Keong Saik Bakery : a East-meets-West cafe

Yu Zhong, 29 and Soon, 29, both of them used to work at Baker & Cook prior to starting this bakery. All the bread and pastries are made in-house daily with no preservatives added. The bakery is located along Keong Saik Street and is directly opposite of the famous Kok Sen Restaurant. 

Sor Hei ($3.20) was recommended when I asked for a recommendation. Another recommended item is XO Lup Cheong ($2.40). I was also offered some sample of Sour Dough bread to try, but I was just too full to eat it right after dinner at Kok Sen Restaurant before walking over. I asked, "Do you have iced coffee?". And, I was served Kopi Susu with ice ($3.30). A pager was given after proceeding with the payment, the 2 buns were warmed up before serving it. 

Sor Hei, a black and white danish pastry is one of their signature items. It is named after the Cantonese name for a traditional ceremony held for the Ma Jie (妈姐), which is known as 梳起 in Chinese. Ma Jie, a group of women who worked as domestic helpers usually in expatriate or wealthy families, between the 1930s and 1970s in Singapore. They were easily identified by their plaited hair or hair bun and their distinctive black and white samfu outfit. This group of women had taken a vow never to marry. One of the former owners of the shop house that they occupy happened to be a Ma Jie. 

The chocolate chips that embedded in between those layers were nicely melted, giving it a chocolaty taste with a mild sweetness. Its texture is light with a buttery flavor, it was crispy on the outside and airy within. Charcoal powder is added to give the pastry the shade of black. It was warmed up before serving to me and it tasted particularly good. 

The XO Lup Cheong is an interesting creation, the slices of lup cheong and mozzarella cheese are served on french bread. We did not like this as much, somehow those lup cheong slices tasted a bit out of place but the bread was nice though. 

The Kopi Susu was served in a nostalgic metal cup with just enough ice cubes to chill it without diluting the taste. Their coffee is brewed using traditional coffee beans, the same type that is for the local coffee. It is freshly ground and is brewed using an espresso machine upon order. And, they are using milk instead of condensed milk for a robust yet familiar flavor. 

There is an All-Day-Breakfast set at $5 which consists of 2 soft-boiled eggs with Kopi coffee O or Teh O and a choice of the bun like Oyster Mushroom, Sardine Cheese, XO Lup Cheong, etc.

This is an interesting place to check out for their coffee and fusionised cakes as well as pastries.

KEONG SAIK BAKERY

41 Keong Saik Road SINGAPORE 089146

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 8.00 pm (Daily)

Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery : Old-school Buns and Cakes

Serangoon Garden Bakery & Confectionery has been around in Serangoon Garden for at least 30 years. I was told by a long time resident that they used to own a shop but closed down before moving to the current location. They serve those traditional and unpretentious buns like the classic luncheon meat buns, curry buns, ham & cheese buns, ikan belis buns, otah buns and many others. You could also find butter cake, banana cake and walnut cake right here. All of those are freshly baked at the spot and there used to be an interesting Uncle and he always said, '再来!' (which literally means come again or simply repeat) when taking the orders. This is a favourite breakfast spot where you could get some of those old school buns to have it with a cup of coffee. 

Their prices have been increasing, i remember it used to be as cheap as 0.60 cents for a piece but it is at $1.00 per piece now. Though it is still cheaper if compared to BreadTalk or other atas bakeries out there but if compared to Baker Talent where most of their buns are below $1.00, it is slightly steep. Perhaps that somewhat explained why the queue is so much shorter these days and there is even no queue at times. 

My favourite has always been the curry bun, ham & cheese bun and luncheon bun. The bread has a slightly sweet taste and rather airy, it still tasted good even it is kept for later or to have it for breakfast the next day.

