The Dark Gallery is a popular chocolate-themed cafe from Malaysia that specialises in all things chocolate and good news—they have just opened their first outlet outside of Malaysia at Millenia Walk.

Expect to savour a wide variety of chocolate desserts from artisanal ice creams to pastries to truffles to the best hot chocolate you will ever taste at this chocolate-themed establishment. The sheer decadence from the chocolate goodies makes The Dark Gallery every chocolate lover’s dream and a must-try for all.

If you find yourself overwhelmed by the immense variety of chocolate types, feel free to approach the staff. They will be more than happy to educate you on the different types of chocolates

We found it rather helpful as it gave us a better understanding of what we were having, allowing us to better appreciate the subtleties in flavours from chocolate sourced from different parts of the world.

The Ice Cream Waffle (S$14) comes with two ice cream flavours of your choice. We went for two different dark chocolate varietals with cocoa percentages from both extremes—the Madagascar Dark Chocolate (64%) and the Venezuela Dark Chocolate (72%).

Both flavours of ice cream were so incredibly decadent and we liked that they were not overly rich and sweet. The Madagascar Dark Chocolate struck a perfect balance between sweet, bitter and chocolatey, whereas the Venezuela Dark Chocolate was just slightly bitter in comparison. It was the best chocolate ice cream we have ever had.

Most of the hot chocolates at cafes usually taste more like Milo than hot chocolate so we were pleasantly surprised by the hot Signature Chocolate (S$7) here.

It is the epitome of a perfect hot cocoa before bedtime. It was rich and chocolatey with just the right amount of foam, making each sip so comforting.

The Signature Frozen S’mores (S$7.50) has a chocolatey center and it contains 80% dark chocolate ice cream. It had just the right amount of bitterness to it, and the sweetness from the toasted S’mores complemented the entire dessert really well.

Our first visit was truly a delight and coming from avid chocolate lovers, we must admit that The Dark Gallery hit all the right spots. We liked that their desserts were not overly sweet, allowing more emphasis to be placed on the depth of flavour.

The Dark Gallery is conveniently located at Millenia Walk and it makes for a good stopover during afternoon shopping trips or even a spot that chocolate lovers might find interesting to visit.

The Dark Gallery
9 Raffles Boulevard (#01-K5)
Millenia Walk
Tel: +65 6255 0368
Daily: 11am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Promenade

Awfully Chocolate has just opened its very first restaurant concept at Holland Village and it showcases a carefully curated menu of both sweets and savouries. It will be a spot to hang out at with your family and friends over hearty savoury dishes and beautifully plated decadent treats that are exclusive to this Awfully Chocolate outlet.

From now till Wednesday, 31 August 2016, our readers are entitled to a free* house dessert with every main purchased. All you have to do is quote ‘ladyironchef’ and flash this article to Awfully Chocolate’s staff upon placing your order.

The menu is deliberately focused and that’s where the magic lies. It is hard to be disappointed at Awfully Chocolate! From Bacon and Cheese Toasties, Baked Sheet Pasta, Vanilla Profiteroles to Dark Chocolate S’more, there are so many reasons to visit the all-new Awfully Chocolate at Holland Village!

We know Awfully Chocolate for their desserts and only desserts. But this will change with the Holland Village outlet. The bistro serves a menu of gourmet delicacies that are very affordable. Believe it or not, every item on the menu is priced under S$20.

The spacious bistro is characterised by high ceilings, minimalistic design and rustic wooden furniture. Open till 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, this Awfully Chocolate branch is ideal for a satisfying meal at literally any time of the day.

A great meal should be started with a bowl of warm soup. At Awfully Chocolate, there are Pumpkin Soup (S$8++), Wild Mushroom Soup (S$8++) and Creamy Tomato Bacon Soup (S$8++). All of us thoroughly enjoyed the comforting Creamy Tomato Bacon Soup; the appetiser is created from scratch, hand blended into a broth and topped with a crispy slice of bacon.

For the salad lovers, this Apple Crumble Salad (S$12++) will redefine salads altogether. It is served like a dessert; so unassuming, and so unlike salads.

Dig through the buttery crumble and you will find generous amounts of sliced caramelised apples within the ceramic dish. No veggie craziness here; just chunks of fruits mixed with nuts and some spinach.

For all vegetarians, you are not forgotten. Awfully Chocolate’s Baked Sheet Pasta (S$15++) is a meat-free lasagna served with ratatouille stew, aromatic truffle-infused creamy Alfredo sauce and cheese. It packs a punch and the fragrance lingers with every mouthful.

What really won the hearts of everyone on the table was the Poached Salmon (S$16++). The seafood dish might look and sound simple, but the juicy salmon fillet has a runny texture; just the way we like it.

Served with a poached runny egg and complemented with garlic aioli, complete with a side of refreshing apple salad and maple dressing, this main is highly recommended!

The Open Face Burger on Rye (S$17++) and The Bacon & Cheese Toasties (S$15++) are for the bigger eaters. The former is an open-face beef patty burger drenched in melted cheese and paired with a salad.

But you know what we really love? The Toasties – which was everyone’s favourite. It is essentially a sandwich that features fluffy toast and cheesy stuffing. And while you think it sounds like an ordinary sandwich, wait till you hear about how it is wrapped in bacon!

