Frolic (Tampines 1)

Yoguru (Kallang Leisure Park)

Yoguru, Yo guru or maybe just a fun wordplay between yogurt and guru. Analyze and break the word however you want, the fact is, I've found a new addiction and thankfully, it is a rather healthy one (taken in moderation of course).

Location: 5 Stadium Walk #01-10A Kallang Leisure Park

Contact: 63448860

Website: http://www.yoguru.com.sg

Price per head: $5-10 depending on the size of the other and toppings

The Name to Look Out For

Large order + 2 toppings mango and strawberry

Another Look

(**A little note on the pictures above, as this blogger is not used to being questioned when taking photographs, the rare event that the owner actually required explaination of my actions kinda took me aback and thus, resulted in less quality photos due to nervousness. In future, if you see a guy taking photos and ordering food from your outlet, please, leave him be for better photographic results. )

Located in the revamped and renovated Kallang Leisure park, Yoguru is a spot of purplish red in a predominantly white mall. Scrounging some information from the net yielded that this little gem has been operating for a year or more by now and has garnered a strong following of dessert lovers.
Positioned as a "true yogurt" experience. Yoguru's main selling points are its fresh ingredients and yogurt made fresh on site in their outlet. It is said that this is the only way, the probiotic cultures may survive to actually provide the health benefits yogurt is supposed to impart. Equally intrigueing is the fact that yogurt is non fat and contains calcium and minerals which are of benefit to the body. Sounds a little too good to be true isn't it?
The good news is, the yogurt is definitely smoother and better then anything i've tasted. I chose the original flavored yogurt with 2 toppings, mango and strawberry. The fruit toppings are indeed fresh and comes with all natural flavor, which means they were either sour or sweet depending on your luck. The yogurt itself is the star.
On first glance, it reminds me of vanilla ice cream but it doesn't melt as quickly so it can be enjoyed slowly. Taste wise, its slightly sour with a firm texture when compared to other yogurts and ice cream. Its also refreshingly light and appetising even to the last scoop. Even for someone who has had a rather filling lunch, having this will not make you feel overloaded, which is rather surprising for me.

Overall score: 8/10

Last word:
For the record, i don't like yogurt. Never liked the sourish taste and jelly like texture which i always get from supermarket and restaurant yogurts. This, however, has me convinced and converted. I like it because its low fat, healthy and most of all, because its light and tasty. Which is exactly what desserts should be. For the uninitiated, please do drop by for at least a try. If this outlet is too far out of the way, there's a new outlet opening in Raffles City Mall for more yogurt goodness. Lets just hope franchising doesn't kill the quality like so many other franchises.

Awfully Chocolate (Katong Mall Outlet)

Beginning in 1998, Awfully Chocolate brought a concept and slowly but surely, turned a simple idea into a region spanning franchise. One of its franchisee's, Stella Huang, is a resident Singaporean celebrity who sang and acted in various sitcoms during her university days earn "some" pocket money. The result of a simple concept and limited selection of items is what you get from Awfully Chocolate.
( Correction update: Stella was a franchisee and not a founder. Thanks to Anonymous for the update.)

Location: 112 East Coast Road #01-26 Singapore 428802

Contact: 63459106

Website: http://www.awfullychocolate.com/

black on white

Hei(Black) Ice Cream Single Scoop ($3.80)

I guess this franchise is proof that a simple idea can blossom and spread with a good amount of financial backing and some really tasty chocolate.

Ice Cream: This is the first time i tried their ice cream and it was smooth. Despite the extremely thick chocolate its made of, the bitterness was mild. It also had just the right amount of sweetness to push you towards the next mouthful. However, i can't help noticing that the ice cream has a taste very much familiar to extremely thick Milo concentrate. Not to say its a bad thing, but its an observation.
My two cents? Reasonably good enough to stand on its own, but more then a few mouthfuls and be prepared to call in sick the next day.

Cake: I've tried a slice of their cake before and its rich, slightly fluffy and easily messy to enjoy. The fudge is smooth and moderately sweet which once again, gives it a balanced taste. I felt it was pretty similar to 3 other cakes i've had before though. Lana's cake shop, Choc-a-bloc and even Secret recipe. I think its a fair comparison since they all belong to the moist chocolate fudge category. The difference is mostly on the ratio of chocolate to sponge and Awfully Chocolate's version has most in common with Lana's version, albeit having a thicker fudge layer in the middle and on its coverings. Whether you like it or not depends on how much you like chocolate.

