Alice Boulangerie is one cafe-cum-bakery that really left a deep impression on us. In recent times when everyone is trying to outdo one another with trends and patterns, Alice Boulangerie chose to stay classy with honest bakes – ironically, this is what we are lacking in the current climate when everyone is so caught up with fanciful and Instagrammable-everything.

Conveniently located in the Tanjong Pagar, Alice Boulangerie is a space which we would consider to be relatively Nordic and minimalistic, with simple wooden and rattan furniture and classy pendant lamps. No frills about its decor, but most definitely cosy enough for some quiet me-time, a simple lunch meeting, a date and a wonderful spot to simply lay back and relax.

With an impressive culinary and baking team, you are set for great food and bakes. We tried quite a few items and nothing actually disappointed us; how impressive! It is most definitely a spot we would return to again and again – whether it is for their hearty mains or stellar bakes.

Sitting within Icon Village, Alice Boulangerie is a comfortable spot in Tanjong Pagar to grab a cup of coffee alongside your favourite pastry or to have a simple lunch.

They may be well known for its beautiful pastries and croissants, but not many people know that they have a savoury food menu to cater to the working crowd in the CBD and they dish out a selection of all-day breakfast, mains and pastas.

Tiger Prawn Capellini

Out of the main courses that we tried, The Tiger Prawn Capellini (S$28++) was definitely our top pick. Plump and juicy tiger prawns, angel hair pasta cooked in a flavoursome and robust prawn stock, cherry tomatoes – this was so satisfying and we found ourselves salivating at the very thought of it.

Fourth of July Cheese Burger

Another main course that we enjoyed was the Classic cheeseburger (S$26++). Alice Boulangerie uses USDA Homemade beef patty served with soft brioche buns—that are freshly baked in their own kitchen daily—streaky bacon, chipotle coleslaw, and fries. A simple and no-frills burger that hits the spot, we’d say.

The Steak Shack

Next up was the 200g Australian grass-fed striploin (S$35++), which was accompanied with Australian asparagus, sautéed mixed mushroom, creamy buttery mash potato, and roasted garlic bulb. You can choose between herb butter or red wine mushroom sauce for the steak. Toothsome in every bite, and definitely super filling.

Remember to save some room for desserts and pastries, because everything that comes out from Alice’s pastry team is AMAZING! You will probably need to visit Alice Boulangerie several times to try everything on the menu, but we are telling you it is very well worth the trips.

Grab a counter seat by the kitchen and watch the talented bakers & chefs prepare the croissants and pastries; it is so therapeutic to watch them in action.

From the classic plain Croissant, to Pain Au Chocolat, and their iconic bi-coloured croissants, it goes without saying that everyone comes to Alice Boulangerie for their famous croissants. You’d be sorry to leave without trying one!

Alice Boulangerie’s croissants come with the most gorgeous and on-point honeycomb structure. Absolutely stunning, flaky and buttery with every bite.

The chefs at Alice Boulangerie have years of experience and are passionate and obsessed with perfecting the recipes for their food and bakes. Fun fact: they supply to a lot of events and parties, too!

Pistachio Chocolate Croissant

The signature Pistachio Chocolate Croissant (S$7++) is filled pistachio crème patisserie house praline and hazelnut ganache. This is a croissant of our dreams; decadent with a well-balanced sweetness and absolutely gratifying – definitely a must-order when you are at Alice Boulangerie.

Strawberry Cheese Croissant

Filled with freshly made strawberry jam, smooth luscious cream cheese, and garnished with strawberry chocolate shavings, the Strawberry Cheese Croissant (S$7++) is a crowd favourite. It is both pretty and yummy, and we would gladly have one anytime.

Do note that the bi-coloured croissants are available in limited quantities from 11am until they are sold out. The early bird gets the pretty croissants because honestly, nobody wants worms.

Mushroom

If you love cream puffs, you’ll love the new Mushroom (S$9++). Alice Boulangerie has reinvented the classic cream puff and they present their rendition in the shape of a mushroom. What you get is a classic choux puff piped with gula Melaka Chantilly cream, coconut pastry cream as well as gula Melaka caramel. Such a decadent and thoughtful creation!

Acorn

In line with Alice Boulangerie’s branding and its squirrel mascot, the team has recently introduced the beautiful Acorn (S$13++)—a chocolate acorn shell made with 70% dark chocolate that is made up of layers of chocolate mousse, yuzu crémeux, almond dacquoise, and almond walnut praline with salted caramel mousse.