Nothing comes close. The explosion of flavours left us in awe, and in one bite, you will experience a multitude of goodness – from the stringy cheese to the salty bacon to the fresh pickles.

The Grilled Chicken ($17++) is our idea of comfort food. A succulent chicken leg cooked to tenderness, perched atop a bed of grilled potato slices and fragrant viscous gravy. This is for all who appreciate the beauty in simple, rustic flavours.

In conjunction with Awfully Chocolate’s inaugural full-fledge dining concept opening, the establishment has introduced plated desserts that are completely exclusive to Holland Village’s outlet. For something familiar, order the Waffles (S$10++) served with luscious maple, premium vanilla ice-cream, whipped cream and dusted with icing sugar.

There’s also the Vanilla Profiteroles (S$12++), which is quite a show in its own rights. The dessert comprises three light choux pastries stuffed with chilled creamy vanilla custard served on a metal steel tray, with a chocolate sheet placed above them. Watch the chocolate sheet disintegrate dramatically and melt into the profiteroles as warm chocolate sauce is poured over it.

Are you ready for a life-changing experience? The divine Dark Chocolate S’more (S$12++) is a must-order. The sugary treat is no ordinary S’mores. It is made up of Awfully Chocolate’s signature Hei ice cream covered in homemade artisanal marshmallow.

The entire cube is then torched before your eyes. Dig into it and the marshmallow sinks into a gooey goodness, while the dark chocolate ice cream remains frozen. It was the best rendition we’ve tried in Singapore, and we love how the S’more boasts a variety of contrasting textures that complement each other wonderfully. We will return to Awfully Chocolate just for this.

From alcoholic Dark Chocolate Martini (S$15++) to hot caffeinated Premium Single Espresso Coffee (S$4.50++), Awfully Chocolate’s all-inclusive beverage menu features 47 different drinks. Looking for a watering hole after work? You can consider Awfully Chocolate’s one-for-one bottled beer promotion after 6pm.

Of course, loyal Awfully Chocolate fans can too find their bestselling White Chocolate Crème Brûlée (S$7++), All Chocolate Whole Cakes (from S$34++) and Hei Ice-Cream (from S$4.90++ per scoop) here.

Customers will also be entitled to a complimentary ice Cool Drink with every plated dessert ordered. This offer is valid till 31 August 2016. Select your drink from either a Katong Jelly, Ice Lemon Tea, Lychee Ice Tea, Honey Lime Green Tea, Lemon Soda or Lemonade.

Meanwhile, for our readers, you get to enjoy a complimentary house dessert with every order of a main course. Just quote “ladyironchef” or flash this advertorial upon ordering your main course to redeem the dessert of the day.

Awfully Chocolate
40 Lorong Mambong
Singapore 277695
Tel: +65 6463 3741
Mon to Thu: 12pm – 11pm
Fri: 12pm – 1am
Sat: 10am – 1am
Sun: 10am – 11pm
Nearest Station: Holland Village

This post is brought to you by Awfully Chocolate.

Scoop Therapy is a dessert-only spinoff of Group Therapy, serving mainly ice cream and ice cream-centric desserts. The small space sits in the East of Singapore, and you might already have seen photos of their Instagram-worthy desserts on your social media feeds.

We were pretty tempted by pictures of their sultry S’mores and Ice Cream Bomb floating around social media, so we made a trip down to find out what the hype is all about.

So, was the trip worth it?

The little dessert cafe is located on the first floor of The Odeon Katong, complete with full glass walls and a relatively intimate interior. There are some outdoor seating too, albeit limited.

They have their ice cream selections on display but unfortunately, the only drinks were lemonade and hot chocolate only.

Nevertheless, that did not stop us from wanting to try the two photogenic desserts that we came here for. The ice cream flavours are fixed for both desserts, with chocolate inside the S’mores and Earl Grey for the Ice Cream Bomb.

Mimicking the world-famous Frozen S’mores from Dominique Ansel Bakery, the S’mores (S$6.50) here is slightly different with a Dark Chocolate Ice Cream center and a cracker crumb core on the stick. There was some sort of crushed nuts layer separating the frozen ice cream from the outer layer of torched s’mores.

Well, the S’mores was actually decent and the ice cream stayed pretty frozen despite the torched outer layer. However, it did not come close to the real deal at Dominique Ansel Bakery; no, it did not wow us.

The Ice Cream Bomb (S$6.50) features two layers of choux puff sandwiching a generous scoop of Earl Grey Ice Cream. It is topped with fudge and supposedly popcorn (as said on the menu).

However, ours was topped with honeycomb instead and we were actually happy that it was done this way, as the sweet honeycomb paired really well with the fragrance of the tea-based ice cream.

Both desserts are great individual sizes and if you ever find yourself having dinner in the Katong vicinity, you can always pop by for some decent desserts here right after.

Scoop Therapy
11 East Coast Road
The Odeon Katong
Singapore 428722
Tel: +65 6247 9335
Tue to Thu: 2pm – 10pm
Fri & Sat: 12pm – 12am
Sun: 12pm – 10pm
Mon: Closed
Nearest Station: Dakota

About the writer:
Cheryl is a staff writer for ladyironchef. She loves a good steak and an even better cuppa. She eats just about anything and everything. In her free time, she regularly starts on sci-fi or fantasy movie marathons.