High Tea Buffet at Hyatt Regency, Johor Bahru

High Tea Buffet at Hyatt Regency, Johor Bahru

The high tea buffet at Hyatt Regency, Johor Bahru costs RM32 (12noon to 4pm on weekends and public holidays) for each pax.

The taxi ride from the Customs to Hyatt Regency was pretty pleasant, seeing Singapore across Johor Straits was a different perspective to me. Moreover, Hyatt Regency is located at elevated point of Johor. With its surrounding greenery and isolation from buildings and infrastructures, this reminds us of the tranquility of Shangri-la, Singapore.

Entering the cafe reminds us of our visit to Brasserie Les Saverus due to its miniature water fountain and high ceiling.

The selection of savoury dishes is pretty decent, ranging from oxtail soup, porridge, chicken, fish, sotong and noodle soup (approxmately 14 dishes).

There was also a salad bar, sandwiches & bread (with a selection of cheese) and an array of desserts at their high tea buffet.
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Fen's comments

If this buffet is priced at Singapore dollar, I would say it is expensive since I will compare this high tea buffet with Sheraton Towers and Ellenborough Market Café. On the other hand, after taking into consideration the exchange rate between Malaysian dollar and the Singapore dollar, I can't deny the fact that I am tempted to have a weekend getaway in Malaysia. Not to offend, but it is very significant as spending are slashed by more than half.

The savoury dishes are nice and not overly salty nor sweet. The food is not oily nor stale and is replenished pretty often. The style of cooking (i.e. braised, fried, soup. curry) is of a decent range and thus the food aren't cloying despite 2 to 3 servings.

However, the desserts were a complete disappointment since the cakes are pretty rough and hard; the chocolate is not rich enough and the macaron shells are hollow. The only thing I liked from their array of desserts is the molten chocolate cake soaked in chocolate sauce. Apart from that, we didn't finish the desserts we have taken.
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Yuan's comments

For SGD 16++ (10% service charge & 5% govt tax), the Hyatt Regency (JB) provides a good weekend get away. Decent spread of dishes. Do not expect lobsters or oysters but indulge yourself in savoury Malay style cuisine. The overall dinning experience was pleasant as you do not have crowds rushing for food. Also the surrounding greenery and fountain was smoothing to the eyes. However since this is a dessert blog, I would say that the desserts there are disappointing.
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Hyatt Regency Johor Bahru
Jalan Sungai Chat,
P.O. Box 222,
80720 Johor Bahru,
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Tel: +60 7 222 1234

Operating hours - 6am to midnight (daily)
http://johorbahru.regency.hyatt.com/

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Signature dish of Karen Carlotta

Signature dish of Karen Carlotta

Sihan is skeptical of ordering chocolate souffle, to pay $11 (excluding 7% GST and 10% service charge) for a few egg whites is not worth it but we manage to convince her that we have to try their signature dish.

Chocolate Souffle of Pastry Bar is an organic Alto el Sol (65%) Souffle with Sangria, Peach Sorbet. The introduction of Sangria and fruits in this souffle is to bring out a balanced combination of fruity flavours and acidity for a chocolate withy an unparalleled intensity. Moreover, as mentioned in the interview with pastry chef, Ms. Karen Carlotta, dated 2nd November 2008, Ms. Karen feels that this is her signature dish as chocolate souffle with poached peach in Rioja sangria, served with peach sorbet and sangria foam is able to create a real unique taste.

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Fen's comments

When the wrong spoon is served with a small souffle, the moment I attempt to take the first bite of this, it became a complete mess. Next, when this is still warm, the interior of the souffle is so watery that I can't help to think that it is uncooked egg white. After clarifying with the chef of that evening (not Karen), it is due to the introduction of Sangria to the souffle.

I thought the liquid mess was alittle disappointing since the souffle is small and thus the liquid component is about one-third of the souffle. Thus, we fail to enjoy the custardy lift of egg whites.

However, after allowing this to cool, this is my favourite among the desserts we have ordered for last evening but then again, I would prefer to have my souffle from Laurent since it is bigger, more chocolately and not so watery. If Yuan is in the mood for alcoholic souffle, BakerZin's Bailey's Irish Cream Souffle will be his choice as the alcohol introduced did not compromise the texture of the souffle.

