Secret Recipe

Secret Recipe
Website: http://www.secretrecipe.com.sg/Default.asp

Secret Recipe has cheesecake, cheesecake and more cheesecakes. They have outlets at Holland Grove Road, Plaza Singapura, East Coast, Suntec City, Vivo City, etc. (check their website for more details).

I like their cheesecake for not having that heavy cheese taste (unlike some places which I shall not name). It’s light and yet cheesy enough so that I can take 2 slices at any one time. A slice of cheesecake will cost you around S$5 per slice and a whole cake goes for S$45.

Personally, I only ate once at a Secret Recipe at Marina Square here. I always get my fix in the City Square (City Square, MB-02, Level B1, JB City Square, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Johor Bahru, tel: 07-2248110, Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm daily) coz it’ll cost me RM5.50 per slice there. Instant 50% discount.

Oh, did I mention that you must try their chicken cornish (RM6.80) too? The spicy one tastes a bit like our curry puff but with more chicken bits. To fill yourself up, you can have a chicken cornish and a slice of cheesecake for a grand price of RM12.30 (excluding taxes and service charges)!

Secret Recipe is well known for their cheesecake and cakes, which means you should never try their main courses, e.g. western food or something. I did try once and well, I’ll stick to their cheesecake.

Tong Heng Confectionary

Tong Heng Confectionary

• 285 South Bridge Road
  Tel: 6223 0398
  Opening Hours: 9.30am to 10pm
• #B1-10 Jurong Point Shopping Centre
  Tel: 6794 6292
  Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm

They are famous for their lao po bing (wives’ cakes), custard tarts and other traditional pastries.

Personally, I only go for their custard tarts which come in a diamond shape rather than the usual round ones. I love it for its crispy shell and the smooth custard inside the shell. Needless to say, their custard tarts sell out fast, so it’s advisable to go early before they run out.

Original Pillow Cake/Brownies

Original Pillow Cake/Brownies
Far East Square #01-01
(In front of Lingzhi Restaurant)
Tel: 9684 2389 (Ms Tina Lau)
Operating Hours: From 11am until the cakes are sold out (usually by 1pm); closed on Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays

You don’t even need to take a bite to realise why these sponge cakes are called pillow cakes. Shaped like loaves of bread, these fluffy cakes are amazingly soft and springy to the touch. They’re tasty too - soft and with just a hint of sweetness so you can eat as much of it as you like without feeling jelak (cloying in Malay).

The pillow cakes (S$4.20 per loaf; comes in 2 flavours - original vanilla and mocha) were originally sold at the now-defunct OA Bakery at People’s Park. Now, they can be found at a non-descript pushcart stall at Far East Square located outside the Ling Zhi Vegetarian Restaurant.

They also have brownies/cookies which comes in a pack of 2 for S$1.60. But it’s their pillow cakes which are sold out fast each day. Go early!

Chewy Junior

Chewy Junior
Blk 1 Tanjong Pagar Plaza #01-18
(Next to Chocolat N’ Spice)
Tel: 6222 8867

The shop sells a kind of little puff (something similar to that papa puff), with a topping on the top. There are 10 types of topping to choose from (see Chewy Junior Menu). They also have an additional flavor:- CJ Almond Cookies Crunch (@ S$1.00 each).

Prices range from S$0.80 for the chewy original to S$1.00 for the rest of the flavors. Buy 6 @ S$5.00 (save S$1.00) or buy 9 @ $7.50 (save S$1.50).

I had the kaya flavored one last Saturday. The kaya topping is not bad but the vanilla filling in the puff is way too little compared to Beard Papa. You barely got to taste the vanilla filling until mid-way through the puff and it’s really little. Overall, a good snack to have but I won’t go for it again and again and again.

