(Note: If the photographs below look somewhat ‘different’, that’s because I was playing around with the vintage lomo effect.)

I am referring to The Cookie Museum, of course. This place was formerly known as The V Tea Room, where V probably stood for Victorian. Each time I walk past this tea lounge at the Esplanade, I can’t help but slow down for a better look. The quaint Victorian theme is so beautiful it really takes your breath away! Throw in the motif wallpaper, gold-rimmed mirrors and largely pink decor, this is one place that is perfect for an afternoon tea session with the girlfriends.

Another place that boasts similarly gorgeous decor is Tea Cosy by Eclectic Attic.

Here, you sit on plush chairs with ornate carvings and feel like royalty.

Obviously, the namesake cookies are a huge draw. Have you ever come across unconventional flavors like Laksa, Nasi Lemak, Hainanese chicken rice, masala and tom yam crab?

Photo by lion kim ball

Laksa cookies
SGD38-45 for a 500-gram tin

We sample the Laksa-flavored cookies, and my, they taste just like the real thing! This is the first time we have tried cookies that are actually spicy. It may seem a little weird at first, but I can get used to the taste.

Has anyone attempted baking these unique Singapore-flavored cookies? Would adding coconut milk, shrimp paste and a dash of sambal chili conjure up Laksa-flavored cookies? If you have done this, please share your recipe with us!

Aside from the cookies, there is a large menu just for the tea alone. The staff would roll the tea cart right to your table and delicately serve the teapot, sugar, etc.

You can see how the tea is being served here. It’s a rather long process so the video cuts off before the tea has been poured! But you get the picture.

I just love, love, LOVE that dainty floral teacup! I wonder where we can buy something similar for our homes?

Darjeeling Margaret’s Hope
SGD14.90++

In the past, they would refill the teapot with hot water, so you could practically drink the tea forever! But nowadays they have stopped doing it. Each teapot fills about 2 cups of tea.

If this isn’t your cup of tea, Max Brenner next door serves up wonderful hot chocolate, too! Speaking of which…

Have Your Say!

Is the Cookie Museum the best place to enjoy tea and cookies, or do you know of any other place? Share with us below!

The Cookie Museum (formerly V Tea Room)
Esplanade Mall
8 Raffles Avenue #01-02/04
Singapore 039802
(65) 6333 1965 | Website
Service:

Opening hours:
Mon – Thur: 12noon – 10:30pm
Fri & Sat: 12noon- 11:30pm
Sun: 12noon – 9pm

Posted by Veron in Food category | bakery, café, English, Esplanade, poll, tea

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Boulangerie at Festive Hotel is a patisserie located at the lobby. It is instantly recognisable by the distinct colorful lanterns hanging from the tall ceiling.

Over here, you can get quick bites and small desserts including French pastries such as macarons, sandwiches and gelati. The range is small, but fortunately we have already had a bellyful of food and desserts (with bird’s nest!) from The Dining Room at Crockfords Tower Hotel.

Satin
SGD6.40++

We sample the pretty pastry with an equally pretty name, “Satin”. This is some sort of a coconut crumble, heaped with freshly shredded pineapple and flavored with lime. The sour tang from the fruit complements the coconuty sweetness nicely.

Choco-Nut-Tarte
SGD4.80++

Chocolate fans can indulge in the Choco-Nut-Tarte, a simple milk chocolate tart with a crunchy hazelnut base. The chocolate is rich, creamy and smooth. Although, our favorite when it comes to chocolate is still Nama chocolate.

Gelato
SGD2.20++

The gelato scoop comes in a small bowl. Not much to the presentation here. We have the tiramisu flavor which is nice but not particularly memorable.

When it comes to paying the bill, something bizarre happens here…

Bizarre Incident #1: Instead of the waitress bringing us the check, everyone has to queue at the counter to make payment. That’s despite the fact that there’s a 10% service charge here.

Bizarre Incident #2: The waitress at the counter amusingly gets us to recite to her what we have ordered, while she keys it into the cash register at the same time. Suppose someone were to “accidentally” miss an item, he basically gets it for free!

Bizarre Incident #3: Their one-price-for-all-beverages policy. Our regular black coffee costs $6++. The guy before us in the line pays $6++ for his tall glass of chocolate cookie iced latte and cappucino, too. Needless to say, we feel kinda cheated, especially since there isn’t any kind of menu that we can peruse before ordering.

This is also a good example of when the 10% service charge should not be mandatory. What do you think?

Have Your Say!