Oh, have to give credits to the peach sorbet. It didn't melt fast and provides a refreshing taste for a hot weather like Singapore but still the souffle is so small that the proportion of sorbet and souffle doesn't seem right to me.
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Yuan's comments

This chocolate souffle is kind of wet. As you scoop the souffle, you can see the moistness. This is due to the alcohol content in this souffle making it a little wet. Apart from this, the chocolate and alcohol combination is not bad. However it is not that great to make me travel back to One Rochester again for this dessert.

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The Pastry Bar, One Rochester
One Rochester Park
Singapore 139212
Tel: 6773 0070
http://www.onerochester.com

Operating hours - 6pm to 10.30pm daily
Guests may stay at the Library or balcony area till closing time

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Pastry Bar at One Rochester

Pastry Bar at One Rochester

The Pastry Bar of One Rochester, a wine bar in Rochester Road, was first introduced by Evan when I was debating when to place an order with her. However, we didn't get to meet her as she needs to process her orders but nevertheless we had a nice chat with Sihan and get to know Vicki.

Initially, we couldn't make sense out of its opening hours but eventually we realize that it is actually an extension of an existing restaurant at One Rochester. The entire feel of this place is pretty different, like attending a cocktail party at a posh former Colonial house. The pastry bar, located at the 2nd level is actually the library linked to a balcony. Furnished with leather sofas, printed wallpaper, and chandeliers, we thought that is might be a comfy environment to enjoy cocktails and desserts.

However, for desserts lovers like us, we were completely disappointed with the place. There is no cakes at all and the desserts served at the place are only pastry chef Karen Carlotta’s creations, namely Chocolate Tart ($11), Chocolate Souffle ($11), Rochester Trifle ($11), Chocolate Pear Delight ($10), Melon Mirliton ($9), Baileys Parfait ($11) and Desserts Platter which consists of 4 types of special dessert of the day ($25).

From left: Apple Crumble, Chocolate Pear Delight and Rochester Trifle
Bottom: Baileys Parfait

Apart from Karen's presentation of her desserts, the liquid desserts concocted by Pastry Bar's Mixologist Paul Emmanuel Podisingho was also well mentioned in recent article published in The Business Times on September 20, 2008. The selection includes Apple crumble, Mud pie, Tiramisu, Tutti frutti, MITsago - trio of shooters, Nuts & berries, Jello shots, Chendol, Honeydew sago, Ice-kacang (all at $15++).
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Fen's comments

Personally, I felt that I was misled by what was written in the Business Times article as there wasn't a single cake served in this place. Moreover, this is more to a place for cocktails and wines.

However, if you like desserts that are extraordinary (not necessary nice since some of the desserts served are acquired taste) and don't mind to spend alittle more for a nice ambience, you might want to give this place a shot. But if you are expecting satisfaction from sugar rush and cakes, then this is not a place to go.

I am not being prestigious towards this place but I personally felt that this is overly expensive for me and that the combination of ingredients used in each desserts were too extreme, thereby I find it hard to like it nor finish it. Moreover, the waitress for this evening was pretty grouchy, thus making the atmosphere alittle tense.

I will touch on the Chocolate Souffle ($11) on my next entry since I have a category for souffle.

Liquid desserts... Ahh, was skeptical to order but yet we cannot ignore our curiousity. We settled with Apple Crumble which is basically (as described in the menu) an old-fashioned dessert, with chopped apples, 42below vodka, butterscotch schnapps and sourz apple schnapps, crisp and refreshing with almond-digestive "crust" providing that touch of decadence. But frankly speaking, it tasted like an apple vodka with bits of green apple skin.

Rochester Trifle, consisting of strawberry juice, vanilla gelato, almond croquant, fresh berries. I was amused by the use of disposable pasteur pipettes to hold the strawberry juice. Why chefs just love to use laboratory apparatus for presentation of food? Anyway, the combination is nice, provided that the after-taste is not so sour. It really tasted like yoghurt with sour berries.

Chocolate Pear Delight, said to be one of Karen's signatures, is candied pear in chai tea jelly, crunchy praline flakes, ghana (40%) chantilly; a bold milk chocolate bursting with the fragrance of hazelnuts and a note of caramel. I would have like this without the taste of chai tea but it turned out to be Sihan's favourite. I would say this dessert is an acquired taste due to its strong chai fragrance.