It took the chef months of research to perfect the recipe and baking techniques to produce this seemingly-simple dessert. What you get is a crisp outer layer of dark chocolate that holds the shape of the acorn really well, while keeping the interior soft yet firm so that it doesn’t crumble nor do the layers get mashed up.

Alice’s Christmas Log Cake

This is probably going to be the cutest log cake you’ll see for Christmas this year.

Launching in early November 2022, Alice’s Christmas Log Cake (S$85++) is a beautifully constructed moist chocolate flourless sponge layered with chocolate mud biscuit, an exotic fruit crémeux, caramelized banana, and hazelnut praline crunch, then topped with a 3D squirrel made from orange dark chocolate mousse. The kids will definitely love this!

Alice Boulangerie
12 Gopeng St, #01-05/11 Icon Village, Singapore 078877
Tel: 8874 3300
Daily: 8am – 6pm
Online Delivery: https://aliceboulangerie.cococart.co/

This post was brought to you by Alice Boulangerie.

Pâtisserie CLÉ is opening a second outlet at Lucky Heights neighbourhood near Siglap and Bedok.

First established as an online pâtisserie in 2018 by local pastry chefs Germaine Li and Joy Chiam, Pâtisserie CLÉ (clé is French for ‘key’) specialises in French cakes, tarts, and bakes.

The local brand opened its first physical space in Paya Lebar Office and the second outlet will be located in Lucky Heights neighbourhood where fans can get a range of tarts and
entremets as well as a new selection of viennoiseries.

The star highlights are unique creations that pay homage to the Lucky Heights neighbourhood and they include The Lucky Clover—a twist on puff pastry swirls with generous sprinkles of fragrant spring onion, garlic and bacon—and the Truffle Ziggy, a savoury bite filled with truffle cream, wild mushrooms, arugula, cherry tomatoes and feta cheese, which is inspired by the iconic zig-zag stairway in the Lucky Heights neighbourhood.

Pâtisserie CLÉ is perhaps best known for its Tart Gift Box with a choice of eight tarts and you have to try the signature Orh Blanc Tart which is an interesting fusion of the French Mont Blanc dessert and the local orh nee flavour.

Do note that Pâtisserie CLÉ Paya Lebar will be closed momentarily for renovations. It will be re-opened in April with a refreshed look.

Pâtisserie CLÉ
79 Lucky Heights, Singapore 467627
Tel: +65 8127 3925
Wed – Sun: 9.30am – 6.30pm
Closed on Tue

Established in 2014, Pantler started its original store at Telok Ayer and it is one awesome patisserie that will chase all your Monday Blues away with their gourmet creations. It has recently moved to a bigger space at 474 River Valley Road on 20 Feb 2021.

From choux puffs to glazed cakes and croissants, Pantler has them all.

Dessert is serious business here; both founders have previously worked in the pastry-making departments of Joël Robuchon Singapore and the Grand Hyatt Tokyo. What you can expect at Pantler is a selection of classic sweet treats, savoury patisseries and contemporary desserts.

Yatsura (S$8.50++) is one of Pantler’s bestselling signature cakes for obvious reasons. The dacquoise cake boasts luscious layers of hazelnut cream, dark chocolate mousse and crunchy hazelnut feuilletine.

Pantler
474 River Valley Road
Singapore 248359
Tuesday – Sunday 10:30 – 18:30
(Closed on Monday)

Spearheaded by owner, baker and theatre actor Juwanda Hassim, The Fabulous Baker Boy is relaunching their multi-concept F&B brand at the Aliwal Arts Centre in January 2021 with a bigger 70-seater space and expanded menu.

Formerly located at the foothills of Fort Canning, The Fabulous Baker Boy closed its previous premise due to the Covid-19 situation. Fans of the bakery café will be thrilled to know that they are making a comeback next year.

The artisanal baked goods menu will be expanded to include sourdough breads, croissants, quiches, danishes and cookies as well as The Fabulous Baker Boy’s signature range of Diva and Divo cakes. There will be at any one time 14 different cakes to choose from.

The Fabulous Baker Boy’s all-day brunch and lunch menu will also feature new items such as Pumpkin and Ricotta Ravioli with burnt butter and sage, and Sourdough Pizzas. Popular favourites such as Corn Beef Hash, Chicken & Waffles and Ju’s Prawn Pasta will still be available on the menu.

