You’re my sugar rush: Dessert cooks in Singapore reveal their favorite native candy treats

Inquisitive about what native desserts cooks like essentially the most? We communicate to seven patissiers who share their favorite candy treats.

Everybody is aware of Singapore is a foodie paradise. Nasi lemak, hen rice, roti prata, kaya toast… with so many choices, it’s no shock we will’t determine on our “nationwide dish”. That mentioned, we shouldn’t disregard our native desserts. There are many candy treats obtainable on our sunny island; we will’t select only one to highlight. So we spoke with seven cooks who shared their favorite native desserts, the place they normally get them, and whether or not they’d put their very own spin on their chosen sweets.

Cooks suggest their favorite native desserts in Singapore

Pleasure Chiam, co-founder of Patisserie Clé

Her curiosity in pastries began throughout highschool, when she’d spend numerous hours within the kitchen as an alternative of hitting the books. This ultimately led to her enrolling within the internationally famend Ferrandi Paris in 2016. Chef Pleasure minimize her skilled tooth creating desserts for one Michelin-starred Restaurant Le Bauledaire in Paris and Joel Robuchon Restaurant in Singapore earlier than co-founding Patisserie Clé in 2018.

Favorite native dessert: Orh nee (yam paste). “It was essential on any big day. I vividly bear in mind my grandmother spending hours within the kitchen making ready orh nee for the entire household to get pleasure from,” chef Pleasure tells us. Her grandmother’s model is fried with lard and topped with fried shallots and ginkgo nuts for a candy and savoury end.

The place to get it: “​​To be trustworthy, I seldom eat this exterior of residence! My grandmother’s model will all the time be that supply of heat, yammy consolation that I’ll by no means get elsewhere.”

We requested chef Pleasure if she’ll put a spin on her favorite native dessert – and he or she has! Her creation, the Orh Blanc Tart, combines mont blanc, a beloved French pastry, and orh nee. “It has a buttery, crisp tart crust baked with coconut cream, layered with contemporary yam and coconut paste, vanilla chantilly cream, and candied ginkgo nuts,” she shares.

The tart debuted in France in 2017, when the Singapore Embassy requested a locally-inspired dessert for an occasion. It’s now a mainstay at Patisserie Clé.

Mohamed Al-Matin, founding father of Le Matin Patisserie

Chef Matin’s all the time had a candy tooth. His dream was to open a quaint cafe; along with his household’s blessings, he began Le Matin Patisserie after finishing his necessary Nationwide Service. He goals to showcase his favorite meals from world wide in Singapore and convey one thing completely different to the meals scene right here.

Favorite native dessert: Cheng tng, a transparent soup with nutritious components akin to pearl barley, dried longan, and crimson dates. “It may be loved scorching or chilly, relying in your temper. Plus, it’s not overly candy, all due to the components and the way in which it’s made. You possibly can say it’s a wholesome dessert!”

The place to get it: He used to get his cheng tng from Bedok Nook because it’s close to his military camp. These days, chef Matin frequents Teck Kee Scorching & Chilly Dessert at Adam Street Meals Centre.

At this 12 months’s Singapore Meals Competition, chef Matin launched a mangosteen and lychee granita; the providing is now obtainable on the patisserie’s outlet in Ion Orchard. The dessert includes refreshing mangosteen sorbet with mangosteen and lychee segments, white fungus simmered in ginger syrup, and topped with an icy lychee granita and lemongrass scented bubbles.

“Whereas it’s not a rendition of cheng tng, the usage of native fruits and white fungus is among the uncommon events I got here up with an Asian-inspired dessert,” chef Matin explains.

Nursyazanna Syaira, co-founder of Fluff Bakery

Everybody is aware of Fluff Bakery’s story: it began as a home-based enterprise to boost cash for co-founder Nursyazanna Syaira’s wedding ceremony in 2013. The enterprise grew to become so in style that Syaira and her husband (and co-founder) determined to open a bodily retailer in Jalan Pisang to satisfy the calls for. The bakery is now positioned at North Bridge Street and serves extra than simply cupcakes. Not dangerous for somebody who’s not formally skilled in making pastries!

Favorite native dessert: Kuih jongkong, a steamed dessert consisting of pandan custard, sugar, and coconut milk. What makes this kuih so wonderful, in keeping with Syaira, is its texture. “It’s steamed excellent that it melts in your mouth. The distinction between the coconut milk and pandan custards and the gula melaka syrup is so comforting!” Syaira doesn’t eat it usually, however when she does, she finishes it in a single sitting.

