the icing room: Fulfilling a child’s dream

January 23, 2009 | 51 Comments

My heart skipped a beat when i saw it from afar. Deep down, I thought “no way man!”, it couldn’t be. As i approached it nearer and nearer, the sight of the two pure white kitchenaid further excited me. And the name was just the perfect icing on the cake, The icing room! The pinkish-white colour domination which so reminded me of Twelve + one, with the adorable ornament, everything was perfect, until i spotted the name Breadtalk on one of the cake box.

Boy, the coup de grâce was performed when i then noticed the Chinese name, Dan gao si yu, which was so Breadtalk (mian bao wu yu), and a branch of Breadtalk and toastbox just beside it. Now don’t get me wrong, I have totally nothing against Breadtalk. It’s just that i wasn’t expecting Breadtalk to behind the icing room concept.

When i thought the stagnant Breadtalk is down and out, they managed to turn the table around and pulled a rabbit from the hat. Voila! You’ve to give credit to Mr. George Quek and his team for coming out with this, although the icing room has yet to prove itself, they managed to capture me on the first impression, and that’s all it mattered.

The idea which i always had in mind, a place to do-it-yourself cakes. This, is one very good idea. The crowd surrounding the store gave a very good indicator, for just $11.90, they provided you with a small cream cake, and you get the pleasure to decorate your very own cake on the spot. Its that simple, no need to buy ingredients, no need to get your hands dirty, and no need to wash up.

Like what the chef there mentioned, “It’s like fulfilling a child’s dream”. I’ll like to add something to that, i bet adults would also love to play with the cake, a very nice gift for your loved ones.

Now to put everything to test, i picked the Apricotte ($3.80). A layer of caramel on top, with apricot mousse in between  the cake. I couldn’t get the taste on my first try, so i took another bite. And this was followed by eating the different layers separately. Everything, just tasted so, ordinary! I must admit i’m fairly disappointed with the cake, not that i was expecting much though. And the berry was sour.

If you thought that everything was a surprise so far, wait until you see this. Lo & behold, Macarons! And this is Breadtalk which we are talking about. Bread alright, but macarons?

I couldn’t resist buying a few to try out, not when they are only $1.50 each. There’s five different flavours available, matcha, strawberry, chocolate, passion fruit, and yam. However, i wasn’t adventurous enough to try out the yam option. Play safe, think baby steps.

And when it was time to try them out, my first bite went to the strawberry macaron ($1.50). The opening nibble was still alright. But as time goes on as it surely will, the whole taste becomes overly sweet. Well I’m not exactly a macaron expert, the brittle shell wasn’t chewy enough, and the slightly sour strawberry fillings wasn’t to my liking.

Well if I’m not wrong, macaron does not involve the use of milk in the process. But for some strange reasons, there’s a strong milk taste which covered the matcha, or maybe it’s just my taste bud). Needless to say, the matcha flavour was weak, and this one was out as well. Their macarons are all small (not as tiny as Carousel though), and everything was just too sweet.

So when everything fails, you go to your comfort zone, the safe option yes? The chocolate macaron was what i’ve in mind just in case everything else don’t work out. And the results were played out in a totally unfashionable manner, somebody forgot to tell the jam within the macaron to follow the script. It gave a sour-sweet contrast with the chocolate macaron, but it wasn’t what i was looking for.

Now, the conclusion. Interesting concept, with a fascinating set-up, and i was surprised they didn’t incorporate a dine-in area, which would provide some competition in this Canele-dominated area. Well, Breadtalk clearly has the financial muscles to provide some fight, but first, they need to improve, make changes to their bakes. Otherwise, everything is just talk. And my dear, talk is cheap.

Oh yes, in my excitement, i forgot to mention the icing room is located at the new building of Jurong Point (JP2). Lots of new stores, plenty of boring old faces, but there are some concepts which caught my attention. So do check it out for yourself!

the icing room
1 Jurong west central 2
#B1-05 Jurong Point

313 Orchard Road
#B2-52 313 @ Somerset
Tel: +65 6884 8189

Compass Point #B1-13

Tampines 1 shopping mall
#B1-K1B

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Category: # Restaurant Review, * West Singapore, Dining Guide Singapore, Food Photography, Singapore Food Blog
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Comments

51 Responses to “the icing room: Fulfilling a child’s dream”

  1. Evan
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 12:38 am

    gosh i’m suprised to read that none of the stuffs u bought were good. the pics look good tho’, i love all of them!! esp the green background against the apricot gateau. lovely =) did they use jam for the filling of the strawberry macaron? i think jam is a lazy and unflattering way to use for macarons, a definite no-no. its not bread afterall!

