Arc-en-ciel Pâtisserie - Beautiful Desserts and Taste, Beautiful Place and Lifestyle

My favourite foodie paradise at Heritage Area has just gotten more exciting with a brand new beautiful new cafe, Arc-en-ciel Pâtisserie! Get your cameras ready, because the place and the cakes are absolutely perfect for instagram. I go, "Wow," in my head when I first open the door and step into this chic, minimalist space. And the cakes are sublime in taste, matching their looks.

I come here early to take pretty pictures of the cafe before the after-lunch crowd comes in. And I opt for the Party Set where I get to try three of their signature cakes. Also add in the tea pairing for each cake to fully enjoy what the cafe has to offer.

Lola is amazingly good. So good that this has just become my favourite cake. In addition, it is so unique in taste and texture. The consistency of the slightly tangy Guava mousse is similar to that of ice-cream, and I love this. And hidden right in the core is the Pistachio Mousse, which is creamy and buttery. The earthy, nutty flavour of pistachio juxtaposes so perfectly with the refreshing taste of guava. Kimba, a refreshing fruity tea, is paired with this cake.

And oh yes, the complimentary cookie is also delicious.

Elijah is White Chocolate Lime Mousse Cake. At first bite of the corner of the cake, I taste the rich smooth cocoa butter in mousse form, and as I move towards the centre of the cake, my taste buds are hit by a pleasant surprise of the citrus taste of lime jelly and yuzu curd. A nice cake with a surprise. The tea paired with this cake is Lavender Citrus, whose slight bitteress adds extra dimension to the overall taste of the cake.

Denise, with its Yakult mousse and soufflé cheesecake, tastes like yoghurt cheesecake, and I love it. The frozen core of Grapefruit jelly with stable Apple is slightly bitter to contrast with the slightly sour creamy mousse. A nice combination. Paired tea of Rooibos Pomengranate has this light fruity aroma and refreshing taste.

Happy with the Party Set cakes here, I decide on try one more cake, which is Oona. The light floral aroma of Pear mousse and the mild citrus taste of Blood Orange mousse work together beautifully to create light refreshing sweet cloud-like cream. I love the surprise that comes in the form of Red Wine Poached Pear that is intense in taste, creating layers of flavours and texture in the cake.

Beautiful Selection of Cakes on this really cool display.

Spots of greenery among the white-themed decor here really adds that touch of class and appeals so much to the love of nature in me. This place is not only awesome for the cakes, it also displays a form of contemporary lifestyle to be clean, classy, cosy and green. The service here is very friendly and full of passion for their creations. I definitely look forward to be back to enjoy the lovely cakes and wonderful ambience again.

By the way, here's a tip on the pronunciation of Arc-en-ciel: Ar On 谢了.

Thoughts: Beautiful Experience.

37A Neil Road

Nearest MRT: Outram or Maxwell

Waku Ghin Patisserie Platine - Luxurious Treats

That lunch at Waku Ghin has always one of the defining moments of my gastronomic journey. European cuisine prepared with Japanese philosophy: simplicity and use best premium ingredients. While Ghin cheesecake did not blow me away at that time, I was still very excited when Waku Ghin launched Patisserie Platine to cater to dessert lovers' whims. Thus I went to Rise lounge of MBS with high expectations to try out Platine's offerings.

I shall chronicle the experience instead of writing about the cakes in order of preference.

As it had been a long time since I tasted Ghin cheesecake, I did not have a defined idea on how the Black Forest will taste like when first tucking into it. I am pleased by the first mouthful. The taste of cherry is distinct to add subtle kick and dimension to compete with the dark chocolate base for attention but not too strong to overwhelm the delicate flavours of the pistachio mousse. It is quite interesting but not mind-blowing. Things are taken up a notch when I pop in the liquor-infused cherry and eat the main part of the cake with the roll of milk chocolate mousse on top. I love liquor in cakes, for it just makes the experience of savouring the cakes exciting and decadent, so this definitely get thumbs-up from me. If only there are more of these cherries.... The creamy, rich chocolatey flavour and slight bitterness in the mousse roll on top adds extra variation to the overall taste that makes it so much better. This cake definitely hints at a promising start of the journey.

