FATCAT Ice Cream Bar @ Bedok North

Just when our eyes glazed over and we thought to ourselves, “Not another generic waffles and coffee place,” FATCAT surpassed the local cafe game, taste and concept wise. Think gourmet ice cream and plated desserts in the least likely places – Bedok.

At the start of 2015, my Instagram feed exploded with pretty desserts and fluffy charcoal waffles flowing with liu sha, igniting my curiosity in this not-so-hidden-gem in the east. Well, it’s been three months since its official opening, and the crowds (and pre-opening queues) have NOT died down.

Part of that could be attributed to the limited quantities of plated creations that are one of FATCAT’s claim to fame. According to an insider, the menu changes everyday depending on the kind of ingredients the kitchen gets. Some of the items that initially got a lot of attention aren’t there anymore, too. Time to grab those Instagram worthy goodies while you can!

Normally I would balk at paying more than $4 for a meal in the heartlands, much less a bite of dessert, but the famous spheres are one exception I’m willing to indulge in after today’s taste test. When FATCAT first opened, there was a hell lot of hype about the Lime Mojito Spheres. Sadly, I didn’t get to try them, but what I did get my hands on was one of the last two Piña Colada Spheres.

At $4.50, this is as good as it gets. Not only is it a feast for the eyes, but it also explodes with an orgasmic medley of flavours when you bite into the skin. Compared to the tartness of the pineapple wedge, the sphere had an intense sweetness that just melted into my tongue. Not to mention the flower garnish which added an extremely interesting texture to the overall taste of the sphere. DO NOT ATTEMPT to bite it; just swallow it whole and savour the experience! 😉

For something more substantial, the Banana Nutella is a mean combination of caramelized bananas (duh), Hay & Honey ice cream, and Nutella soil – yes, you heard me right. Nutella soil. Someone’s definitely gotten fancy.

Hay & honey, a flavour I’ve never tried before, was surprisingly refreshing with a hint of sweetness, and balanced out the heaviness of the caramelized bananas. It’s a pretty generous serving, so it’s best to share between two people.

And of course, what cafe is complete without waffles? 😉 There are two kinds, the normal (with chocolate sauce) and the gourmet waffles which are charcoal based and served with salted egg yolk custard sauce.

I wasn’t quite sure how the sauce would turn out on the medley of flavours available at FATCAT, so I played it safe this time and got Vanilla and Banana Caramel (there isn’t a right number of flavours per se despite what your Instagram feed tells you, but DON’T QUEUE BEFORE OPENING TIME AND GET JUST THE WAFFLE).

Holy crap. I obviously underestimated their ice cream. When I bit into the banana caramel scoop, I thought I was actually eating a banana. And the waffle? It stayed fluffy throughout, even when it was soaked with the ice cream and sauce. I can’t say I’m a big fan of liu sha with ice cream per se, but it was interesting enough to warrant a second try if I ever get the chance. 😉

FATCAT hit the spot in all aspects for me. My only complaint is that they could do with more space – it’s clear that the place has more traffic than it can keep up with at peak hours, although the staff are pretty efficient in handling the crowd. Hopefully I’ll get to enjoy more of FATCAT’s creations at a more relaxed time, perhaps without inadvertently eavesdropping on a neighbouring table’s boisterous exchange. 😛

Address: Bedok North Avenue 2, 01-25
Opening hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday: 12pm – 10pm
Friday and Saturday: 12pm – 11pm
Closed on Tuesday
Contact: 6241 0830 (no reservations)

Website/Facebook
Menu (plated desserts vary daily)

Directions: