Origin + Bloom (Singapore, SINGAPORE) ★★★☆☆

I'm planning to spend the entire afternoon at Jewel but not before I indulge myself in a sweet breakfast at the Marina Bay Sands first. Despite visiting Singapore every year since my little nugget was borned, I have never entered the lobby of the skyscraping hotel once. Yes, I have visited the shoppes downstairs a number of times, even walked past the passage from Garden By the Bay through the hotel's Sky Garden but never once did I have the temptation to enter the hotel. This was the perfect chance to finally do it as I have about an hour to burn before taking off to Changi International Airport.  



I was running around the hotel looking for Sweet Spot, the hotel deli and cake shop but only to find out that it's been re-launched as Origin + Bloom, a European-inspired patisserie. Let's see what they've got for me for breakfast here.

Executive Pastry Chef Antonio Benites cut his teeth at Pierre Hermé Paris and most recently Joël Robuchon Sentosa so expectation was sky high to say the least.



Mango (mango shaped mousse cake on the left) and Piedmont Hazelnut Praline Macaé Chocolate Bar are some of the chef's most inspiring creations.



This is my idea of a perfect breakfast, highlighted by an elegant cheesecake and a cup of pandan earl grey tea (no sign of any pandan flavor though).



Pistachio madeleine (SGD$3.00) - This came with a pistachio icing and some crushed pistachio for some extra bite.



It certainly wasn't bad (but not as pillowy as I expect). The raspberry jam in the middle did well to offset the sweetness from the pistachio. 



Cheesecake (SGD$9.00) - But the focal point of my "breakfast" was of course their pastry. It was a tough call not to pick their signature mango mousse cake but I was looking for something cheesy this morning. 



Lime cheese mousse with acai jelly filling. They also threw in some silver foil on top for good measures. This was very very light for a cheesecake. In fact, it tasted more like a lemon mousse cake than a cheesecake to me. The Brittany biscuit base was a bit weak as well. Yeah, for a patisserie with such pedigree, I certainly expected a bit more.

I had a brief chat with my neighbours who are likely visiting from Europe judging by their accent. They said they came all the way here for "breakfast" this morning because they've heard all the good things about the chef and his time with the "picasso of pastry". They even thought this was supposed to be THE best pastry shop in Singapore which I have my doubts about. But I didn't want to blow my cover as a self-professed foodie so I just politely nodded in agreement and continued with my caffeine fix.





Food Rating: 6.2/10
Price: $$$
Address: G/F Marina Bay Sands, Tower 3 Lobby Hotel,10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore
Closest Metro Station: Bayfront
Tel: +65 6688-8588
Website: www.marinabaysands.com/restaurants/origin-and-bloom.html
Opening Hours: 7:00am - 10:00pm daily

Pantler (Singapore, SINGAPORE) ★★★★☆

Pantler has been on my to-do list for quite a while. The popular bakery cafe in Chinatown is famous for their straight-out-of-the-oven viennoiserie, gourmet sandwiches and more. 

But I'm here mainly for their Japanese influenced pastries.

Head Chef Tomoharu Morita who used to be part of the pastry team at Grand Hyatt Tokyo, has brought their signature cake The Yatsura (SGD$8.50) along to Singapore.

Other popular choices include their Cassis Mont Blanc and velvety vanilla mousse cake, Blush.

I have already made up my mind before my trip to Pantler that it's going to be The Yatsura for me today.

Like the Torta Pralina al Cioccolato I had at Dolcetto by Basilico yesterday, Yatsura is a chocolate hazelnut themed cake but what separates this from my dessert yesterday was the variety of texture.

This features a dark chocolate mousse, nicely complemented by a thin and crunchy layer of feuilletine and a hazelnut dacquoise base, finished off wonderfully with chocolate ganache. The flavors were surprisingly intense thanks to the various degrees of bitterness from the milk and dark chocolate. But it was the contrasting textures from the chocolate mousse, feuilletine and hazelnut dacquoise that really brought this dessert to a different level.

