Cakes & Snacks in London

London is always known for fresh bakes and afternoon teas. It's almost a waste if anyone in London doesn't give cakes, cookies and biscuits a chance. In my stay there, I have noticed that London is pretty similar to home, they got all sorts of food ranging from the street snacks to the dessert parlours. This week, I wish to share all that my stomach consumed (it's bulging more now) and what I feel everyone should try.

Peggy Porschen Cakes is a popular cake shop at the city centre of London. They are known among tourist as the instagrammable cake shop. My visit there was marred by the misjudgment of the day turning dark early due to Winter. My photos turned out less instagram-worthy.

Aside from the appeal to the eyes, the quality of cakes at Peggy Porschen Cakes is really high. The owner herself is a Le Cordon Bleu Graduate. The both cakes we tried, Bejeweled Chocolate (Christmas special) and Pink Prosecco (Christmas Special) were both soft and fluffy with icing blending very well with the cake. For tea, we shared a pot of Sugar Plum fruit infusion cinnamon spice. The hot tea went excellently with the cakes and it'll be perfect if the day was brighter so I am appreciate my food better. It really gives you a taste of what tea in London should be like on a lazy afternoon and oh yes, before I move on, be prepared to queue.

Peggy Porschen Cakes
116 Ebury Street, Belgravia, London SW1W 9QQ

One of the most memorable stuff I ate during my London trip is the Butterbeer and Butterbeer Ice Cream. Yes, if you are a Harry Potter fan you no doubt know what I'm talking about. This is found in Harry Potter World so unless you pay for entry to the tour, you won't be able to try it. I'm personally not a Harry Potter fan, heck, I didn't even read the book! Despite this, I'm largely fascinated by the Butterbeer, made of butterscotch soda with ice cream on top and caramel ice cream for the Butterbeer Ice cream. I enjoyed what I ate, it was delicious, I got to share it with you! I've no regrets paying for Harry Potter World too, coming from someone who knows nothing about Yule Ball or Firebolt.

Harry Potter World 
Warner Bros, Studio Tour, London

One of the task I really wanted to complete this trip was to finish reading my book. So I went to this tiny quaint cafe in the heart of town to try some of their very unique ice cream flavours. It's a small place but I found a seat to read my book. No kidding. It's my very first dark chocolate chilli gelato. I also enjoyed the more normal Tonde Gentille Hazelnut. Ice cream was smooth and doesn't melt easily, just the way I like my gelato to be. Awesome! I also tried their oreo hot chocolate which I found very enjoyable as well. It's worth checking them out for their unique ice cream flavours. They won some awards! 

La Gelateria

27 New Row, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4LA

I visited the famous Dominique Ansel Bakery on my last day just before my flight. For the entire duration I'm in London, we have a few occasions where I nearly ate there but had a good reason not to each round. So my foodie nature kicked in and the last day saw me making a special trip to Victoria Station just to try my very first Cookie Shot and Cronut.  

A Cronut is basically a donut and a croissant combined as one. The one I ate had strawberry filling in it. Not much of a strawberry fan but it tasted awesome. I was quite surprised the cronut wasn't served pipping hot but I supposed that's how it was supposed to be. The sides were coated with sugar and the top glazed with pink sugar. Taking a bite into my cronut, the few adjectives I can think of are fresh, addictive, good pastry. The coffee shot is another interesting experience but I won't be specially doing this again. The cookie cup was really solid and the cold milk tasted good in the cup. Some of you who like to buy the cookie cup as a gift can do so in a box of 6. Really though, the main show stopper are the fresh bakes. 

Dominique Ansel Bakery

17-21 Elizabeth Street, Belgravia, London SW1W 9RP

Le Sucre Du Patisserie

So last week was Vain Pot's birthday and we had a mini celebratory dinner. It's probably the only bright spot for the both of us with insanely packed schedules. Don't even have time to meet up and hunt for food! Hopefully, the coming weeks are better... In any case, we tried Beauty in the Pot, my first time and technically her second (she was ill the first time so didn't enjoy the food). This year, I was lucky enough to try both Hai Di Lao and Beauty in the Pot for the first times and interestingly both on our birthdays! I declare Beauty in the Pot the winner in every aspect besides their booking system which is really hard to get through. You can see the bolded words...  no exaggeration, what's so nice about Hai Di Lao besides the price?

For most years, the cake was the least emphasized part of Vain Pot's celebration. I mean, it's just for blowing of the candle, making a wish, sing song and then we don't even bother finishing the cake... so why bother with such a nice cake right? But me being me, I grew bored of ordinary cakes and last year was the beginning of making the birthday cake a bigger deal. I baked my first ever cake the previous year and I'm proud to say, Vain Pot asked me where I bought it from! This year, I wonder why she didn't ask. Heh!

