Tag: Desserts

{SG} Tea, Coffee & Sweets

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The Coffee Daily

Having afternoon tea has become one of the traditions of my family. Around 3 in the afternoon, the tummy craves for a cuppa and something sweet, just to keep the day going! So even when I was back in Singapore, I went around searching for a good coffee and places that offered a little something to satisfy my sweet tooth! hehe

The Coffee Daily

Address : 75 Brighton Crescent, Serangoon Garden Estate

Tel: 62848894

One of the first places we went to was The Coffee Daily. It’s a quaint little cafe that offered coffee closest to the ones we could get back in Melbourne plus a little something from our childhood.

The Coffee Daily - Drinks and Gem Biscuits

My dearest brother brought us there and we each ordered a cuppa and it was accompanied by a piece of speculoos cookie and a small plate of gem biscuits! That was the first time I ever had speculoos and it was DELISH! I’m so gonna make some soon cause just writing about them is making me crave for some.

I’m not sure if you’ve had gem biscuits before, but these are my childhood favourite. I use to eat the icing part of it first and then have the biscuit bottom! Been a long time since I’ve had these, so I couldn’t be happier having them with my coffee! hehe

The Coffee Daily

So if you’re ever around the Serangoon Gardens area, do drop by and have a cuppa! Having these gems would most definitely bring you back to your childhood days! (: It sure did for me.

P.S. Cafe

P.S Cafe

Address : 28B Harding Road

Tel : 64793343

P.S. Cafe

P.S. Cafe on the other hand is a totally different cafe for your afternoon tea. Tim brought us to the one at Harding Road (Dempsey) and it’s a converted warehouse that just looks amazing! Surrounded by beautiful nature, it felt so relaxing just sitting (indoors and outdoors) and having a hot cuppa and one of their amazing desserts they have to offer!

Dessert Menu

Of course, I wanted to do Miss D proud and order everything that was on the board, but having only three of us and cause we had a super full yumcha lunch just before, our tummies only allowed us to order 2! (:

Banoffee Pie

When the banoffee pie arrived, my jaw dropped! hah I couldn’t believe how much cream was on it! A little too much, in my opinion. But the filling was great! A crumbly and delicious base, with caramel and fresh sliced bananas. Even without the cream, it would be delicious!

Carrot Cake

I also chose the carrot cake and so glad I did. It was moist and dense and had the right amount of cream cheese frosting to go with! I love a good carrot cake and this is definitely it!

Cappuccino

How beautiful is the flower on the cappuccino? Love it! (:

Assam tea

I ordered a cup of assam tea to go with the sweets. The flavour was bold but was still quite delicate and it paired well with the richness of the pie and cake. Made me feel less guilty after drinking it, though I know it’s just me trying to feel better after all those sinful cream and sugar. haha But I know that I would definitely wanna head back to have the other desserts and even give their food a try! (:

Tiong Bahru Bakery

Tiong Bahru Bakery

Address : 56 Eng Hoon Street, #01-70

Tel: 62203430

The next place is one that I have been anticipating to try for over half a year! I have been seeing everyone enjoying their flaky croissants and pastries on Instagram and I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into some! As the trip back was considerably short, we had to squeeze as many places as we can in a day, so the trip to the bakery happened after a very full breakfast at Tiong Bahru Market! But by hook or by crook, I told the Mr that we had to try this place!

Pastries galore!

The choice wasn’t easy when I saw what was on display! I was SO tempted to just order one of each but decided to be good and try one of the them that instantly caught my eye.

kouign aman

This lovely pastry had layers of puff with butter and sugar in between each layer and every mouthful was just divine! I happily tore layer by layer and it starts with a crispy outer layer. As you peel your way through, it gets so soft and it just melts in your mouth. Heavenly! Absolutely amazing.

Coffee board

How cute is the drinks board? hehe I would want one just to put it in my kitchen! or near the coffee machine hehe Love it!

coffee and pastry

And as a digestive, the mr ordered his espresso (he is starting to love his shot of coffee now a days) and I had the cappuccino. Everything looked so pretty on the plate hehe (: Sadly, I didn’t get the time to head back and try the other yummies, but I will definitely be back at the end of the year to try more!

