Ikada Bakery might not be a fancy pâtisserie, but its cheese tarts are not to be sniffed at. Be prepared to be greeted by an oozing molten cream cheese when you bite into the tart, which comes along with a decently buttery and sturdy shortcrust. Even better, they're heftier than your average cheese tart and are priced at just $1.40 each. I prefer the blueberry version over the chocolate as the fruit jam helps to cut the richness of the cheese filling.I liked their egg tarts ($1 each) even better. Less eggy and custard-like than its counterparts of the same name, the filling in Ikada Bakery's egg tarts is refreshingly silky, beancurd-like and sweetened just right. It seems that I'm not the only fan of them- these proved to be a hit amongst guests at a reception I recently hosted!

P.S. They do delivery for orders above $150.

I firmly believe that ice cream parlors should not be stingy with samples- how are customers supposed to be satisfied with their purchase if they haven't found the flavors they like? Thankfully, Alfero Artisan Gelato passes in this aspect with flying colors- the friendly staff kept handing its patrons sample after sample during my visit there!

Unlike most of its competitors, Alfero does not showcase its wares behind a glass display- it stores them in metal containers instead, which apparently help preserve the freshness of the gelato.Not only was the service at Alfero commendable, the gelato was excellent as well. I really liked the exquisitely silky mouthfeel of its gelato- you should try it out yourself! While Coccogelo's pistachio gelato was slightly more intense in flavor, Alfero's version is unparalleled in smoothness- I can't decide which I prefer. Wanting a refreshing perk-up after dinner, I chose to have a scoop of lemon sorbet as well. Although it was decent by all measures, I'll rather go for double or even triple scoops of gelato the next time I visit Alfero!

Price: $4.50 for a small cup (1 flavor), $6.50 for a medium cup (2 flavors), $8.50 for a large cup (3 flavors)

Mention sweet and salty, and salted caramel (and possibly Tom's Palette's salted caramel cheesecake ice cream) immediately jumps to mind. If you're keen to try another salty-sweet flavor combination, do drop by Tom's Palette to try the new flavor for this month - Savory Crunch! Who knew that crunchy, salty potato crisps would taste so good sprinked in milk ice cream?Tom's Palette's milk ice cream tastes great with chocolate-coated almond bits too (left), but I personally prefer Savory Crunch over the former!

Jewels' Korean Black Garlic mooncakes are probably the most unusual mooncake flavor I've ever heard of. Possessing nary a trace of the pungency you might expect, the black garlic had a slightly tangy flavor akin to preserved plum. It's an acquired taste and didn't quite agree with my tastebuds, but I guess the black garlic mooncakes were worth trying for the novelty.Coffee lovers must not miss on the espresso truffle version, which packs a robust caffeine punch. My other favorite in the box would the version with crunchy Valrhona dark chocolate pearls, which lend a welcome textural contrast to the smooth lotus paste.
jewels artisan chocolate mooncakes
Alcoholic mooncakes are ubiquitous nowadays, and Jewels' champagne ganache truffle snowskin mooncake is certainly worth its salt. The last flavor features a lusciously rich and creamy salted caramel truffle, which was delicious as well!

Pssst...if you intend to purchase mooncakes from Jewels, spend $10 or more at their Orchard Central outlet and quote 'FB30D' to be entitled to purchase up to 2 boxes of mooncakes at 30% off the total price.

I thought I stumbled upon my favorite egg tarts in Singapore when I tried Tong Heng's egg tarts, but I was wrong. My new to-go place for egg tarts is none other than Imperial Treasure Bakery, conveniently located at 111@Somerset in Orchard.
imperial treasure's egg tart!The egg tarts here combine smooth and creamy custard with an impeccably buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread crust. While Tong Heng's egg custard remains unbeaten in terms of wobbliness, Imperial Treasure Bakery's egg tarts edge them out in other aspects. While Tong Heng's egg tarts are overly sweet, Imperial Treasure Bakery's got the sugar level down pat. Not forgetting to mention, while the flaky pastry crust of Tong Heng's egg tarts turns soggy after cooling, Imperial Treasure Bakery's egg tarts still taste delicious after being kept till the next day. It's still best eaten freshly baked when the custard's at its wiggly best though!

Each palm-sized portion of deliciousness is priced at $1.50.