alice + olivia is my muse. I am a huge fan of New York-based designer Stacey Bendet, for she is one inspiring woman who leads a fulfilling life with her family, yoga, and colourful fashion. It is one of those brands that would have me willingly splurge on, because what is to not love about her iconic monochromatic stripes and Stace Face, right?

And today, a piece of news got me really excited – alice + olivia is collaborating with local Japanese-inspired cafe Karafuru desserts! Damn those whimsical tea sets; I am so going gaga already!

From 09 Dec 2015 to 31 Jan 2016, Karafuru desserts will have its interiors decked in alice + olivia colours and styles, and you bet that is going to be nothing but fascinating.

There will be three tea sets available, and I know it is not going to be cheap, but it will be worth it for all fashion lovers. Heck, even if you do not know who Stacey Bendet is, you will be drawn to the very adorable Stace Face.

Marrying alice + olivia’s signature looks with Karafuru’s popular eclairs, the first set to expect is the Eclair Set 2 (S$18) that comprises two eclairs and a choice of drink. Two eclairs ain’t enough? Sure, the Eclair Set 1 (S$24) has the same eclair and drink combination, except that they come with three eclairs.

The Parfait Set (S$22) is for those who do not quite prefer eclair.

These special sets will include a redemption card, and with that card, bring it to the alice + olivia store in ION Orchard to receive an exclusive coaster. Yes, it is something you must not miss the world for.

Karafuru Desserts
8 Jalan Klapa
Singapore 199320
Tel: +65 6291 4430
Tue to Sun: 1pm – 10pm
Nearest Station: Lavender

There are some cafes that serve good savoury dishes, but fare poorly for desserts. And then, there are places that do remarkable desserts but you definitely wouldn’t want to go there for a proper meal.

Two Bakers, on the other hand, tick all the right boxes. It is a cosy space that sits along Horne Road and they do both mains and desserts really well. A comfortable space with sunlight streaming in, alongside a mixture of communal and long wooden tables; groovy jazz and bossa nova tracks fill the space. It is little wonder this cafe is fast in cementing its place in our hearts.

Most cafes tend to get their desserts from suppliers – which results in different cafes serving the same desserts – so we are impressed by Two Bakers’ commitment to bake their own desserts. And it is more than just simple “rustic” cakes. Two Bakers’ pastry kitchen’s repertoire includes eclairs, strawberry shortcakes, and fancy mousse cakes – things that you’d expect from a French patisserie, and not a cafe.

Of course, you should expect a relatively more “premium price tag” – prices range from S$6.80 for an eclair to S$10.90 for the Framboise Mousse Cake – but be rest assured that you are paying for elegant bakes that boast intricate techniques. Well, the pastry chefs are after all trained in Le Cordon Bleu, Paris.

Over on the food menu, it is a concise selection of sandwiches and pastas. We love the Caramelised Onion And Roast Beef Sandwich (S$16.80) very much, but the Two Bakers TYB (S$15.80) is a popular choice – soy marinated pulled pork with an Asian twist, served on olive-studded focaccia and topped with a sunny side egg; how does this sound?

Two Bakers
88 Horne Road
Tel: +65 6293 0329
Sun to Thu (Closed on Tue): 11am – 9pm
Fri & Sat: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Lavender

“I think I am in love,” I told my dining companion when I saw the amazing éclairs from Chihuly Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore.

Chihuly Lounge is currently having a Summer Weekend Afternoon Tea (2 June to 26 August 2012), and in addition to the assortment of canapes, finger sandwiches, and scones; executive pastry chef Terence Pang has specially created 12 different éclairs for this occasion.

From the popular chocolate éclair, to the cute gummy bear éclair, to the irresistible passion fruit & mango éclair – I love them all!

Starting clockwise from 12 o’clock: caramel éclair, chocolate éclair, vanilla éclair, cookies & cream éclair, cassis violet éclair, black sesame éclair, passion fruit & mango éclair, café éclair, gula melaka éclair, mac-lair (macadamia & chocolate), yam éclair, and cotton candy éclair.

Here’s a quick sum-up of the wonderful creations. Out of the twelve éclairs, my favourites were the passion fruit & mango, and chocolate éclair.

The passion fruit & mango éclair was like a burst of summer; I loved how the two flavours mingled in the mouth. The chocolate éclair also won our hearts. It had the right intensity, and was easily one of the best éclairs that I’ve had.

The vanilla éclair (pictured above), on the other hand, was a let-down. With the shiny gold leave surface, it was one of the prettiest éclairs, but we felt that the vanilla cream was a little over-burned.

For someone who is not a fan of yam, I thought that Chihuly Lounge’s rendition is pretty decent. But my dining companion felt that the use of yam in an éclair was rather weird. We also enjoyed the caramel, cookies & cream, cassis violet eclairs. The only ones that we didn’t really fancy were black sesame (the coating was too sweet), and café éclair (which had a rather weak coffee flavour).

Available from 2:30 to 5 p.m., Chihuly Lounge’s Summer Weekend Afternoon Tea is priced at $48 per adult (inclusive of freshly brewed and decaffeinated coffee and a selection of teas).

Chihuly Lounge
7 Raffles Avenue
Lobby Ritz-Carlton Millenia
Tel: +65 6434 5283
Daily: 8am – 1am

Note: This was an invited media tasting.