office desserts

My lady boss is pretty fond of sampling nice cakes. Since our office are made up of girls (which girl don't like her desserts?), she took the chance to buy some back for us to share together.

The other day, she got back from Icon Village at Tanjong Pagar and came back with this box.

Glace Patisserie - Japanese confectionery

I always hold Japanese cakes in high regard, seeing how they're so much into French-style of dessert-making and yet their products can clearly identify themselves to be Japanese-made.

I have no idea who that Chef Yamashita is or if he's anything like the revered Sadaharu Aoki but for him to but his name on the box like that..? hmm....

I had a pretty heavy lunch that day so I passed when my colleagues asked if I wanted some. That night, I kept thinking of them cakes and made a point to have them for breakfast the next morning (how healthy!).

Opened the box to see that they've sampled 4 out of the 5 cakes bought. They kept the strawberry one intact, seeing that it had 'looked too nice' to be cut. So that explains why I only managed a picture of only 1 out out the 5.

Strawberry souffle ~ $5.30

I was still slightly traumatised by the sourish strawberries from the Strawberry shorcake at Nectarie so I took a small corner while my colleagues divide amongt themselves, the larger piece.

The mousse had been sooo smooth and light, just like the sponge cake and the strawberries aren't THAT sour after all.

The other cakes slices/pieces were the:
- Mont Blanc ~ $5.60 (chestnut paste)
I've always wanted to try the Mont Blanc seeing it it the favourite amongst the japanese themselves. I find the taste disappointingly bland, maybe I had confused 'chestnuts' with 'hazelnuts' and had no idea what it will taste like when blended to a paste. But interesting enough...

- Double rare cheese mango ~ $4.70
This is a favourite of the lot! The cheesecake flavour had been subtle, coupled with mango mousse and puree with fresh mango cubes.... Oh, bliss!

- Maison ~ $5.10
French for 'house' because that's what the cake is shaped like, cross-section. 4 different layers of sponge cake; Vanilla, organic green tea, coffee and chocolated and glazed with Belgian chocolate. Given that it's mainly sponge cakes, it has a tendency to dry-out faster when not consumed soon enough.

- Opera ~ $5.00
This wasn't as sweet as the one from Nectarie (yes, the Japanese with their subtle touch!). Love this one. The coffee flavour doesn't overwhelm that of the chocolate. The almond sponge may dry out fast too so this is best consumed soon after purchase.

I was surprised to see the cakes being much cheaper than that at Nectarie or most other confectioneries that I've been to. But I have no idea if their shop does only take-aways or has any seating space...

Gotta check them out anyway. There are most other cakes that I yearn to try. Especially the chocolate ones! I'm aiming the 'Chocolat de Noeh'.

...And I wanna have that mango cheescake again!
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Previously, the lady boss came back from ION Orchard with this really small and colourful confectionery box. She was grumbling about how the caramel flavour had sold-out and she had to buy the green tea one instead.

The sponge cake had was this certain shade of dull, dark green, which seem to scream, "MATCHA!!!" and I was ready for a bitter aftertaste upon the first bite.

Surprisingly, it never came. In fact, the taste of the soft sponge went pretty nicely with the light cream that it was rolled with. You just don't feel like chewing. It's just nice to keep that piece in the mouth and let the taste and texture of the cream and sponge linger inside.

It really is nice!

A few weeks after that, she came back with that same, colourful box and exclaimed excitedly that she finally got that caramel roll.

I was really eager by now. I read about Arinco King's 'Salt Caramel Roll' on the khkl food blog and realised just how popular it is. Must be nice right?

my slice of 'Salt caramel roll'

Is it true that these rolls were flown in from Japan, hence the limited amount sold daily?

As always, the taste and texture had been soft and light. The surface of the sponge was coated with melted caramel and it was rolled with both the plain cream and the salty caramel one.

Oh, how do I describe the taste? The caramel came of as sweet (duh!) but it wasn't overwhelming or coyingly sweet. That slight sweetness was then followed by this salty taste (which explains the name). But what took the cake (pun intended)was the last bit of bitterness that came, almost like an aftertaste. It seem to come from the dark portion of the cream. THAT blew me away.

I was soo reminded of the Burnt Caramel ice-cream flavour from Island Creamery, suddenly.

Wow, I'm glad I finally get to taste this cake for myself. Knowing how popular this cake is, there's just no way I can get this roll for my own. Besides, it's not exactly a big piece and it cost a whooping $18 each!

Many thanks to my bosses for giving me a chance to sample all the delights. After all this, I'm suddenly missing the Passion Fruit Meringue from The Patissier, which had been EVERYONE'S favourite!