Food Rating: 6.6/10
Price: $$$
Address: 198 Telok Ayer Street, Singapore
Closest Metro Station: Telok Ayer
Tel: +65 6221-6223
Website: www.pantler.com.sg
Opening Hours: 8:30am - 7:30pm (Mon - Fri), 10:30am - 5:30pm (Sat)

Kura Patisserie (Singapore, SINGAPORE) ★★★★☆

After lunch, I took a long and deliberate walk around Robertson Walk before arriving in the middle of River Valley district. Despite the diligent work by my GPS, it still took me a while to locate The Herencia, a restoration project that saw the former Nan Chiau High School turned into a commercial premise.

 

I'm here solely because of Kura Patisserie, a well-hidden pastry shop and cafe situated in the former canteen.

 

I have heard a lot about Kura's decadently delicious pastries and wallet-friendly prices but seeing is believing.



They are currently sharing this premise with another tenant, In Bad Company who is offering a wide range of comfort food including salad, sandwich and pasta dishes to go with their coffee, craft beers and wines.



The Japanese inspired patisserie was almost full when I stepped through the doors but the crowd thinned out considerably after 4pm.

 

I was supposed to be here to take a few photos but I was like a kid seeing his favorite candies from the display counter.



Still full from my lunch at Corner House but I think I can squeeze in one of these, perhaps two.



Some of these pastries are already dressed in their Christmas outfits (Santa's hat was looking good there!).



White Forest (SGD$8.80) - William pear chutney with creamy pear mascarpone filling.



This was very delicate. Underneath the white chocolate ganache was a layer of creamy pear mascarpone which was light and airy. In fact, it was so light that I once thought it was white chocolate mousse.



The sweetness of the fresh William pear compote meshed so well with the creaminess of the mascarpone and there was the crispy sable on the bottom to provide some much-needed crunch. Thank goodness I was able to find this secret place.



Some of the prices have almost doubled since its soft opening but they're still rather reasonable, especially considering the high quality of these cakes.



Food Rating: 6.6/10
Price: $$$
Address: 46 Kim Yam Road, #01-07 The Herencia, Singapore
Closest Metro Station: Fort Canning
Tel: +65 9722-2996
Website: www.kura.sg
Opening Hours: 9:00am - 5:30pm (Mon), 9:00am - 6:30pm (Tue - Fri), 10:30am - 5:30pm (Sat - Sun)

Dolcetto by Basilico (Singapore, SINGAPORE) ★★★☆☆

I'm spending the entire afternoon cruising around Orchard today. After a brief stay at ION Orchard and Paragon, I set my sights on Regent Hotel Singapore which is located on the quiet, residential side of Orchard Road.



When I entered the hotel lobby, a rush of memories suddenly hit me. Flashbacks of me and Jelloman attending our highly anticipated dinner at Iggy's started getting into my head. Can't believe it's been more than a decade now. Lots have happened over the last 10 years. Iggy's is no longer housed under this premise; we have our little one now etc. etc. Time truly flies and that's really bad news. Anyways.



Located on the lobby level of Regent Singapore, Dolcetto by Basilico is a sweet corner brought to us by Basilico, a buffet restaurant on the first floor of the hotel that focuses on seasonal and authentic Italian dishes.



I decided to take a break to rest my sore feet. Perhaps some sweet treats can help speed up the recovery?



During afternoon tea time, Dolcetto offers a tea set that includes a slice of cake along with coffee or tea.



Torta Pralina al Cioccolato (SGD$9.50) - The Italian dessert shop's signature praline chocolate cake prepared by Executive Pastry Chef Alex Chong and his team.



Award-winning Chef Alex Chong represented Singapore in different international competitions on many occasions. The most notable one was the Culinary Olympics held in Germany back in 2016, where Singapore's national culinary team beat 29 other teams to win two gold awards. They were the only Asian country to accomplish such feat that year. 



A very delicate dessert with the velvety milk chocolate working amazingly well with the lovely richness of the praline.



Unfortunately, I had a little too much to eat at lunch so checking out their other signature dessert, ricotta blueberry cake with wild berries seemed a bit out of the question. I guess that will leave the door open for another visit in the future.



