Chef Yamashita Revisited : NEW Summer Cakes 2015

Within six months after the last time I tried Chef Yamashita's cakes in December 2014, I was delighted to find some new creations on display during a meetup with my matcha comrade Shirley @ littlemissbento. His strive for innovation is truly a move to applause as most pastry shops in Singapore do not change the items since day one. Not that it is a bad thing but it is always a wise strategy to have a mixture of new and classics items in order to stay competitive. 

For instance, two new items (probably not so new by the time you read this) that were the Yonashi Tart ($6.30) and Framboise ($6.80) . Unlike the classic pear tart that is layered with slices, the pears are cut into chunks and baked together with the custard. I suspect some juices might have seeped into the custard during the baking process which made it more flavourful. 

The Framboise was definitely a big surprise because I never thought that Nama chocolate could be placed in the centre, enrobed in white chocolate mousse and subsequently a raspberry mousse. Yet the nama chocolate was not texturally awkward, instilling another layer of dark romantic mood to this pretty spring dessert.   

On the other hand, it is relief to see that good classics stay on the shelf. For instance, the Ichigo Soufflé ($6.50) has a livid cheese character without being too dry. It also has a more substantial layer of whipped cream and a cottony texture than the one from Chateraise. 

The Mount Fuji ($6.80) defied the rules of a classic Mont Blanc but in a good way. Beneath the luscious chestnut cream is a layer of light ️fresh cream, intense chocolate sponge and a  slice of puff pastry that succumbed to moisture unfortunately. Yet this is not a big sugar hit and way better than Okada's version.

Tricky ingredients such as yuzu are articulated deftly in this Yuzu Matcha ($7.20) , a latest item that did not witness any strong fight between the citrus fruit and green tea. There is certain depth to this cake, yet it is cloud-like and clean; an unspeakable feel of déjà vu as if you were trekking in the bamboo shoots of Arashiyama. 

In an attempt to create something more American, Chef Yamashita has also launched this new "Handburger", a spongy almond Bouchee filled with assorted fruits and Chantily cream. Having the sponge by itself can be a little too sweet but not so when it is enjoyed with the fresh fruits and cream. 

That said, it might be still too early to summon a judgment as the final version will include a Kuromitsu (black sugar) mousse patty. I guessed this does not really matter as I would visit again for more and this is for sure;) 

Chef Yamashita 

1 Tanjong Pagar Plaza

#02-44 Singapore 082001

Mon-Sat 10am-6.30pm

Public Holiday 10am-4pm

Closed on Sundays

https://www.chefyamashita.com

https://www.facebook.com/chefyamashita?fref=ts

Malebranche 京都 マールブランシュ : My Favourite Omiyage Shop in Kyoto

Instead of getting those all-too-common regional edition Kitkat, Collon cookies etc., why not get some sweets of excellent quality that could represent the flavors and style of Kyoto at Malebranche? 

Besides the Kitayama main shop, there several outlets in Kyoto, including two new openings in Arashiyama and Gion. The first must-buy is the Okoicha Langue De Chat. I've tried countless brands of langue de chats and this is truly the cream of the crop.

The recipe is jointly concocted by tea master and local professional patissiers. I loved how the cookies snap with a little effort and disintegrate into another realm of well-rounded bitterness that is not overshadowed by the white chocolate

 Cha No Ka Okoicha Langue De Chats in the Spring 2015 packaging

Come spring, don't miss the Kyo Spring Sables. I think they've beaten themselves with an even better product than their signature Okoicha Langue De Chats

Spring Edition Flavours : SAKURA, CHERRY, Matcha, Milk Choc, Wasabon Sugar, Strawberry. Uniquely shaped in the kanji word "京", they are the BEST sables I've had so far. 

Moon Macaron [Autumn/Winter] Available only at Arashiyama, there is only two types you can collect each year. In contrast to the white-coloured spring/summer edition, the autumn/winter version is a Charcoal and Uji Sencha Macaron Shell with Persimmon White Chocolate Jam Ganache [Autumn/Winter Edition] マールブランシュ嵐山限定の月のマカロン 秋冬「大枝の柿」

Maple Honey Pies and Goma Caramel Pies

Though I love most of their products, I cannot say everything is perfect because these leafy pies were too sweet and did not taste as crisp fresh as expected. Perhaps I should have thrown them into the fridge. 

