Kyushu Pancake Cafe

I have to confess. I have a slight obsession with Kyushu Pancake Cafe, to the extent that I have been there once every weekend for the last three weekends, partly also because I was using the Burpple Beyond deal.  

A Mujiesque interior with a cosy feel. Wooden furniture and minimalist, with lots of sunlight.

There is a documentary showing on the television, which is played on loop. It was part of a year long project where the videographer's team visited each farm where the grains were grown as they traced the activities from the sowing of seeds to harvesting. It is a bit of a brain washing because after visiting it a few times, we now can hum the jingle at home, and who can ignore lyrics about pancakes!



Made from seven grains grown in the Kyushu province, and 100% raw sugar from Okinawa and Kagoshima, these deceptively simple looking pancakes are on different level. We tried a couple of pancakes so far, and my favourite is the Berry-Licious Waffle ($16.90). It is on the pricey side and we would have settled for the cheaper Kyushu Good Ol' Classic ($7.90) if not for the Burpple deal (I think Burrple Beyond is less transparent than many food apps but that is a story for another day). Once you eat them, you don't feel like eating McDonald's hotcakes anymore. They are dense in texture, yet light enough not to taste like cake. The generous berries compote and ice cream give the pancakes the necessary moisture. When we ate the Kyushu Good Ol' Classic on one occasion, we felt that the pancakes were a little dry.

This cafe is kids friendly where they have a collection of books for children available near the entrance. If you wish to make pancakes at home, you can also buy the premix. Other random goods like wooden plates for children are also available for sale. Good pancakes, just on the pricey side.

Kyushu Pancake Cafe 
Novena Regency
275 Thomson Road
#01-08
Tel: 6352 6265 

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Tom's Palette Ice Cream

We last ate at Tom's Palette Ice Cream 6 years ago and had good memories of this place. On a Saturday night, we braved the queue for some good ice cream. 

This time, we decided to up our game and order their French Waffles with a scoop of ice cream. We had to wait 15 minutes for our waffles and that was fine because they informed us at the point of ordering. However, we were served disappointment on a plate. Ice cream parlours typically sell Belgian waffles and I was totally prepared for the French Waffles to taste different. What I didn't expect was an exterior which was half-heartedly crispy, and an interior that tasted like some cardboard pancake pre-mix or some bad homemade recipe for waffles. The After Eight ice cream scored much better with its bitter chocolate and refreshing mint. Spending around $10 for this combo was certainly a bad decision.

Order the ice cream, but forgo the waffle.

Tom's Palette Ice Cream 
Shaw Tower
100 Beach Road
#01-25
Tel No: 6296 5239 

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Double Scoops

Every time a waffle craving strikes, we head over to Salted Caramel or Double Scoops.

It's always nice to see ice cream shops in the heartlands so you don't have to specially make a trip to town just to satisfy your ice cream craving. The prices at Double Scoops are also reasonable compared to other good gelato shops.

There is a chill vibe in the cafe, with plenty of natural light.

We always order the Waffle ($4) with a scoop of ice cream ($3.50). There is an additional charge of $0.50 for premium flavours. We have tried a few flavours at the cafe, including After Eight and Mao Shan Wang.

The Waffle is a star- it is thick, fluffy and crispy on the outside. The fragrance of the waffle always drifts to our table even before the waffle reaches our table. I used to say that Salted Caramel has the best waffles but I think this is a real contender. The ice cream here is the real stuff- smooth, not too sweet and always has some fruit / nuts / chocolate bits (or other food related to the ice cream) in it.

If you are in the area and craving ice cream and/or waffles, you should certainly head over to Double Scoops.

Double Scoops 
Block 226A Ang Mo Kio Ave 1
#01-627
Tel No: 6452 0208 

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Tiong Bahru Bakery (Raffles City)

Tiong Bahru Bakery used to be crowded all the time at its Eng Hoon branch. It was therefore good news when they set up branches in the city as well. 

After a heavy lunch, we decided to get some dessert. I got an Almond Croissant ($4.20). I didn't use to be a fan of croissants because to me, they were just pastry loaded with butter. However, recently I tried the almond croissants at AM Bakery and got hooked onto it. The Almond Croissant here is flaky, crispy and dense with almond paste, with a generous sprinkling of sliced almonds on the exterior. 

We also had a Lemon Tart ($6.10). The sweetness and sourness of the lemon tart were well balanced, with neither overpowering the other. It made for a nice post-lunch perk-me-up.

Tiong Bahru Bakery 
Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road
Singapore 179103
Tel No: 6333 4160 

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Kki Sweets

The first thought that I had when I stepped into Kki Sweets was, this place is so Muji-esque. Light wood with gentle lighting, so welcoming and warm. 

