Sweet Respite at The Marshmallow Tree

Rainy days are here again. The lions really love the fresh grassy scent of nature after a shower. The cool weather also gives them a great excuse to retreat for a warm cuppa and indulge in a good read at a neighbourhood cafe. The Marshmallow Tree is a favourite hideaway for them recently. It joins Maple & Market, Ciel Patisserie and Creamier as one of the more charming nooks nestled under a nondescript block of flats. The heartlands are certainly evolving.  

The Marshmallow Tree is like a whimsical playground of everything fun that one loves in childhood. A charming indoor swing, Narnia-like lamp posts, carpet grass, colourful graffiti on a chalkboard and rainbow cushions on mismatched furniture complete the idyllic scene here. To sweeten the experience, get your fingers sticky on a gooey stick of roasted marshmallow served in an oh-so-cute lilliputian ceramic pot with every drink order. There are not many savoury items on the menu though, so this a place for serious sugar-holics. Try their dessert of the day, we had the absolutely sinful Domo Cup of marshmallows, cream cheese and mars bar. The coffee's is pretty decent and the waffles are great as well. Cuchi was literally staring at the rose latte with its sexy pink colour at another table, she hoped that she was not too rude. Another day, perhaps.

 the Marshmallow Tree

46 Telok Blangah Drive
#01-85
Singapore 100046

D'zerts Cafe

                D'zerts Cafe is located in a private housing estate of Tanah Merah at Jalan Pari Burong.

Let's have a photo together before we attack the desserts

 

When the Lions entered, they were quite surprised to see that they are the only customers there. The decor was a bit bare and did cloud Cuchi's judgement on D'zerts Cafe initially. However, when the desserts came, it was a blast.

The Lions ordered the Passionfruit Meringue and the Matcha Latte Cake. The taste was outstanding! The passionfruit meringue was sweet and had a nice sour zing to it. Very smooth and it is a must try. The Matcha Latte Cake was also very good. The texture of the cake was smooth and the taste of Matcha was very strong. Highly recommended for dessert lovers.

In addition, D'zerts Cafe is proud of their custom made macaroons. They make Hello Kitty and other cartoon character shape macaroons for takeaways.

What?? Going off so soon?

Despite the bare decor, D'zerts Cafe serves very good desserts that is worth going back for. In fact, Cute Cute was considering getting some Hello Kitty macaroons just for the fun of it.

Here is our review for D'zerts Cafe: 

Food Quality: 8.0 pawprints out of 10

Ambience: 6 pawprints out of 10

For those who are interested in going there, here is the address:

D'zerts Cafe

30 Jalan Pari Burong,

Singapore 488696

Tel No : 6448 6707

Setting down at Esette

It has been quite a while since the Lions walked around Duxton area. Sensing that there might be changes in the area, the Lions flew down to take a look.

A furry friend that we encountered!



The Lions were right, for they stumbled upon Esette. Located along Duxton road, Esette is a café which also deals with gifts.

Unfortunately, the Lions had ramen for lunch before they embarked on their exploration. Thus they could only try Esette's desserts...... and they were not disappointed.

A cosy interior that makes you want to snuggle up and curl up like a cat.

Long Black
Esette's coffee was fairly decent. Not the best you would have tried but good enough to pair with their cakes. Cute Cute just loved the coffee mug.

Cream cheese cake with white chocolate (above)
The cream cheese cake was light and fluffy, not heavy at all. The white (pink coloured) chocolate spoon on vanilla mousse was a nice décor to the cake as well.

Bread and butter pudding (below)
Unlike the normal bread and butter pudding, Esette's was a bit more solid with some nuts in it. However, Cuchi still preferred the cream cheese cake though.

After having desserts, Cuchi was almost leaving when she saw Esette's kueh lapis. Cuchi has a soft spot for kueh lapis and a box was bought.

Surprise surprise, the kueh lapis was wonderful. It has a very nice buttery taste, soft and filled with flavour. Note the generous amount of prunes in the kueh lapis.

Esette is a place worth going. Perhaps a second trip is warranted to try their mains and to grab another box of kueh lapis.

Here is our review for Esette:

Food Quality: 8.0 pawprints out of 10
Coffee Quality: 6.5 pawprints out of 10

Ambience: 7.5 pawprints out of 10

For those who are interested in going there, here is the address:

Esette

47 Duxton Road

Singapore 089511
Tel: 6221 5775



Unassuming meals at The ART restaurant

Oh.... it's so boring in the north west thought Cuchi.... It might seem so due to the fact that a lot of cool places are located in the central part of the island. However, Cute Cute remembered spotting the signage of a restaurant near Upper Bukit Timah Road, Bukit Panjang area. The signage was plastered on a makeshift board in front of Assumption Pathway School and on further investigation, it seems like there is a restaurant in the school compound. Hmm... the Lion's curiosity was piqued. The restaurant is called The ART (Assumption Restaurant for Training) and it is actually a training restaurant for students!

 

 

Lush surroundings at The ART restaurant

The Art is sequestered in the Assumption Pathway School and one might have a wee bit of problem finding the restaurant as it sits on an elevated plain. Nevertheless, the Lions managed to find The Art along with friends of theirs, Ms Body Beautiful, Stevie Wonder and Mr Darlee.

Spacious and airy, The Art sits around 70 diners and the student wait staff have plenty of room to maneuver around easily. The Art is a training restaurant that provides a realistic working environment for Assumption Pathway School students who are specialising in food preparation & service and baking. A semi-fine dining restaurant with an al fresco option, The Art serves local and Western cuisine. Once Lions and friends were seated, they scanned through the menu and did their ordering.

Soup of the day: Mushroom Soup.

 

For lunch, The Art has a set menu with a variety of main courses to choose from. Good thing the Lions came with their friends so they had a range of main courses to try.

Quesadilla (Chicken)
This dish is one of The Art's specialty dishes. The portion of the quesadilla was huge and the filling inside was generous.

Grilled Cajun Chicken with Lemon Butter Sauce
Now this was another gem. The cajun chicken with tangy lemon butter sauce paired very well with the butter rice. 

Salmon and Mushroom Pasta
When this dish appeared, the Lions were surprised at the generous portion of salmon served. The overall presentation also scored extra brownie points. Overall the pasta deliciously creamy but not overtly heavy. 

Dessert and coffee/tea came with the set lunch. But wait, despite Lions and friends being too stuffed for words, they eyed the Dessert Platter greedily and sipped on a few refreshing specialty drinks as well. 

i 

Dessert Platter

The dessert platter consisted of 5 different kinds of bakes all lovingly prepared from scratch back in the kitchen. The cakes were a steal at $5 accompanied by a hot cup of coffee/tea.

Cute Cute managed to snap photos of the huge kitchen of The Art. Diners are able to watch the students working in keen concentration through a glass panel.

The al fresco side of The Art that overlooks the vast green field of Assumption Pathway School.



Oooo... they sell souvenirs too!

The Art restaurant is a wonderful place to have your lunch and at the same time, contribute to a good cause. Patrons also have the option of actually making a direct donation to the school. The Art restaurant opens during weekdays from 12noon to 4pm (school days to be exact) so do make reservations before heading down.

Here is our review for The Art Restaurant:

Food Quality: 7.0 pawprints out of 10

Ambience: 8.5 pawprints out of 10

For those who are interested in going there, here is the address:

The Art Restaurant

30 Cashew Road Singapore 679697

Tel No : 6892 6187

www.facebook.com/APStheART  

www.aps.edu.sg