Food Rating: 5.7/10
Price: $$$$
Address: Lobby Level Regent Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Road, Singapore
Closest Metro Station: Orchard
Tel: +65 6725-3244
Website: www.regenthotels.com/regent-singapore/dining/dolcetto-by-basilico
Opening Hours: 7:30am - 9:00pm daily

Antoinette Millenia Walk (Singapore, SINGAPORE) ★★★☆☆

After enjoying a pretty decent chicken rice at Wee Nam Kee (威南記海南雞飯), I wasted no time heading over to the neighboring Millenia Walk for some sweet treats before I call it the night.

Millenia Walk is a relatively small shopping mall with very limited shopping options but they offer some interesting selections for desserts (Patisserie G, Commune Cafe, The Dark Gallery and Pullman Bakery just to name a few). Tonight, I am going to roll my dice with Antoinette.



It was sad to learn that Antoinette has recently closed down their tea salon at Mandarin Gallery. The location was perfect there for me but this one wasn’t all that bad (at least it’s close to my hotel).




Antoinette ($11) - The French brasserie and dessert cafe’s namesake pastry. Presentation didn’t really do it justice as it looked rather simple and rough around the edges. To sum it up, it looked boring!



This is a very busy dessert. There were a lot of ingredients in there including milk chocolate mousse which had been wonderfully infused with earl grey tea, dark chocolate earl grey tea cremeux and earl grey tea crumble all sitting on a thin layer of crispy chocolate biscuit. It’s definitely a chocolate and earl grey tea lover’s dream.

I like the raspberry coulis placed on top of the cake too. It reminded me so much of the “spheres” from molecular cuisine (made with spherification). Kind of exposed in my mouth with a burst of acidity and sweetness. Very exciting.



They also offer a small selection of bread with local influence (curry bread, laksa baguette toast etc.). Too bad I was already stuffed.



This turned out to be the entire opposite of the experience I had at Antoinette’s neighbor, Patisserie G. At Patisserie G, I was always fascinated by the looks of their pastries but only to be completely let down by the flavors. Antoinette is completely the other way around.



Food Rating: 6/10
Price: $$$$
Address: #01-28 Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore
Closest Metro Station: Esplanade
Tel: +65 6235-5109
Website: www.antoinette.com.sg
Opening Hours: 8:00am - 10:00pm (Mon - Fri), 10:00am - 10:00pm (Sat - Sun)

Cat and The Fiddle (Singapore, SINGAPORE) ★★★☆☆

We intentionally skipped dessert at dinner tonight because we've got plans for our sweet treats all lined up already.



Located on the ground level of Clarke Quay Central shopping mall, Cat and the Fiddle is a local favorite and cheesecake lovers' dream.



Look at all these colorful cheesecakes and exotic flavors!



They are best known for their Asian inspired cheesecakes including durian, milo, horlick among other interesting flavors, all with their own unique Singaporean twist.



I got myself three different flavors tonight.



Milo Dinosaur (SGD $5.90) - I like the texture of these cheesecakes. Very soft, nice and wobbly.



They created this flavor with one of the most iconic drinks in Singapore, Milo, a chocolate and malt powdered drink. It wasn't bad. I thought the milo flavored cheese actually worked fairly well with the crispy crust and the layer of chocolate brownie in the middle. Probably a must here.   



Paws of Fury (SGD $4.90) - I was supposed to get the Horlick cheesecake but I messed up.
This was flavored with Yuan Yang, a marriage of coffee and tea.



It's one that I could probably do without. Very one-dimensional and not unlike a typical coffee flavored cheesecake to me.



King Cat of The Mountain (SGD $6.90) - Easily, Cat and The Fiddle's most popular cake. The signature creation comes with Mao Shan Wang durian, the "Musang king" of durian.



This was just beautiful. 



The unusual bitter-sweet flavor of Mao Shan Wang durian was the perfect match for the light and silky smooth cream cheese. That was heavenly! Love the fluffy texture as well. Forget about the Milo Dinosaur cheesecake, this was the real must here at Cat and The Fiddle!







Food Rating: 6.1/10
Price: $$
Address: 6 Eu Tong Sen St, #01-41, Clarke Quay Central, Singapore
Closest Metro Station: Clarke Quay
Tel: +65 9155-7284
Website: www.catandthefiddle.com