The Fabulous Baker Boy
Aliwal Arts Centre
28 Aliwal St, Singapore 199918

Tucked away in Upper Cross Street is Whiskit Bakery & Cafe—one of the most instagrammable cafes in Singapore which serves up an array of delectable desserts!

From colourful Rainbow Cheesecakes to more local-inspired pastry such as Kaya Ondeh tarts, Whiskit Bakery & Cafe is definitely one to mark down on your list of cafes you have to try in Singapore.

Decorated with all-pink chairs and floral decor, this hidden gem of a cafe is sure to send your Instagram-senses tingling with excitement. It was also relatively easy to spot with its beautiful decor, setting it apart from the traditional stores surrounding it in this quiet part of Chinatown.

We first had a taste of their Kaya Ondeh Tart (S$4.50). It was a very petite pastry with several fluffy balls of mini Ondeh Ondeh kueh sitting atop a kaya filling and a buttery crust.

The tiny balls of Ondeh Ondeh were filled with gula melaka filling, making each chew very flavourful despite its small size. We did think that the Kaya filling was a little too runny, though. Perhaps the tart would have been made better with a thicker and more flavourful kaya filling!

Next up, we managed to try their Lemon Meringue Tart (S$6.50)—a lemon curd-filled sweet tart is topped with a torched meringue rosette.

We found Whiskit Bakery & Cafe’s Lemon Meringue Tart to be one of our favourite renditions of the French pastry. The lemon curd filling had a wonderfully smooth texture and tasted refreshingly zesty. The tart shell was also nice and buttery. With the meringue, the tart altogether was a delight to eat!

Other than the two pastries we mentioned, Whiskit Bakery & Cafe also serve up other interesting pastries such as their “Tart Kiu” Milo Tart (S$6.50) and Hazelnut Speculoos Tart (S$5).

Just a short walk from Chinatown MRT (Exit F), Whiskit Bakery & Cafe is a great place to take a short break from the hustle and bustle of city life.

Whiskit Bakery & Cafe
533 Upper Cross Street, #01-33
Singapore 050533
Tel: +65 9366 6136
Mon to Sat: 11am – 8pm
(Closed on Sundays)
Nearest Station: Chinatown

Updated on 9 Nov 2020

Tucked away in The Herencia at Kim Yam Road is Kura that serves up delectable Japanese pastries at reasonable prices. Even so, they don’t compromise on quality and offer up some mouthwatering cakes.

Kura shares the space with cafe and bar, In Bad Co, with a small glass display of their multi-coloured confections. With offices and residential areas nearby, we’re sure it will be an up-and-coming place for desserts in no time.

The shared cafe space between Kura and In Bad Co. has a rustic, almost industrial-like setting. Kura’s colourful cake display, taking its place in the back of the cafe space, is visible just upon entering.

Firstly, we tasted the Strawberry Shortcake (S$4.5). It was a simple sponge cake and cream with strawberries dotted through it. The seemingly simple slice of cake turned out to be so delicious, with a consistency that rivalled that of a cheesecake. It was simple and executed to the tee.

Kura’s Lemon Tart (S$7.5) is one we would never forget. Despite being a rather petite pastry, it packed a very big punch. Made with a vibrant lemon curd center and toasted sweet meringue, it definitely tasted as good as it looked. The pastry crust was a tad bit soft  (probably from the curd’s moisture) but it didn’t really affect the overall plate.

Life gave Kura lemons and they definitely did a great job with them.

Last to grace our palettes was Kura’s Tiramisu (S$8), a mix of coffee-soaked sponge and mascarpone cream sitting inside a mini dark chocolate cup. The mascarpone filling was light – not too creamy nor heavy. We finished this in mere minutes.

When Kura first started in 2019, they had quite a selection of desserts that were under S$5. Unfortunately, they’ve increased their prices by quite a bit since then and most of the desserts are priced between S$7.5 – S$9. That being said, there are still a few options that are priced under S$5 and they include Carrot Cake (S$4), Chocolate Pound Cake (S$4), Strawberry Shortcake (S$4.5), and Uji Triple Match Tart (S$4.6)

Kura Singapore
46 Kim Yam Road
The Herencia
Singapore 239351
Mon to Fri: 8am – 5pm
Sat & Sun: 9.30am – 7pm
Nearest Station: Fort Canning
(There’s a two-way shuttle bus from Somerset MRT to The Herencia)