Last but not least, DO NOT ever think about walking away from the shop without trying this SUPER delicious Matcha Eclair. What?? Matcha Eclair?? What so special about this piece of choux when you can get them anywhere else?

The cream is piped ala minute on a crisp fragrant choux baton, dusted with matcha for that extra touch of luxury. It's freshness and taste is unbeatable, even tons lighter than the delicious one from Creme de la Crème, another Kyoto cream puff specialty shop. 

Yes, this is definitely one of the brands that I would buy again and again and again.

 

Malebranche マールブランシュ
Arashiyama Outlet: 京都市右京区嵯峨天竜寺門前嵐山昇龍苑1F
Kyoto-shi Ukyo-ku Saga Tenryuji-mae Arashiyama Syoruen 1F
10am-5pm daily
Access: Directly opposite from Arashiyama Station
For other outlets, visit http://www.malebranche.co.jp

Celebrate SG50 @ Artisan Boulangerie Co: WIN $250 vouchers and EXCLUSIVE invite to launch party!

What is your idea of a uniquely SG50 pastry?

 

 A Durian Croissant?

 A Chilli Crab baguette?

If you are have any ideas of pastry inspired by Singapore local ingredients, simply submit them on the facebook contest page from NOW to 31st May and stand a chance to develop your idea into reality with celebrity chef Eran Mayer and Artisan Boulangerie Co. ! Be it sweet or savoury, the pastry can be a fusion of popular SG ingredients or even your grandma or grandpa's heritage recipe!

How about a Kaya Butter Eclair?

The winners will not only get to WIN $250 worth of ABC vouchers, but also WORK with Chef Eran in the concept kitchen for a pre-launch tasting before attending the exclusive launch party to be held in July!! Remember to SHARE your ideas with your friends to increase your chances of winning!! Enter your idea now on http://on.fb.me/1H9WYM7 before 31st May now!*

*Terms and Conditions Apply 

For more details, visit here for more details.
This post is brought to you by Artisan Boulangerie Co.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artisanboulangerie 

Rookery Singapore : Comfort Food and Skillet Desserts

A Friday night couldn't be better with great company, food and beer at Rookery, a cafe . bar. restaurant whose name actually refers to the dense and sleazy slums in 19th centuries London. It doesn't really matter that their brunch/lunch seemed more popular and delicious than the  dinner selection because the section that I am most interested in is available all day.

Yes, let's start talking about the desserts. The Beautiful Mess ($12) is indeed, a gorgeous mess that surpassed the glory of a classic Eton Mess, with colorful mix of dried berries, nuts and chocolate ice cream. However, the meek taste of chocolate could not pull the other components together, even in the presence of the crushed cinnamon caramel cookies.

For the real indulgence treat, I suggest going neither for this nor the overly priced plate of Fried Snickers and Mars Bars ($13) that comes with 4 puny pops.

Instead, get the Cookie Monster ($12) , that isn't ferocious as it sounds, but definitely works as the true comfort food that you want to dig your spoon in.

Dig? Yes! The giant cookie is a soft-baked dough that comes right out from the oven when the chocolate chips are still in molten gooey state. Stupendous!

As with the desserts, never judge their savoury dishes by their looks as well because the Asahi Beer Batter Fish Bites ($12) looked stodgy but turned out the exact opposite. The interior was fresh, meaty and succulent. Never mind that the batter did not belonged to the super crunchy camp for this nasty golden pops kept our bellies happy throughout the night. 

Perhaps I've had a too fantastic pulled pork pasta at Holqa Cafe and so this plate of Pulled Pork Ragu Linguine ($18) did not quite meet the mark. It tasted like a dry plate of canned sardines pasta. The Jerk and Rum Chicken ($24) shone with its tangy jerk bbq sauce that barely coated the boneless thighs but my friend found it rather dry. 