SERANGOON GARDEN BAKERY & CONFECTIONERY

49A Serangoon Garden Way #01-45/46 Serangoon Garden Food Centre SINGAPORE

Operating Hours: 7.30 am till 5 pm or earlier if sold out (Closed on Mondays)

Chin Mee Chin Confectionery : The Forgotten

I was there near lunch but there was just another table at that time. This was the first time that i did not have to wait for a table as it has always been crowded whenever i visited. The Auntie that was serving a couple at the other table did not seem to be too friendly. I went to her when she was done taking their orders to give mines. I ordered an Iced Coffee, 2 Soft-boiled Eggs and a Kaya-Butter Bun then i went to the display shelf right in front of the shop to help myself to an Egg Tart.

When the Auntie served the Iced Coffee to my table, i asked, "I did not see any Sausage Roll. Do you still serve them?' She replied, "We have stopped serving it." I did not get to ask her the reason as she walked away right after. I overheard when one of their regular customers asking her a similar question. That Auntie was telling her, "We are shortage of manpower so we are not able to bake most of the items now." She did not mention whether it is permanently or just for a while. 

I travelled from the northern part of Singapore to here for their Sausage Rolls as it used to be a part of my growing up memories. I was feeling disappointed that i did not get to eat it. It is getting difficult to find Sausage Rolls these days in those modern bakeries. Another bakery that is known to be still serving them is Balmoral Bakery at Sunset Way and i went to get some last month but i did not like it at all.

The Egg Tart, though not the best but it is still better than most out there. The shell is slightly thicker but fragrant and crumbly, the custard is smooth and soft.

Their Kaya-Butter Bun has always been the must-order whenever i am here. It is usually served slightly toasted with kaya evenly spread at both side of the buns and a small piece of butter. A butter knife is served along with it so you could use it to spread the butter over the kaya on the warm buns. It just did not taste as nice as i remember this time, there seemed to be something missing which i could not quite say what is that. 

The Soft-boiled eggs are always comforting, it is best eaten with a dash of white pepper and drizzled with a bit of dark soya sauce then mixed it a bit before partaking it.

I could not help but wonder how much longer would this place still be around?

CHIN MEE CHIN CONFECTIONERY

204 East Coast Road SINGAPORE 428903

Operating Hours: 8.30 am to 4.00 pm

Balmoral Bakery : Hate it or love it

This is one of those old-school bakeries that are still existing, they have been in operation since 1965 when they started to sell English style cakes and pastries. It was founded by a group of Hainanese 'big brothers' as a complement to the famed Balmoral Steak House at Holland Village that was patronized by the British and Australian armed forces that was stationed in Singapore then.

I tried some of the pastries like Chicken Pie, Beef Pie, Curry Chicken Puff, Curry Beef Puff, Samosa and Sausage Rolls. Apparently, none of these pastries have tasted as good as it supposed to be. The puff pastry did not have much buttery taste and it was rather thick, in fact too much of it and with a rather minimum filling. I would actually suggest to try the Curry Chicken Puff ($1.80) from the Swisslink Bakery & Cafe nearby instead as those are surprisingly good and much better in standard in comparison. 

I also got to try a few of their swiss rolls, buttercake, cream horns and coconut tart but none actually left an impression. The buttercream used was those old-fashioned type, which is rather oily and dense with not much flavor, it tasted of low quality.

It has stated on their website that 'We still make our items by hand, maintaining generation old tradition and ensuring quality and tastiness in our products. Our butter cakes, rum balls, cream horns, samosas, chicken pies and curry puffs still taste how they did so long ago.'

Still, i could not help but wonder what have actually gone wrong and there is such a drop in their standard? I felt that they do not longer serving 'delicious, crusty, golden pastries and moist, flavorful cakes' that were mentioned in 'Our Story' on their website. Perhaps due to certain reason that they are no longer doing that 'something right' as claimed on their website in their kitchen that they used to? Though they have been around for decades but sadly, the taste and standard have somewhat did not stay the same anymore.

Are there any of their fans out there? Perhaps you might want to share your thoughts on their standard now as compared to that of yesteryear. I did not get to try it first but this is definitely not something that i am expecting from a more than 50 years bakery.

