MAO King Tavern is a new durian pub at Swan Lake Avenue in Siglap which has premium fresh durians, charcoal-grilled durians, Musang King Beer and durian desserts.

Previously known as Slake Restaurant, MAO King Tavern is officially opening its doors to the public today on 1 April 2021.

Opened by Durian Edition and Slake Restaurant, MAO King Tavern is a durian bar that offers not just premium fresh durians such as Musang King and Black Gold, but as well as durian desserts including MSW Burnt Durian Cheesecake (S$12.80/slice), MSW Durian Mousse Crumble Slice (S$12.80), Musang King Cream Puff (S$2.80) and Premium Mochiko (S$14.80 for 3 pcs).

MAO King Tavern has also partnered with local microbrewery, The 1925 Brewing Co. to create a Musang King Ale using real Musang King durian flesh in the fermenting process.

Prices of premium fresh durians:

• Musang King S$25/kg
• Black Gold S$28/kg
• Grill Your Durian S$15.80
• Extra Cheese S$8.80

There are also bar snacks including:

• Chye Poh Fries S$9.80
• Har Cheong Kaarage S$11.80
• Luncheon Meat Fries S$10.80

The new watering hole seats 18 visitors indoors and 8 visitors at the al-fresco area.

MAO King Tavern
Opera Estate, 15 Swan Lake Ave,
Singapore 455711

Maybe one of your dream destinations is Switzerland, where you get to enjoy a warm cheese fondue in a cable car while overlooking the white snowy mountains with the love of your life or tasting some rösti for breakfast made the Swiss-way.

Sadly, not all of us have the luxury or the time to travel all the way there.

But hey, don’t fret! Because here in Singapore at Wursthans Switzerland, you can savour Swiss delicacies without breaking your bank and experience what Swiss locals have for their meals. This restaurant is just steps away from Paya Lebar MRT!

You get to Create Your Own Swiss Meal (from S$14.90) here and it comes with 1 Main + 2 Sides + 1 Sauce of your choice. We opted for Chicken Cheese Bratwurst with Signature Rösti and Spätzli topped with Sour Cream. Spätzli might be unfamiliar to most, but it is a type of pasta made with fresh eggs that can be found in countries such as Switzerland, Southern Germany and Austria.

The bratwurst was thick and had a firm bite, not too salty and the cheese was not overwhelming. As avid fans of gourmet sausages, we thought that this was a good sausage that we would gladly have for breakfast every day.

Different from the usual pasta, spätzli had a chewier texture and they were shaped like scrambled eggs. It was odd and bland-tasting at first, but after a few bites, the flavour of the eggs and flour slowly surfaced and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

The rösti was pan-fried to a beautiful golden brown, crispy outer layer. And you know it is a must to have rösti with sour cream, lots of it at it, for the full rösti experience!

The Swiss Rotisserie Chicken (S$16.90 for half, S$29.90 for whole) comes with oven roasted poulet, paprika marinade, oven roasted potatoes & veggies with white wine cream sauce.

Nicely roasted and seasoned, the poulet was full of flavours while still being extremely tender. It was paired with a white wine cream sauce that was light yet savoury.

A shoutout for the oven roasted potatoes and veggies because they were so yummy! The potatoes were fragrant, pillowy and had a nice outer char while the veggies were sweet, crunchy and juicy.

There are still many other types of Swiss sausages such as the Cervelat and Veal Bratwurst that are popular in Switzerland for you to try with their DIY option and there are other options such as sandwiches, salads and cheese fondue as well.

10 Paya Lebar Road
#01-13A Paya Lebar Quarter
Singapore 409057
Tel: +65 9058 0487
Mon to Sun: 11:30am to 9:30pm
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar

If you’re a fan of the crisp layers of croissants and the way the flaky pastry just seems to melt on your tongue, Au Croissant will be right up your alley. Tucked away in Aperia Mall (that’s just a stone’s throw away from Lavender MRT), this hidden gem of a bakery specialises in their quirky flavours of croissants along with other wonderful breads and pastries.

We first savoured the Custard Cruffin (S$3.80)! The cruffin was definitely a stunner with a hint of creamy custard oozing out the top of the golden-brown pastry. It is also lightly dusted with icing sugar and if you ask the friendly staff to toast it for you, the icing melts into a nice glossy glaze that coats the crispy shell.

What we loved was that the cream was light and airy – not too sweet and cloying – such that it contrasted with the indulgent pastry encasing it.

Au Croissant also makes a variety of fun flavours of their croissants such as the Banana Kaya, Purple Sweet Potato, Gula Melaka and Peanut Butter Croissants. They all cost S$4.80. We tried the enticing-looking Black Sesame Croissant (S$4.80).

The golden-brown pastry is glazed with a smoky black sesame crumble layer and then topped with more white and black sesame seeds. We were also surprised once we bit into the croissant, revealing that there was another layer of black sesame paste hidden inside.

It was smoky, sweet and buttery all in a single bite. We devoured this sweet treat in minutes!

The bakery is located nearest to Lavender MRT, just a 5 minute walk away from Lavender Exit B. Drop by Au Croissant if you’re craving some fun-flavoured croissants or toasty freshly-baked goods!

Au Croissant
2 Kallang Avenue
#01-35 Aperia Mall
Singapore 339509
Mon to Sat: 7.30am – 7.30pm
Sun: 9.30am – 6.30pm
Nearest Station: Lavender