Now, the Resorts World at Sentosa is still new and I’m pretty sure all the Bizarre Incidents won’t be here to stay. If you have visited Boulangerie, please drop a note below. We’re curious to know if things have changed!

Boulangerie
Resorts World Sentosa
Festive Hotel, Level 2
Service:
Website

Opening hours:
10:00am – 6:00pm (Mon – Fri)
8:30am – 6:00pm (Sat, Sun, PH)
8:30am – 10:00am (Continental Breakfast – Sat, Sun, PH)

Resorts World at Sentosa

Check out what you can expect at the rest of Resorts World at Sentosa. Plus, a review of The Dining Room at Crockfords Tower Hotel.

Posted by Veron in Food category | bakery, café, dessert, French, Sentosa

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It’s the same thing for tau sar piah. Along Balestier Road, you would find a whole stretch of dated shops all specialising in this flaky pastry with bean paste filling; I count at least five of them! Reminds me of the Selegie tau huay sibling rivalry! So which is the original?

Let’s go back in history to 1948, the year when the Hainan-born Mr. Li Fanlong established Loong Fatt at the present Balestier site. His cake business thrived initially, but sales dwindled towards the early 70s. To improve sales, he tried blending butter cakes with Teochew tau sar piah. So in 1972, the tau sar piah as we know it today was invented.

Even with the fierce competition at Balestier, many people still swear by Loong Fatt for the best tau sar piah in Singapore. Well, nothing beats the original!

Tau Sar Piah (sweet or salty)
$0.70 each

Two flavors are available — sweet or salty. The sweet tau sar piah is marked by the sprinkling of sesame seeds on its crust. You may also notice that the shape is atypical; it’s flatter than the usual ones.

When you sink your teeth into a Loong Fatt tau sar piah, you may be surprised by how soft and light the crusty skin is. Due to the use of butter, it boasts a smoother texture that is less dry than that of the competitors.

Then, there is the lovely bean paste filling. The sweetness and softness of it automatically puts you in a good mood :)

Between the two flavors, it’s a hard pick to choose between the two. Both are equally tasty! For me, I slant towards the salty version, which still maintains a touch of sweetness. The combination of both sweet and salty flavors is really enticing and keeps me craving for more! My Mom, on the other hand, prefers the sweet version as she has a sweet tooth!

I would recommend buying a big box of this tau sar piah for sharing with the whole family at breakfast or for pleasing the mother in law!

Photo by hyacinthus

The original Loong Fatt Tau Sar Piah is located at the extreme right end of Balestier Road by the junction of Thomson Road. It seems that the shops here like to use their 3-digit unit number for identification. Loong Fatt is 639, while the tau sar piah neighbors are 529, 603, 631, etc!

At the shop, you can see the bakers in action at the kitchen where new batches are freshly baked daily. Drinks are also sold here so you can sit down to enjoy your pastry with a cup of Kopi.

Oh, they have other delights like egg tarts and cream puffs, too.

Best eaten warm from the oven!

Posted by Veron in Food category | bakery, Chinese, coffee shop, Novena, pastry, Singaporean

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Hey Chocolat sent me a batch of her freshly baked cupcakes. She even made them in her signature flavor, the Original Darn Good Chocolate Cupcakes. That works for me; they ARE darn good!

Not only are the cupcakes wholly chocolate, each and every one of them has been painstakingly decorated with a cute little flag, too! The flags sport her pink logo from her baking business plus a personalised message. I LOVE it! Thank you!

Besides looking cute, the cupcakes taste super delicious, too! The dark chocolate icing on top is absolutely rich and satisfying. It gives new meaning to the phrase “delicious sin”!

As though that’s not enough, the cupcakes are also sprinkled with both dark and white chocolate chips for good measure. Biting into the cake yields another surprise — more chocolate chips hidden amidst the chocolate cake!

As far as chocolate cakes go, these are among the richest and most wholesome ones I’ve ever had! Darn good!

These cupcakes pack a punch, and at a very reasonable price, too. If anyone wants to a piece of this, order a box or two from Hey Chocolat! You can also book a slot at her baking workshops.

Posted by Veron in Food category | bakery, chocolate, cupcake

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throughout the month of July, they are selling their macarons at just $0.90 each! If you’ve yet to try out this cute French pastry, this is the perfect opportunity! With over a dozen flavors, there’s something for everybody.

Wait, that’s not all. They have also slashed the prices for some of their cakes by more than half!

