Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/Sweet-Thoughts-by-MOD-109685083973868/

Home to the famed Ponggol Nasi Lemak and Lola’s Cafe, Kovan is easily one of Singapore’s most underrated foodie gems. As if we needed any more reason to visit Kovan, this food haven has a new prized addition to their collection of treasured eateries.

North-east siders now have one more option when they’re hunting down a sweet fix after dinner. Meet Sweet Thoughts by M.O.D.

Taking the form of an Asian dessert cafe, Sweet Thoughts by M.O.D. is a new venture by Chef Francis Wong (previously the Chef Entrepreneur of the popular Non Entrée Desserts) has 12 years of experience in creating novelty ice cream and frozen desserts up his sleeves.

Correction on 17 Mar 2020: Chef Francis Wong, previously the Chef Entrepreneur of the popular Non Entrée Desserts, has joined Sweet Thoughts by M.O.D. However, this is not a new concept by Non Entrée Desserts.

While Non Entrée’s signature bak chor mee and nasi lemak desserts aren’t making an appearance in Sweet Thought’s menu, you can still expect the same level of craftsmanship in their creations.

Their menu features a wide selection of flavoured shaved ice and steamed puddings, some with an inventive local twist. Think delectable flavours such as Matcha and Kaya Toast. Yes, you read that right.

Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/Sweet-Thoughts-by-MOD-109685083973868/

Their Kaya Toast Steamed Pudding (S$5.50) is topped with pandan sago, gula melaka bubbles and served with crispy toast.

As for their shaved ice selection, we couldn’t be more thrilled to see flavours such as Taro, Houjicha and the majestic Mao Shan Wang. The best part? Each flavour is thoughtfully paired with curated toppings to create the most satisfying indulgence.

Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/Sweet-Thoughts-by-MOD-109685083973868/

Their Black Sesame Shaved Ice (S$6.90) sees a mountain of nutty shaved ice loaded with adzuki red beans, peanut muah chee and brown sugar jelly. It’s the absolute dream for sugar junkies with an Asian palate.

Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/Sweet-Thoughts-by-MOD-109685083973868/

This dessert joint shares its space with Lim Chui, a beverage concept owned by the same people, and Tie Fun Wan, a Taiwanese-inspired cafe serving fusion rice bowls. So if you’re looking for savoury grub to fill you up first, you’ve hit the jackpot with this one.

You might want to plan a trip there soon before fans of Chef Francis Wong bombard this space.

Sweet Thoughts by M.O.D
50 Hougang Ave 1, JForté Sportainment Centre, #01-00
Singapore 538885
Tel: +65 9389 1276
Tues to Sun: 11am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Kovan

If there’s one food trend that has never died down, it is Japanese Green Tea – Matcha. In every cafe, you’re 90% likely to see a Matcha Latte or a Matcha-infused dessert somewhere on the menu. However, we would like to introduce you to Matcha’s just-as-delicious but less-talked-about counterpart – Hojicha.

Hojicha is kind of roasted green tea that carries a strong toasty, smoky flavour that is super delicious and earthy. It’s a unique flavour that you won’t forget once you try it! So here’s a list of the best Hojicha desserts in Singapore that will get you hooked onto this underrated flavour.

108 MATCHA SARO – HOJICHA MINI PARFAIT

The Hojicha Mini Parfait is our favourite dessert from 108 Matcha Saro! The dessert comes with a swirl of Hojicha soft-serve, a scoop of sweet red bean paste, chewy mochi balls and a generous drizzle of syrup. The toppings paired impeccably with the flavourful soft-serve – especially the mochi balls!

108 Matcha Saro
5 Temasek Boulevard
Suntec City, #B1-K5
Singapore 038985
Tel: +65 6259 4704
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: City Hall/Esplanade

Photo Credit: Creme Maison

CREME MAISON BAKERY – HOJICHA HAZELNUT PRALINE

First on our list is from one of the best cake shops in Singapore, Creme Maison Bakery. If you’re a fan of hojicha and really want a nice fluffy cake to sink your teeth into, their Hojicha Hazelnut Praline cake is the perfect dessert.