  2. fab
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 7:46 am

    i think it’s supposed to be mian bao wu yu?

  3. ladyironchef
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 7:53 am

    evan: haha yeah quite pleased with the photos too. i can’t exactly remember whether its jam or not, had it very long ago. lol! but anyway the macarons definitely need improvement.

    fab: hello thanks for leaving your comment. yes breadtalk is mian bao wu yu, i wrote that correctl yes? icing room is dan gao si yu.

  4. fab
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 8:04 am

    oh ya
    and i gotta say the macarons from them are the worst i’ve tasted so far :x
    all comes with a sorta sour taste and the passion fruit one…the jam was actually tough to the bite! :o
    certainly not something i’d expect for the price tag attached…should have stuck to breadtalk that day despite their lack of flavors.

  5. Ee Ling
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 9:43 am

    Jurong Point….that’s er Boon Lay…so far…

  6. ladyironchef
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 10:33 am

    fab: yeah but then it’s just $1.50, so its like one of the cheapest macarons around, still they aren’t good. I rather spend a bit more buying better macarons. If you really love your macarons, you should try ordering some online from Evan’s, her ones are really awesome! Go to her website http://bossacafez.blogspot.com/ to contact her.

    ee ling: lol! far for you, near for me. hahahha

  7. Evan
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 10:37 am

    brad, thx for your “advertising” la, i owe u one!

  8. Easy Dessert
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 10:45 am

    Ha ha. Everything looks so good, but it didn’t taste very nice… But nice photos anyway. :) When the food doesn’t taste so nice, taking such beautiful photos can be deceiving actually… :P

    Easy Desserts last blog post..Quick Desserts: Quick Banana Pie

  9. Fen
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 10:54 am

    LIC: Your warning came too late lah… I tried them already and it was hopelessly sweet with Yuan and I were making funny faces after eating 3 of them and were fantically searching for water to wash away the overly sweet taste… In fact, Yuan said that ????????? fight. So, I don’t have to comment much bah…

    Evan: Yes, they used jam… one bite and the entire innard came out…

    Fab: Totally agreed… Choupinette comes close too…

  10. Fen
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 10:55 am

    Geez, it doesn’t support Chinese… Anyway, Yuan said that the ones I baked has the same standards as theirs… So let your imagination run wild…

    Fens last blog post..An indulgence at BakerZin

  11. ladyironchef
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 10:58 am

    evan: haha no problem, its the truth what. lol

    easy dessert: haha yeah thats why u need to read the descpription, otherwise the photos can be deceiving :)

    fen: actually i wrote this post immediately after i got back that time, like one month plus ago? but i didn’t post it until now. haha

  12. Sihan
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 12:16 pm

    must have been horrible… Never going to try that. Thanks for the warning Brad.

  13. lingzie
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 1:23 pm

    hi there! was surfing around for macarons and landed here. what a lovely site you have. makes me really want to visit singapore now! :)

  14. ladyironchef
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 3:39 pm

    sihan: hahaha that’s just my personal opinion la, maybe you find it nice leh? anyway its 1.50 one macaron, you can try just one. lol!

    lingzie: hello my friend from Penang! i also want to visit Penang for all the nice food. Paradise for food lovers. haha

  15. Muhammad Afandi
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 10:31 pm

    Hello iron chef lady. Wow u really ON man, i mean everyday go eat outside? so much money, so much time?

    hmm.. take care and peace everyone.
    afandi2@gmail . com

  16. ladyironchef
    January 23rd, 2009 @ 10:37 pm

    Afandi: Hello there, thank you for leaving your comment. No la, i don’t eat outside everyday, and the food that i ate isn’t those very expensive type. haha. Happy new year to you too! :)

  17. EteL
    January 24th, 2009 @ 3:10 am

    i passed by a few times and wanted to try them out. now after reading this, i wun :(

    btw i went into the ding tai fung beside this shop n received very very bad service…

    anyhow, looking forward to more entries :)

  18. ladyironchef
    January 24th, 2009 @ 9:12 am

    Etel: haha no la, like i was telling sihan, everything is just personal preference ma, you can try it out for yourselves, since it isn’t that expensive no harm trying. haha. ahh.. ding tai feng also under breadtalk group.