BALMORAL BAKERY

Block 105 Clementi Street 12 #01-06 SINGAPORE 120105

Operating Hours: 8.30 am to 8.00 pm (Daily)

Mr Baguette : the only Cheese Lava Tart

Mr Baguette is an interesting stall that has been around at the basement of Golden Mile food centre for more than 3 years. It is a bakery stall that you hardly find in a food centre and they serve Baguette Tarts with different types of fillings from cheese, chocolate, azuki beans, green tea and also egg pudding, there are more than 10 types for selection. The cheese and chocolate are the most popular choices.

I was told by Kent Wee, the owner that he is the only one in Singapore that is making these tarts. It just got me to wonder a little why did not any of those bakeries replicated this unique creation? Apparently, the secret is in the bread recipe which produced rolls with a thinner but crisper crust to give such an unique texture. He then using the machine to nicely dug out the inside and create a hollow shell. The 42 years old Kent used to work as a Baker then Bakery Consultant along with Irene, his wife to come out with the Baguette Tarts, added on to their baguettes and toasts. Their Baguette Tarts are now their most popular items and sold up to 800 pieces daily.

The Baguette Tarts are actually mini bread bowls that carved from spherical loaf of breads about the size of a small bun and it consist of rich molten sauces. 

I actually asked Kent, 'How good are your Baguette Tarts?' He said, 'I could not tell you how good are those but i could only tell you how i make them.' He went to the back and came back with a Baguette bread that has a hole in it. He said he baked those and filled them up with different fillings. He heated up those tarts before serving to soften the filling and to warm the bread, he placed them in a paper bag and handed to me.

The original Baguette Tart ($1.20) that they created in 2012 consists of light and buttery egg pudding that made from whipping cream, milk, sugar and eggs. It actually tasted like an usual egg tart but instead you have them in the crust, it is in a baguette. 

The Cheese Lava Tart ($1.80) was warm to hold when you bring it closer for a bite, the filling was a bit hot but aromatic and it got me wonder where to place my first bite, it was indeed a bit tricky to handle. I bite it slightly to create just a small hole but it still did not stop the lava cheese from oozing out and created quite a mass thereafter. I got the lava cheese not just on my hands but also my t-shirt and nose too. No matter, i enjoyed eating it. 

MR BAGUETTE

505 Beach Road #B1-51 Golden Mile Food Centre SINGAPORE 199583

Operating Hours: 12.00 pm to 8.00 pm  (Mon to Thur) / 12.00 pm to 9.00 pm (Fri & Sat)
 (Closed on Sundays)

THE BAKERY CHEF : An afternoon of nothingness

It was raining very heavily on that day and i badly needed a place to wait for the rain to stop. And i happened to be in the vicinity of this one of the most talked about cafes in town and i thought of their beautiful rainbow cake from this cafe and decided to drop by. We were greeted upon entered then asked to take a seat. The order has to be made at the counter and i offered to pay after it was done but i was asked to do so later. Their attentive service has definitely left an impression. 

Their beautifully done Rainbow Cake ($5.80) is a must try. The taste aside, the prettiness of it has already brightened my gloomy day. I was really eager to have my first bite at that moment. The Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cake ($5.80) came next. It was another piece of really pretty cake. Then, came my Cuppuccino ($4.90). 

It was a squarish piece of cake in 6 different colors that is topped with a delicious layer of fresh cream and nicely decorated. I enjoyed what i tasted, the sponginess was pretty distinctive though i could not quite make a comparison with other rainbow cakes as this was my very first piece.

The Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cake is another excellent choice. The fresh cream did not taste really sweet but delightfully well-balanced.

This heartland cafe is definitely worth a revisit. I would even purposely make a trip to here for good cakes. It was such a perfect afternoon and i really could not ask for more.  

THE BAKERY CHEF

Block 161 Bukit Merah Central #01-3711 SINGAPORE 150161

Hours: 10.00 am to 9.00 pm (Friday to Monday ) 10.00 am to 7.00 pm (Tuesday to Thurday) 

Disappointing Experience with FLOR PATISSERIE

I was a fan of Flor Patisserie. I used to be a royal customer that truly enjoyed their cakes. You must be wondering why am i using the past tense in the above sentences? Well, i am their fan and royal customer no more.