 

Just like most cafes, this isn't the most wallet friendly place to satisfy hunger but if it is the buzz/ ambience you are after, this is a right place. Otherwise, there is always a convenient Lau Pa Sat directly across the road for supper.

Rookery

16 Raffles Quay, #01-02A Hong Leong Building
Singapore 048581
 Mon - Fri 8am - 11pm

Sat Drinking Night  5pm - 11pm

Tel: 62210968

http://www.rookery.com.sg

https://www.facebook.com/rookerysg

Pierre Marcolini : Pierre Herme of the Chocolate World

If you know Pierre Herme very well, then you should know the Pierre Herme of the chocolate world, Pierre Marcolini. This former disciple of Pierre Herme had rose up the ranks to become of the most coveted chocolatier in the world and one need not be surprised at the enduring popularity of his flagship shop in Ginza.

Many, ladies especially, flocked to his cafe on 2F for the signature parfaits and waffles. But those with an extra budget to indulge would buy some of the exquisite pralines in his retail shop at 1F. 

To kill two birds (waffles and ice cream) in one stone, I instinctively picked the waffles.There are two categories here: one is Marcolini Waffles and Simple Waffles. The menu did not explicitly explain the differences but it seems like the Marcolini Waffles is blended with some extra ingredient X.

Anyway, I was relief that the quality of the waffles justify the hefty price tag. True to a classic Brussel waffle, it was light, yeasty and made into perfect regular square. It was music to the ears as the delicate crunchy sound echoes through the air. 

It is topped with fresh whipped cream that is not sweet at all. So most of the flavours emerged from the vanilla ice cream, caramel ice cream and the to-die-for salted caramel sauce. Somehow, I can feel that my waffles attracted envy looks from other tables as no one else was ordering this except me (they had parfaits). 

But the waffles come in a set, implying that one has to choose a drink no matter what. I highly recommend the Marcolini cacao tea because I guessed it is the only place in the world that one can taste chocolate in tea. Sounds illogical but the cacao flavour is highly pronounced in the pot of tea. 

While the waffles are heavenly, I think nothing beats the wickedly rich and bitter Belgium Soft Serve (see below) at his takeaway booth in Shibuya Hikarie. Despite being a bigwig in the chocolate industry, Pierre Marcolini personally searches for the cacao bean and create everything from scratch. Good to know that he has stocked up some skinny eclairs exclusively available only at this store. 

For the true gelato without incurring the dine-in cost, head to his outlet inside Tokyo station which is easily distinguished from the rest with its chic minimalist black interior. Buy the rich chocolate drink to sip on your Shinkansen ride. I bet that will attract the envy eyes of other passengers. 

Pierre Marcolini 

Ginza Outlet

〒104-0061 Ginza 5-5-8 Chuo-ku, Tokyo
TEL：03-5537-0015
OPEN：11am-8pm ※(Sun/PH)11am-7pm

For more details about the outlets and menu, visit here

Fumon-an 普門庵 : Kyoto Cafe with a Hundred Blessings

Most people easily walked past this place while heading towards the Kiyomizu shrine but I highly recommend anyone to drop by for a visit because the concept revolves around "fuku" 福. This site is believed to be blessed with fortune and luck being situated (not directly) in front of Kyoto's most renowned shrine. Walk into the retail area and you can find an array of samples for its unique snacks such as the Hyaku-fuku Manju, a traditional bean paste wagashi which has a very nice and chewy skin.

The matcha flavour is made from Ichiban-cha, the first batch of green tea leaves that is harvested and thus widely prized for its clean taste and aroma. 

Meant to be paired with a bowl of matcha or the unsweetened matcha latte shown in the picture, these kind of Wagashi may not be the cup of tea for everyone since their sweetness are dialed up, so just be forewarned. This Hyaku-fuku Manju set is available at their cafe right next to the shop. 

八福細めうどん。本わらび粉入りうどん。鱧と鮎のおだし

The menu offers only one savoury option but this is a case of simple dish done well. You won't demand for other options once you take a sip of the dashi broth that is made from two types of fish (Hamo "pike eel" and Ayu "sweet fish"). Clear and hearty, the soup embraced the chewy Hachifuku thin udon made with warabi-mochi flour.  In fact, Fumonan takes pride in the warabi mochi flour that it uses and you can enjoy it more in their signature warabi mochi that comes along with the set as dessert. 

