Henri Charpentier (Closed)

It's never disappointing to come here.  It's presentation from cooking Crepe Suzette before you or the Chocolate Dome are always fascinating.  You could see the flame running when the Grand Marnier was poured from high.  It gives traces of alcoholic flavour and added the complication of the tastes of the desserts.The madaleine is a must try because it's so soft and tender.  Unlike a lot of its usual appearances in other bakeries, it's petite, soft and warm.  Not too sweet and you'd fall in love with it when you once tried it. continue reading

Prancing across the fuchsia walkway along a secluded block at Dempsey Hill, one stumbles into a very stunning French-inspired Japanese cafe, named Henri Charpentier. There is nothing short of seductive about this sultry setting - complete with wine colored carpeting, silken champagne drapes, and cushy armchairs overlooking lush greenery.We took a seat back so that we could dissect the menu to see what else was instore. But first, I had to have an Iced Muscat Tea (SGD$8.50) first - black tea with rich aroma of jade-coloured Muscat grapes. Living true to its name, the tea tasted good even without adding sugar syrup (provided on the side), the strong flavor of grapes was evident in this tea itself, pure and natural. Imagine grape juice without all the artificial sweeteners and fizz - how refreshing!Then we ordered the Dome - the perfect chocolate ball was carted over with the portable stove, and we watched in amazement as the Japanese crew began to pour heated alcohol over the sphere, ignite it into a beautiful flambe like a show literally - the chocolate cover began to shed and strip into the strawberry and almond center.When served onto our table, disintegrated into an almost unrecognizable form. We were tempted to applaud but held back. The first to late bite were tantalising - rich in chocolatey flavor but not overpowering; enhanced with a little tartiness of strawberry and crunchiness of the almonds.The Suzette Crepe was prepared in front of us as well. The crepe was silky as described, soft but not brittle. There was a distinctive sweetness to it, infused beautifully by the orange-butter sauce with heavy hints of liqueur. We loved alcohol-infused items, so this was definitely the one for us, a blissful mixture of flavors.For full review and more photos, please feel free to visit:http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2015/02/afternoon-tea-at-henri-charpentier.html continue reading

Renowned French-inspired Japanese Patisserie "Henri Charpentier" has finally opened their first global dessert salon in Singapore in Oct 2014! Henri Charpentier was nestled among lush greenery on the top of Dempsey Hill, just beside "House" restaurant.Exclusive dessert only available in Singapore! Sautéed pineapple, caramel-flavored chocolate mousse and dark chocolate mousse are placed in a bowl resembling a flower made of sugar. The dessert is finished by being flambéed with orange liqueur. Upon being doused with the flaming liqueur, the sugar bowl begins to melt away, flowing down the sides of the dessert tower. The sugar bowl was very solid, hard to bite. I like the chocolate mousse, but the liquor was a tad too much so it tasted quite bitter.. This dessert was quite high quality but the taste was not as good as the dome (below).Exclusive dessert only available in Singapore and also the most expensive dessert here that you have to try!!! Upon pouring the warm liquor, the chocolate sphere quickly melts away to unveil the hidden sweet treat! The chocolate sphere encloses a chocolate parfait biscuit of fraise d'amande (Strawberries & Almonds). I prefer this dessert - Dome than the flower temptation! The liquor was not that strong so the bitterness was very mild. With the chocolate & rasberry sauce, the whole combination here was excellent with a touch of crunchiness and sweetness.For full review & photos, please visit:http://summerlovestoeat.blogspot.sg/2014/11/henri-charpentier-singapore-9a-dempsey_6.html continue reading

Bearing the tradition and spirit since the founding in 1969, renowned French-inspired Japanese patisserie Henri Charpentier recently opened its first overseas outlet at Dempsey Hill in Singapore. Named after a famous 19th century French chef, it was then founded by Naokuni Arita and started as a small cafe in the Hyogo prefecture in Japan.Ashiya is the birthplace of the Henri Charpentier brand. Located in a suburb of the city of Kobe, it is the gateway to different cultures and the point of initiation for Modernism in Japan. The brand was born and raised in a place where quality and elegant products are valued and polished with a modern touch.With more than 100 shops in department stores throughout Japan, Henri Charpentier Singapore makes a dedicated effort to incorporate locally-inspired desserts to add a varied dimension to the signatures it brings from Japan.Can this dessert saloon spark the flames? Let us find out!Rouge | S$19/++While we struggled to choose our desserts among the various fanciful ones on the menu, the lady who took our orders took a separate menu which had pictures of the special desserts for our ease of choice. Fascinated by the artisanal display of the Rouge, it looked too beautiful to reject its presence.It brought wows to the table when the dessert was served as the spectacular curves distracted us from the passion fruit and financier that laid the foundation. The parfait of marinated strawberries with a generous pool of strawberry sauce brought much tang while the acidity of the passion fruit cuts through our palate beautifully to leave a lasting impression. What set the dessert apart was the signature financier bake which delivered a palatable sweet almond after-taste.Two almonds, Marcona and Fritz which are both rich in aroma are blended with original cultured butter from Hokkaido which allowed the lovely flavours to stand out despite the rather strong tastes of the strawberry marinade, While we continue our hunt for the best financier yet, this has to be the leading star for now.Crepe Suzette | S$22/++The orange-soaked crepes, flambéed in Grand Marnier instilled warmth and wonder with the first spoonful as the theatrical display of blue flames would set everyone in awe. Unfortunately, from where we were seated, rays of sunlight were shining directly which made the blue flames hardly visible to the naked eye. The layered crepe not only embodied the flavours of the alcohol but soaked up the luscious orange flavours to make it a sweet but not overly empowering dessert. Texture of the crepe was close to perfection as the soft layers were clearly defined and it was with great pleasure that I scoped up every single bit of the sauce and leaving nothing to clear on the plate!Dome | S$29/++Exclusively available only in Singapore, the chocolate sphere composed of a chocolate parfait of fraise d'amande and upon pouring down the alcohol which set ablaze a lightly visible blue flame (once again due to the bright sunlight shining through) that melted the chocolate casing. While the end result does not look the least bit palatable, it bore the richest flavours among the three desserts tried.Blending the classic chocolate and strawberries combination, it packed a bag of flavours that would bring oomph to each spoonful of sinful calories!The beautifully and lavishly decorated interior made the dining experience a lot more sophisticated than just a visit to any other dessert saloon. With a focus on 'creating a new appreciation for sweets', it could be seen that much efforts have been dedicated to enhancing diners' experience at Henri Charpentier.The restaurant also has some outdoor seating available though it is quite apparent that no one takes such seating under the scorching afternoon heat!Distinctly differentiated by its flamboyant pink carpet leading to the entrance, we felt that the overall experience at Henri Charpentier makes it a worthy visit albeit the relatively steep prices for desserts which can easily be justified by the quality of ingredients used and of course the theatrical display that would almost certainly impress your dining companions.With a gorgeous ambience, the service crew were also commendable. Most of the service personnel were Japanese and while they left us to enjoy our desserts mostly, the manager took a special effort to strike up a casual conversation, asking about our experience and feedback of the various desserts tried. We were rather disappointed that we were unable to catch the display of blue flames for the two flaming desserts ordered but we are already planning our next visit in the evening to make sure we catch it during our next visit!For original review, please visit http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2014/10/sg-henri-charpentier-flame-of-glory.html continue reading