When the news that The Marmalade Pantry was going to be shutting down its outlet at ION Orchard broke, many were disappointed—us included. Gone were the days of relaxing midday afternoon tea sessions with our friends after a bout of shopping, sipping freshly brewed tea and stuffing our faces with a smorgasbord of fanciful delights—or so we thought.

Set to make an official comeback after half a year sometime soon, this time as its flagship outlet, The Marmalade Pantry will soon open its doors once again at ION Orchard Level 4.

Feeling stoked? We sure as heck are!

The new flagship outlet at ION Orchard level 4 will feature a comtemporary design with unique interior design of wooden structures and greenery. The space is perfect for business meetings with clients, afternoon tea with friends and weekend brunch with family.

Other than its classic dishes such as Sticky Date Pudding, The Marmalade Pantry will be introducing a revamped menu with dishes that are exclusive to the new outlet.

Stay tuned as we bring you the latest updates on The Marmalade Pantry’s reopening.

The Marmalade Pantry
ION Orchard
#04-11a, #04-27 to #04-32
2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801

Wimbly Lu Chocolate Cafe is a dessert place located in the residential area at Jalan Riang. Part of Wimbly Lu’s charm is that from the moment you walk in, it strikes you as a quaint, whimsical kind of place. It is ideal for whiling away a few hours with friends.

From the menu, you can tell that Wimbly Lu’s forte lies in desserts. While the savoury menu ($3.50 – $13) only includes several options such as Tuna Cheese Melt, Lasagna and Baked Rice with Chicken and Mushroom, the dessert department ($3 – $8.50) has many more choices like Brownie, Eclair, Orange Flourless Cake, Hazelnut Butterscotch Bar, Molten Lava Cake, Root Beer Cake, Waffles and Tiramisu.

The most popular choices are the Waffles and Root Beer Cake with vanilla ice cream. Both are absolute must-tries.

Wimbly Lu has the best Waffles ($8.50 with a scoop of ice cream) in town. I have had it on several occasions and I am impressed by its consistency – it is always crisp on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. My only gripe is the tiny portion of the ice-cream. It would be great if they gave a bigger scoop of the delicious homemade salted caramel ice cream.

The Root Beer Cake ($6) with vanilla ice cream is also a winner. Combining root beer and cake is a brilliant idea and it makes me wonder why nobody had thought of doing it earlier. It has a distinctive root beer flavour and when paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, there is only one word to describe it – heavenly.

My partner thought that their pancakes ($7.50 with a scoop of ice cream) were run-of-the-mill, but I felt that it was pretty decent. That said, I’d probably not order it again as the waffle was so much better.

Chocolate lovers should not leave without trying Wimbly Lu’s Molten Lava Cake ($6) – another exceptional dessert. At just $6, it is one of the cheaper chocolate lava cake around, and offers great value.

There were a couple of misses too, though, such as a pedestrian Sticky Date Pudding and a very disappointing Bread and Butter Pudding which we left untouched after a spoonful or two.

We could not agree on the Chocolate Creme Brulee ($5). For me, it was slightly too dense for a creme brulee while my partner has been craving for it since we had it a while back because she likes how the slight bitterness of the chocolate blended so well with the otherwise predictable sweet dessert.

Potent on first look, and in fact a bit threatening, but it was quite a false alarm. The Blackout Cake ($6) disappointed us quite a bit with its moist (or lack of) body, and our impression of a chocolate cake really should be richer. Still, if you do not mind a simple slice of sweetness, this should suffice.

Wimbly Lu has become our favourite to-go place for desserts, we go there all the time and so far, we have tried almost all the items on the menu. We love the cosy and intimate atmosphere, and the fact that all the desserts are so reasonably-priced. While some of the desserts did not impress, the waffle and root beer cake are reasons enough for us to return time and again.

Wimbly Lu Chocolate Cafe
15-2 Jalan Riang
Tel: +65 6289 1489
Tue to Fri: 1pm – 10.30pm
Sat & Sun: 9am – 11pm

For more recommendation, please read my post on Best Desserts in Singapore

Here is a list of 5 restaurants that have the Best Sticky Date Pudding in Singapore.

ARTICHOKE CAFE & BAR

For something different from the traditional sticky date pudding, try the one from Artichoke Cafe. Instead of the usual butterscotch sauce, it is served with coffee jelly, peanut caramel, sea salt and a smoked milk custard. It is not photogenic, but trust us, you won’t want to miss it.

161 Middle Road
Inside Sculpture Square (beside NAFA)
Tel: +65 6336 6949
Nearest Station: Bugis

BOOMARANG CAFE

Doused in butterscotch sauce, Boomarang’s Sticky Date Pudding is done just right. The pudding is not overly sweet, and topped with a scoop of ice cream, it is something that you will never be tired of.

60 Robertson Quay
#01-15 The Quayside
Tel: +65 6738 1077
Nearest Station: Clarke Quay

HABITAT COFFEE

Another one that we like is the Pulut Hitam Pudding from Habitat Coffee. This black glutinous rice cake pudding, which comes with coconut ice cream, is an easy yet decadent treat. Complete it with a cup of espresso.

223 Upper Thomson Road
Tel: +65 6456 2567
Tue to Fri: 11am – 10.30pm
Sat & Sun: 10.30am – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Marymount

MARMALADE PANTRY

Served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, Marmalade Pantry’s Sticky Date Pudding is unbeatable. What we love about Marmalade Pantry’s rendition is its consistency – we have had this pleasing dessert on numerous occasions and it is always very satisfying.

2 Orchard Turn #03-22
ION Orchard Singapore
Tel: +65 6734 2700
Nearest Station: Orchard

PS CAFE

Everyone’s favourite PS Cafe has several versions of Steamed Puddings (S$12.90). From the lemon pudding with homemade lemon custard sauce, to a summer berry pudding, and the classic sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce – it caters to different taste buds. However, our favourite is the steamed ginger pudding with earl grey creme anglaise.

45 Ann Siang Road
Tel: +65 9797 0648
Mon to Fri: 11.30am – 12 midnight
Sat & Sun: 9.30am – 12 midnight
Nearest Station: Tanjong Pagar

For more recommendations, read afternoon tea places in Singapore | Best Desserts places in Singapore