You might have seen the pretty purple bakes from this minimalist cafe making its rounds on social media. In case the purple hues weren’t a clear enough hint, this aesthetic cafe specialises in all things Taro. Aptly located in Lavender, Cafe Lilac by Whisking Bakes is said to be the first taro cafe in Singapore and serves taro-themed cakes and pastries.
The cafe is the brainchild of Whisking Bakes — the home-based business turned cafe best known for their taro bakes and their orh nee tart balls. Since opening a brick and mortar shop last year, the cafe has gone through a major revamp, sporting a fresh new look and introducing more taro-centric dishes to the menu.
The Taro Pork Floss Sando (S$5.50) was one of the dishes that really piqued my interest. It’s a sweet-savoury combination of the house-made taro paste and pork floss sandwiched between two toasts. While I’m not the biggest taro fanatic, I would prefer if there was a bit more taro as the flavours were muted by the pork floss.
For something heartier, the All Day Mini Breakfast (S$8.50). It stars two slices of toast with a house-made taro jam, along with your regular breakfast staples like mini chicken sausages, a nicely fried sunny side-up, bacon and a side of salad. The real MVP of this dish was the taro jam. It had an orh nee-like consistency and paired perfectly with the toasts. It also helped to balance the saltiness of the sausage.
Other mains on the menu include the HK Style Nissin Noodles (S$6) and Teriyaki Chicken Breast Wrap (S$7.50).
Now, onto the pretty purple desserts — we were super excited about this. We were torn between the Taro Crepe Cake (S$8) and the Taro Choux Puff (S$8). We settled for the Taro Choux Puff which turned out to be my favourite. It had a buttery and crumbly crust — similar to a Hong Kong-style bolo bun. Inside was a creamy taro cream which was the perfect blend of fresh cream and taro.
But of course, we couldn’t visit this pretty cafe without trying one of their prettiest desserts — the Taro Tartlette (S$8). The tartlette had a nice buttery cookie crust that was not too sweet. The Taro filling was laced with tiny bits of taro — they certainly didn’t skimp on their ingredients. I wasn’t a fan of the lavender cream on it’s own as it was too overpowering for me. But, when paired with the taro filling and cookie crust, it gave it a nice creamy texture and a floral finish.
Cleanse your palette with the beautiful Taro Einspaneer (S$6.50) that is paired with a taro foam — you can also have it with regular cream, but why would you do that? There’s also a new addition to the drinks menu, the Lilac Lemonade (S$5) which is made with butterfly pea tea, soda water and lemon juice. It’s the perfect drink to perk you up on a hot and humid day, though we recommend adding a teeny bit of sugar as it can be a bit sour.
Apart from a very chill ambience and serving you dishes that both look and taste good, the cafe also does not charge GST or service charge, which means the prices are nett. You also don’t have to be a taro-lover to enjoy these dishes — you might even become a convert afterwards! To quote the words written on the cafe mirror, these guys were “taro-ffic”.
Check out this purple cafe to get your dose of taro today!
Cafe Lilac by Whisking Bakes
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???? 466 Crawford Ln, #01-08, Singapore 190465
???? 11.30am—9pm (Mon to Thu), 11.30am—11.30pm (Fri), 10am—11.30pm (Sat), 10am—4pm (Sun)
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Photos by Marcus Leong
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