You have to place an order first before they will allocate a seat to you. 

I ordered the Little Red Riding Hood ($9.80), which consists of a dark chocolate mousse with a raspberry centre. No doubt, the dessert looked dainty and exquisite (look at that beautiful shine). There was also nothing to complain about the taste- rich, smooth dark chocolate, with a tinge of raspberry. But I can't help but feel that this is a little overpriced. Perhaps I was looking at a dessert that would surprise me, like the desserts at Mad About Sucre.

Kki Sweets 
#02-01 School of The Arts
1 Zubir Said Drive
Tel No: 6225 6650 

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Smoothie House (One Raffles Place)

Smoothie House is a popular shaved ice store that originates from Taiwan. It is located next to my favourite vegetarian place in Raffles Place- Green Dot, which is very packed during lunch time. 

Smoothie House has a few branches in Singapore and One Raffles Place is your safest bet on a weekend to enjoy your dessert in complete peace because human traffic is very low on weekends. 

We ordered a Tiramisu & Red Beans Snowflake Ice with Panna Cotta ($12.90). The combination of tiramisu and red beans might strike one as being a strange one, but it turned out to be an enjoyable dessert. The soft-like-snow ice had tiramisu flavour, and there were abundant pieces of lady fingers (although they were dry, instead of the usual ones in your tiramisu which are soaked in coffee liquor) and little bits of chewy mochi. Mop that up together with the red bean and it will be the perfect way to round off a meal. I would recommend sharing the dessert because it's a rather large portion.

Smoothie House 
One Raffles Place
#03-25
Singapore 048616
Tel No: 6582 1025

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Dazzling Cafe

Decked in Tiffany blue, Dazzling Cafe had long queues forming when it first opened at Capitol Piazza. Dazzling Cafe originates from Taiwan and is known for its shibuya toasts. 

This is your typical pretty cafe- little pots of flowers, whimsical decoration and random quotes on the wall.

We ordered a Black Chocolate Honey Toast ($17.90) to share which consisted of strawberries and a scoop of chocolate ice cream. I very much preferred the shibuya toast at After You in Bangkok. The shibuya toast here was decent but a little dry and not fluffy. Also, I don't know whether it was because we were sitting directly under the sun that the ice cream melted at an astounding rate such that a pool of chocolate liquid quickly formed on the toast.

It's a place where you can take pretty pictures to your heart's content, but I wouldn't come here again for its desserts.

Dazzling Cafe
Capitol Piazza
15 Stamford Road
#01-85

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Simplicite Cafe

I have been to Simplicite Cafe twice, once after eating at the nearby Al Forno, and the other after a meal at Beach Road Prawn Mee. Both times, the place was relatively empty with only a table or two being occupied. 

Clean with minimalist decor, this place is an ideal location to spend your afternoon just talking about life. You should check their facebook page for their opening hours though- it seems that their opening hours change frequently.

We ordered a Waffle with 1 scoop of ice cream ($8.50). The passion fruit ice cream was not too sweet and contained the little bits of passion fruit seeds. To up the fun factor, they have a mysterious flavour for you to guess- no prizes even if you guess correctly though! This waffle is definitely one of the better ones- my benchmark is Gelare's waffle. Rewind more than 10 years ago when cafes were not selling waffles, Gelare's waffles was a rare treat then. This waffle is comparable to Gelare's.

Service here was warm and sincere. I only hope that they last long enough because the foot traffic here seems pretty low.

Simplicite Cafe 
425 East Coast Road
Singapore 429012
Tel No: 6440 9148 

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Jogurtz

It is no secret that Old Airport Road Food Centre is my favourite hawker centre in Singapore. Besides the popular stalls selling the traditional hawker food like char kway teow, hokkien mee etc, we now see more food stalls catering to the younger crowd. There is now a coconut ice cream stall and a frozen yoghurt bar. 

The yoghurt served here looks like that of llao llao's. 

We chose a large ($5), which entitles us to 1 topping, 2 fruits and 2 fruits/toppings. The selection was limited compared to what you would see at llao llao but it was still a decent selection. For the fruits, we got lychee and blueberries. For toppings, we got some Maple Pecan granola and Cranberry Almond Crunch. The yoghurt was then drizzled with chocolate sauce. For $5, it is a good option to get your yoghurt fix if you happen to be in the neighbourhood.

Jogurtz
Old Airport Food Centre
51 Old Airport Road
#01-129 

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Mad About Sucre

I have not read a single bad review on Mad About Sucre and decided to head down to check what the hype was about. 

