Scone from Raffles Hotel

Scone from Raffles Hotel

This is probably the largest scone which we tried. In terms of texture it is slightly dry. Taste wise, it does not really stand out from the series of scones which we ate. This huge scone cost $4+ and will certainly fill your tummy. Fen was kind of disappointed when the buttery scent was not strong enough and it does not come with clotted cream (for takeaways) to increase the moistness of the scones.

Ah Teng's Bakery
Raffles Hotel Singapore
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Tel: 6412 1816 (Main Reservation line, request to be transferred to Ah Teng's Bakery)
Website

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Raffles Hotel's Champagne Truffle Mooncake

Raffles Hotel's Champagne Truffle Mooncake

Champagne truffle snow-skin mooncakes has been a popular choice ever since its launch in 1994 by Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Thus, it is not surprising to hear recommendation of this mooncake in most blogs and forums. Unlike the magnetic cardboard boxes, Raffles Hotel adopts a metal tin box that is printed with a Shanghainese lady, giving a very oriental atmosphere to this festival. The purchase of one large baked mooncake or two mini snowskin mooncakes will entitle a small metal box with the same print, making a nice simple gift for friends.

On the first bite, the powdered snowskin is soft and smooth. Champagne is not overpowering and is nicely infused in the lotus paste. As for the core, it is just a white chocolate ball, not extremely smooth but it does provides a contrasting taste when eaten together with the snowskin and lotus paste. It is understandable why this is highly recommended by fellow foodies.

A box of 8 Champagne Truffle Mooncakes will cost $52+ while individual pieces will cost $9+. For assorted mini snowskin selection, they will be charged as individual pieces and will be about $66+.

Personally, if one doesn't mind the absence of champagne, my vague impression of 大中国's 冰皮白莲蓉 and 白莲蓉月饼 for last year (both Baked and Snowskin Lotus Paste Mooncake) are cheaper (about $28 for 4 pieces) but yet the taste is not compromised. The lotus paste is smooth and the snowskin is just as tender and soft like what Raffles Hotel has to offer.

Raffles Hotel Singapore
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Tel: 6412 1122
Website for Mooncake promotion
Raffles Hotel's website

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Bar & Billiard Room, Raffles Hotel

Bar & Billiard Room, Raffles Hotel

Buffet Lunch at Bar & Billard is distinctive western. You will not find any local cusine in this buffet. As requested by the hotel, we did not take any photos of the buffet table. Hence the spread is taken at our table.

Appetizers served include: Homemade Smoked Salmon, Parma Ham, Gammon, Vegetable Gazpacho, Marinated and Grilled Assorted Vegetables. Soup served include Leek and Potato Cream and Chicken Soup

Homemade bread with Mon's cheese

Appetizers

There is also a seafood Station consisting of Poached King Prawn, Oysters, Steam Mussels Mariniere Style, Sweet Claims and Mud Crab.

Oysters with smoked salmon

Clams & Mussels

Not forgetting the Pasta Station whereby the chef will prepare pasta of your choice on the spot. I chose the Carbonara.

Carbonara

Main Course includes: Pan-fried Salmon on the Skin with Champagne Sauce, Broccoli and Caulifower Gratin with Comte Cheese, Scallops in Sweet Wine Sauce, Pan Fried Chicken Flavoured with Tarragon, Braised Beef with Carrot Confit. Also do not miss out their carving Live station where they have the chef selection of fish and meat based on the daily market.

Pan-fried Salmon on the Skin with Champagne Sauce

Desserts served include: Vanilla and Grape Bread Pudding, Apple Cinnamon and Rasin Crumble and selection of their in house cakes.

Desserts

Overall if you are looking for spread, lobster, meat etc, you would probably be disappointed with this buffet. What this buffet offers is its ambience as the whole deco is similar to those old colonial houses. If you asked me what was memorable in this buffet, it would be the carbonara (seldom you find such excellent carbonara on a buffet table), veal (so tender and juicy) as well as the scallops (succulent, well-marinated and big).