Despite having so much green tea and parfaits up till the point I came here, I am still very impressed by the Ofukuhan Matcha Parfait (¥980), even much more than Iyemon or Marufuji. Everything from the crispy Matcha Cream Wafer to the Warabi mochi and jelly is produced in house. The more parfaits you eat at these places, the more you realize how poor most parfaits at Izakayas or cafes fare in comparison. 

The matcha soft serve is also available for takeaway with black beans and red bean paste. Skip those soft serves ice cream at those average souvenir shops along the trek and come here for the real good stuff. It is unlikely that you will walk away empty handed as there are plenty of yummy snacks to load in your shopping cart. 

Fumon-an 普門庵
10am-5.30pm daily
〒605-0862
京都市東山区清水2丁目246番地
246 Kiyomizu 2-chōme, Higashiyama-ku, Kyōto-shi, Kyōto-fu 605-0862, Japan
TEL：075-533-8282 

http://fumon-an.co.jp/index.html
 

Cheese Garden Tokyo : Japanese Cheese Heaven

Nope, this is not your neighbourhood cheesecake shop. It's a restaurant cum cheese grocery store that is dedicated to their royal brand of cheese "Goyoutei Cheese 御用邸チーズ. The cheese is produced at their own farm in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture. I'm not sure if they are the selected brand for the Japanese royal family but the term "Goyoutei" refers to the Imperial villa that is currently situated in the same prefecture .

 

Even before you stepped into the shop, you will definitely stopped in your foot steps as the staff will distribute generous samples of their above signature Goyoutei Cheesecake (¥1230 for a whole cake). It's rich, dense yet not over cloying like a typical NY cheesecake. One of the secret is that the cake is baked at 3 different temperatures in about 1 hour. 

But the best way to sample all their lovely cheesecakes is to get their Cheesecake Platter (¥980), which contains Shirasagi--the most expensive cheesecake of the lot (¥3300 for one whole cake). On top of the cookie base is a baked layer made with 4 types of cheese and a light sour cream made with yoghurt and fresh cream. 

The third type of cheesecake is the Sappari Creamy Cheesecake, the typical Japanese rare Fromage blanc baked in a pie with a layer of French Strawberry conserve sandwich in the middle. I forgot what the last cheesecake is but this platter is so delicious and offers a interesting contrast of cheese textures! 

Cheese Fondue? Nah....that is a little out of fashioned. The team here has created an original dine-in only dish called Pandue (pan means bread in Japanese and this is a uniquely Japanese created word combining Pan+Fondue). The bread is cusped with soft molten cheese in which you can dipped the spare greens and potato wedges into. I have no complaints about this simple platter since I can even devour the bread in the end, leaving no trace of food crumbs behind. But I do wish there were more items for dipping. 

Not a fan of cheese? The Pandue is also available in Clam Chowder, Minestrone, Curry and Beef Stew. But I doubt any cheese hater would have step into the shop in the first place. 

Cheese is front and center here, so do not leave without getting their Goyotei Cheese Cookie. Made with Edam and Parmesan Cheese, these buttery almond delights translate so well onto the palate that you question if you are actually dreaming or living in reality. There is not only salt, but black pepper and some unknown spices that kick in as you chew on. 

Eventually, I ended up not only with boxes of this cheese cookie but also cheese galette, langue de chats and the wickedly sinful white chocolate cranberry cheese bar (¥280)

This is only outlet in Tokyo that includes an exclusive dine-in restaurant. The outlets at Seibu Ikeburuo and Haneda airport are retail-only spaces. I highly recommend you to drop by one of these three outlets as their products are really of superb quality. Otherwise, keep a lookout for their shops when you are in Tochigi prefecture! At least you know now that Tochigi isn't a place just famous for its strawberries! 

 

Cheese Garden

〒131-0045  1 Chome-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida

Tokyo Sky Tree Tower, Tokyo Solachi 2F

10am-9pm daily. 

http://cheesegarden.jp