The moment you step in, you feel the passion and pride that the owners have in their cakes. Eric will take the time to explain to you the characteristics of each cake and how you are supposed to eat them to enjoy them. 

There was a corner displaying the owner's creations. Intricate, classy and elegant - the unifying theme behind the crafting of these cakes. No premixes used, only organic flour and unprocessed raw sugar.

We started off with the Coco Citron ($10.80). Before sinking our forks into the Coco Citron, Eric told us that this was not meant to be the overly sour kind of lemon tart. For those who like your lemon tart sour, this isn't for you. There was a seamless blend between the coconut mousse and the smooth and light lemon curd. What was really interesting and brought this dessert to one level up was the use of the crystal drops (sugar)- not only were these visually appealing, they provided a nice crunch to the otherwise smooth dessert.

As a fan of dark chocolate, there was no way I was going to give the San Domingue ($12.80) a miss. The presentation of this dessert was an art on its own. A chocolate jewel box with rum in it, coupled with a chocolate ball consisting of 70% dark chocolate mousse and plantain, sitting on a brittany base. This was simply rich and decadent.

The desserts here are not something that I will splurge on on a regular basis. Yet, if you want to splurge on art camouflaged as desserts, this is a good choice.

Mad About Sucre 
27 Teo Hong Road
Singapore 088334
Tel No: 6221 3969

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Churros Factory

When we were in Seoul, we saw shops selling churros at every corner. While this snack has not invaded Singapore as quickly as the Korean bingsoos, it is getting more common to see shops selling churros.

Set up by former S-League star Jeremy Chiang, the shop was packed on a weekend evening.

We decided to get 3 churros ($4). Tasting like you tiao (deep fried dough fritters) with ridges, the churros coated in chocolate sauce and lightly sprinkled with cinnamon sugar were piping hot when served. Before the churros were served, I asked my friend to take 2 so that I consume less fats. In the end, I took 1.5 pieces because they were pretty addictive snacks.

It felt a little sinful to consume these churros because they are deep fried and drizzled with chocolate sauce- we washed down the guilt with some honey lemon tea from gong cha after that.

Churros Factory 
112 Katong Mall
#B1-26

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Salted Caramel

I seldom go to Thomson area and since I went there to try the meepok at Meng Kitchen (which my friend swears is one of the best meepok around- he seldom resorts to superlatives), I decided to try Salted Caramel.

It is no secret that ice cream shops like to hire good-looking and friendly people to scoop ice cream. Everytime we are in the Bukit Timah area, some guy will always say, "Let's go to Island Creamery."

Some time back, a friend and I walked past a shop which had a notice pasted on its door seeking friendly and cheerful servers. I asked my friend if he thinks they will hire me. All he could offer was a hearty laughter coupled with a mildly apologetic look and that ended the conversation.

I had the Waffle with Raspberry Sorbet + Chocolate ($9.10). This is one of the better tasting waffles I have tried so far- not burnt, crispy sides with a fluffy interior. The ice cream was also delightful- especially the combination we picked- bitter, sweet and sour all at once. They also have a whole assortment of interesting flavours like Yuzu Ginger, Peanut Butter etc.

Seating was a little tight here but the waffle will be worth the wait.

Salted Caramel
246G Upper Thomson Road
Tel No: 6753 1718 

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Bunny and Pony

Here's an IQ question: 1, 2, 4, 8- what comes after that? 

Good. Now that you have got it, here's another IQ question. Dinner- what comes after that? Bingo! Dessert, of course! 

After dinner in the vicinity, we decided to get some dessert and chanced about this interesting cafe Bunny & Pony. 

Cosy interior with friendly servers.

The Waffle with a Scoop of Ice Cream ($8.40) was an utter disappointment. There is a thin line between creating a waffle with a crispy exterior and creating a burnt one. This was a case of the latter. Crispy, yes. But burnt, yes too. I didn't enjoy eating the waffles with a slightly burnt taste. The saving grace was the Coffee Oreo Ice Cream- rich and generous with chunks of Oreo.

Bunny & Pony 
Blk 1 Changi Village Road
#01-2000

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The Tiramisu Hero

The Tiramisu Hero scores full marks for its novelty factor and instagrammable decor. Look at that sprightly artificial turf! 

Adorable pictures of Sir Antonio adorn the walls of the cafe. Who's Sir Antonio? A Roman street cat by birth. Went on a trip to Venice. Stumbled upon tiramisu. I was especially captivated by those gold lights- they add such a whimsical note to everything!

