Weird-assed Desserts That Taste Great

Getting right down to it - let’s kick off the holidays with some bite-sized treats from @ollella_singapore ! They just opened a little outlet at the Takashimaya basement and they dish out mini versions of their full-sized chouquettes. Personally I prefer the full-sized ones, but these make a great on-the-go snack. At the moment I’m loving their Dark Chocolate (it’s topped with this gold-dusted biscotti crunchy clusters - so delicious), their ever refreshing apple cinnamon one (not pictured). The choux is always light and airy, sweet, with a little crunch. Part of their Christmas special, they also have mousse cakes (I got the reindeer one - coated in smooth caramel with pretzels for ears and to-die-for peanut butter filling and sponge. Unfortunately the pretzels were soggy) and super cute gingerbread macarons! I’m super picky about macarons and this one surprisingly met all expectations! The crisp shell had a chewy centre filled with amazing sticky chocolate ganache that toed the lie between sweet and bitter. It’s an extravagant cookie/macaron haha. But who am I to complain, anything to usher in Christmas! Anyways they’re so festive don’t you think? Like little ornaments for your table.

On this gloomy Tuesday, I dream of sunshine, museum walks and icy-cold ice cream cookie sandwiches. When you're in the vicinity of the National Museum, drop by Food For Thought and grab an @icecreamcookieco's After Eight. It is by far my favourite cause the mint flavour isn't too strong, just a delicate tingle along your tongue that gives a light edge to the chewy chewy chocolate cookie. Also, cause the cookie is almost brownie-like, I can nibble on the ice cream and cookie without it crumbling all over me. Come back sunshine!! Come back weekends!

Hello Easties! Looking for fantastic Italian food and Tiramisu? You need to visit Al Forno, along Upper East Coast Road and right next to Penny University. In Perth, when I craved hearty Italian, I'd always visit Ciao Italia, here my go-to is Al Forno. The owner is a burly Italian dude (I think he is Italian lah.) who has his hair up in a bun. In the afternoon, you can see him prepping dough for the evening's worth of wood-fired pizzas by the window. Like an authentic trattoria, the restaurant is entirely unpretentious, with warm service, huge plates of pasta, pizza and everything in between. I especially love their lasagna. But what I adore, is their Tiramisu. I'm not saying it's the best in the world, but it is the closest you'll get Singapore to authentic Tiramisu. (Very different from the manufactured crap you get elsewhere.) Layers of thick, whipped cream cover coffee-soaked ladyfingers. Underneath it all there's an undercurrent of coffee-based liquor, followed by a generous dusting of cocoa powder. At $9, this Palm-sized, rough-cut square is not the cheapest. But if you want good, you gotta pay good too right? A melt-in-your-mouth, pillowy treat that balances the savoury richness of a con carne wood-fired pizza (meat pizza - also another one of my favourites here)
Also, just to let y'all know, there was once I went and ordered the tiramisu, only to get a square that had used slightly spoilt cream. I was utterly disappointed, but was assured it was a one-off thing. And when I went again, just two days ago, it was just as perfect as I had hoped. So yeah, just a heads up.

Right, so I've been saving this for a special occasion, and I think #SinglesDay is the perfect time: this is the Mao Shang wang dessert with sticky rice from @sawadeethaicuisine. This restaurant has been around for a while and they just updated their menu. Their Thai dishes authentic with just a hint of Singapore. Unlike Thai restaurants in Thailand, they aim to create a balance of flavours rather than overwhelm you with too many flavours. For that, I appreciate them very much. This colourful dessert is a must to experience there, a unique take on mango sticky rice. It is, however, very very heavy. Think aromatic, creamy, Mao Shang wang purée atop bluepea tinged sticky rice. With two sticky textures, the dish is a little odd, but the flavours more than make up for it, an explosion of durian from the purée softened by the mild, sticky rice. Be sure to share, one person will NOT be able to finish it. #durian #thaicuisine Thank you @thegoodfolks for the company and tasting! :)

@the_lab_sg is always a fun place to go. The team there has a great stable of delicious staples - like the Heisenberger (a tidily-sized juicy patty topped with turkey bacon, caramelised onions, blue cheese aioli etc) and experiments with fun dishes like these Galaxy Donuts ($3 each). The donuts were lighter than expected, with a crisp exterior. Don't expect light, sweet things ala Krispy Kreme but heartier bites topped with the Galaxy. While not expectional, they were pleasant and very much on trend ;)

Also highly recommended: Invader Inside. A gimmicky looking tin that has SEVEN layers of different chocolates, popping candy and a moist, sponge cake hidden by mousse and creme. What a treat! You can buy the whole little tin for $15 and give it as a gift. The bronze little invader is edible too - a dark, bitter chocolate that leaves an echoing aroma of cocoa in your mouth. Don't worry, you'll sweeten it with the other melding layers and be totally entertained by the incessant popping of hidden popping candies in the plastic can. As always, so indulgent. This is part of @antoinette_sg's chocolate fetish menu that will last till October, so grab it soon! #chocolate #deathbychocolate

