In a world consumed by ever-changing trends and the pressure to keep up with them, it’s refreshing to see local businesses committed to preserving traditions that have stood the test of time. Asaru Studio quietly opened its doors in Pearl’s Hill Terrace earlier this year, but has been slowly but surely thrust into the spotlight for its Japanese tea and coffee experience, named the Uchi Session ($30).
With more individuals turning away from traditional corporate careers to pursue their lifelong aspirations in the F&B industry, I’m always curious about the results of their kitchen experiments. I was able to check out Mon Cerise Patisserie during its month-long stint at Baker X at Orchard Gateway, a project designed to give aspiring home-based bakers a taste of managing a physical shopfront.
Mon Cerise Patisserie is an online French patisserie founded by home baker Cherry Chiu, who bid the corporate world goodbye and earned her baking chops at Le Cordon Bleu in London. The result is a range of dainty, handmade pastries that change every month!
Les Petite Tarts ($27 for 6 pieces)
Update 19 Jan 2025: Chunky Lobsters has closed.
Chunky Lobsters has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a takeaway kiosk in the CBD, now serving up delicious rolls and seafood dishes at its current home in orchardgateway. Regulars at its previous iterations may also notice that its newest dine-in concept now rocks a fully nautical decor inspired by the rustic lobster shacks of New England.
One of my favourite ways to enjoy durians is in the form of desserts, with their rich, creamy flesh pressed into pastries of all shapes and sizes. And when it comes to the King of Fruits, there is certainly no shortage of patisseries and dessert shops churning out the goods.
The Durian Bakery is one such shop that is making a name with its signature SilkyGold™ Durian Puree, made with MSW and D24 durians to achieve a smooth and perfectly balanced blend for their desserts.
Shake Shack is turning up the heat in Singapore with the debut of the all-new Dark Meat Hot Chicken ($10.80) islandwide on 21 March 2022. First released in the US as a limited-time item in 2017, the spicy chicken sandwich has undergone a few tweaks to become Shake Shack’s first-ever creation featuring dark meat chicken.
Update 19 Jan 2025: Cafe Confetti has closed.
What do you get when you combine traditional kuehs with a hip, modern setting? You get Cafe Confetti! Located a stone’s throw away from Tai Seng MRT, in Leong Huat Building, Cafe Confetti is the culmination of Confect.T’s recent rebrand and transition from online business to physical cafe.
There’s afternoon tea, and there’s afternoon tea if you know what I mean. LE ‘TART’s dessert tarts are so artfully crafted they could well be mistaken for edible works of art!
LE ‘TART is an online confectionary that was founded by Chef John, who cut his teeth in renowned dining establishments such as The Clan, Zafferano Fine Italian Restaurant & Bar, and Four Seasons Hotel and Resort. His journey into the world of tarts started when a custard fruit tart for his mother on Mother’s Day won praise and kickstarted an obsession with tarts of all flavours.
Chue On It 