Coconut Mousse with Mango and Passion Fruit looks absolutely pretty, with those lovingly carved dainty round mango slices. The second I set my eyes on it and read the description, I wanted to try it. I want so much to fall in love with it. However, it does not match up to my expectations. While the texture is perfect, the molten mango centre is a tad bit too sour and too sharp in taste, eclipsing the delicate taste of coconut. I was hoping that this creation will be like Mad about Sucre's Coco Citron where lemon and coconut can amazingly be matched together without either taste overwhelming another, or K ki's Antoinette whose mango heart is blissfully sweet, complementing the white chocolate wonderfully. Alas, it is not. Though for those who love some zest in their confectionaries, this is a good choice.

Strawberry Cheesecake is the last cake I chose from the dazzling array of beautiful cakes. I did not expect much from it after Coconut Mousse cake and my initial thought was, it's just another cheesecake. Oh boy, I was so wrong about this cake. The cheese mousse is a league above its competitions due to the slightly salty and distinctive nutty flavour of premium cheese. And when it is eaten with the mildly tart strawberry mousse, I truly understand why strawberry is the best fruit to incorporate into cheesecake. This is a match made in heaven. And given the perfect gossamer texture that is typical of Platine's cakes, I find no fault with this creation. I personally feel this is better than Ghin Cheesecake. But this is entirely my personal opinion. So is this the best Strawberry Cheesecake I ever had? Yes, yes, yes, for now.

The service is great. I am impressed. They are full of smiles, promptly respond to my requests and fill up my warm water. Sometimes they even make the effort to enquire on whether I need anything. Though take note that I go at a time where the crowd is not in yet. I like the casual, semi-alfresco, with the benefit of air-conditioning, environment—perfect for lounging with friends or reading a book while indulging in the wonderful cakes.

So will I go back for another round of indulgence in desserts? Of course, especially for the Strawberry Cheesecake, and I am hyped to try other cakes in the repertoire.

My Thoughts: Amazing!

Nearest car park: Marina Bay Sands' car park

Nearest MRT: Bayfront

RISE Lounge

Marina Bay Sands Tower 1

10 Bayfront Avenue

Singapore

Contact No: 66885568

Ladurée Patisserie Singapore - Colours that look as sweet as the taste

Closed

Flavors In the box: (from Left to Right) 1st row - Marron, 2nd row - Pistachio, Salted Caramel, Rose, 3rd row - Praline, Maria Antoinette, Strawberry Candy Marshmellow, Vanilla

The macarons here come in huge array of colours and flavours, seeking to entice many to try them. In fact, this works for me, with more than 10 flavours to choose from, there is lots of fun in choosing the macarons and there is bound to be one flavour that one will like.

The macaron shells are very meaty with no “caves” in them, giving an extremely good, chewy bite. One of the best in terms of texture. Though this texture will be gone if out in our humid and hot weather for too long. Need to pop back into the fridge to get back that chewy texture again.

As for the flavours, personal preferences are Rose (Nice, smooth, strong flowery scent), Maria Antoinette (refreshing and interesting with the tea infusion), Vanilla (this humble flavour, overlooked by many, is surprisingly good, being very classic, french and old school in taste with subtle hints of extra dimension) and Praline (love the very strong flavour of hazelnut, unlike a lot of other macarons out there). The salty caramel is quite a disappointment, given the hype reviews. Personally find it too sweet to my liking. The ganache of Strawberry Candy Marshmallow has an interesting texture, similar to that of the marshmellow, but the taste is like that of the bubblegum, very artificial, will definitely avoid this one in the future. Pistachio and Marron are okay, though not outstanding in taste. Actually, I still prefer the macarons with multi-dimensional taste, at Jewels Artisan, which had sadly closed already. So I guess Laduree helps a bit to fill in that void.

Service wise, I like it that the staffs there practise utmost hygiene in handling of the macarons and the cashier is very polite, trying hard to include that French touch in his greetings. Though I have to admit that I’m a bit disappointed that those impossibly beautiful dainty cakes of Laduree are not available at the stores here.

Good for personal indulgence once in a while, since the price is not exactly that wallet friendly. Though the macarons here make great gifts, given the pretty packaging and the established name.

My Thoughts: Nice!

This restaurant is no longer in operation.