Bar & Billiard Room
Raffles Hotel Singapore
1 Beach Road S(189673)
Tel 6337 1886
Website

Feed At Raffles American Express -
2 Adults entitles 50% Disc
3 Adults entitles 33% Disc
4 Adults entitles 25% Disc
5 to 10 Adults entitles 20% Disc

Citibank - 15% discounts up to 24 persons
UOB Generic - 5% up to 24 persons
UOB Platinum - 10% up to 24 persons

Lunch buffet is served from 11:30am to 2pm (Mon – Sat) @ S$58.00++ per adult & S$35.00++ per child
High Tea is served from 3:30pm to 5pm (Sat) and 4.00pm to 5.30pm (Sun & Public Holiday) @ S$38++/Adult and S$25++/Child
Dinner buffet is served from 7pm to 10pm (Mon – Sat) @ S$72.00++ per adult & S$44.00++ per child

International Seafood Champagne Brunch are available from 11am to 3:15pm on Sun at the following prices
@ S$148.00++ per Adult with Free of Flow of Rose Champagne, Bloody Mary and Freshly Squeezed Juices
@ S$138.00++ per Adult with Free of Flow of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, Bloody Mary and Freshly Squeezed Juices
@ S$108.00++ per Adult with Free of Flow Bloody Mary and Freshly Squeezed Juices.
@ S$51.00++ per Child with Free Flow of Freshly Squeezed Juices.

Note that there are two seatings, with the First Seating from 11am to 1pm and Second Seating at 1:15pm to 3:15pm

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Chocolate Decadence Cake From Seah Street Deli

Chocolate Decadence Cake From Seah Street Deli

Alright, Ah Teng's bakery didn't satisfy our cake carvings and thus we finally settle our Friday evening at Seah Street Deli. Many blogs have mentioned about this place, including the LadyIronChef and Camemberu.

Didn't expect to find such a light-hearted restaurant in the heart of Singapore CBD area. Opening the doors really bring a very light-hearted feeling, the waiters and waitresses presents their broadest smile with their red caps and jumper suits. Wow, with the jukebox and the typical New-York style setting, you just can help but to Rock and Roll ONLY IF the music is louder. I guess Friday was after all a good time to drop this restaurant a visit.


Had the TriBeCa which contains a beef patty, broiled with parma ham, cheddar cheese, tomato, portobello mushroom and lettuce (180g, $18.40) and the Broadway, a combination of quarter roasted chicken and half a rack of baby pork ribs ($19.90). But since this is a cake or rather a dessert blog, I think I will not post the pictures until I have more burgers to compare. Generally, the portobello mushrooms in the burger is solid but I thought the burger from Oh Carol! at biopolis is better. As for the ribs, just too tough but the chicken is tender and juicy.


Anyway, claims to be the all-time favourite dessert, how can we resist not ordering the chocolate decadence cake ($11.90).

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Fen's comments

After eating so many cakes and attempting to pay to the finest attention to all the lovely pastries, Yuan declared that the cake is not going to be good. Haha, prove himself wrong.

Recall our definition of haunting desserts, this cake is gigantic but it didn't stop us from clearing every single bit of it. Know what is the pros of this cake, it is not very sweet.

With alternating layers of chocolate mousse and chocolate cake with a thin layer of raspberry puree, this chocolate mousse has a texture which is in between the creamy chocolate mousse of Aroma's Valrhona Chocolate Mousse Cake and the rich + smooth chocolate layer of Canele's Gateaux Chocolat. I purposely highlight these 2 examples is to show the extremes between high chocolate content and the texture of the chocolate mousse. So in a way, this cake has the best of both, with a rich and relatively high chocolate content but not compromising its texture. Not a bad deal huh?

But it wouldn't be the best chocolate mousse I have ever tried despite my praises as the chocolate sponge lacks the springy and soft texture like the Chocolate Amer of BakerZin.

This is what happens when you go into so much details... Hai, since when eating cakes has ended writing a lengthy comment...

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Yuan's comments
First look at this cake and I concluded that this will be similar to the typical flourless chocolate cake. Indeed it does taste like the flourless chocolate cake except that it is actually softer than Canele's Gateaux Chocolat. It has a slightly chewy feeling as well. I guess this cake would be better than most other flourless chocolate cakes as I actually finished it with ease. I think the main reason would be that Raffles Hotel Cakes are generally not sweet thus you will not feel so sin after eating the whole cake. I would say it deserve something like 7/10.
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Seah Street Deli
Raffles Hotel Singapore
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Tel: 6412 1816

Operating hours -
Sunday to Thursday - 11.00 am to 10.00 pm
Friday, Saturday and eve of public holidays - 11.00 am to 11.00 pm

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Sliced cakes at $4.50 nett

Sliced cakes at $4.50 nett

So far, hotels' cakes have not disappointed us and thus we have decided to drop by Ah Teng's bakery. Located in Raffles Hotel, this hotel was declared a National Monument in 1987 and reopens after restoration in 1991 (Raffles Hotel opened in 1887 in a rather sombre-looking old bungalow).

