A few weeks ago I went on a trip to Singapore sponsored by the Singapore Tourism Board. Last time I was in Singapore, I was there for a while; however, I didn’t experience as much local food as I has hoped since it was so expensive. This time I didn’t hold back. The tourism board took me around to some amazing places to eat and here are some of the highlights!
1. Janice Wong Singapore at the National Gallery is hands down one of the most amazing places I’ve ever eaten. Each dish was unique and artfully plated. The entire restaurant is filled with artwork and paintings made with chocolate! Our table was even painted with chocolate and then covered with glass!
Janice Wong is a talented chef who has worked with world-renowned chefs such as Thomas Keller (French Laundry) and Pierre Herme. I was lucky enough to meet her and try four of her desserts and a few of her bonbons. She is most well-known for her contemporary desserts which are created with no reference point. The Chocolate H2O dessert is made with only chocolate, water and eggs and it was by far the best of the four desserts I tried. If you’re a fan of dark chocolate and caramel – this one is for you. If you’re looking for a fruity, less sweet dessert then look no further than the Cassis Plum. It’s the most beautiful plated dessert I have ever seen! It’s filled with surprising textures all through out the dish. If you’re a classical dessert fan, Chef Wong has something for you too! The Tiramisu just melts in your mouth. The lady fingers are so soft and airy! All these amazing desserts come with a price of ~$20-25 per plate, but it’s well worth a try!
Her bonbons are as gorgeous as her plated desserts and are $3 per bonbon. She has very unique Singaporean flavors such as Chili Padi, BBQ Bak Kwa, Laksa, Salted Egg and Mango Curry. The flavors are more on the savory, spicy end. If you want a more traditional flavor, she has a delicious salted caramel bonbon that I loved!
2. Ice cream sandwich stalls in Chinatown – These are hands down one of the most unique desserts in Singapore. It’s a slice of tie dyed pandan bread with a block of ice cream in the middle,literally an ice cream sandwich! I got ube (purple sweet potato) ice cream in my sandwich however, you can choose from flavors like durian, kopi, chocolate, and vanilla. I thought it was going to be a bit weird, but it actually works really well together! The bread soaks up all the melted ice cream (it’s hot out there!) and gives it a nutty flavor! For $1 – $2, trying this sandwich is a no brainer!
3. Egg Tarts at Tong Heng – Tong Heng has been selling egg tarts since the 1920s in Singapore. What makes these egg tarts so special is their diamond-shape- traditionally, egg tarts are circular. The great thing about this place is that they have signs to signify which baked goods are vegetarian and which aren’t, something I really appreciated! The desserts are sweet but not too sweet and their shortbread are perfectly flaky and buttery!
4. Kaya Butter Toast and Eggs – People don’t usually think of toast when they think of dessert, but Kaya toast is definately classified as a dessert to me. You can find Ya Kun Kaya Toast shops dotted across the city, it’s like their own version of Starbucks. It is also one of the best breakfast spots in Singapore! Order a kaya butter toast set, which comes with two kaya butter toasts, coffee and soft boiled eggs. Kaya is a coconut jam made with pandan, eggs, butter and sugar. They toast a slice of bread, slice it in half and toast it again to give you this crunchy sandwich filled with thick slabs of butter and kaya. The eggs seem like a weird addition but it works SO well. You add sweet soy sauce and white pepper to the soft boiled eggs and give it a mix. Dip your kaya toast into the egg-y mixture and enjoy the sweet, salty heaven that is even better after you take a sip of their coffee. The coffee here is amazing, it reminded me of chicory coffee that you would have in New Orléans. So good!
5. Lady M Mille Crepes – One of the girls I was traveling with was a huge fan of mille crepes and I remembered last time I was Singapore that mille crepes are pretty popular here. Thus began our mille crepe search. Luckily we found Lady M, which also has a NYC location, and we indugled ourselves in 3 different mille crepes! Mille crepes are cakes made of layers of french crepes and pastry cream. We ordered a earl grey, chocolate, and signature flavor. The signature one of my favorite and tasted almost like creme brulee! The cake just melts in your mouth! You can find Lady M on Orchard Road.
AND here is a quick look at what I did in Singapore with my travel buddies!
