Sweet Indulgences To Treat Yourself To

I headed straight for the Mint and Brown Butter Sage ($8 for double scoop). The former, studded with cacao nibs, was fresh and delicate; it didn't fall prey to the unfortunate "this tastes like toothpaste" remark.

The latter has certainly gripped the attention of many with its uncommon yet comforting flavour profile and subtle herbaceousness. In a time when botanical ice creams rule, a little sweetness goes a long way indeed.

The same can be said for the Coffee & Cocoa ($4.90 for single scoop), reminiscent of Kopiko Coffee Candy and/or nostalgia in textures.

And finally, what a memorable flavour the Soursop Mint ($5.90 for premium single scoop) was! Despite being one of the more unique, dairy-free options out there, it's refreshing on the palate, and manages to retain a certain creaminess.

My friend couldn't stop gushing over the cones – they're on the salty side, which we absolutely love. Brownie points for balance.

Being both dense AND thick ain't a problem when you're the Chocolate Stuffed ($23).

These chocolate-stuffed pancakes adorned with cream cheese, oreo crumbs, berries, and vanilla bean ice cream will make anyone with a sweet tooth swoon.

I didn't order this for myself, but I figured it was too fabulous (and filling) to not mention.

On a disgustingly hot afternoon like today, all I require is a Classic yog' ($5.50 for two with Burpple Beyond).

Picked strawberries and glorious, glorious matcha sauce for my toppings, duh! 🥰

Having lusted over Keong Saik Bakery's Matcha Burnt Cheesecake ($8) for the longest time, my heart leapt when I finally got to try it here.

You've seen the reviews – people go gaga for this silky and creamy confection, infused with just the right amount of bitterness. It may not be the most "BURNT" of burnt cheesecakes you'll come across, but it's no biggie, really.

Let it sit for a few minutes if you prefer a soft and melty texture. Oh, and I hate to be Captain Obvious, but burnt cheesecake pairs magically with thick black coffee. I love it.

Malindi Halwa ($10) is a dessert you and I may not have heard of, but it certainly piqued my interest.

Halwa, or Halva(h), is the general term for a dense, sweet confection found across different geographical locations and cultures, notably the Middle East, Africa, and the Indian subcontinent.

I believe Kafe Utu's interpretation is that of East African halwa, a gelatinous flour-based dessert typically prepared with tapioca starch and/or cornstarch. True to its roots, these oblong blocks of Swahili "mochi" are made with dragon fruit juice (hence the vibrancy), hazelnuts, cashew nuts, macadamia, pistachio, and Malindi spices.

The floral sweetness was a bit much for me, although it was slightly offset by the light coconut yogurt and dukkah filo. Nonetheless, its mochi-like texture would definitely appeal to fans of kueh lapis sagu (9-layer kueh), or any Nyonya kueh of the bouncy, gummy variety.

Maybe you’re thinking: “Carrot cake? Boring. How good can it be?”

Well, shoot those thoughts down and have a go at Kafe Utu’s Lush Carrot Cake ($8). This modest-looking cake is nutty and moist, with a dash of finesse that comes in the form of tangy citrus cream cheese frosting. Spices lurk in the background; you know they’re somewhere there.

Since we’re talking dessert, why not pair it with their Soft Serve Ice Cream ($4)? Flavours rotate occasionally, but if you happen to visit when bittersweet dark chocolate with cacao bits is on the menu, you know what to do.

Both the Express and Long Lunch sets offer the option of coffee or a dessert, De Chocolate. Upon asking, we were told that it was a brownie. And a fine brownie it was.

It arrived with cream and little morsels of what resembled granola (these had the texture of coffee beans, tasting of corn and chocolate, but I haven’t the slightest clue).

The brownie itself was moist, dense and fudgy, with a crisp exterior. Interestingly enough, there was a spice that lingered after every bite. Instead of clarifying (like a sociable human), I googled “Mexican brownie”, finding brownie recipes containing cinnamon, and cayenne or chilli, maybe even all three.

This may be a tad too rich to enjoy on your own, unless you are in the mood to indulge and/or have the liberty of an extra-long lunch.

The chocolate salty pie ($6) may not be the most visually enticing dessert out there, but it’s the stuff of dreams.

Lose your inhibitions and just go in on this deep-fried pastry coated in cocoa sugar, filled with warm oozy Valrhona dark chocolate.

It's also not the time to be stubborn and "choose just one". You MUST have the pie with the burnt honey soft serve & sea salt ($6), and share this whole lot with a friend, lest you find yourself with a sore throat (and other sugar-induced ailments).

Here's my two cents on a couple of goodies from Brother Bird's new croissant lineup. I believe they're available till 15/9.

I genuinely like the concept of the Taiwanese Sausage Croissant Roll ($5) - it's a different yet safe take on the homely sausage bun/roll. This was, however, a bit of a let-down; it was as if they just randomly wedged a sausage into croissant pastry. Some sort of binding agent (it seems the suggestion of adding cheese has surfaced) would've made this less dry, and more cohesive as a whole.

The Blueberry Crumble (filled) Mochi Croissant ($4) is a lot softer in texture, as compared to the other croissants. Not the best of the lineup, and other than being filled with (a forgettable) blueberry jam, the "crumble" aspect seems to be missing.

[Further R&D for this current mochi croissant lineup may very well be in the works, according to their Instagram page. We shall stay tuned.]

Here's my two cents on a couple of goodies from Brother Bird's new croissant lineup. I believe they're available till 15/9.

The Matcha Pain au Chocolat ($4) instantly became a favourite of mine. Not too drastic a change from its predecessor, the White Chocolate Matcha, but with an added element: rich dark chocolate enveloped within layers and layers of flaky pastry.

The Ferrero Rocher (filled) Mochi Croissant ($5), makes for a decadent teatime treat, being full of sweet hazelnut praline cream with a nutty chocolate glaze. It didn't exactly taste like the famous confectionery though. I would've liked for them to have incorporated more hazelnuts, and maybe even some sort of wafer element?

[Further R&D for this current mochi croissant lineup may very well be in the works, according to their Instagram page. We shall stay tuned.]

In my eyes, mentaiko is matchless. It goes well with almost everything, ice cream included. This limited edition mentaiko soft serve ($6.90) isn't as absurd (or fishy) as it sounds!

First few adjectives that immediately came to mind: umami, sweet, buttery. At times, it tasted as though I was merely eating vanilla ice cream, but in those unassuming moments, spice would creep in, tickling the back of my throat. The addition of furikake sprinkles took the 'savoury' aspect up a notch, helping to tone down the initial surge of sweetness. Yes, I downed the entire cup in a matter of minutes.

If you aim to become an adventurous eater one day and need a place to start, this is it. Baby steps, baby steps.

If you've never taken a liking to the regular fried yeast donuts we're all familiar with, you should give the kurozu donuts at Kakuida's a try. I would consider them to fall within the category of "cake donuts", but then again they're not super cakey, being soft, dense, and springy with a spongy interior (try poking it, just for fun).

Out of the 3 flavours I tried, the sweet and eggy Original ($1.90) was the best, tasting like a cross between castella cake and Cantonese "Ma Lai Gao". Matcha ($2.20) came in at a close second, with a subtle earthiness that slowly grew on me. As for the Chocolate ($2.20), it was sub-par, having a run-of-the-mill (almost artificial-ish) chocolate flavour I didn't appreciate.