Baileys Parfait, with extra brut crumble, coffee gelee, cocoa nib foam, is Yuan's favourite due to its smoothness of chocolate mousse with its crunchy chocolate crumble. I think I share the same sentiments as Yuan but still didn't tempt me to go back for a second round.

I know my comments sounded pretty harsh but every ingredient used in each dessert was just too extreme and frankly speaking, I think I lack the knowledge to appreciate such desserts. These are definitely not my cup of tea.
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Yuan's comments

This was a blog outing with 2 other fellow bloggers hence we took the opportunity to order 4 out of the 6 desserts listed on their menu.

1. Rochester Trifle - Overall this dessert tasted like yoghurt with cornflakes. Nothing special about this dessert except for its unique appearance and the pipette.

2. Chocolate Pear Delight - This dessert is a mixture of extreme taste. It has chocolate mousse on top, praline in the middle and chai jelly at the base. I really can't appreciate such a wierd combination.

3. Baileys Parfait - As readers would know, I love the chocolate and alcohol combination. Smooth and light chocolate with bailey. This is my favourite among the four, however it will not tempt me to return to the Pastry Bar again as it is simply too expensive and there are cheaper alternatives available.

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The Pastry Bar, One Rochester
One Rochester Park
Singapore 139212
Tel: 6773 0070
http://www.onerochester.com

Operating hours - 6pm to 10.30pm daily
Guests may stay at the Library or balcony area till closing time

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Carrot Cake from Calendar's

Carrot Cake from Calendar's

I first heard about Calendar's Carrot Cake from Jackson's message in the cbox and after Sihan responded to me via cbox that she is a fan of carrot cake and thus I have decided to order a 1-kg cake for sharing. Coincidentally, on the day when I email my enquiry to Calendar's, they were featured in Urban, The Straits Times on Oct 24, 2008.

Available in 1-kg and 2-kg, Calendar's carrot cake, are baked to a perfect degree of moistness, chocked full of freshly grated carrots, chopped walnuts, raisins, blended with just the right amount of spices, then lovingly covered with a layer of pure cream cheese icing devoid of fillers.

Since they are alittle out of the way, I asked about their delivery charges and it is $10 to central and west and $15 to $20 elsewhere.

As for pricing, it is $26 for 1kg and $52 for 2kg, till the end of November 2008 and due to festive periods, it will be $28 from 1st December but according to them, they allow customers to put in booking and pay first for regular cakes for Christmas at $26!

In case you ware wondering how the 2kg cake will look like, She Bakes & She Cooks happens to have an entry on her complimentary carrot cake.
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Fen's comments

I can't believe carrot cake can taste this good and ever since I have tried Cedele's carrot cake, I was antipating for Calendar's carrot cake. As what I have read from the internet, the addition of grated carrot makes the cake so soft and moist. In addition, the cream cheese icing when chilled gives such a refreshing taste.

What makes Calendar's different from Cedele's is that the former is springly and dense. The texture of Cedele's carrot cake is closer to butter cake, which is more porous and crumbles more easily. In addition, the scent of cinnamon in Cedele's is stronger with a more generous serving of walnuts.

I would say both are nice and definitely sends my carrot cake radar switched on. To lay a verdict on which is better, I can't but I would say that if texture is important, Calendar's would fair better. On the contuary, if you prefer spices and walnut, Cedele's is a clear-cut choice.

And reflected on my Carrot Cake's radar are...

• Secret Recipe's carrot slice (I did try this on my boss's birthday but I thought it wasn't extremely fantastic to make me go for a 2nd serving)
• Blue Magnolia's American Carrot Cake

From the 50 yummiest cakes,

• Room for Dessert's Summertime Carrot Cake
• Baker's Creation's Walnut carrot Cake

Readers, do let me know if you have recommendation for carrot cake. I am on a carrot cake spree...
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Yuan's comments

Overall, I would say that this carrot cake is not bad. It has this dense and moist texture. As you bite you will feel chunks of walnut and rasins. However I prefer the Cedele's carrot cake better as I prefer carrot cakes with cinnamon.
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Calendar’s
257 Pandan Loop
#04-00
Singapore 128434
Tel: 6464 0383

Operating hours - 8.30am to 5pm daily
http://calendarcakes.com/

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Chocolate Truffle from Sweet Indulgence

Chocolate Truffle from Sweet Indulgence

After browsing through HungryGoWhere, this is one of the newer additions to their dessert menu. There are only 5 desserts served and that is warm chocolate lava indulgence, durian cheesecake, New York cheesecake, tiramisu and the chocolate truffle.