1. Chocolate Amer (flourless chocolate sponge layered with bitter chocolate mousse, serves 6-10)
2. Cookies & cream cheesecake (studded with cookie crumble and sprinkled with crushed cookie bits, serves 8-10)
3. New York cheesecake (cream cheese coated with a tangy strawberry glaze, serves 8-10)

Imagine getting a whole cookies and cream cheesecake for less than $20! That’s a massive discount!

If you’re celebrating a loved one’s birthday this month, why not get him or her an affordable Bakerzin cake?

Posted by Veron in Food category | bakery, café, cake, promotion

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There are typically two main types of egg tarts: the Portuguese version that is modified from the original Portuguese pastéis de nata, and the Chinese rendition. Which do you prefer? For me, I go for the former exclusively. The easiest way to identify it is by the signature dark brown burn spots that crater its yellow custard surface. It also has a more flakey, less crumbly pie-crust as compared to its Chinese counterpart.

Portuguese egg tarts
SGD9 (6 in a box)

You can get these pastries in two sizes at Madeleine’s. The regular is about the size of your palm, while the small one is half the size. I prefer the regular as I get to enjoy more of the egg custard!

With an egg custard filling that is melt-in-your-mouth soft, you simply can’t stop at just one! The tarts use just the right amount of sugar so that you get to taste the natural flavors of the ingredients rather than sugary sweetness. The flakey crust is not very thick, although I would prefer it to be thinner still.

Portuguese egg tarts (small)
SGD9.60 (12 in a box)

The small egg tarts come in a box of 12, perfect for sharing among family and friends.

Imagine having an egg tart that is freshly baked from the oven. (they were still warm when I got them.) toss in a piping hot cup of traditional kopi (coffee) and you’ve got yourself a delightful teatime snack!

Madeleine’s is one of the few places that specialise in these delectable Portuguese egg tarts. Is there any other shop you know of that sell very delicious egg tarts? Do leave a comment!

Posted by Veron in Food category | bakery, egg, Macanese, takeout

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Here, I’ll give you a hint: they come in a plethora of irresistible colors and flavors!

Okay, just one last clue. They are French!

If macaron is the first thing that pops in your mind, my, you must have a sweet tooth!

When I first laid my eyes on the macarons at Bakerzin, I fell in love with these sweet pastries. Just toss in a cup of joe and you’re all set for a delightful teatime snack!

Macarons (not to be confused with macaroon or macaroni) are made with egg white, almond powder and icing sugar, with creamy butter cream and ganache.

Macarons (assorted flavors)
$1.60 $1 each for February ’09

On first impression, I would have thought that the green one is matcha (green tea), but it’s actually pistachio with white chocolate! The pretty one with speckles of pink is “scarlet”, a mixture of vanilla and strawberry. It’s heavenly! But my favorites are, hands down, the chocolate ones.

The bakers here really know their chocolate. You get your chocolate macarons with a touch of lemon, brandied cherry, whiskey, coffee butter cream and even banana! The chocolate ones are really the best of the lot.

After whetting your appetite, I feel it’s only right to share with you this: Bakerzin has slashed the price of these babies from $1.60 to a dollar each. The promotion is valid only in the month of February. So hurry!

(last month, they slashed the price of their phenomenal warm chocolate cake to $4.80. I’m looking forward to another great promotion next month!)

Posted by Veron in Food category | bakery, café, French, pastry, promotion

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As it turned out, among all the Christmas logcakes and gingerbread men, it was these colorful mini cupcakes from Angelz Cup that caught my eye.

Aren’t these adorable? They’re chocolate too! I rarely buy things on impulse. (okay, I used to, but not anymore.) but I bought ‘em anyway. At just 4 bucks for 7 of these bite-sized delights, how could I not?

My favorite is the light blue penguin. Penguins are among the most adorable animals in the world (right up there with koalas and kittens). What do you get when you turn them into baby-sized cupcakes (not to be taken in the literal sense)? The best combo of cute! Better still if they wear pink bow-ties!

These mini cupcakes in the shape of a pink flower or a blue witch are cute and unique too! The blue frosting is mint-flavored, which I don’t really fancy. But the level of detail that went into decorating each cupcake is enough to make me overlook the fact.

Mini Cupcakes
SGD4 for a box of 7

So what if they aren’t the yummiest thing in the world? These cheery little cupcakes have won me over at first sight!

Come to think of it, cupcakes don’t exactly spell Christmas do they? They seem to be more of a wedding reception or baby shower kind of snack. Christmas ought to be celebrated with cupcakes in addition to all the usual goodies! Colorful, cheery and sweet, they will put a smile on anyone’s face.

This Christmas I am so ordering a batch of cute cupcakes!