Sign me up for anything chocolate! @antoinette_sg is dishing up an insane menu of chocolatey delights (over 20 items!) and this chocolate macaron burger is just one of the items. Somewhat in between the size of a slider and a large macaron, it is so intense, it has to be shared between two (or even four!) people. Sandwiched between the chocolate-laced macaron is "lettuce" made of white chocolate, "ketchup" made of raspberry, apricot "cheese" and a chocolate ganache patty. *gulp* Dark chocolate lovers will like the bitterness that accompanies the patty. A deeper look into the menu coming up over the next few days! #chocolate #chocolateforever

We had the new Kopitiam-themed menu and the "soft-boiled" eggs and kaya toast parfait were smashing. It was like stepping into an episode of Heston Blumenthal's Fantastic Feasts - Singapore edition. Sweet treats packed into deceptively ordinary breakfast foods, the pale chocolate eggs cracked opened into a gooey mix of coconut panna cotta with tangy yolk centre. The kaya toast rife with just the right amount of coconutty sweetness in a creamy parfait form. Smashing was to end dinner. But while you'll probably get the real breakfast set for under $5 at a Kopitiam, these were a hefty $13.90. Also served with a gula melaka "soya sauce" and cinnamon "pepper" powder. 👍🏼 #nonentreedesserts #kopitiam #breakfast

Ooo yummm Bak Chor Mee! Oh.. Wait... No.. That's @nonentreedesserts's Bak Chor Mee dessert! It's sweet! 👍🏼 - okay, I didn't know how else to break it to you. So their new menu is very local driven, "soft-boiled eggs", "Bak Chor Mee", ice cream in flavours like white rabbit, has flakes, milo and more. It was a very atas local breakfast. I mean, $13.80 for Bak Chor Mee? Abel lost his shit. Hahaha but it was a screwy dessert that looked like a savoury hawker treat - confusing, but delicious. The strands of "mee", mango vermicelli, the fishball, coconut parfait, the "minced meat" sesame snow, "lard" nuts, and at the bottom, what is usually ketchup, chilli and vinegar, was a raspberry reduction and balsamic jelly. It was (is) a kooky dish to try, fun to look at and even more enjoyable to eat. They achieved a balance of flavours despite messing with the balance of Hawker Powers That Be. Hahaha

Had to check out the hype @burpple made over @ChurnCreamery! Nope, wasn't disappointed - the ice cream is so smooth and creamy, with the soft taffy-like texture that proper gelato should have. I didn't really enjoy the Blue Pea and Sea Salt flavour (one scoop $4.50) cause it was way too milky and yet too salty at the same time. A strange balance I did not really enjoy. But I like the milder, lighter August mystery flavour. If you guess the flavours after a taste, you get the whole scoop free! (Pictured) Here's a hint: they both are flowers. Then I got it in the puffcone ($1.50): a flaky, crisp shell that was made to mimic the donut cone? I like it, the puffcone's buttered exterior gave it a smooth sheen and a flaky pastry taste before exposing the chocolate interior. Don't expect a crossiant-like pastry, the shell's too thin to give you the fluffiness. Thin, but sturdy, the cone holds in the melting ice cream with a layer of hot melted chocolate (done over the counter) that hardens as soon it gets in contact with the ice cream. Good thing they use good quality chocolate. In all a delightful gimmick that I enjoyed. But i'll probably order the ice cream in a regular cone in future!

Catching Jynx and Haunters is hard work, so I popped by Stateland Cafe (or Brother Bird - they keep changing their name!!!) to try the delectable looking Raspberry Burst ($15). Totally in love. The watermelon softee is icy and refreshingly sweet - perfect on a hot day. It's also very light, which gives you enough for the statement pieces: the deep fried mochi balls. Hot, dusted with a pinch of powdered sugar, it opens to release a gush of raspberry filling. You'd think it'd be sour, but it's sweet, a comforting flow of thick raspberry coolis with rosewater - almost like Bandung! The Mochi casing complemented it, was chewy and satisfying in its sweetness. I felt the macaroons were a little redundant, but they did add beautiful colour. Under it all, was a light base of almond crunch, homemade with some waffle-cone biscuits (or something similar) and almond bits. Back to Pokemon catching guys, I caught a Snorlex yesterday, but damn lame, only 232 CP -_- @statelandcafe

Happy Friday everyone! I'm gonna start my weekend with an amazing Thai Milk Tea parfait from Whisk and Paddle! Absolutely adore this pretty thing. The Cha Yen Krup ($9.80) is the BOMB! A scoop of MOVENPICK vanilla ice cream sits on a crumbly base of graham cookies and Thai Milk Tea cream before being topped with two golden sticks of sugared butter toast and a giant macroon. They excel at baking here so what really stands out are the two sugared butter sticks, crisp and sweet on the edges, soft and fluffy on the inside, perfect accompaniment to the ice cream. I do wish the Thai milk tea was a little stronger in flavour, it's rather mild, an under current of it swimming under the sweet ice cream and graham cookies. The gold dusted macaroon a delight, just the right consistency, and not too heavy that it ruins the balance of the dish. @whiskandpaddlesg #thaimilktea #parfait