The earthy hojicha-infused brown sugar sponge is layered with sweet hazelnut praline and topped off with more hazelnuts; a real sweet treat!

Creme Maison Bakery
30 Tai Seng Street #08-03B
Singapore 534013
Tel: +65 8181 3689
Nearest Station: Tai Seng

DOPA DOPA CREAMERY – HOJICHA ICE CREAM

Located in the heart of the CBD, Dopa Dopa has made many fall for their silky smooth gelato. It’s hard to miss with their bright yellow interior and decor. One of their best flavours would definitely be their smoky Hojicha. It packs a huge punch of flavour without being grainy or too overpowering.

Dopa Dopa Creamery
29 South Bridge Road, #01-01
Singapore 058665
Tel: +65 6535 3539
Mon to Thu, Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

HVALA – HOJICHA CAKE

Hvala’s Hojicha Cake features a light and airy Hojicha-infused sponge, layered with fresh cream, adzuki beans and a generous drizzle of thick Hojicha sauce. We loved how the smoky aroma of Hojicha was amplified by the bitter Hojicha sauce and the adzuki beans speckled through the layers gave a nice textural contrast to the cake!

This is the cake you can pass the time with, with a book in hand and a matcha latte to sip on.

Hvala
111 Somerset Road
TripleOne Somerset
Singapore 238164
Daily: 11.30am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

Photo Credit: Instagram

KATASUMI KOOHII – HOJICHA CHIFFON

Hidden in Bukit Pasoh is a Katasumi Koohii, a Japanese-inspired book cafe serving up fresh bakes and cakes. One of which is a cloud-like Hojicha chiffon perfumed with the fragrant roasted tea. It’s also topped with a fluffy hojicha whipped cream to enhance the flavour!

The cafe is so cosy that you can spend hours with just a cake and cuppa, forgetting about the world for just a moment.

Katasumi Koohii
25 Bukit Pasoh Road
Singapore 089839
Mon, Wed to Sat: 12pm – 8pm
Sun: 12pm – 6pm
(Closed on Tuesdays)
Nearest Station: Outram Park

MIAM MIAM – HOJICHA PANCAKE

Miam Miam is known for their delicious fusion-style pasta and mains but not many know that they have just-as-splendid desserts on their menu as well! One of their desserts happen to be a Hojicha Pancake, consisting of a fluffy pancake, Hojicha whipped cream, azuki beans, mochi and brown sugar syrup.

The fluffy pancake absorbs the thick syrup, making it ultra decadent. Paired with the hojicha cream, red beans and chewy mochi, it’s a great Japanese fusion dessert that you’ll definitely enjoy.

200 Victoria Street
#02-14 Bugis Junction
Singapore 188021
Mon to Thu: 11.30am – 10pm
Fri: 11.30am – 10.30pm
Sat: 11am – 10.30pm
Sun: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Bugis

3 Gateway Drive
#01-21/22 Westgate
Singapore 608532
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Jurong East

NANA’S GREEN TEA – HOJICHA PARFAIT

What’s better than a scoop of hojicha ice cream? A scoop of hojicha ice cream with mochi balls, tea jelly, whipped cream, hojicha paste and cereal crumble! That’s everything in Nana Green Tea’s Hojicha Parfait. It’s intricately layered to give you maximum satisfaction so if you’re a big hojicha lover, you absolutely have to put it on your list of “must-eats”!

The Atrium @ Orchard, Plaza Singapura
60B Orchard Road
#03-80/82
Singapore 238891
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Dhoby Ghaut

SUGAR THIEVES – HOJICHA CROISSANT

With their ever-changing croissant line-up, Sugar Thieves keeps their fans constantly on edge for their new releases. One of our favourites has to be their Hojicha Croissant – a buttery, flaky pastry filled generously with thick, luscious hojicha-infused cream. It’s then dusted with more hojicha powder on top, making it a roasted-tea flavour bomb!