Posted by Veron in Food category | bakery, cupcake

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The first venue of the day was Blue Magnolia along macpherson road. It’s a petite little cafe with 80 percent of its space utilised as the kitchen, and the remaining 20 percent for dining customers.

Blue magnolia sells freshly baked cakes and cookies under the product line of d’gourmetco. Recently, they are also seeking a slice of the crêpes market, offering diners a range of delightful crêpes with a large choice of fillings. But cakes are still their main draw!

New York Cheesecake
SGD32 (1 kg)+

The classic New York cheesecake is one crowd pleaser! Some customers even proclaim this to be equivalent to Hilton hotel’s famous cheesecake, said to be the best cheesecake in town! Whoa! It’s yummy alright — creamy and dreamy, rich and light at the same time!

For those of you that have more of a sweet tooth for chocolate (like I do), you can indulge in their signature chocolate cake. Note that both cakes are sold at very reasonable prices!

Pretty cakes! These are made in cute bite-sized quantities so that you get to sample a bit of everything. Don’t they look quaint? My personal favorite is the rocky road, which has a soft layer of mini marshmallows drizzled with chocolate syrup, atop another layer of rich chocolate brownie. If that’s not the ultimate comfort food, I don’t know what is.

If you’re wondering how the “blue” in “Blue Magnolia” came about (since magnolia flowers are hardly blue), here’s the answer. Blue happens to be the favorite color of denny, the owner of Blue Magnolia. All cakes are packaged in cute boxes like this, colored in his favorite blue and white.

Doesn’t that look sweet? Customers are encouraged to place their orders 3 days in advance to ensure that their cakes would be freshly baked in time! If you’re looking to order cakes for an upcoming celebration, or just to indulge in on a nice Sunday afternoon, you now have another option!

Posted by Veron in Food category | bakery, takeout

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I have been encouraged to go for the desserts too, more specifically their bestselling warm chocolate cake. Mind you, this ain’t just any regular ol’ chocolate cake. This is the kind that takes the chef some time to serve because it has to be prepared and warmed up just precisely, with molten chocolate lava oozing out of its warm gooey nucleus.

Warm Chocolate Cake
SGD9.80++

I absolutely love what Bakerzin has done with it! In fact, I’ve had many different renditions of this decadent dessert at various places in recent months.

There’s white dog café’s chocolate lava cake:

Tcc’s dark devotion:

All were pretty good, but Bakerzin’s warm chocolate cake takes the top spot!

It is served at just the right temperature (warm chocolate lava complements the cold vanilla ice cream), the perfect quantity (too much chocolate can get too rich, too little too unsatisfying), and with strawberries and syrup (so that the chocolate doesn’t get too cloying after a while).

I think Bakerzin has made the perfect warm chocolate cake. Does anyone have any other recommendation for this sinful dessert? I’m game to try it!

April 10, 2007: following this review, I have been given a privilege card from Bakerzin as a token of appreciation!

Posted by Veron in Food category | bakery, café, dessert, lava cake, Western

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A pretty tea boutique opened recently at the Esplanade, known as the V Tea Room. Boasting a Victorian theme in a cozy setting, everything about the V Tea Room looks beautiful! There is so much detail in its decor. Thick volumes of Victorian books decorate the counter. Masquerade masks hang on the walls. Dainty little cups are used to serve tea. Even the menus are very exquisitely designed!

I am most impressed with how beautiful the menu looks. First of all, it’s large. Every menu has its own unique cover with gold pop-up patterns. I have never seen a better-looking menu! At first glance, they don’t even look like menus, but more like the covers of thick, valuable antique books.

True to its name, the V Tea Room has a large selection of tea. I’m no tea connoisseur as I am more of a coffee fanatic, but the queen’s tea we had was good. And the best thing? With the tea leaves in the pot, we could simply keep refilling it with hot water. In the words of my friend, we could practically drink the tea forever!

They had a large variety of teacakes too, including ones filled with liqueur. My belly was still full from an earlier meal so I couldn’t really eat much. But I would be sure to visit the V Tea Room again for its affordable tea and cakes, beautiful decor and excellent service.

The Cookie Museum (formerly V Tea Room)
Esplanade Mall
8 Raffles Avenue #01-02/04
Singapore 039802
(65) 6333 1965 | Website
Service:

Opening hours:
Mon – Thur: 12noon – 10:30pm
Fri & Sat: 12noon- 11:30pm
Sun: 12noon – 9pm

Posted by Veron in Food category | bakery, café, English, Esplanade, tea

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