  19. EteL
    January 24th, 2009 @ 1:19 pm

    ding tai feng also under breadtalk group. serious? thats something new to me!

    ok im going jp today anyway, no harm trying hahaha! ^^

  20. Foodies Queen
    January 24th, 2009 @ 4:58 pm

    Their deco did attract me but it was more of a fantasy, like everything was so beautiful and I had the thought of “nice to see, not nice to eat”. LOL.

    Foodies Queens last blog post..220. Dynnie Cake House

  21. wentong
    January 25th, 2009 @ 3:19 pm

    i was so excited when i thought a new bakery had opened. and yes! the two white professional series kitchen aids there! havent tried their cakes though… perhaps i should… but i’m just kinda held back by the breadtalk name…

    wentongs last blog post..Cream Puffs with a message

  22. layla
    January 26th, 2009 @ 6:10 pm

    i didn’t try anything but i happily hopped to the icing room when i was visiting jp just 2 days back. i have to admit, i love the concept! now.. if only the stuff tasted better…

  23. Big Boys Oven
    January 26th, 2009 @ 6:32 pm

    very interesting post to read and interesting opinion too!

    Big Boys Ovens last blog post..

  24. dd
    January 26th, 2009 @ 10:16 pm

    eh. i almost wanted to get those macaron when I looked at the photos but not after reading it. heh. think I better stick to bakerzin.

  25. ladyironchef
    January 27th, 2009 @ 1:22 pm

    foodie queen: Yeah interesting concept but the bakes need to be better.

    wentong: haha same i got so excited by the kitchen aid. lol! But yeah breadtalk name.. haha

    layla: haha! Its like there’s a happy feeling when you go there right! lol!

    big boys oven: Thanks dude :)

    dd: haha yeah my photos are tempting right! lol!

  26. Jovn
    February 1st, 2009 @ 4:30 pm

    Cool. Shall check this shop out. It’s a DIY cake shop is it? Creative! (:

  27. Jovn
    February 1st, 2009 @ 4:33 pm

    hmm.. what’s wrong with breadtalk name? i like their cakes and breads. kindda like a staple for me. LOVE THE FLOSSS. Isn’t it? One of the best bakery i found in singapore. Like four leaves and others cheap and small, not that nice.

  28. ladyironchef
    February 4th, 2009 @ 8:09 pm

    jovn: yeah there’s one section for diy cakes. hmm.. i don’t have anything against breadtalk, just that i wasn’t expecting to come out with the icing room. haha.

  29. Olga
    March 20th, 2009 @ 2:43 am

    your photos are marvelous!!!! the macarons look so delicious!

    Olgas last blog post..Hamentashen: another disaster

  30. sharon
    March 20th, 2009 @ 11:52 am

    All of these photos are absolutely beautiful!

    sharons last blog post..Heart Shaped Salmon & Shrimp Maki

  31. Brittany (He Cooks She Cooks)
    March 21st, 2009 @ 1:07 am

    It’s a shame to hear everything was rather ordinary. The macarons look lovely though!

    Also, I have been curious about the Foodbuzz featured publisher group. I got some information about it, but I’m still not sure what it is. Do you recommend it?

    Brittany (He Cooks She Cooks)s last blog post..What is that and why is it in your fridge?

  32. ladyironchef
    March 22nd, 2009 @ 10:26 pm

    olga: thanks! it looks nice, but didn’t taste that well. haha

    sharon: thanks for the compliments! your heart shaped salmon maki looks so romantic :)

    brittany: yeah they look very nice, but didn’t taste as well. haha. ah foodbuzz is good for food blogs, give extra allowance. haha. but u need to read through the fineprints of the contract : )

  33. Nina
    April 1st, 2009 @ 2:17 pm

    Recently, my colleague bought a cake frm the icing room..juz wondering if it is halal certified as u know im a Muslim.

    Thank You.

  34. sumi
    May 13th, 2009 @ 2:06 pm

    i saw ur shop wen i visited spore laz month, and very excited with ur concept.. do u hav any branch in other country?

