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2011-06-06
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Average- but only as far as presentation is concerned. Not worth a deliberate trip from anywhere further than ICC.Enjoyment of food is as much about presentation as it is about taste and smell. When a food item looks interesting (like the cakes from Pastry Gems), you would have expectations for its taste. When it tastes no different from something you could get at any regular cake shop, it is disappointing. But perhaps one should adjust her expectations because since when did hotel bakeries clai
Enjoyment of food is as much about presentation as it is about taste and smell. When a food item looks interesting (like the cakes from Pastry Gems), you would have expectations for its taste. When it tastes no different from something you could get at any regular cake shop, it is disappointing. But perhaps one should adjust her expectations because since when did hotel bakeries claim to be the best in town..?
Environment:
Don't like the openness. Or should I say, lack of enclosure. This 'eatery' has no defined space, only a few lounge chairs and tables scattered around the lobby - our table was directly across the main entrance, which left me feeling exposed and insecure (heh!). Not relaxing, felt more like a grab-and-go place. Perhaps they don't expect patrons to stay for long. In any event the venue is not ideal for tea. Too exposed, noisy, much human traffic, busy.
Food:
Display shelf is slightly foggy. Cakes looked really nice. But they don't taste too good.
Mango mousse $48
This cake looks really nice. I appreciate the perfectly-glazed surface and the thin leaf of chocolate adornment. I cut through the soft mousse effortlessly with a knife. In other words there isn't much to chew on. Texture- homogeneous. You might think hey there's a bit of sponge at the bottom! Yeah but it's drenched in some kind of liquor. A slightly bitter one too. Bitter liquor + mango + sponge = bad. Also, too soft and watery. One drawback of putting cakes in a fridge for too long is that they sweat upon contact with warm air - well, another geographical disadvantage of eating at the lobby right across the main entrance - an abundance of dust and exhaust and warm air. Mango not too sweet. Poor matching of flavours.Green tea raspberry cake $48
I have nothing against the appearance of this creation. It reminds me of moss, and rolling greens. Nothing against nature. My company thought otherwise. Heh. So I hoped that the cake's quality would silence them. Sadly it didn't. Green tea - yes, strong, but texture very poor. Again, soggy. It literally FELT like eating moss. Or a part of an edible soaked towel. 'Mouldy' would be a harsh but nonetheless apt description. The raspberry 'pate' filling was too sour. The bit of cake at the bottom did not enhance the cake at all. Variation in texture must be for a good cause. Thumbs down. Chocolate passion fruit $48
The best choice among the 4 cakes we ordered. Thanks, J. The chocolate was dark - therefore not too sweet, but somehow it stuck at the back of the throat and you gotta drink water. You know that feeling? The base was crunchy - like cornflakes - tasty. The only criticism is the middle passion fruit layer being too sour. I think this chocolate, being bitter, would be better paired with something sweet. I had the macaron. Could've done without it. Mont blanc - chestnut $48
Again, disappointment. The chestnut cream was very grainy and slightly bland. I'm not a big fan of chestnut but would've preferred a stronger chestnut flavour if it calls itself mont blanc! You can see that there's a small chestnut half perched on top of the chestnut cream - not a very appetizing sight - perhaps putting it INSIDE the shell would be better, at least it's not visible. Chestnut halves don't look very good. Plus you can see gaps in the cone. You can see how it topples when sliced in half- sort of collapses in the middle because there isn't enough cream to support its weight. The tart/pastry is bland, stale and dry. Almond croissant $20
D: they should reheat it next time! Agreed. Tastes good - the pastry was light and airy, nice and buttery - strong almond fragrance. Looks nice and tastes nice! Despite being extremely fatty, as with all croissants.
Cappuccino $50
J ordered this. The cup is as large as a soup bowl. Value for money. But then you really don't need such a large capp. You can't finish it. And then the last few sips may yield negative marginal utility. =/ Conclusion:
Will not be back.
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