Final Score: 6/10

Last Word:
I like chocolate and this is definitely pretty good for both the ice cream and the chocolate cake. I also like the attitude of the founders for their arrogance and daring in sticking to this concept but honestly, there are lots of chocolate cakes around. And when the differentiation factor is not as apparent, its less of a draw to return. Still, give this a try if you have not tried it yet.

Canele Patisserie Chocolaterie (Raffles Shopping Centre Outlet)

Its difficult to miss Canele in Raffles City Shopping centre since its situated in the middle of the pathway and further accentuated with a jet spraying fountain as its centerpiece. Of course, another draw would be that Canele is a part of the Les Amis group and has an excellent display of tasty treats adorning its front counter. I've heard much and felt compelled to try it out to see if it was worth the fuss. Conclusion? Coming soon.

Location: Raffles City Shopping Center B1-81/82 Singapore 179103

Contact: 63347377

Website: www.canele.com.sg

This came with iced water

Jupiter ($7++)



Strawberry Shortcake ($6.50++)

Price wise, its acceptable given the pedigree and given the brand. However, portion size for both is much smaller then first perceived.
I'd like to talk a little about the service because i felt that the man who started off serving us had a stand offish attitude the moment we mentioned we were only here for dessert. In fact, he took away the menu and for some weird reason, did not bother to take our orders. In the end, i had to flag down another waitress to get the job done. Management take note on this please.
On the plus side, i was informed that Canele does not serve ice water but was pleasantly surprised when we received a glass. That is worth commending.

Jupiter - It looks simply divine but i can't help comparing it to Ambrosia which i had in Ah Teng's Bakery. The glistening chocolate layer looks and tastes similar to Ambrosia with a slightly bitter aftertaste which i enjoyed. The interior is different since Jupiter has a slight crunch in the center layer which was quite enjoyable. However, the sponge layer which forms the base had a weird sourish taste which remained me of spoiled rice. I would have appreciated a sourish tinge of orange on that layer but thats just a suggestion. The beautiful looking top layer was also rather disappointing in that there was minimal taste. Apart from being a decorative piece, it had potential to be so much more.In the end, my gf and i concluded Ah Teng's Ambrosia tasted better for a similar dessert. It helps that it cost lesser as well.

Strawberry Shortcake - Another winner in the looks department, i liked the casual appearance of the wholesome strawberries and the thick pieces they came in. I also like the sponge layer which was moistly soft and mildly sweet. I was more or less in the mood for a mild dessert at this point. The strawberries were juicy but not sweet enough according to my gf. She compared this with Four Leaves version and voted Four Leaves version as the winner in terms of taste and price. For my part, i remember Four Leaves rendition having a stronger strawberry taste on the sponge and cream and the strawberries themselves were sweeter. The sponge on Four Leaves was dryer though. Tough call actually.

Final Score: 6.5/10

Last Word:
For the price, i honestly have to say its a little too expensive. Substitutes for the offerings seem easy enough to come by and seems as though apart from losing to Canele in the looks department, delivers in the taste and quantity department better. Overall, i'd say Canele ain't bad but really, with the price charged, it's natural to expect more and at this point, i'm inclined to say its not up to standard yet.

Bakerzin

Recently, i've been bestowed with a valuable gift of Takashimaya vouchers from my superbly wonderful company. I've thus been thronging Takashimaya with the intention of spending every single voucher away to no avail. Thus, i used it to the most important aspect of my being. My every growing tummy. It so happend that Bakerzin was having an offer for macarons and i just hopped to try it.


Location: 391 Orchard Road #B2-08-04 Takashimaya Department Store

Price: $10 for 2 bags of 6

The undefilable bag ($5 for 6 prepacked)

Chocolate Macaron

First off, a little background into why i wanted to try this.

1: My boss bought a nice sample of the best macarons back from France for the team to try during her trip and i have to say, they were excellent if a little pricey. I mean, 1 small macaron for $8? Ouch.

2: I've been told the Singapore renditions for macarons were no where near the true taste and standard of a France. And being a true blue Singaporean, i felt compelled to see if this was true.

The observation:
The macarons from Bakerzin were smaller and the proportions were different. The original macaron i had was thick in the middle and thinner on the sides. The Bakerzin rendition had a thicker side and smaller middle with a generally smaller size as well.
Taste wise, the Bakerzin rendition i bought had 6 flavors, chocolate, mint, strawberry, cherry, coffee and lemon. They all had a rather strong milky taste which is unusual because the actual french version had no such taste. The sides were are less fragrant and had a different texture and layer of crunchiness as compared to the french version. Overall, i felt this version highly inadequate.
I only had 2 flavors from the ones my boss brought back and i can tell you, the ones you find here are no where near the real thing. For starters, there is absolutely no milky taste. The texture is highly different and the actual fillings were packed full of actual flavor as opposed to the ready made ones you see on offer here.