Provence

Provence

• 17A Lorong Liput, Holland Village
  Tel: 6467 6966
  Website: http://www.provence.com.sg/
  Opening Hours: 9.30am to 8.30pm, Mon to Fri; 8.30am to 8.30pm, Sat & Sun
• Petit Provence
  #B1-29 Central Shopping Centre
  6 Eu Tong Sen Street
  Tel: 6534 9029
  Website: http://www.provence.com.sg/petit/index.html
  Opening Hours: 11am to 10pm daily

It may be called Provence, but its European breads are given a Japanese twist. Owned by qualified Japanese baker Yoshiaki Matsumoto, 36, the bakery employs seven Japanese and local bakers in its kitchen behind. It uses high-quality wheat imported from France, and every loaf is measured, mixed, kneaded and finished by hand.

The Petite Provence at Central Shopping Centre has less variety - just cream & choco wasant and petit chocolat chocolat. Just 50 cents each and you can finish a single one in 2 bites.

The Provence at Holland Village has walnut raisins, chocolate twist, koshi an pan, milk bun, light pound cake, cheese bun, cream cheese seasame, walnut cream cheese and chocol & cream wassant.

Our advice is to call ahead and reserve the buns/wassant and collect it later. Else be prepared to have them tell you “Sorry, we ran out!”.

Rich and Good Cake Shop

Rich and Good Cake Shop
24 Kandahar Street
Tel: 6294 3324

THIS shop isn’t in the heartlands, but it’s still not where you’d expect to get such delicious durian swiss rolls made with real D24 durians. Customers come from the far ends of the island to buy them. They have also have other flavors like strawberry, pandan (see picture above), etc.

The bakery is now in its 16th year of business. Owner Lily Liu, 63, plans to pass on the shop to her children, in true heartlander fashion.

Cost is from S$10-S$12 for a box of 2 swiss rolls.

Cake Avenue

Cake Avenue
33 Lorong Kilat #01-01
Kilat Centre
Tel: 6877 9008
Website: http://www.cakeavenue.com/
Opening Hours: 11am to 8pm, Mon to Sat; 11am to 6pm, Sun; closed on last Monday of each month

What caught my eye about this cake shop is their beautiful cupcakes. They are so beautiful that you really don’t feel like eating them. I’ve put some of the pictures above, so you can see for yourself.

Prices range from S$15.00 for 6 pieces of vanilla flavoured cupcakes to S$25.00 for 10 pieces of assorted flavours, right up to S$40.00 for 9 pieces. You can find the prices and designs on their website.

They also sell the usual cakes, cheesecakes, wedding cakes and even first month give aways.

Baked Ideas

Baked Ideas
Website: http://halfbaked-ideas.com/

I know what you’re thinking. You’re just cupcaked out. Cannot look at another one, much less eat it. Maybe this one will revive your appetite.

This dark beauty from Baked Ideas, an Internet baking business, has everything going for it – soft fluffy cake and a yummy chocolate ganache topping crowned with a velvety raspberry. The cake isn’t too sweet, which is a good thing since the ganache is unabashedly so. But there is just enough, so it isn’t terribly cloying.

Two women are the brains behind the business – Karen Huang, 33, who runs a graphic design business, and Joanna Ong, 35, who works in the finance industry.

Aside from cupcakes, they also offer a chocolate cake called, quite endearingly, the Plain Jane Chocolate Loaf Cake. I found it too sweet, but the soft, crumbly texture was good. There is also a decorate-it-yourself Gingerbread Man kit, which comes with unadorned cookies and little pots of icing. Perfect for kids’ parties.

The cupcakes go for S$25-S$35. The Plain Jane Chocolate Loaf Cake (see above picture) goes for S$40 per pack of 5. They have other bakes like Raspberry Chocolate Pavlova/Pavlova with Mixed Berries and Creme Anglais (S$40 each), Cranberry and Pistacho Biscotti (S$25 for 320g) and Biscotti di Prato (S$20 for 320g).

Delivery service has been suspended until further notice. You can pick up your order from either Chip Bee Gardens or Sixth Avenue when it’s ready. Details will be given to you upon confirmation of your order.

To place your order, call either please call Karen (9747 2908) or Joanna (9749 3454).

C-Cup

C-Cup
Tel: 9229 6109
Website: www.c-cup.biz
Opening Hours: Last order is at 5pm, Mon to Fri; closed on Monday
Please note that C-Cup will not be taking any more order until 2 Oct 2007.

