financier to come off pretty intensely as compared to that of the Matcha ganache in the Matcha with Azuki Financier which carried a slight milkiness and sweetness of white chocolate. Despite so, it is not to say that the notes of Matcha in the Matcha with Azuki Financier wasn’t intense; it still carries that intense bitter undertones that one would typically associate matcha with. Both the addition of the chestnut paste in the Wakoucha with Chestnut Financier and the Azuki red bean paste in the Matcha with Azuki Financier beneath the ganache helps add an earthy note that adds another dimension of flavours to the tea-infused Financiers.

During the same visit, we had also managed to give the TWG Earl Grey with Strawberry Ganache Madeline a go as well. As the namesake suggests, the Madeline is being infused with the English Earl Grey tea that is sourced from TWG Tea Company. The Madeline does come cakey with quite a firm bite; the Earl Grey aroma being especially evident and perfumes throughout the tastebuds. The addition of the strawberry ganache on the top actually does go somewhere in between towards in the middle of the entire Madeline; provides the Madeline with a bit of moistness with its creamy texture and a tanginess and zippy note that compliments the aroma of Earl Grey tea very well. Pastry Haven by Helen might be a spot that serves up a very limited variety of bakes, but it does seem that its offerings are a product of love and passion — there does seem to be a lot of emphasis placed in the way of how their items look and taste; this is despite being how the bakes that they offer do seem simple as compared to the likes of other patisseries that offer fancier entremet cakes that seems to be still the trend after all these while. That being said, it does seem that Pastry Haven by Helen does fit the neighbourhood pretty well; one of the spots within Bukit Merah where those looking for a light sweet treat can go for, whilst having a short chit chat alongside tea without having to head out of the area. We do hope that these folks are able to expand their selection of bakes further as well that might hopefully be able to attract more potential patrons in time to come!