The place to get it: She orders hers from Kuih Muih Daun Pisang.

Despite the fact that Fluff Bakery has but to provide a kuih jongkong goodie, the closest various is the putri salat cupcake – a vanilla cake crammed with pandan custard, piped with coconut milk frosting, and topped with squares of steamed glutinous rice. Sounds delish!

Johnathan Chew, MasterChef Singapore Season 3 winner

This “battered boy” (that’s the identify of Johnathan’s defunct home-based enterprise) auditioned for MasterChef Singapore as a result of it “felt like one thing [he] needed to do”. Who would’ve thought Johnathan would go on to clinch the title? Actually not him. “I really feel tremendous honoured to have gained my season and welcome any cool alternatives that come alongside,” he says. Now in his remaining 12 months of dental college, Johnathan hopes to open his ice cream store in 2025.

Favorite native desserts: Kueh salat, a two-layer mini cake with pandan-flavoured coconut egg custard on prime and sticky glutinous rice on the backside. He loves the normal dessert due to the distinction between the salted rice and candy kaya custard layers. “Among the finest kuehs I’ve had was at Rempapa. You possibly can actually style the contemporary coconuts!” His second favorite dessert is soy beancurd.

The place to get it: Bengawan Solo. For soy beancurd, Johnathan’s go-to is Selegie Soyabean.

As soon as Johnathan opens his ice cream parlour, he plans to conceptualise renditions of his favorite native desserts, together with kueh salat. He’s made kueh salat a number of occasions and even created a pumpkin model. “It wasn’t excellent although, so there’s that!” he sheepishly admits.

Maxine Ngooi, founding father of Tigerlily Patisserie

Previous to Tigerlily Patisserie, chef Maxine was a house baker who realized by analysis and experimentation. As she labored her approach by way of advantageous eating eating places and high-end pastry retailers, the self-taught patissier found her ardour for culinary arts and pastries grew stronger. When the chance to begin her personal enterprise took place, she instantly seized it – and that’s how Tigerlily Patisserie was born.

Favorite native desserts: Putu piring, a spherical steamed rice flour cake crammed with gula melaka, and kueh dadar, rolled pandan crepes crammed with grated coconut and gula melaka.

The place to get them: “I used to get them from a Malay espresso store on my approach residence from college, however sadly, they’re now not there,” she says. Today, chef Maxine buys from Haig Street Market and Geylang Serai.

Though it’s not on the playing cards now, she’d like to create a putu piring-inspired cake that “hits all the proper spots” as soon as she finds the most effective gula melaka. Ooh, we will’t wait to attempt it!

Vincent Tay, co-founder of Wunderfolks

Chef Vincent has all the time been obsessed with baking. After a number of years within the navy, he pursued his curiosity by attending a course at At-Sunrice GlobalChef Academy. It’d be a number of years later – particularly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic – earlier than he co-founded Wunderfolks. “When folks ask how and why we began Wunderfolks, we all the time say it was by likelihood,” he says.

Favorite native dessert: Mooncake, significantly the normal model with lotus paste, which “hits in another way”. Biting into the flippantly baked pores and skin and velvety easy white lotus paste brings him again to his childhood.

The place to get it: “Folks anticipate me to go for some well-known, high-end mooncake. However fact be informed? I favor the sort yow will discover in comfort shops,” he shares. Chef Vincent sometimes grabs a pack or two each few weeks.

Will Wunderfolks provide you with a dessert impressed by the mooncake? “Sure, in fact!” he enthuses. “After we ultimately provide you with our personal model, you will be certain we’ll let you recognize!”

Genevieve Tan, Sommer’s pastry sous chef

The primary time chef Genevieve made a strawberry cheesecake, it was a catastrophe. “That’s why I made a decision to develop into a pastry chef – in order that I can learn to do it higher,” she reveals. In 2021, she joined Sommer after coming throughout its dishes on social media. Despite the fact that she initially had no intention of working at a advantageous eating institution, she felt that it will problem her to be a “extra considerate chef”.

Favorite native desserts: “I actually like kuehs, particularly kueh salat and kueh lapis, a multilayered cake originating from Indonesia,” she tells us.

The place to get them: She loves the “actually superior kuehs” by Alan Goh and Catkin by Huishan’s kueh bangkit gelato.

Sadly, kuehs don’t match into Sommer’s menu. Regardless, chef Genevieve enjoys making all types of variations for workers dessert.

Craving one thing candy now? Attempt these cooks’ favorite native desserts.