[UPDATES]
More than a year since my last visit (continuing reading after this) , Maison Kayser still dishes out pretty much same offerings for bread and pastries. But a closer look revealed something new.
The Chocolate Caramel Tart ($6.30) looks promising but the tart is not exactly crunchy. Sitting beneath the swirls of cocoa-dusted chocolate mousse, the caramel layer can be lifted with teeny bits of sea salt.
Matcha Financier $2.40 is more like a moist yet crumbly butter cake, but the sugar level went abysmal. Beware!
Relievingly, there were two decent finds. The Matcha Mascarpone breaks the conventions by replacing the red bean with a subtly sweet milk chocolate ganache. With a silky matcha mascarpone of above-average intensity, this was quite a good deal at $5.50.
Ispahan is no longer a sole propriety of Pierre Herme as it has been replicated many times all over the world. I was delighted to find this Ispahan Eclair ($3.70) that contained a lovely lychee-raspberry pastry cream perfumed with rose scents. The choux pastry wasn't good, obviously, but who cares when it tastes so pleasant, especially right out of the fridge.
*************************************
My first encounter with Maison Kayser is in Japan N years ago. Never did I expect it would make its foray into Singapore one day. They are famous for the croissants and other artisan bread but I would like to write about their sweets instead.
One should not mistaken this Carre Tartin $5.80 for an average apple crumble because this is much complicated in terms of the baking technique. The apples are caramelized and consolidated into jelly, producing a bittersweet taste that balances the Vanilla white chocolate mousse. The best part comes when you sink into the crunchy base that is dotted with cookies crumbles and grinded nuts.
Having tried their outstanding eclairs previously, their Custard Cream Puff $3.70 failed to shine equally as the choux pastry does not have the crusty bite on the surface which I looked out for.
Nonetheless, this Tarte Monge $6.20 emerged as a very well-executed pastry draped with tangy Red Berries. The unique selling point lies in the use of White Cheese which is not too satiating. With the sweetness coming only from the moist vanilla sponge, the filling of this fromage tart is so fantastic that I can forgive the average brown crust.
Nonetheless, this Tarte Monge $6.20 emerged as a very well-executed pastry draped with tangy Red Berries. The unique selling point lies in the use of White Cheese which is not too satiating. With the sweetness coming only from the moist vanilla sponge, the filling of this fromage tart is so fantastic that I can forgive the average brown crust.
The Tarte Brazilia ($5.60) is an ideal combination of baked coffee and chocolate custard filling because the taste can become dull if its only chocolate. The tart shell faced similar problem as the Tarte Monge but fortunately fully baked to the extent of producing a slightly charred aftertaste.
Besides their Green tea financiers that were shaped like button mushrooms, I would go for this Giant Chocolate Noir cookie $3~ . It has some crunchy edges and is loaded with gooey chocolate chunks and macadamia nuts. Since the chocolate chunks stay fudgy when chilled, you can save the trouble of warming up the cookie and enjoy it straightaway!
They have the classics lemon meringue tart, raspberry fruit tart , chocolate pear tart and tiramisu. But since these are quite commonly found in other places, why not try something different the next time you visit Maison Kayser? Perhaps it will help you see the French tarts in a new light.
Maison Kayser
Wheelock Place B2 (Next to Nam Nam and near Bread Society, Ion Orchard)
Scotts Square B1
Comments
Post a Comment