Arteastiq

Arteastiq

Address : Mandarin Gallery, 333 Orchard Road, #04-14/15 

Website : http://www.arteastiq.com

The last place I had a chance to have afternoon tea at during my trip back was Arteastiq! It’s located at Mandarin Gallery and I adore the concept they have! It’s a tea house next to the an art studio, where people could sign up for painting classes. It’s an open concept and you could see the beautiful art pieces that people are painting! Sometimes, I wish I was more artistic! haha Anwyays, back to what I had hehe I met Felicia for tea that afternoon and when I browsed the menu, I knew exactly what I was going to have.

Lychee ice tea

Sorry about the quality of the photo, the sun was shining too brightly on my drink! But I ordered the lychee ice tea, and if you don’t already know, I LOVE lychees! hehe Lychee anything to be more specific. This tea was so refreshing and it came with an almond biscotti and a peanut mochi. Mmmmm (:

Longan, red date and goji tea

Felicia ordered something a little different : a hot longan, red date and goji berry tea. It was delicious and even without adding the sugar, it had a subtle sweetness to it. Hers came with an almond biscotti and a sesame mochi. The seats were really comfy and it’s just a really nice place for girls, especially, to hang out with their friends and catch up (: That was exactly what we did! hehe

Thank you for being so patient as I share my coffee, tea and sweets experiences in Singapore. hehe I hope you enjoyed it and hopefully if you’re heading to Singapore anytime soon, you would be able to try some places out! Hope you all had a good weekend and are all recharged to tackle the new week ahead!

Till the next post, remember to always cook and bake with love! x

Jelly Hearts

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Ever since I started being more active in the blogging world, I’ve been really blessed with meeting new friends! Recently, I was invited to attend Peach-water’s birthday dinner but cause I was down with really bad hayfever, I told her that we’ll rearrange dinner and I would make her something special. (: I couldn’t think of anything better but some strawberry jelly hearts!

If you feel that these pretty cakes look familiar, I did make them ages ago and did a post on it. But I went back to look at it and the photos were so small! So here I am, re-doing the post and sharing the recipe again. It’s really interesting to see the difference a few years on! (:

I have to say, these are not difficult to make, just time consuming as you have to make sure each layer is set properly before starting on the next! The most important layer is the jelly layer, as you have to allow the jelly mixture to cool before pouring onto the cream cheese layer, to get a clear jelly layer! (: Patience, is the key when making this!

I used to only use vanilla essence when making the cream cheese filling, but I decided to use vanilla bean paste this time round. There is just something magical when you see the little black dots! And the flavour it gives the cream cheese is not comparable to just using the essence. If you do have vanilla beans, please give it a try!

These little rectangular cheesecakes with a heart in the middle make beautiful gifts for your loved ones and your friends. So the next time you are thinking of what to get for them, why not give these a try? Nothing can compared to things made with love!

Jelly Hearts 

Base : 

320g digestive biscuits

160g melted unsalted butter

Cheese Filling :

250g cream cheese

2 1/4 tsp gelatine powder

70g caster sugar

150ml hot water

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

8 medium sized strawberries

Jelly Topping : 

2 packets of strawberry flavoured jello (170g)

1 1/2 cups hot water

1 1/2 cups room temp water

Steps :

1) For the base : Place the biscuits in a ziplock bag, and crush them till they are fine, making sure there are no big chunks. Pour them into a large bowl, and mix in the melted butter.

2) Pour them into the base of a 9×9 square baking tray. Press onto the base and make sure it’s really compressed and make it as flat as you can. Prick the base with a fork and chill for at least 15 minutes.

3) For the cheese filling : Cut the strawberries into half. Using a small heart shape cutter, cut hearts out of the strawberry halves and place them on a plate lined with paper towel.

