Ah Teng Bakery @ Raffles Hotel Singapore

I don't know who is Ah Teng but I know that this bakery cum local cafe of Raffles sells affordable and delicious French pastries, peranakan kuehs and breads. 

Only after reading up on the history did I discover that Ah Teng is named after a famous local baker known for his skills in Western pastries. His confectionery used to be located in Victoria Street and Raffles Singapore decided to name its bakery after this traditional shop since both share the same concept. 

It has been years since my last visit and I was happy to spot new items recently when I had to run errands in this area. Just like all my previous visits, I took away some cakes and pleased to say that none of them disappointed. 

The first that caught my eye was the SlingaPore, a pastel pink #SG50 cake inspired by our local cocktail Singapore Sling (Picture posted on my instagram account @dairyandcream ). The pineapple mousse was utterly smooth yet delicate, as if it was going to dimple at the slightest pressure. However, this was more sweet than zesty as the dual forces from the raspberry marmalade and pineapple mousse ousted the lime sponge. 

Nonetheless, the Gianduja Raspberry Shortbread pushed the envelope of originality and imagination. Instead of a perfectly rounded shortbread base, the butter pastry took the form of crumbles, bounded together by white chocolate which probably explained its sweetness. Thankfully, they were not cornflake clusters. 

Above the crunchy bed was vanilla cream and a raspberry coulis ball which oozed out intense red liquid without warning; nothing innovative here but it is still quite refreshing to encounter it in local pastries once in a blue moon.  

It is quite obvious that the Dark Chocolate Millefeuille is not a Millefeuille but an elongated and slimmer version of Pierre Herme's Plasir Sucre. Fortunately, the only thing that is problematic here is the name as the chocolate flavors and texture were spot on. 

While the pastries were good, my favourite item is the Pandan Kueh Lapis ($3). According to the friendly staff, the Kueh lapis here is hand-made painstakingly with fresh, quality ingredients thus it is like not . Indeed, this is a legit piece of cake as it is so tender, moist and not overly sweet or greasy. Probably an outstanding role model for all the Kueh lapis out there. 

You may be wondering what the prices of the cakes are given the prestigious hotel brand name. Surprisingly, the prices still remain the same at $6 NETT per cake, which I think it's a great steal for the quality given that most cakes these days can cost up to twice that amount. 

Ah Teng Bakery
Raffles Singapore
1 Beach Road 
7.30am-7pm daily