Score: 4/10

Last word:
Sure, i may be overly harsh on this. After all, the real thing costs 700% more and has to be flown in but hey, i had more faith in our chefs then to produce this half baked effort. Maybe when the promotion is over the macarons will be of better quality. I wouldn't know for sure but honestly, they need to step up their game so that it tastes like a true macaron instead of looking the part. Just my personal opinion is all.

Ah Tengs Bakery

Located in the same vicinity as Royal China, Ah Tengs Bakery is an extension of Empire Cafe which specializes in sandwiches, coffee and the oh-so-important dessert. Having had a less then savory dim sum experience and feeling utterly unsatisfied, i was pulled along into this bakery to have some coffee and to sin further after the meal. Read on my friends.

Location: 1 Beach Road Singapore 189673

Contact: 63371886

Website: www.raffleshotel.com

Price Range: $5-10 per head

Old Fashioned Decoration and name

All the details you will need

First up, you'll notice how retro this place looks. A horrible looking sign and drab interiors belie the wonderful desserts they sell. Do not be deceived however, its out coverings definitely do not do its tasty sweetness justice.

Premium Black Coffee ($4.67)

After all the oily dim sum, a coffee black simply hits the spot. No sugar, no milk, just pure black coffee bean goodness. This was lightly acidic and yet has a great aroma which is easy on the palate.

Tiramisu ($4.21)

The Inside

Now, i've never had a really good tasting Tiramisu in Singapore so far. In fact, i'm quite a dunce when it comes to Tiramisu. Still, the fact remains that no Tiramisu has given me enough reason to rave about it. This is no exception sadly but it does come close. Thick and sinful mascarpone cheese adorn the main body while 2 layers of rum soaked cake serve to provide the flavor and balance which all Tiramisu's try to attain. The chocolate powder is used deliberately for the outer covering which still gets the job done.

Ambrosia ($4.21)

Ambrosia is a terribly awful and sinful dessert. I must say, indulge in this at the peril of your waistline. Rich, thick chocolate covers the entire outer layer and inner layer as well. The chocolate is a mix of bitterness and sweetness but its enough to keep you asking for more. The inner workings include 2 surprise layers of flavor hidden near the middle. The flavors there are familiar workings which remind me of....strawberry and some other ingredient i simply can't recall but the important thing is, its all good. There's even some gold foil used on top of the dessert for that decadent look. If this is sin, oh, lord, i have sinned badly and i will sin again.

Bill

Total bill for this delectable dessert turned up at $18.50 which is remarkably cheap.

Overall Score: 7.5/10 (dessert only)

Last word:

This dessert saved the day really. And the price is reasonable enough for me to want to return in a hurry. Definitely try the cakes here. Not too sure about everything else though.

Secret Recipe (Moist Chocolate Cake)

National Day meant many things for me but most of all it meant my girlfriend could get the National Day celebrations discount offered by Secret Recipe which allowed all their cakes to be available for purchase at a whooping 42% discount. Her choice of indulgence? After an agonizing 1 hour of listening to the shop assistant who eventually lied to get her number, the heavy weighted Moist Chocolate Cake which weights in at an astonishing 2.1kg.@

Moist Chocolate Cake ($26 due to discount)

Cross Section

Being my first Secret Recipe cake, i'd say this was big. The shop assistant kindly pointed out the best way to enjoy this was by first heating it and he wasn't wrong at all. When heated, the cake is warm, with a nice layer of melting dark chocolate that would have been better if given in bigger doses but in its current form still managed to indulge the senses with its cocoa content. The thin light brownish layer you see in the middle is mocha fudge which provides a sweet and light relief from the majority of the cake's thick bitter chocolate layer. The sponge cake was also denser then usual and thus results in a more fulfilling spoonful then regular sponge cakes available elsewhere.

So is the Secret Recipe used in this cake good enough? I would say it was really quite good. I loved the melting bitter chocolate layer and the small mocha layer in the middle when i munched on its sponge cake. However, i really would have preferred it if they could have given a few more layers of chocolate of something else to mix up the taste abit as it can get overwhelmingly strong after a few bites.

Score: 7/10

Last Word:
Definitely worth its price when discounted but i would never pay the full price for a cake of this caliber. To me, $45 should net me something much more exotic or at least thoughtful then this offering. However, this is still a good steal at $26, too bad it comes around only once yearly. =P