Flor Patisserie
Quiet café for Japanese-inspired French pastries
The Japanese are known for their keep-your-head-down innovation and meticulousness. Flor Patisserie is the best embodiment of these qualities. This quiet bakery in Duxton Hill consistently churns out delicate Japanese-inspired French cakes (sliced and whole) and cookies. Helmed by former Patisserie Glace chef Yamashita Masataka, the treats are also made without baking powder, artificial rising or softening agents, stabilisers, or preservatives. We’re especially partial to the Wakakusayama ($7.30 per slice), a smooth
matcha (green tea) cream piped onto honey-infused green tea swiss roll with red bean cream, and the Waguri
millefeuille ($7.30), sweetened Japanese chestnuts over piped strands of French chestnut cream on a sandwich of crisp, flaky puff pastry.
Flor Patisserie | Address: #01-01, 2 Duxton Hill | Tel: 62238628 | Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11am-7pm; Sun & public holidays 11am-6pm
Nana's Green Tea Café
For dainty-looking matcha desserts that pack it all in
The popular Japanese café (often called "Japan’s Starbucks") from Jiyugaoka, Tokyo, opened with 90 seats late last year at Plaza Singapura’s atrium. The main ingredient of this cafe is, obviously, matcha or green tea, so apart from the usual lattes and matcha milkshakes, the finely-milled green tea features heavily in the array of desserts and savoury items. The hot-seller is the
matcha shiratama parfait (herbal jelly, vanilla ice-cream, red bean, cornflakes and glutinous rice balls, all drenched in matcha syrup, $11.80) - a cool, bright green assemblage that is dainty, and deceptively filling. If you don’t like the green stuff, go for the Hoji chocolate latte (made with roasted green tea, $8). Do try to share.
Nana’s Green Tea Café | Address: #03-80/82, Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Road St | Tel: 66844312 | Opening hours: Daily 11am-10pm
Tsujiri
For intense matcha-laced drinks
Where there is a little bit of Tokyo, Kyoto follows: Tsujiri Tea House is a 150-year old-timer cafe from Uji, Kyoto, that has recently set up shop at 100AM on Tras Street. From the long queues and reviews, the green tea-based drinks and desserts are the clear winners. The drinks (hot and cold) are intense – the O-maccha milk ice blended ($5.50 for a medium cup) and the O-maccha latte ($5.20 for a medium cup) boast of a deeper green tea flavour than other Japanese cafes. Purists, like us, would like the hot signature O-maccha ($6) served in a bowl cup. Evoke Mount Fuji and order the Sunrise or Sunset Uji desserts ($12 each) – a mountain of shaved ice topped with matcha and other sweet syrups. Unlike Nana's Green Tea Cafe, this tea house does not serve savoury dishes, but they do sell teas ($15-$60) for takeaway.
Tsujiri | Address: #01-14B, 100AM, 100 Tras Street | Tel: 65436110 | Opening hours: Daily 11am-10pm