4) Place gelatine and sugar in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over and stir until the gelatine has dissolved.

5) In a mixing bowl, cream the cream cheese and vanilla bean paste together and slowly add the gelatine syrup gradually until smooth. Pour it over  the base. Place it in the fridge for 10 minutes then place the strawberry hearts, partially submerged in the cheese filling. Place it back into the fridge and refrigerate for 2 hours.

6) For the jelly topping : Dissolve the jello in hot water and stir well. Add the room temperature water and allow it to cool completely before pouring over the cheese filling. (Use a ladle and slowly pour the mixture over the strawberries instead of the cheese to keep the jello clear!)

7) Chill it in the fridge for another 2 hours or overnight for the best results.

Enjoy! (: And Happy Hatchday once again my dearest friend!

*Note : When slicing, make sure you clean the knife after every cut. It might seem difficult to get them out without it being messy, but start with the corner and use a spetula to help you. Once you have the first piece out, the rest would be a breeze! 

Remember to always cook and bake with love!

The Merrywell

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I’m late! I’m late! I’m very very late and I do sincerely apologise! But I really didn’t want to rush through this post cause it was a very exciting first experience for me. I got my very first invitation to a blogger’s lunch at The Merrywell a few months back and I could still remember how surprised I was when I read the email. I had to re-read again a few times just to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me. haha Thankfully it was on the last day of my break so I could attend! Hurray!

The Merrywell

Address : Corner of Clarendon Street and Crown Riverside, Southbank Vic

Phone : (03) 9292 7468

Website : http://www.themerrywell.com.au/

The Merrywell is a relatively new restaurant situated at the corner of Clarendon Street and Crown Riverside. It features both a restaurant (at the upper level) and a burger bar (at the lower level). We were invited to try a whole range of food and drinks from the burger bar and we were definitely stuffed (with happiness) by the end of lunch! So let’s face it, we all love a good burger! The best I’ve had is at Huxtaburger and I was just really excited to be able to try another place out!

Lunch began with huge floats! There were both kid friendly and adult versions of floats available. I was sitting with 3 other girls and we all ordered a different float to try! I went old school and ordered a root beer float but I was very sure that if the mr was there, he would go for the guinness float which would be perfect for the beautiful sunny weather we’re having now! (: *slurps*

To be honest, I was already feeling a tad full half way through my float! But looking at the menu, we had lots of yummy food coming our way! I have to say, the amount of food that we were being served could easily feed double the number of people! There was so much! It was endless, just kept coming.

So we started off with the four entrees to be shared around the table : Caesar salad, mexican cobb salad, greek salad and grilled fish tacos!

The salads were all fresh and delicious but I had to only have a bit of each as we all had a burger each coming our way! In fact, the fish tacos came after our burgers did, so I had absolutely no room to fit it in my tummy! A pity though, as they looked really good! Have to save it for next time! hehe

So now the stars of the afternoon – the burgers! We were given a choice between 4 burgers. From the start, my eyes were set on the Merrywell burger, although I was intrigued by the Bistro burger that had fries stuffed in them! haha But I stuck to my decision and was so glad I did!

The Merrywell burger came wrapped beautifully with a side of fries! The fries were SO GOOD! Crispy and I love the fact its super crunchy! Not a single bit soggy. Unwrapping the burger was like opening a present! The moment you open it, the delicious smell of melted cheese and seared beef just fills the air. AMAZING!

The buns were soft, the meat was juicy and there was just enough melted cheese to tie everything together. Definitely a burger I recommend! I can just imagine myself having the burger, and gulping a beer while enjoying the sun with the view of the Yarra river! Doesn’t it sound picture perfect?

As Msihua doesn’t take beef, she chose the K.F.Club which had chicken, bacon, tomato, cheese and mayo. Definitely looked delicious! The Merrywell burger is the only one that came with fries, so of course, there was an extra side of fries and onion rings! Noms!

Yes. Golden fried onion rings. Couldn’t get any better!

