Burnt Ends Bakery at Audi House of Progress

One of the few F&B-related news that had been floating around recently which is hard to miss would be the opening of the new Burnt Ends Bakery outlet at 18 Cross; Cross Street Exchange had been through quite a bit of revamp for a while, and the building is now named as 18 Cross which also houses the new Audi dealership within its grounds. The new Audi dealership does echo a little bit of what Porsche has done in the past with its dealership at Guoco Midtown — this is a shift by the automaker to move its retail into its direct operations. Much like Porsche at Guoco Midtown which houses its own Carrera Cafe that is operated by Baker & Cook, the new Audi dealership at 18 Cross also has its own cafe operations which is run in collaboration with Burnt Ends Bakery on-site. The space where Burnt Ends Bakery occupies within the dealership is seamlessly integrated with the entire dealership, with the service counter being the centrepiece to the F&B operation; whilst there are some dining tables situated around the side that extends towards the main dealership, one can also sit by the high tables by the window to enjoy the view along the walkway by the street. Perhaps notable for their donut offerings, Burnt Ends Bakery offers a variety of different bakes and cakes at their outlet in the Audi dealership at 18 Cross; savoury options for food will include pies, sandwiches and pizzas — there are some outlet exclusives that are solely offered here as an effort by Burnt Ends Bakery to offer items that speaks in the same tune of Audi’s roots as a German brand. Beverages include espresso-based specialty coffee brewed using Burnt Ends’ very own Slayer blend, as well as tea, juices and a line-up of Signature Beverages as well.

Dropping by Burnt Ends Bakery for lunch on a weekday, we found ourselves opting for one of the two different variation of pizzas that they have to offer since we were looking for something that is savoury, but also lighter less filling as compared to the sandwich offerings that they have to offer. The pizzas are sliced into rectangles here, and we found ourselves opting for the Pork Trotter one which we thought was rather interesting and pretty much an item that sounded in-tune to giving homage to Audi’s German roots. Burnt Ends Bakery doesn’t describe the elements that they have included in their food items on the display cards places in front of the items at the counter, that being said, one can observe from our order of the Pork Trotter Pizza that it comes with elements such as a tomato-based sauce, cheese as well as small chunks of pork trotter speckled around the entire slice. The Pork Trotter Pizza is served up as-is; one thing to note about the pizza crust is how it does seem like it has employed the use of a sourdough crust that comes all fluffy and light — not too dense, while still carried a bit of a springy texture that seemingly holds up well to each bite. The tomato-based sauce provided a tanginess with a note of herbs that complemented that of the savoury cheese, which in turn worked well with the tender chunks of pork trotter that provided a meatiness without any undesirable porky odour. Given how the Black Forest Donut is an outlet-exclusive here at the Burnt Ends Bakery in the Audi dealership at 18 Cross Street, we also had to give the item a go.

The Black Forest Donut is served chilled, and kept in a display chiller with the cakes that is separate from the rest of the donuts that they offer — the Black Forest Donut stands out for how it comes with a chocolate-infused bread though we did feel that the bread here does come more bun-like being more dense and less light and fluffy compared to the other Bombolone-style donuts that Burnt Ends Bakery has to offer. Piped with a white chocolate cream on the top, the cream bears a different sweetness to the regular chocolate cream that is piped into the donut as a filling; there is also an alcohol-infused cherry that sits in the middle of the donut hidden amidst the white chocolate cream that adds a boozy touch to the donut — something that made it truly replicate the notes of Blackforest Cake that the donut wouldn’t have been if it came without.

We had also went for the Piccolo during the same visit to go along with the bakes that we had ordered. Brewed using the Slayer blend that is roasted by themselves, the Slayer blend features Colombian, Peruvian and Brazilian beans and is described to come with tasting notes of chocolate, hazelnut, stonefruit and honey. The Piccolo is quite a strong cuppa with a bold body — one that comes with an earthy and nutty flavour profile that works as a good perk-me-up. Considering the difference between the operating style and locations of Burnt Ends Bakery at its Dempsey spot and its new set-up within the Audi dealership at 18 Cross Street, there is certainly a different vibe that one can expect between the two — the Dempsey location is one that is more laid-back, whilst the outlet within the Audi dealership feels a little more posh given the surroundings that it is enclosed in. Whilst we would still prefer the wider variety of items that are available at their Dempsey location alongside the chill and relaxed vibes whilst dining in a patio-esque setup, the Audi dealership location at 18 Cross Street does appear as the more convenient spot to head to for those dying resolve some serious cravings for their donuts, as well as one that office workers around the Central Business District would be quite excited about having right at their doorstep!