Since one of my friends don’t like durian while another don’t fancy tiramisu, we settled with another chocolate dessert. This is basically a chocolate mousse in which its chocolate content is not as bitterly sweet nor rich than their warm chocolate lava indulgence. However, I have to give credits to the smoothness of their chocolate mousse. The downside of this dessert is that it lacks a different contrasting layer such as a flourless chocolate cake or hazelnut praline, thereby can be alittle blend when eaten as an entire piece.

Sweet Indulgence
2 Stanley Street
Singapore 068721
Tel: 6223 7707

Operating hours -
10am to 10pm (Mon to Fri, last order at 8:45pm)
12 noon to 10pm (Sat, last order at 8:45pm)

According to the staff, sometimes if there is no dining guests after 8:30pm, they will close early.

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Warm Chocolate Lava Indulgence from Sweet Indulgence

Warm Chocolate Lava Indulgence from Sweet Indulgence

Finally get to go Sweet Indulgence with a group of ex-classmates and this time round, I make sure I stare at the map long enough before going to the wrong direction. This is a bistro restaurant which serves a mix of Italian, French, English and American cuisine and according to HungryGoWhere, this is one of the higher rating Café with a score of 7.2 (26 reviews).

The place is pretty small and as most reviews has mentioned, it is relatively quiet in the evenings. Thus, it is no surprise that we were the only group there chatting and catching up on old times. The place is relatively small and can seat approximately 30 to 36 people with a very comfy environment.

Some of the appetizers and main courses ordered for the evening…
Seafood platter ($18.80) which comprised of sotong, scallops, prawns, mussels and clams
I thought it was alittle steep for serving but I do agree with the bulk of the reviewers that the in-house white wine sauce is really good (even though it is alittle too salty); something different from the conventional fried seafood platter.

Sauté Mushrooms ($9.80)
The sauce is similar to the seafood platter which is a good mix of white wine, olive oil, onions and garlic but the serving of the mushrooms is small as I have came across bigger serving and cheaper price

Caesar Salad ($12.80)
One of the better salads I have tried as the amount of sauce is just right and the lettuce is fresh, juicy and sweet

Chicken Delight ($15.80)
Roasted boneless chicken thigh serve with daily vegetables and mushrooms, tender and yummy enough

Beef Tenderloin ($29.80)
My friend requested it to be medium rare but it was served as medium well. For that price, I would expect the waitress to request the diner to check the steak. The taste of the steak was too salty so I would say it is just average.

Chicken Condon Bleu ($18.80)
This was the star of the evening in which all my friends like it. Something different and unique in which it is boneless thigh stuffed with cheese and ham, deep fried and served with potato mash and Chef's sauce

Braised Lamb Shank ($27.80)
My favourite dish as the meat is tender and juicy that is falls of from the bone with a gentle prod but I thought the mash potato should be served separately since it was kind of soaked in the sauce and thus was alittle unsightly.

Generally, the food is salty, considering the amount of water we have consumed. The ambience is quiet and comfy, thereby giving the exclusiveness to be there. Moreover, the 25% OCBC off the total dinner bill (3pm till 10pm) makes the pricing pretty reasonable (I do find it steep without the discount, considering its serving).

No pictures of the main course and the place since my friends are pretty hungry and that there are good reviews from fellow food blogs such as LadyIronChef, Singapura Daily Makan Photos, Timeless Façade and Foodie Queen.

Ok, now my focus of the entire entry, their warm chocolate lava indulgence ($10.80). This warm chocolate pudding filled with melted dark chocolate, served with tropical fruits and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream definitely impressed everybody at the table.

The moment, the spoon cut into the chocolate cake, the thick and rich chocolate jus oozed out and spread the portion of the plate. Dusted with icing and that it was warmed, the exterior of the pudding is crispy while the interior is soft and sufficiently soaked with the chocolate. A satisfaction to all chocoholics

Nothing fantastic about the vanilla ice-cream since it contains ice crystals but nevertheless, warm chocolate cake eaten with ice-cream is superb. However, some claims that this is a bigger version of the fondant au chocolate from Beard Papa’s with more chocolate. In short, I like it but I am now curious about Bead Papa’s.

