Tarte by Cheryl Koh - Delectable pastries at the heart of Orchard

Tarte by Cheryl Koh is a patisserie based on the 2nd story of Shaw Centre. The concept originated as a takeaway kiosk selling pastries by Les Amis Pastry Chef, Cheryl Koh. Chef Koh won the 'Asia's Best Pastry Chef' in the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards in 2016.

I've long heard about this patisserie and it's been sitting on my shortlist for the longest of time. I'm really glad to have finally made this trip with a friend and try out some of the much acclaimed pastries.

I'm totally not a fruits person so all the fruity selections are by my dining companion. Sometimes it's great to dine with different people because it brings out the adventurous side in me. Being a sport, I agreed to share. This is the Fresh Passionfruit Curd ($10) which is really creamy in texture and carries a zesty fruity flavour. Our general consensus is that it is too sour for our liking however I feel it's a matter of preference and not so much of bad execution.

I went for the Pistachio Tart ($10) which greeted us with a challenging hard-rock appearance when I couldn't knife through the pastry with my fork. Despite the not so impressive first impression, we unanimously agreed that it is good. We like it that the tart isn't too sweet and the flavour is not overpowering. The balance is just right.

The Earl Grey tart ($10) is another winner. It is a creme bulee infused with artisanal crafted ceylon teas with bergamot and citrus. The flavours are all very distinct and on point. I enjoyed the tart a lot especially when it isn't excessively flavoured. Judging from my limited experience trying out tarts, I know that these are the best I've eaten so far. In fact, my bad experience with lousy tarts are partially a reason why I tried so little.

My friend was very drawn to the Fraisier ($10). That was her first choice when we made our selection. The cake is made of light sponge with creme mousseline and French strawberry. It is very good! As someone who doesn't like fruits in my food, this is something I am willing to take a couple more bites. The sponge is really light and you don't get tired eating it at all. The strawberries are not the least sour and they are sliced with the absolute right proportions that goes exceedingly well with my fork full of sponge cake.

The entire dining experience was wonderful and I'm very impressed. So this is what it is like to eat tarts from an award winning pastry chef! If you are looking for a coffee place to rest and chit chat in Orchard Road, this is The Place for you.

Tarte By Cheryl Koh
1 Scotts Road, #02-12 Shaw Centre, S228208

I Want My Noodle

This week is the first week I'm taking a break from my new job. Sounds like heartless employers huh? I am working by choice really haha... I chose to break because I got a shopping urge and Vain Pot is flying out to Aussie next week so better maximize our food outings while I can.

I have been craving to eat at I Want My Noodle for the past two weeks. In case you haven't figured out, I have a soft spot for instant noodles and anything that resembles it. Research seems to indicate that there's no msg added to the food at I Want My Noodles and prices are nett which is another plus point. The noodles apparently are made in-house along with some of the key ingredients I read. 

I picked My Aromatic Prawn Noodle ($14.50) largely because of my craving. The prawn mee at my neighbourhood market shifted, and I've been deprived of prawn mee since. My first impression when I was served was why prawn mee is accompanied by fries?! Turned out that it's prawn crackers, a very peculiar combination. Another disappointment I had was that the prawn shells were difficult to remove. In their menu photo, it showed the prawns cut in half. I felt a little cheated. The noodles and sauce presents an unique rendition of prawn mee which I felt didn't present much complains however I really found it difficult to appreciate the dish. It's just so different I neither can place a western or Asian feel to the bowl that I felt so lost eating. 

Vain Pot's My Lor Bak Noodle ($12.90) felt a lot more at home. The sauce that went with the noodles brought out a very localized Lor Bak Mee taste which made me wonder why Hawker centers rarely have this on their menu. The meat was tender and the ingredients were very generous. There's even a Japanese egg in the Lor Bak bowl richly endowed with giant mushrooms, giant wonton skin cracker and juicy Lor Bak. Yums! 

I was surprised that the winner of the night went to the side which we added just because I wanted to try more of their menu. The Meatball Soup ($6.50) is the real deal. The meatballs are made in house and the soup broth was pretty good. It's chewy, succulent and was an excellent add on to our meal. I'm so pleased it's Vain Pot's turn to diet because I got to eat more meatballs! 

To sum it up, I'll say that I Want My Noodle has its hits and misses. I took issue that the owner looked a tad too unfriendly when he was serving in the stall. If you lack passion for your own restaurant how do you expect guests to feel welcome? I'm not quite sure if I'll specially hop by Shaw Centre to eat atas hawker food with a twist anytime soon. While I'm really tempted to try their other noodle bowls, the ones I've tried just isn't enough to convince me to visit soon when there's a bunch of places in Singapore I'm still dying to try. Go only if you are on a budget and you want a sit down place with waiters in town to catch up with your friend. 

I Want My Noodle

#03-14/15, 1 Scotts Road, Shaw Centre