Happy Ending

The aromatic crunch in their thyme waffle cone that made it more memorable.
The reasons we’d always stop by when around at Katong, similar reasons many would share we believe.

We checked out JAB’s conveniently located at Raffles City basement.
The pancakes did have the soufflé texture though they weren’t the best IMO. We could spot bits of egg whites within the fluffy centre.
Flavour-wise, the strawberry purée didn’t stand out but instead overpowered the pancakes. Perhaps a simpler maple syrup or some Chantilly cream would better complement the pancakes.

These were better soufflé pancakes we have tasted in SG. Light and fluffy the way they were meant to be. Subtle matcha powder with azuki paste for green tea fans; though we still preferred them with just maple syrup and cream.

The first was their Apple Pie cake (imagined banana cake) that was pleasantly fluffy and tasty.
We tried quite a number of Ondeh Ondeh cakes in SG but theirs really popped with the flavours of the real thing. Mille crepe was beautifully stacked and finished with a crispy brûlée crust although that sweetened the cake quite a bit.

Pleasantly surprised. The chocolate was not sweet (which we loved) and it was just filled with so much banana to truly call it a banana cake. The sweetness was nicely balanced with the brûlée crust that added a nice crunch too. The best of it all, this was a crepe cake with layers sandwiching the chocolate and banana.
Their Thai red ruby dessert was as much a star. The big crunchy rubies were a standout and fresh coconut meat distinctively Thai.
Whether for a full meal or just some desserts, we would be sure to find ourselves back here again.

Comparatively, we liked that their pancakes were very light and fluffy. This mango flavour, which was their best seller, wasn’t really a hit with us. Felt that it overpowered the pancakes which should be the star. The buttery cream (reminded us of the sweet corn butter from McD) was nice but overwhelming with the mango purée.
Overall, maybe the proportion of the toppings to pancake could be reduce to better enjoy the latter. Otherwise, a good filler snack especially with the small portion.

Paired with Lychee flavour, it was pleasantly refreshing and quirky salty taste. Also available now was Thai milk tea flavour to go with the sea salt. Will be looking out for more new flavour combinations in time to come.

But the magic at Stray seemed to need some reworking.
The dessert menu sports a local theme, with Ondeh Ondeh, calamansi and You Tiao, etc. We tried them all but didn’t find any wow factor.
Started with the Ondeh Ondeh, there was an element of surprise from the twist of textures from familiar flavours of the Ondeh kueh. Admittedly, it was a good start. However, the Calamansi then fell flat being just a variation of the former but with Calamansi taste.
Anticipations from the You Tiao churros were marred by its execution. Crispy on the outside but the thin double-strip churros still tasted doughy within. Nevertheless, the smokey kayu dip that came along with it was smokily memorable.
Overall, we wished there was more finesse in both the design and execution of these creations.

Designed to cool the heat from their Szechuan spiciness. A combination of ice jelly, fruits (dragonfruit, fig, pomegranate), cucumber and crushed peanuts for varied textures. It was supposed to be topped with rice wine granita which we couldn’t find. Maybe that was also why we found the dessert wasn’t as icy cold as its name suggested. Beautiful though with to the eyes.

The perfect cake to pair with their tea, especially our favourite Matcha or Hojicha latte.

Black of cos for our favourite Goma cake by Hvala. Nothing beats that aromatic taste of the black sesame, smooth, creamy and so pleasurable.

We did enjoy the pistachio gelato which had a nutty flavour without being too sweet. Was a little divided on the waffle. It would appeal to those who like it crispy throughout, almost like a cookie in the good way. But we still prefer waffle crispy outside while fluffy within.
Of cos, #burpplebeyond now allows one to enjoy 1-for-1 for a set with this waffle so we paired it with a gelato croissant.