Of course, the meal wouldn’t be complete without some sweets as Miss D would say! haha And we were presented with three jars! My eyes lit up as I have an obsession with desserts in jars, as you might know! They were all so beautiful and even though I was really stuffed, I had to give them all a try!

If you don’t already know, I LOVE chai. So when this was in front of me, I dived (okie, my spoon did haha) right into it! It had really in depth flavour of chai, and thick and creamy! But instead of the layer of burnt sugar, it had a layer of chocolate to crack into!

The chocolate mousse was highly recommended by the host of the event and I could tell why. It was not just chocolatey, it was luscious and just delicious! I wanted more even though my stomach was saying STOP!

Last but not the least, the lamington trifle! I have to admit, I never liked having lamingtons as I am not a big fan of desiccated coconut. But I couldn’t really taste much of the coconut in this! Love the soft cake with cream, vanilla custard and sweet berry sauce and strawberries! The colours of this dish was just so pretty!

Of course, you can only imagine how full I was by the end of the lunch but I was definitely satisfied! Was really happy to be able to meet new people over great food! Will definitely be returning to this place soon but just for their burgers this time so that my stomach won’t always be stretched! (: Definitely an experience I won’t forget! A big thank you to the team at Merrywell for the fantastic lunch!

For other reviews, do head over to :

I’m So Hungree

Sarah Cooks

Msihua

Disclaimer : I was invited to dine at the Merrywell with compliments to the restaurant and Crown Casino.

The Merrywell on Urbanspoon

Brunch Sunday : Chez Dre

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South Melbourne is a gem. Its filled with good food, desserts and you can get almost anything you want or need from there. One of the reasons why I love weekends is because I get to spend time with the mr and do what we love. Eat and explore more of Melbourne together (:

Chez Dre

Add : 287 Coventry Street (Rear), South Melbourne, Vic

Tel : 03 96902688

It’s not my first time here at this amazing cafe. The first time I was introduced to this amazing place because of the desserts they offer. They have to ability to draw you in and just go “WAH!” You then want to buy everything that is on display. haha

I wasn’t joking was I? Don’t you just want to buy everything and try them? hehe I had to resist and bought 4 back this time. And they were all delicious! The chocolate tart is the Mr’s favourite, the hazelnut praline crunch was mine! We also had the salted caramel eclair and the pistachio & fig cake (can’t quite remember the exact name! Sorry!) They were all delicious! Want to head back and try the rest! (:

Well. We weren’t there for only the sweets. Our initial plan was to head there for brunch! hehe So we did!

As Chez Dre doesn’t have chai, I ordered a cappuccino instead. I do love a cup of coffee once in a while though I’m usually a chai/tea kind of girl. hehe But their coffee was really good and topping it with the cocoa powder was perfect!

The Mr had his usual latte. I’m always intrigued by the way the baristas draw the art with the milk and froth. It’s really a talent. Been wanting to do the coffee barista course but never got around to doing it. haha

This was the black pudding, caramelised onion and tomato chutney omelet that the mr ordered and it was DE-LI-CIOUS! I knew it was what the Mr was going to order as it had black pudding in it and the mr loves black pudding! hehe Was a really good choice though!

I, on the other hand, have an obsession with corn fritters. And lucky me went on the day that had corn fritters as a breakfast special! hehe So of course, I had to order the special. It came with a poached egg, avocado and a capsicum salsa. It was yummy but the corn fritter was a little more like a pancake and could do with a bit more corn. Everything complimented each other though! So was still delicious and I was very happy! hehe

The egg was poached perfectly and the runny yolk just acted as the sauce for the fritters! I was like a kid receiving candy when I cut into the egg and the yolk just flowed out. NOMS! Couldn’t stop smiling hehe

I have to admit, the portion size is smaller than the other places we’ve had brunch at, but the food was pretty good and everything was cooked perfectly. So we couldn’t really ask for more (although we would love more haha). We will definitely be back to Chez Dre, if not for the food, then for their amazing desserts! (:

What is your favourite dessert from Chez Dre? Would love to know!