By now, we would be familiar with the traditional Japanese omakase where the chef prepares a specially curated menu right in front of you. But have you heard of a dessert omakase?
Located inside Twenty Eight Cafe along Wilkie Road, Catkin by Huishan is a dessert bar helmed by pastry chef Soh Huishan. On the menu are delicate desserts which take inspiration from local favourites like kueh tutu, muah chee, and even hawthorn candy.
The Catkin experience (S$48) is the omakase menu offered at the dessert bar, which features three desserts carefully prepared by Huishan herself. The desserts also have a special tea pairing tea to go with them.
The first course was the Kueh Tutu which features a light rice foam with white pandan gelato, and peanut sugar. And if you haven’t already guessed it, the inspiration behind this dessert is the kueh tutu — more specifically, Huishan’s favourite plain kueh tutu.
The rice foam was light and creamy which really helped to bring out the flavour of the pandan gelato. I absolutely loved the crunch and fragrance of the peanut sugar. I was truly blown away at how much the flavour and fragrance reminded me of the actual peanut kueh tutu — definitely my favourite out of the three.
The second course was really interesting to say the least. It features peanut gelato, chewy mochi, and shallot oil — ring any bells? This dessert is inspired by all our childhood favourites, Muah Chee. The mochi is infused with shallot oil which gives the dessert a touch of savouriness and a rich fragrance; a nod to the traditional muah chee that is a rare find in Singapore.
The mochi skin had the right amount of thinness and chewiness. My favourite part of the dessert was the old-school peanut candy. It was sweet, fragrant and super crunchy, which helped to bring out the vanilla notes of the peanut gelato. The taste might be a little confusing at first but somehow the savouriness slowly grows on you.
Everyone would have tried Hawthorn candy at some point in their childhood. The Hawthorn dessert comes with a dollop of pear and hibiscus sorbet, and a layer of cranberry hibiscus jelly, complete with hawthorne shavings. The sorbet had bits of grated pear in it — so you know it was definitely housemade. It was a pretty unique and refreshing sorbet.
I was totally taken aback by how much the flavours in the dessert actually mimicked the real hawthorn candy — right down to the texture. It had the right blend of sweet, sour, and slightly, just like the candy. The diced granny smith apples added a nice refreshing zing that balanced out the sweetness of the dessert.
The delicious desserts don’t stop there. In the spirit of National Day, come by on 8 and 9 August 2023 to enjoy a free scoop of Kaya Toast gelato. All you gotta do is to follow Catkin by Huishan and Twenty Eight cafe on instagram. Then, tag and share Huishan’s instagram post and viola, you’re all set to redeem your free gelato!
Trust us, you definitely want to redeem this gelato, especially if you love kaya toast. The gelato was creamy and buttery with a slight caramel taste. It also had a slightly savoury finish — much like what you would get after eating the real thing. I will definitely be making my way down on National Day to get my free scoop.
Feeling boujee? Head down to this dessert bar for a unique dessert omakase experience!
Catkin by Huishan
Instagram
???? 28 Wilkie Road, Twenty Eight Cafe #01-06, Singapore 228051
???? 12pm—4pm (Wed to Fri), 12pm—7pm (Sat & Sun)
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Photos by Marcus Leong
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