Ad-man-by-day, Mervyn Chan’s cups overfloweth. He and his partner, David Logie, fill their decadent desserts with maraschino cherries, mandarin slices and Belgian waffle crusts. These are covered in whorls of butter cream that will send your self-control crumbling and make you look horribly undignified as you lick up the crumbs from the wrappers.

The cupcakes cost S$3 for 2.5 inch and S$6 for 4 inch except for C-Cup signature which costs S$7 for 4 inch.

To place an order for the cupcakes, click here.

• Minimum order of $30. Excluding delivery charge of $10 to single location (free for orders above $80).
• Minimum order quantity of two cupcakes per flavour, excluding CCÛP Signature (see 1st picture above).
• Orders to be placed at least three (3) working days prior to delivery.

Hot Fuchsia

Hot Fuchsia
Tel: 9662 9065 (Beng Li Sher, Chef de patisserie)
Website: www.hotfuchsia.com

Hot Fuchsia is a “boutique” caterer & event planner in Singapore specializing in unique and delicious culinary creations and effecting memorable events. Delight in a myriad of tasty canapés and hors d’oeuvres, sumptuous dishes or pleasure yourself with their wicked looking chocolate pastries and cakes. Enjoy a wide range of delicacies designed to whet, excite, and arouse your taste buds.

Their catering team has a variety of skills, allowing us to offer an array of services in addition to their catering, including customized specialty cakes and desserts, gourmet dinners cooked to order at private homes or party sites, delivered heat-and-serve meals and floral decoration.

Whether you’re planning an intimate dinner for six, a cocktail party, a kid’s party or an elaborate celebration for 200, contact them now and find out what other gastronomical enticements await you…

Pateli's Crave

Pateli’s Crave
Blk 637 Ang Mo Kio Ave 6
Tel: 8163 7852
Opening Hours: 9.30am to 7pm, Mon to Sat; closed on Sundays and Public Holidays
Website: www.pateliscrave.com

Heaven forbid you lose that svelte figure. Fortunately, you can stuff your face and still maintain your waistline with the incredibly light, fluffy Holy Muffins and cupcakes from this store. Elizabeth uses corn oil instead of butter so they’re healthier and still pretty palatable. The cupcakes taste better without the icing, though, which lacks richness and is too greasy.

You can also have your photos printed on the cupcake (see 1st picture above). They also do wedding-cupcake-in-a-box (see last picture above), which is great for your guests to bring home instead of the usual ho-hum presents.

Cupcakes start from S$2.50 onwards, depending on the designs.

Pine Garden's Cake

Block 529 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, #01-2329
Tel: 6457 6159
Opening Hours: 8.30am to 9.30am daily
Website: http://www.pgcake.com/

Pulut hitam, or black glutinous rice, is usually made into a pudding with rich coconut cream drizzled on top.

Pine Garden’s Cake in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 has turned it into a Pulut Hitam Cake. Soft vanilla sponge cake dotted with black rice is sandwiched with pulut hitam mousse. The cake is topped with the luscious black rice pudding, which manages to stay on the cake instead of sliding right off it.

It’s quite a feat and the result is a light and yummy cake that is a refreshing take on an old-time dessert.

Just as good is Cocotero, with an ever so slightly salty coconut custard pudding sandwiched between vanilla sponge. It’s like a cross between a classic Nonya kueh and a heavier version of a chiffon cake. The custard is shot through with strips of young coconut that add some texture and there’s more sprinkled on top. People who are put off by desiccated coconut, relax. This is quite different. Fresh young coconut just can’t be beat.

A 500g cake costs $24, and a 1kg one is $35. Call the above number at least 2 days in advance to order.

Note: This review was extracted from ST Foodies Club.

Puteri Mas Pte Ltd

• 475 Joo Chiat Road
  Tel: 6344 8629
  Opening Hours: 10.30am to 6.30pm, Tuesdays to Fridays; 10.30am to 5pm, Sat & Sun; closed on Mondays


• #01-187B Suntec City Mall
  Tel: 6235 8768
  Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm

Durian lovers unite! And go try these D24 durian puffs (20 pcs for S$9!). The pastry is pretty tasteless but the durian puree is pure gold.