(iPhone Photography for this post)
I spent an entire day in my friend's professional kitchen for a day. We got experimental with several savoury flavor combinations for a few concepts we were working on and naturally, after a day full of umami, we craved for bread and pastries. It's always like that with chefs... those that work with pastries tend to want to eat savoury and vice versa when they're done with their shift. Chef Dennis brought me to Takashimaya so we could cover a lot of places in a few hours to fill our needs after a wonderful late lunch at Din Tai Fung in Paragon Mall.
We headed straight into the basement where the newly-opened Boulangerie Donq Francaise of Japanese-fame can be found. If not mistaken, it's where the old Heistand Boulangerie was located (I used to buy bread there when I was working for The British High Commission in 2003). You can actually smell the goodness of their breads wafting through the basement floor; I couldn't help but hand carry a few with me all the way Bangkok just so I could share all the goodness with my daughter.
About ten steps away is Kaffe & Te, where you can buy Kahl's Swedish coffee. I couldn't resist and bought a few bags. The lady was too generous, she even gave me free peppermint tea. How I missed this when I spent 6 weeks in Sweden in my early 20s baffles me. I wish I knew of this brand then!
A few more steps and we found our way towards our favorite Hokkaido Ice Cream. I always go for the Salt Caramel which transports me back in time, when I brought Dennis there for the first time, in 2008. Little did we expect then that he would move to Singapore a year later and that he would be the one taking me to places I've not dined in. I consider myself lucky since Dennis is one of the most famous pastry chefs in the Philippines to say the least.
Salt Caramel is a good transition from savoury to sweet. And so, we found ourselves walking towards Pique Nique, known for their cupcakes and macarons.
A few floors above, was Paul. One of my all-time favorite places for bread. I first came across this wonderful shop in Paris in 1999. Since then, when I get the chance to come across it in other countries, I make it an effort to visit... Dubai, London, and now Singapore!
Last but not the least, was Antoinette. It's actually in a hotel beside Takashimaya, called the Mandarin. It's quaint yet opulent vibe screams indulgence from the get-go!
I really wish I had more time to eat my way through but I only had a day in Singapore. Someday, I'd like to bring The Young Tongue in one of my favorite dining destinations in Asia.