I ordered this customized cake from Le Sucre Du Patisserie ($145) for 5 inch cake. It's an online shop and their main business lies in macarons. So the story goes that initially I asked them for a quotation for a cake with 2 pusheen cats, 1 lapras and 1 bulbasaur. I was told cannot because minimum order for the pusheens which they didn't have was 12 pusheens. I had to salvage their business for them by suggesting giving me my cake as per my order based on the price of 12 pusheens and have the 10 pusheens packed separately.

See my 10 pusheens?

The cost breakdown of a customized order like the one I made is as follows:

5" Cake Base
$65 Rainbow frost
Macaron $5 per piece

I think the wordings might have cost some money but I didn't bother to ask.

Given that this is my first time ordering a customized cake, I had a number of apprehensions. What if they failed to deliver on time? What if the cake taste horrible? What if the design doesn't look as nice as what I see online? What if they don't deliver at all?

I'm glad that most of my fears are unfounded with Le Sucre Du Patisserie. A few things that deserves praise. Prior to ordering from them, I tried a few other online bakeries and to be honest, I really really wanted to go with a friend's sister's shop but she didn't seem excited to take my business and took hours to get back to me (weirdly at the point, when I was ready to place the order). Le Sucre Du Patisserie was prompt in responsiveness, something which I valued as a paying customer. I also got the date mixed up as I ordered the cake to be ready on Vain Pot's actual birthday but I forgot I was celebrating a day earlier. I'm glad they were accommodating and managed to give me my cake a day earlier. I also appreciated the fact that the whiskers of my pusheen cats are twisted because the cats in my carriage have twisted whiskers thanks to soft toy abuser, Vain Pot. Finally, I'm happy that the cake turned out nicer than I expected and Vain Pot had a happy birthday. I'd recommend ordering from them if you want a cake which is presentable and every bit easier to eat. Most cakes are made of fondants which looks good but basically you are eating sugar. Macarons characters are definitely a healthier choice to fondant cakes. Having said that, even for Le Sucre, make a request to have the cake less sweet because the sugar seems a little too much.

Le Sucre Du Patisserie
http://www.lesucre-macaron.com/

Wildseed Cafe & Bar

Spent the weekend visiting the very much hyped about Wheeler's Estate. To be exact, I only managed to eat there because the rain put a stop to our dry weather plans. I always thought Seletar Aerospace Park is located at the north of Singapore, imagine my surprise to find it near Sengkang/Punggol. I've heard a lot about Wheeler's Estate, the revamped area which was taken over by the folks of Wheeler's Yard. Apparently, you can cycle there, picnic there and eat in their multiple establishments. Too bad for me, I didn't have the luxury to explore the place today.

Thankfully, the trip wasn't in vain. Vain Pot and I still managed to brunch at Wildseed Cafe & Bar. This cafe is run by a chef named Florian Ridder. The owner comes with quite an impressive resume, having worked in 1 Star Michelin Piment and 3 Star Michelin La Belle Epoque in Germany as well as 1 Star Michelin Alma by Juan Amador locally. So despite the really unfamiliar menu, I told Vain Pot let's give it a go. One attractive aspect of Wildseed Cafe & Bar is their edible garden. Most of the ingredients are produced and prepared in-house, thus you don't really have to worry if the food isn't fresh.

To kick off our meal, we each picked one from the weekend brunch menu and one from the regular menu. Vain Pot's choice of Scrambled Avocado Roti ($18) made of Kranji mushrooms, creamy egg, chilli and grated parmesan was really unique but good. The egg is cooked till just right, runny when you cut through it. The elements despite its unique combination went well together. I particularly liked the chilli padi taste in my mouth and yet not taste the spiciness. A very healthy breakfast that adds variety to your week surely.

Not to be outdone, I was determined to order the Falafel Sourdough Burger ($14). Those who know me long enough will know how much I dislike trying really unique food with uncommon food combinations. Yes... fussy eater literally. I decided to be adventurous today, drawn to the ball-like ingredient which I initially mistook for meatballs (I love meatballs). The burger composite is actually feta cheese, cucumber, egg plant stew, fresh lemon coriander and yogurt sauce. I felt the spices reminded me of Indian cuisines and found the dish surprisingly appetizing. In fact, I felt the spices made the dish fairly addictive. A far less guilty indulgence from the usual.