Sugar Thieves
Blk 333, #01-23
Kreta Ayer Rd
Singapore 080333
Tel: +65 9850 4377
Wed to Sat: 12pm – 6pm
(Closed Sun – Tue)
Nearest Station: Outram Park

TSUJIRI – HOJICHA ROLL CAKE

This fluffy, cloud-like cake was packed with so much hojicha flavour, you couldn’t imagine it until you try! Seemingly simple, this roll cake is anything but. The delicious roasted aroma of hojicha is contrasted by the whipped cream and sweet azuki beans it’s served with. Tsujiri is one of Singapore’s “OG”, most well-loved, matcha cafes and when you taste their desserts, you’ll know why.

176 Orchard Road
The Centrepoint, #01-101
Singapore 238843
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset

TWENTY GRAMMES – HOJICHA SOFTSERVE ON WAFFLE

Launched for their 2nd anniversary and remaining as a popular menu item, Twenty Gramme’s Hojicha Softserve on Waffle is a must-try Hojicha dessert. The soft serve sits nicely in a cup with bite-sized waffle pieces, and is decorated with beautiful lavender-coloured edible flowers.

We loved the taste of the Hojicha soft-serve and waffle bits. Intense roasted flavours were present but not overpowering; just the way we like it!

Twenty Grammes
753 North Bridge Road
#01-01
Singapore 198721
Tel: +65 6717 1733
Mon to Thu, Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 1am
Nearest Station: Bugis

Matcha-lovers have good reason to rejoice as one of Hokkaido’s most famous matcha cafes has graced Singapore’s sunny shores. 108 Matcha Saro, specialising in matcha (Japanese green tea) and hojicha (roasted green tea) drinks and desserts, has set up shop in Suntec City!

Japanese desserts are all the rage now – whether it’s mochi, soft-serve or fluffy pancakes. Once you see the myriad of tea-flavoured items on 108 Matcha Saro’s menu, you’ll be scratching your heads, torn on what to try first!

Check out what we thought about this brand new matcha cafe in Singapore!

We tried the Matcha Hokkaido Soft Serve (S$4.90) and we enjoyed it very much. The ice cream was creamy and had a distinct matcha flavour, enhanced by the luscious matcha syrup that you can request to add on top of your swirl (it’s free).

The cone was a crunchy wafer cone, similar in texture to the McDonalds’ ice cream cone. Our only gripe was that it did become a little soggy as we ate the soft-serve.

Next up, we tried one of their Hojicha Mini Parfaits (S$6.90). The dessert comes with a swirl of Hojicha soft-serve, a scoop of sweet red bean paste, chewy mochi balls and a generous drizzle of syrup.

This was our favourite item from 108 Matcha Saro as the hojicha flavour was pronounced and had a delightful roasted flavour. The toppings paired impeccably with the soft serve – especially the chewy mochi balls!

Lastly, we had a taste of their Hot Matcha Latte (S$4.90). We thought it was pretty affordable. Taste-wise, we felt it had a distinct matcha taste but also a bit of a smoky note to it.

Overall, we felt that the food and drinks at 108 Matcha Saro were high-quality and we enjoyed the strong taste of tea. However, the service staff leave a lot to be desired as they seemed very distracted and disorganised despite there not being anyone else in the queue; so much so that in spite of there not being a long line, we had to wait a fair bit of time to get our orders.

We think that 108 Matcha Saro has a lot of potential due to the affordable price point of their menu items and their high-quality ingredients, so we hope that their service can match up to the standard of their food.

108 Matcha Saro
5 Temasek Boulevard
Suntec City, #B1-K5
Singapore 038985
Tel: +65 6259 4704
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: City Hall/Esplanade