Hello all! I am finally in Berlin, but amidst all the hustle and bustle of settling in, I'm really missing home, so I decided to put together this listicle as a form of reminiscence on the experiences the past few months in Singapore. I'm a huge fan of incorporating local flavours (e.g. Kueh kuehs) into bakes, and these are a few of the bakeries/ cafes in Singapore that I think have done a fantastic job of fusing these flavours with western style bakes! So let's get started.
1. Orh Nee Cake and Pulut Hitam Tart at Bloomsbury Bakers
Definitely my favourite of all, because these were just SO well done and delicious The Orh Nee Cake is made of a very light sponge with orh nee stuffed in between, and a light orh nee buttercream to top it off. Very light, yet extremely taro-ish somehow. Very well-balanced cake indeed and cannot recommend it enough.
2. Ondeh Ondeh Cupcakes at Fluff Bakery
The Pulut Hitam (black glutinous rice) tart was just PHENOMENAL. My mother, who doesn't even like pulut hitam much, loved these. I've come across a lot of bakeries in Singapore that just don't get how important the crust is to a tart, but here at Bloomsbury Bakers they do. The crust is thin and crispy, without being burnt. The pulut hitam lies at the bottom of the tart and a delicious, coconut cream layer drapes over it.
Also, how cute is the decor here? Totally reminds me of my time studying in London. It's is a little out of the way, under some HDB blocks in the Bendemeer region, but it's absolutely worth the trip.
Address: 30 Bendemeer Rd #01-889, 330030
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday 11am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to 7pm, Sunday 10am to 6pm, Closed on Mondays
I've been obsessed with Fluff Bakery's cupcakes for the longest time and started following their Instagram page long before I was even back in Singapore to try their cupcakes. The star of their cupcakes, in my opinion, is the Ondeh-ondeh flavour. The pandan cupcake is ethereally light and fluffy, and the gula melaka filling is orgasm worthy. They also have plenty of other local flavour bakes, such as teh tarik and goreng pisang cupcakes, although I have yet to try them.
Address: 4 Jalan Pisang Singapore
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm-7pm
3. Taro Waffles at Froth Cafe
Technically, not really a flavour profile that's exclusive to Southeast Asia I suppose, although I feel it features quite predominantly (re: Orh Nee, etc) and I can't help but put this in because I'm obsessed with taro, and this is one of the better waffles I've had. Be warned, the waffles are more dense than fluffy, which I personally like but others may not. What makes this a winner is the intenseness of the taro flavour throughout the waffle, and the generous dollops of taro puree. Tip: Don't go on a weekend, you'll never get served in time!
Address: Big Hotel Lobby, 200 Middle Rd, 188980
Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 7-10am then 11.30 am - 10pm
4. Milo Ice cream with Waffle at iScream
Not a bake, as with the previous ones, but had to give a shoutout to iScream because it's located in my neighbourhood, Bedok! One of their fan favourites is the milo ice cream, but they also have some other local ice cream flavours! Another big plus is that students get 20% off on weekdays! If you're ever heading here for some ice cream, I can definitely recommend the crispy waffles. They are, true to their name, crispy but also very fluffy on the inside.
Address: Blk 89, Bedok North Ave 4, #01-109
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday and Sunday 3pm to 12am, Friday to Saturday 3pm to 1am
