Three Little Coconut by Mr. Coconut (Plantation Plaza)

Three Little Coconut isn’t an entirely new name in the local F&B scene here — with already three (3) locations that are in operations all across the island, one can only wonder where they are going to sprout up next; these folks are actually a brand that is by the same folks behind Mr. Coconut, and the Three Little Coconut brand first started out with its outlet in One Punggol Hub before it had further expanded to one in Downtown East in Pasir Ris, and one in Plantation Plaza at Tengah. The outlet at Plantation Plaza is actually located right beside Brunch & Co. at level 2; a brand that is by the folks of The JellyHearts, and is one that is decently-sized to include a dine-in space for its patrons. The Three Little Coconut location at Plantation Plaza is decked in a style that is reminiscent to old-school coffeehouses with mosaic tiles used for its floors and counters, whilst featuring wooden dining furniture that blends in well within the environment for a coherent look throughout the entire space. There are some differences between the menu served between the Three Little Coconut outlet at One Punggol Hub and the one that is situated at Plantation Plaza — the Plantation Plaza outlet is notably missing on the Cheesecake section of the menu, though the menu still otherwise features desserts spread across the Coconut-Flavoured Snowy Ice, Signature Coconut Tang Shui, Chendol & Sago series, Traditional Coconut Dessert, Classic Coconut Dessert, Croissant, Coconut Macarons and Croffles. For those looking for the coconut shakes that Mr. Coconut is famed for, one can also find the same range of beverages at Three Little Coconut as well.

Got to learn that they have an entire section of the menu dedicated to filled croissants and that pretty much caught our attention enough to head down to a Three Little Coconut location to give them a try. Three Little Coconut serves up four (4) variations of their croissant; the Plain, Pandan Coconut, Coconut Cream Cheese and the Orh Nee. Being fans of the Yam Paste as we are, we found ourselves going for the Orh Nee Croissant. We aren’t expecting a lot for the Orh Nee Croissant considering how Three Little Coconut / Mr. Coconut isn’t an establishment that is known for its bakes and truth to be told, the croissant as is wasn’t something that is particularly impressive – that being said, it does carry some form of a buttery not; all that with a light and flaky exterior though does appear to be on the flatter side as compared to the more artisanal versions served at other establishments would typically be. That being said, we did find that the croissant is actually fairly well filled with Taro filling despite not being seen to be so when we first sliced it into half — it actually does ooze more Orh Nee with every single bite taken into it. We found the Orh Nee filled within the croissant to be one that surpassed what we had initially expected — smooth with a bit of graininess considering the density of the paste; all that whilst carrying an earthiness that has an underlying savouriness, yet with a fragrance of coconut milk without being particularly sweet.

Meanwhile, we had also tried the Coconut MSW Chendol during the same visit to Three Little Coconut at Plantation Plaza — this item is described in the menu to come with elements such as coconut-flavoured snowy ice, Mao Shan Wang meat, Nyonya Chendol, Red Bean, Gula Melaka and Coconut Cream. The coconut-flavoured snowy ice seems to be the same as what they would serve with their Coconut-Flavoured Snowy Ice series of items; the texture being similar to that of the milk ice that is found in Korean Bingsu. The mix of Gula Melaka and Coconut Cream comes with an earthy sweetness and coconut-y fragrance that further complemented the coconut-flavoured snowy ice to bring it closer to what one would expect out of a typical bowl of Chendol; the Red Bean providing yet another dimension of earthiness and sweetness and came with a paste-like texture being a little soft and lumpy — going well together with the other elements within the bowl. The scoop of Mao Shan Wang flesh comes with a pungent note of durian that one would expect — sweet, buttery and with bitter undertones; all that whilst being fibrous and should do well for those whom love durian in general. The only qualm with the Coconut MSW Chendol was the Pandan jelly; the Pandan jelly served with the Chendol offerings at Three Little Coconut is of the more commercially-made sort with a neon green appearance — lacked of a Pandan fragrance that would have added on nicely to the Coconut MSW Chendol otherwise.

Mr. Coconut is an establishment that has formed a solid foundation in its fairly short run in the local F&B scene thus far; their coconut shakes are famed for being particularly refreshing in our tropical climate, and is well-loved amongst locals looking for a thirst quencher whilst going about. Three Little Coconut further expands on what Mr. Coconut has to offer, and is an establishment that manages to successfully integrate its specialty in coconut into its menu to remain cohesive to their branding. No doubt that there are some elements that we feel could be better executed to provide for a more well-rounded experience with their food items, though considering the type of brand that Mr. Coconut is, their attempts are still fair enough and do satiate if one manages their expectations well where some of the details are of concern. Considering the lack of variety of dessert options at Tengah at this current juncture, Three Little Coconut is a spot that Tengah residents would appreciate having around in their neighbourhood!