I have decided to share my unpleasant encounter with FLOR PATISSERIE recently. 

This was not the first time that i went to take away their cakes and have it at home. I have always trusted them to pack it nicely so i would have all the cakes in good shape when i gotten home. It was not the case recently. The cakes were in quite a mess this time. It happened when they just packed it all in an oversized box without any dividers in between to close up the spacing to hold them well. 

I was disappointed so i left a message on their facebook page. 

I gotten their reply a few hours later. Apparently, the person that replied trying to protect the reputation of their shop by shifting the blame to me. This person mentioned that 6 slices of cakes are enough to fill the entire box thus there is no need for dividers as there is little space for the cakes to move around, provided that there is no violent movement of the box. 

I am offended. Did the person suggest that it happened when i handled the box roughly by creating violent movement to cause those cakes to shift and collapsed? Some of those cakes are in irregular shapes thus their sizes are not enough to fill up the whole box as clearly shown in the picture? Didn't the person at least make an effort to study the picture carefully before given such a reply? or did the person simply assumed and based the judgement on their packing policy? Example, no divider is needed for the number of cakes in a particular size of box. 

Oh Yeah! The person did not have the courtesy to even spelled my namely correctly. If he/she is not even observant enough to spell my name right, how much accurate could his/her judgement be in assessing the space in the box between those cakes?

Then the person continued to suggest that the box has been outside the fridge for more than 40 minutes and has been through a rough ride. The person emphasized their cakes are very delicate and sensitive to heat as they use minimum or no setting agent in their cakes. Then, the person mentioned ice packs are provided for free if the going back journey is more than 30 minutes. Then, why didn't they have this clearly stated somewhere prominent so their customers could based on that to decide whether they need the free ice packs to be provided when they are transporting the cakes? Or, why didn't their Staff go the extra mile by reminding their customers and offer the ice packs if the journey is more than 30 minutes or the weather is extremely hot on that day? 

I replied by stating this was not my first experience and i did not go through a rough journey to reach home within 30 minutes.

They posted another comment today by asking which outlet the purchase was from. And, in the initial message they even suggested that i leave my mobile number openly on the comment box so they could contact me on the replacement of the cakes.

They edited the comment about 2 hours later after posted it. They decided to remove the 'replacement of the cakes' from the comment. It appeared to be as follow:

The comparison between their original comment and the edited one.

I replied their comment with, "This was from the duxton outlet. The purpose of highlighting this issue is not asking for replacement of cakes (you needn't have to edit it away) but your mindfulness and flexibility in putting extra care when packing the cakes for taking away. Having been your customers for the last 4 years, such standard is not quite acceptable."

There is no further comment after this. I guess they decided to ignore me for good. 

To review all the cakes that i eaten this time, the taste and texture were somewhat compromised. It definitely did not taste as good as when Chef Yamshita was still there. By the way, the shop is still using the name of Chef Yamshita to sell their cakes by having it prominently stated that Flor Patisserie is by Chef Yamshita. I just think this is not quite right. 

I have decided to stay away from FLOR PATISSERIE as i do not wish to be further disappointed again. Their standard had dropped significantly.

Duke Bakery

Where would you be on a beautiful Sunday? I went to the Grand Opening of Duke Bakery, the most talked about bakery in town. I gotten the news from the facebook page of 'What To Eat Singapore' about their opening.

Duke Bakery is originated from Taiwan serving tasty Japanese European style of breads that indirectly in promoting healthy eating. Their breads are freshly handmande and baked daily using the freshest ingredients including the yeast from fermented fruits for a natural flavours. There would be 60 different types of breads available daily to get their customers to keep coming back for more. 

I was there at about 10 am. There was already a small crowd of mostly invited guests crowding the entrance of the bakery. A brief introduction of the bakery was given by the DJ while waiting for the arrival of Fann Wong to initiate the Opening Ceremony at about 10.45 am.