For desserts, we picked Ginger Flower Banana Loaf ($7.50) and Citronella Passionfruit Cheesecake ($7.50) to share. The banana loaf is really awesome. I'll recommend you to try it too when you are there. I liked it that the edges are caramelized giving the loaf sufficient sweetness as a dessert but not overwhelming that you feel guilty eating it. I also liked the mild ginger flower taste that is embedded inside the loaf. Yummy!

The Cheesecake on the other hand is probably an acquired taste. The tart and the cheesecake has nothing to fault but I just fail to appreciate the taste. In the first place, I don't really like fruits in my food. Probably not my thing but it's definitely a decent tart for those who knows how to appreciate.

I'll definitely be back again at Wildseed Cafe & Bar. For starters, I still want to explore Wheeler's Estate so I'm coming back on a sunny day. The food here is very unique, very different from the mainstream brunch places I usually frequent. I was confident that Vain Pot would love the food here and she did. One more customer for them! Haha! If you have a strong love for healthy, fresh food with a refreshing break from city life, this is definitely the place to spend your weekend.

Wildseed Cafe & Bar
3 Park Lane, S793387
(Parking is free! Another incentive to visit this place!)

Wimbly Lu (2nd Visit this year)

This is a mid-week update after catching up with another friend there and trying more food. Keeping this entry short because of my limited time to sustain this hobby.

So the plan was to eat enough so that I can skip dinner. Been eating too much and I'm watching my weight. Anyway, the plan failed. I got hungry and ate horfun at night.

We ordered the molten lava cake ($6) to share along with the other food. I was surprised they served the cake on a plate instead of the cupcake holder they used to serve it in. In any case, the cake was crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. I like it that the molten lava chocolate was very rich in taste. Perfect for chocolate lovers.

For small bites, we settled for Sticky Honey Garlic Wings ($7). Its really good! The wings were fried till crispy, very richly coated with honey and garlic and chicken meat was tender. I couldn't find any fault with it. I especially like the sweet honey glazed taste when I munched on my wings.

Lastly, I wanted some tart so picked the Shirley's Apple Pie ($7) on the waiter's recommendation. This one is truly a winner. I'm not a fan of fruit in my food. However, this one has triggered a apple tart craze in me. The apple is glazed just right, not too sweet, thankfully not sour. The tart is of the right thickness, with a cookie crumps texture, both apple and tart goes perfectly well together. Awesome stuff. I'll order this again when I come back!

It's without a doubt that Wimbly Lu is my recommended dessert pick whenever anyone ask me for dessert recommendations when they are in Serangoon. They have two outlets but I always prefer the Jalan Riang Branch.

Wimbly Lu
15-2 Jalan Riang

Wimbly Lu

I foresee a very busy week ahead hence the morning post again. Been catching up with friends and exploring new food in between work breaks this past week. Sometimes I feel like I'm adding value to people's lives through food by giving them new experiences. Haha, positive thinking to assuage the guilt of pigging out.

It's very rare I visit the same cafe twice simply because there's too many new cafes to dine at. Usually, a return to somewhere nice happens only when you bring new friends there to try food. In this case, the story started with what nice dessert is there in Nex? I told my friends none and told them the nearest dessert I really really liked is at Wimbly Lu, just a 5 mins drive away.

We settled for Cookie Dough Cheesecake ($6) like all their other cheesecakes is so rich in flavour I recommend you share it. I felt that the cake was a little too hard such that it's difficult to fork through with the complete chocolate icing, cookie dough, cheese and cookie base. I still prefer Mel's Double Chocolate Cheesecake ($6) which I ate the last time.

Another recommended dessert we tried was the Root Beer Float Cake ($6). The vanilla ice cream blended well with the root beer cake which tasted slightly chocolatey. I felt it can be further improved with a stronger root beer taste. I also felt that a semi-melted vanilla ice cream soaking into the cake tasted very much more like the Root Beer Float taste the dessert seek to attain.

And finally, the waffles with ice cream ($11.50 for double scoop) that first brought me here to try Wimbly Lu in 2013. I recalled googling top 5 waffles in Singapore back then and this came up as top 5. I'm pleased to say that the waffles I had recently tasted much better than what I tried back in 2013. As someone with a relatively sweet tooth, the choice of salted caramel ice cream and cookies and cream coupled with maple syrup was a good combination. I also enjoyed the waffles on its own which was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Good waffles can be eaten on their own without the add ons and you can do that with the waffles here.

Wimbly Lu remains my favourite dessert place in Serangoon. I especially like the red and white vintage beetle parked outside the shop and won't get tired of having dessert there. The fairy lights decorations still give me that whimsical feeling I've travelled out of Singapore and it's definitely a good place to chill.

Wimbly Lu
15-2 Jalan Riang