We got the Mommahero ($7.50). You can pick your flavours- Original, Strawberry, Lemon, Lemon Lavender, Cinnamon, Chocolate and Milo Horlicks Ovaltine. Being the boring people we were, we opted for the Original. Anything that is put in a mason jar just looks so pretty. However, I think the issue with having tiramisu in a jar is that you don't get even scoops of the soaked lady fingers due to the curvature of the mason jar. While it was decent, I think the one at L'Atelier Tiramisu was a lot more memorable. The coffee taste in this jar was slightly lacking.

The Tiramisu Hero

121 Tyrwhitt Road 

Tel No: 6292 5271 

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Windowsill Pies

I wanted to go to Windowsill Pies for the longest time but kept procrastinating because it was a little out of the way. Finally, we decided to cover a few eateries at Jalan Besar and needless to say, this was one of the stops. 

Whimsical interior with a dash of fairy tale elements. I wish I could move that Christmas tree home because it looked like it came right from a children story book! Their website is also incredibly simple with beautiful hand-drawn pictures of their pies.

We ordered the Strawberry Lemon Pie ($7). The lemon curd which was sour with a tinge of sweetness jolted me wide awake.  Just imagine yourself on a beach holiday overlooking the Pacific Ocean- a book in a hand and a fork in the other just to wipe up this tart which tastes like summer.

We seldom go back to a place unless we really like it. This, is one of those that we will revisit for its ambience and delicious tarts. Friendly service as well.

Windowsill Pies 
78 Horne Road
Tel: 9004 7827 

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JC Coffee Houzz

It was Sunday evening and only one table in this cafe was occupied. Now, I've got a real issue with the word "Houzz"- it sounds too secondary school to be used as part of a cafe name! Those days where "z" was added behind every single word. However, other than that, this is a place I hope will make it somehow. 

A very cosy interior with space big enough for to host gatherings. I may be biased, but I really liked this place also for the music that was playing. Once I heard the first few songs, I declared, WHOEVER CHOSE THE SONGS HAS THE SAME MUSIC TASTE AS ME. Field of Gold, Because of You, Close to You etc. That instantly bumped up my liking for this place.

We were there after dinner so we didn't try their main courses. This cafe offers a wide variety of food- dim sum, Western food etc.

We settled for a Waffle with Double Scoop Ice Cream ($10.80). The waffle was a little too hard and was lacking the eggy fragrance of good waffles. Lychee ice cream was a tad on the sweet side but the salted caramel was fine.

There is potential for this place to grow in this sleepy neighbourhood. And I hope it makes it. Going back one day to try the main courses!

JC Coffee Houzz
149 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427427
Tel No: 8161 0149

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Boomarang Bistro & Bar (Circular Road)

We had an unsatisfying lunch along Circular Road on a Sunday afternoon where 3/4 of the shops were closed. 

Since the meal wasn't great, we decided to go for some desserts to cure the lunch-wasn't-great syndrome 

Not feeling very confident on how the desserts here were (since we have never tried it), we decided to go ahead anyway since we already had a not-so-good lunch. 

We popped in and decided to have the Housemade Dessert ($8). The staff told us that it was a cappuccino slice served with vanilla ice cream. Sure, cappuccino and ice cream, guess it can't be that bad! We also requested to change the vanilla ice cream to chocolate ice cream instead. 

Turned out, eating the Cappuccino Slice was like skipping on rainbows and breathing in sunlight. Alternating between layers of cappuccino ice cream, chocolate and cake, this was a much better version of Swensen's ice cream cake. Couple that brain freeze with more Haagen Daaz chocolate ice cream, this ice cream combination was sinful and decadent. 

Boomarang Bistro & Bar 
52 Circular Road
Singapore 049407

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Wheeler's Yard

The hipster quotient for this place just shot through the roof. When we first reached, one of us said, "Is this place open?" Turns out it was, just that the entrance was just round the corner. 

Situated in a factory, Wheeler's Yard sells bicycles and food- that's a combination that is probably the first in Singapore.

We went here after lunch so we decided to settle for drinks and desserts, which unfortunately fell flat of our expectations. 

We should have known since the cakes were left at one side of the counter and were not listed on the menu itself. 

The Lemon Tart here was average with the pie crust tasting like it was bought off the shelves of a supermarket. 

The Tiramisu had a proportion of lady fingers : cheese that I didn't like. For the same price, L'Atelier Tiramisu beats this hands down. The coffee taste was weak. A completely forgettable tiramisu.

Service is incredibly slow when they are operating at full capacity. Interesting place, but one visit is more than sufficient.

Wheeler's Yard
28 Lorong Ampas
Tel No: 6 254 9128 

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