Sweet Indulgence
2 Stanley Street
Singapore 068721
Tel: 6223 7707

Operating hours -
10am to 10pm (Mon to Fri, last order at 8:45pm)
12 noon to 10pm (Sat, last order at 8:45pm)

According to the staff, sometimes if there is no dining guests after 8:30pm, they will close early.

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Mango Kakigōri (かき氷) from MOF

Mango Kakigōri (かき氷) from MOF

My first encounter with MOF was dated last year (can’t really remember the actual date) and I thought this is a good place to chit chat and have a dessert. According to wikipedia, Izakaya (居酒屋) refers to casual and relatively cheap places for after-work drinking. I wouldn’t say this is a pub but I do agree that it is a nice place to relax and enjoy Japanese food and desserts at affordable prices.

There are certain dishes in which Yuan and I adored and surprisingly, it is their sushi. At least, we felt that the sushi are made fresh and that they don’t have the stale and hard rice due to extended hours of refrigeration found in take-away counters. In addition, we thought that they are pretty affordable. The other dish that we will never fail to order is their Unagi Hot Stone Rice, particularly when the hot stone is sufficiently heated to create the crispy burnt rice round the sides of the hot stone. Yeh, I know these are carbon but I find that extremely nice.

Anyway, sweet tooth like us will love the extensive selection of Japanese desserts and their selections include a mix and match of soft-serve ice-cream, red bean, green tea, Japanese dumplings and jelly.

Dropped by for lunch for my mum and sister and we settled with only 1 Mango Kakigori since we have ordered too much main course. Each serving costs $6.50 (excluding 7% GST and 10% service charge) or $3.30 when ordered with a main course and DBS credit cards or MOF membership card entitle 10% discount when used separately and 15% discount when used together. Currently, there is a 30% off for a-la-carte or dessert for student with student pass between 2:30pm to 5pm (if I didn’t recall wrongly) at the Marina Square branch.

Kakigori is a refreshing dessert for a hot day and the shaved ice is fine and not overly sweetened by the syrup. As for the ice-cream, Japanese soft-serve typically tastes different from the conventional MacDonald’s ice-cream cone due to the milk used (i.e. MOS burger’s milkshakes have a similar taste). However, the serving is pretty huge and would be good for sharing.

Actually, Yuan and I have tried almost all their desserts but somehow or rather my camera is always not with me. With their new outlet at Lot1, we often swing by to have some sweet treats after dinner and till now I have never gotten sick of their array of desserts.

Ministry of Food, My Izakaya
Center Stage @ Marina Square
6 Raffles Boulevard #02-128E
Singapore 039594Tel: 6334 2202
http://www.ministryoffood.com.sg/

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Macaron Bijoux from Pâtisserie Dessert Couture

Macaron Bijoux from Pâtisserie Dessert Couture

These lovely mini ispahans are also Evan's creations and she gives a funky name to them. Hmm, bijoux refers to anything small and of elegant workmanship and it sure describes it well. All the small things I have received today are so nicely decorated and packaged.

As described by her, Macaron Bijoux is a rose macaron sandwich with rose scented buttercream, a lychee and a ring of fresh raspberries, topped with rose petal and raspberry.

I would say her macaron shells are one of the best I have ever tried. Chewy and not too sweet but the only difference from BakerZin and Carousel lies in the cream she used. The fragrance of rose and lychee is not strong in comparison to the mentioned 2 and it might be better to slice the lychee so as to make it easier to eat everything (i.e. the shells, lychee and cream) together.

I regret not ordering macarons from Evan for this round, I miss her macarons so much. By the way, do drop by her flickr album, I am sorry I couldn't capture a tempting picture of her creations, my bad photography skills. =(

Pâtisserie Dessert Couture
Website - http://dessertcouture.blogspot.com/
Blog - http://bossacafez.blogspot.com/
Photos - http://www.flickr.com/photos/bossacafez/

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Choc raspberry tartlets from Pâtisserie Dessert Couture

Choc raspberry tartlets from Pâtisserie Dessert Couture

I couldn't resist my urge to try all Evan's desserts since I have been frequently her blog. Also, when I heard her talking with Sihan about the different type of chocolates and the existence of real estate chocolates, I have decided to lay my hands on her choc raspberry tartlets.