Located side-by-side with the Empire Cafe, the bakery adopted a typical 1920s Singapore coffee house style. Anyway, it was a little confusing as entering the bakery leads us to the warm welcome of the Empire cafe. Yes, ended having a pricey local fare...

Here are some of the sliced cakes available off the shelf. Starting from the left, Banana slice, Tiramisu, Manjari Chocolate, Chocolate Fudge...

Briefly, some description...
Tiramisu - Mascapone cheese cream, gelatine, egg yolk, coffee syrup (Nescafe powder), Vanilla sponge, honey...

Manjari chocolate - Strawberry cosume (jelly), Vanilla cream, Raspberry jam, Chocolate sponge, Manjari chocolate mousse, Hazelnut sable (biscuit)

Chocolate Fudge - Chocolate sponge, chocolate ganache

Chocolate cheesecake, Ambroiser, Willams...

Ambroiser - Chocolate mousse with no cake content (similar mousse used as chocolate fudge)

Willams - Pear-flavoured mousse with chocolate sponge

Fruit tart and Croquant...
Croquant - Peanut butter infused chocolate cake, chocolate and vanilla mousse

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Presenting Fen's choice from the array of cakes... Manjari chocolate

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Fen's comments

Regret not sticking to Yuan's choices, he actually picked Willams and Croquant but he preferred me to have a cake of my choice. Damn, this wasn't up to my expectation at all. Although it is a unique combination of Vanilla cream, Raspberry jam, Chocolate sponge, Manjari chocolate mousse, Hazelnut sable (biscuit). The overall texture was pretty yucky.

Actually, the way I savour my pastries will indicate how much I like it. If I take it by mouthful and allow every single bite to melt in my mouth, that is fantastic. But in this case, I was seperating the different layers and dumping it into my mouth in huge chunks in a pretty fast mode...

The vanilla cream is pretty rich and has a custard-like or rather a thickened texture. It is very smooth and there is no sign of any grainy after-taste. Manjari chocolate mousse was ok on its own, chocolate content was just right but the chocolate sponge and hazelnut biscuit spoils the entire thing. The sponge wasn't soft and springy enough while the hazelnut biscuit was not crunchy at all. Give me the impression that this has been exposed to air and moisture, and that its has started to lose its potency.
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Yuan's comments

I think this cake is your typical neighbourhood confectionery cake. A layer of jam over the top, vanilla cream and chocolate mousse. Well, maybe slightly better then your neighbourhood cakes as it is vanilla cream and not fresh cream. Nonetheless the strength of this cake is that it is not sweet hence a healthier choice. But it will not curb your cake craving. I think this would not be a cake that i will try again.

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Ah Teng's Bakery
Raffles Hotel Singapore
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Tel: 6412 1816

Operating hours - 7:30 am to 10.45 pm (Daily)
Website

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Croquant - A peanut butter cake

Croquant - A peanut butter cake

If you were to compare this and Manjari Chocolate, the combination is pretty similar. You have chocolate mousse, chocolate sponge, vanilla cream with peanut butter and a layer of hazelnut biscuit.

However, something makes this taste much better than Manjari Chocolate. Maybe it is the order but it gives me the impression that it is fresher since the moisture content is much higher than Manjari chocolate. In addition, the absence of the strawberry jam enhances the overall chocolate and vanilla combination.

Last but not least, although I am not a peanut butter fan but this cake is really nice with the peanut butter. Since the texture of peanut butter is sticky and thicker, it stands out pretty much within the vanilla cream even though the amount is not alot.

I would say this is worth a try. Something different and not too sweet.
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Yuan's comments

This is the first peanut butter cake which i have tried. Chocolate Mousse + Vanilla Cream + Peanut butter = excellent combination. However if you are looking out for rich chocolate mousse, this would be a disappointment. As i mentioned before, Ah Teng's cakes have a milder and lighter taste than other cake shops. Though it is nice, this cake may not curb your cake craving. Nonetheless I would say this cake is worth a try.
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Ah Teng's Bakery
Raffles Hotel Singapore
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Tel: 6412 1816

Operating hours - 7:30 am to 10.45 pm (Daily)

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