Fann Wong arrived with Jerry Huang, an artiste from Taiwan together with the founder of the bakery for the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. The bakery was then declared officially opened and this followed by a private party for the VIPs and the invited guests from 11 to 12 pm. 

To celebrate the Grand Opening, a 40% discount given store wide from 12 pm to 9 pm. I heard most items have been sold out by 7 pm. If you happened to be one of the disappointed ones then you might be delightful to know there is a 20 discount given to all items with no minimum spending required. And for purchase above $20, a life time membership Privilege Card is given that entitled you to a good 10% purchase each visit thereafter.

I joined the queue right outside bakery at about 11.25 am. The queue though long but was rather systematic and everyone waited patiently for their turn to enter the bakery. I waited till about 12 pm before being ushered into the bakery.

There are a good range of breads available from about $3.30 to $8.50. Unlike other bakeries, tasting is allowed before you decide what to buy. A plastic container consisted rather big pieces of nicely cut bread displayed with toothpick attached to each piece for tasting purpose. 

After tasted quite a few, i settled for Chocolate Buns (5 pieces in a bag) at $4.50, Carlbell at $6.60 and Swiss Chocolate at $3.30. The discounted amount for all is $12.60 from $21.00. These would be for my dinner later.

I met Esther Gan, a long lost friend there. We used to be ex colleague working in the same company and left contact after we both left. She was with the 6oz Expresso Bar there. We chatted for a bit. We exchanged the contact and she initiated a meet up with our ex colleagues then. 

A gentleman spotted us chatting and came over. Esther mentioned to him that i keep a Blog too. The gentleman went away and came back with a brochure contained the Privilege Card and then a goodie bag for me. There was a bag of Chocolate Buns and the Signature Crown in the bag. This made me happy.  I wanted the Signature Crown earlier but none left on the shelf.

And, i am indeed the privileged fews to be given the Privilege Card. This means i will get to enjoy more of these fantastic breads at a 10% discounted price each time. 

Signature Crown is one of the recommended items promoted as one of the Four Kings. Thus, this is a definite must try. It has a beautiful crown shape nicely formed by 5 buns that contained of generous filling of cream cheese. This would likely be the new found love for cream cheese lover like myself. The texture of bread has a delightful chewiness together with a noticeable softness. It still tasted so good even after left it for hours and to best enjoy it is to heat it lightly to give it a slight warmth. 

A bag of 5 Chocolate Buns is affordably priced at $4.50. This is another item in the range of Four Kings. I'd think this is a must eat particularly for chocolate lovers. I could taste the good quality chocolate is used as part of the ingredients to bake these lovely Chocolate Buns. The texture is rather fluffy and moist within with a ball of chocolate and cocoa filling in it. The rich chocolate taste is simply irresistible. 

Swiss Chocolate. A beautifully looking bun on its own for $3.30. A simple bun with delightful fluffiness though it is without filling but it still tasted pretty good on its own. 

Carlbell is another personal favourite listed as part of the Four Kings. This is quite a big bread for $6.60. It is of a substantial size to have it for lunch or even for dinner. The sourness of the dried cranberry incorporated nicely with the light sweetness of the cream cheese to surprise your taste bud pleasantly. 

There is a Post Grand Opening Special Promotions going on now. A good 20% discount off storewide with no minimum purchase required from 28 October 2013 (Monday) to 4 November 2013 (Monday). You can choose from a delightful range of freshly baked Japanese European style artisan bread with a twist of Taiwan. And, you will be give a FREE Lifetime Membership with 10% discount off future purchase if you spent a minimum of $20 worth of breads.

NOTE: Re-visited on 31 October 2013 (Thursday) at about 2.30 pm. The shelves were almost empty. When checked with the staff on the next batch of Carlbell, i was told there's only a batch per day. I felt a certain amount of efforts should be put in to ensure there is enough supply to meet the demand particularly when there is an on-going promotion of 20% discount. 

DUKE BAKERY

101 Thomson Road

#01-02/03 United Square

SINGAPORE 307591.