These are mini tartlets filled with Valrhona 55% equatorial dark chocolate ganache and topped with fresh raspberries, don't they sound tempting?

Evan should really consider baby shower packages and corporate gifts, her packaging is always so lovely. Anyway, back to the tartlets, each has a whole raspberry (pretty generous, I would say) but I thought it would be better to replace it with nuts as the raspberries are pretty sour and dry. In addition, I thought it will be better with some glaze on the raspberries to make it look better.

The tart shells retain its crunchiness despite having the chocolate ganache sitting in the shell for a while. Simply loves the smooth and bittersweet chocolate. With rich, smooth chocolate and a firm, non-soggy tart shells, I cannot stop popping it in my mouth. My family loves it and I wonder do I still have any to spare for my colleague.

However, they are pretty steep when compared to alternative options available in shops. That is the main problem when ingredients are expensive when bought at a small scale.

So envious of Evan's, I can never do it half as good as her. Her photo of these tartlets looks so irresistible. By the way, if you (of course, Evan) have decided to use these chocolate ganache in eclairs, let me know, I will be the first to buy it from you. I simply fall in love with the chocolate.
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Pâtisserie Dessert Couture
Website - http://dessertcouture.blogspot.com/
Blog - http://bossacafez.blogspot.com/
Photos - http://www.flickr.com/photos/bossacafez/

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Lava hot chocolate from U.d.d.e.r.s

Lava hot chocolate from U.d.d.e.r.s

Finally, a non ice-cream entry on U.d.d.e.r.s =)

Decided to try their Lava hot chocolate and each cup costs $3.80.

Till now, my favourite chocolate drinks comes from Max Brenner. Somehow or rather, I don't feel so heaty after gulping down their chocolate granite.

U.d.d.e.r.s. also have their chocolate and milk seperated but in this case, the order is alittle wrong. Usually, we add milk to chocolate to control the amount of milk in the drink but in this case, we have to do it vice-versa since the milk is served in a cup while the chocolate chips is in a bowl. Also, we have to add all the chocolate chips into the milk before it turns cold unlike Suckao.

The amount of chocolate is sufficient but I find it too heaty to finish the entire drink on a hot Saturday afternoon. For a price of $3.80, this is pretty worth it as most at this price resort to using chocolate powder but to avoid having a sore throat, I think I will stick to having a cold chocolate frappe from Max Brenner.
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Yuan's comments

I was really excited when I see the chocolate bits with warm milk. Would this be as good as Max Brenner? After drinking it, I doubt so. I personally feel that the milk is not warm enough, they should actually put it over fondue-like cup which warms the milk for a longer period of time.

Also, I felt that the chocolate is not rich enough and is no different from drinking chocolate milk (i.e. the proportion of milk is too much or rather the chocolate bits is too little).
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U.d.d.e.r.s Ice Cream
155 Thomson Road,
Singapore 307608
Tel: 6254 6629
http://www.udders.com.sg/

Operating hours:
12 noon to 11pm (Sun to Thurs)
12 noon to 12 midnight (Fri, Sat & Eve of PH)

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More on U.d.d.e.r.s

More on U.d.d.e.r.s

Decided to drop by U.d.d.e.r.s for a quick fix of ice-cream. Ta-dah, we had a scoop of Tiramisu and from their liquer section and it costs us a whopping $8.40 since it is a double connoisseur.

Orange Choc Bitters – triple sec, dark chocCome to the Dark Side... Very dark and bitter Belgian chocolate is generously spiced with Triple Sec, an orange liqeur.

Tira-miss-u – authentic italian mascarpone cheese, brandy, cognac... Miss u indeed! One taste of Udders’ interpretation of this classic dessert will leave you pining for more…

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Fen's comments

This time round we had it without the waffle as we have decided to try their lava hot chocolate. Although I am a fan of cocktails (despite me flushing like a well-cooked lobster and that I get tipsy easily), I don't fancy liquer ice-cream as much as Yuan. Thus, as expected between the only 2 chocolate ice-cream available at U.d.d.e.r.s, I would prefer the ChocoMash over the Orange Choc Bitters (triple sec, dark choc).