  35. ladyironchef
    May 13th, 2009 @ 5:27 pm

    sumi: you are very mistaken, the icing room is not my concept, it is a place at the Jurong Point shopping mall, Breadtalk is the brains behind them, and as far as i know, there’s currently only one branch in Singapore.

  36. Jessica
    May 13th, 2009 @ 5:52 pm

    Hi LadyIronChef.. oh from ur photos.. i can see that this cake shop looks great… but too bad.. it is too far liao… jurong point… i only went there once .. many years ago.

  37. ladyironchef
    May 13th, 2009 @ 5:58 pm

    Jessica: haha actually the photos look great, but the cakes.. can be better :)

  38. Fairmind
    June 11th, 2009 @ 11:16 am

    It is very objective of you to clarify that it is a matter of personal preference. What is too sweet for one may be just right for another, so we all have to be aware of comments on food! BreadTalk is surely extremely innovative and ahead of the competition.

  39. ladyironchef
    June 12th, 2009 @ 6:07 pm

    Fairmind: Hello there, thanks for leaving your comment. Yeah i prefer to be more neutral because taste is subjective. Even though I don’t really like breadtalk, but yeah they are very good in terms on ideas.

  40. Crack Addict
    October 19th, 2009 @ 3:25 pm

    Hey… I noticed that you replied to ALL the comments… except for that lone question
    from Nina about whether or not it’s Halal.

    What’s the matter?
    Don’t give a damn if a Muslim asks a question?

    Tell you what, why don’t you stick a large
    banner at the top of your shitty little site
    that says ‘MUSLIMS NOT WELCOME’.

  41. ladyironchef
    October 19th, 2009 @ 3:29 pm

    crack addict: I must have missed out replying Nina, there’s no need to get so upset over this. To reply the question, I do not know if they are halal, you can call 6861 4644 to check with them : )

  42. crack addict
    October 19th, 2009 @ 8:38 pm

    Sure you did.

    The objective was to make
    you answer her, which you did.

    In any case, props for not losing your digital head.

  43. Sapphire
    March 1st, 2010 @ 5:58 pm

    I’m interested to do a part time at the Icing room at Jurong Point. Yesterday I went for interview but till now they havent reply me. I still hope can apply a part time at Icing room.

  44. Patty
    March 17th, 2010 @ 3:05 pm

    Very cool pictures! They really do bring out the colors in the food. I’m really enjoying looking through your blog :)

  45. Crys
    March 19th, 2010 @ 4:51 pm

    do i have to design the cake on the spot or can i opt to bring home to decorate?

  46. ladyironchef
    March 20th, 2010 @ 11:44 pm

    crys: If I am not wrong, you have to design the cake on the spot, they will provide the piping bags and everything needed for the cake decoration

  47. hann
    May 31st, 2010 @ 8:20 am

    love ya pictures!

    will head down to decorate a cake for my papa’s bday today!

  48. Shannon
    June 1st, 2010 @ 4:17 pm

    just to help u update,there’s one at 313 as well..think its b3 if i’m not wrong,opposite bysi and ding tai feng..

    i was surprised it was by breadtalk as well..i saw something colourful from afar so walked nearer to check it out too..kept it in mind coz of the DIY concept..

    hmm..erm..i know its tough updating this blog with new entries all but dun mind me suggesting this..if possible,have a list of outlets for those brands that have more than one? i’m sorry to boldly suggest this..i can offer help if u need! (:

  49. ladyironchef - Singapore Food Blog
    June 2nd, 2010 @ 10:43 am

    hello shannon, no worries thank you for your suggestion! at the time i wrote this post, there’s only a branch at Jurong Point. I know there’s one at 313, but i forgot to update this page. haha will try my best : )

  50. Shannon
    June 2nd, 2010 @ 11:10 am

    haha coz recently,i tried to find mon petit pastry bar which i saw from somewhere(not your blog) that it probably has cake avenue cakes but it was a futile effort combing robinsons road..i should have just went to the main one at clementi but coz was feeling lazy so took the shorter route..):

    but on the other hand,to try the stuff that u reviewed,everyone don’t have to go to just that one outlet as it might be inconvenient..so yup..

    hope u try out more cakes from different shops although alot is not good for health..haha.=P

  51. Jane
    July 31st, 2010 @ 12:47 pm

    What times does the icing room in tampines 1 opens??

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