As for tiramisu, pretty neutral.

P.S. For those who has guessed it, I frequent Novena pretty often, and thus, I am not a die-hard fan of U.d.d.e.r.s. My favourite is still the macademia brittle from Hagan Dazs.

Also, according to Ice, Tom’s Palette (located at Shaw Leisure Gallery) fares much better in home-made ice-cream but I have yet to try it.
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Yuan's comments

Personally, I feel that U.d.d.e.r.s has the best alcoholic ice-cream. The two flavours today has the rum smell and slightly bitter. It is one of the few ice-cream in which you can feel the strong liqeur with a bitter after-taste. ________________________________________________________________

U.d.d.e.r.s Ice Cream
155 Thomson Road,
Singapore 307608
Tel: 6254 6629
http://www.udders.com.sg/

Operating hours:
12 noon to 11pm (Sun to Thurs)
12 noon to 12 midnight (Fri, Sat & Eve of PH)

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No. 17 - Swiss Rolls from Rich & Good Cake Shop

No. 17 - Swiss Rolls from Rich & Good Cake Shop

When I first saw the 50 yummiest cakes article, this didn't come across my mind to pay a visit. First, I don't know where is Kandahar Street and thought it would be somewhere in the East. Second, to make me travel for swiss rolls, I am pretty skeptical. It was only recently when I did my usual internet search on food blogs and cakes that I came across several entries on their Famous Kaya Swiss Roll.

Located in one of the restored, refurbished old shophouse in Kampong Glam, this Muslim quarter was once a historic seat of Malay royalty in Singapore. The former Sultan’s palace has been converted into a Malay heritage centre to showcase the rich history and culture of Singapore’s Malay community. Also located in close proximity of the heritage centre and the confectionary, the Sultan Mosque (or Masjid Sultan), being largest mosque in Singapore, is a landmark one won't miss.

Surprisingly, apart from shops selling Muslim men’s headgear (or songkok), the holy Quran, prayer mats and textiles, the place houses a wide array of eateries, with the bulk of it being Muslim food. I would say it is an eye-opening sight since these heritage places has been overshadowed by the city-life and shopping malls in Singapore.

Despite located in an area that is not easily accessible on normal days, we do see a fair bit of customers walking into an old shop to purchase their swiss rolls. The shop is pretty simple, with a standing fridge filled with boxes of the swiss rolls and nothing much on display but the smell of baking and its stacks of trays and boxes.

As described in the article,

"The name of the shop says it all: Rich and Good. These delicious rolls come in seven flavours: durian, kaya, mango, blueberry, strawberry, chocolate and coffee. All are excellent."

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Fen's comments

Whenever, I come across recommendations on magazines or newspapers, my first impression is that this place must be new and trendy or something unique and different. This definitely comes pretty out of place when placed on the same article with hotels and pâtisserie. In addition, from the information I have collected from various blogs, this seems to be a must-try and thus I have decided to lay my hands on the durian and kaya swiss rolls.

As most described, the swiss rolls are long (i.e. 30cm) and thin with pretty swirls of its filling and moist and soft chiffon. What is good is the overall springy taste without a strong taste of eggs, and usually cakes that are soft are just plain porous. In addition, the amount of cream is not alot and thus, one can easily munch the entire roll without feeling cloying nor sin.

Setting aside that it is nice, but pardon me to say that I wouldn't travel all the way for a slice of swiss roll. With early closing hours (closes before I am off work) and located deep in Kampong Glam, I would gladly drop by Breadtalk to curb my swiss rolls carvings.

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Yuan's comments

This is one of the best swiss roll I have ever eaten. Dense and moist, especially the kaya-flavoured one. What I particularly like about the kaya swiss roll is that the kaya tasted very traditional, reminds me of my childhood days. Highly recommended.

As for the durian swiss roll, it was a total disappointment. The texture of chiffon was there, dense and moist. However, it was just cream with durian essence and barely have the taste of durian pulp (even though it is present in its filling).

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Rich & Good Cake Shop

24 Kandahar Street
Singaopore 198887
Tel: 6294 3324
Operating hours - 8am to 5pm, closed on Sun and PH

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