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2013-10-15
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While on the search for the best tiramisu in Singapore, we've been told by many to try L'Atelier for a piece of that perfect concoction. Located at Central Clarke Quay, it was tucked in a quiet corner in the basement, spotting a quiet small space when we reached a tad too early for our desserts fix!Greeted by a strong coffee aroma, we were almost distracted from our mission to hunt down the perfect piece of tiramisu. While being spoilt for choice on the flavours of tiramisu variants available, w
Greeted by a strong coffee aroma, we were almost distracted from our mission to hunt down the perfect piece of tiramisu. While being spoilt for choice on the flavours of tiramisu variants available, we were glad to find a sampler version, a thoughtful gesture for those who're fickle like us, wanting a bit of everything!Sampler ($15)
With four flavours cautiously packed into small little containers, you get a taste of lychee, matcha, dark cherry and 2 classics. We thought this was good enough for sharing and if you'd just want a little to sample before deciding on which piece to order for the usual size!Classico
Of course, we had to have an idea of how its 'usual' tasted like first. First mouthful, we thought there was a little overdose of cocoa powder sprinkled on the top layer, leaving it very dry and a tad overwhelming with the cream. Digging in deeper, however, we found the sponge fingers too moist , with the bottom layer soaked throughout. We loved the strong kick of espresso though, and thought the flavour was just right.
Lychee
We thought this sounded the lightest of all and was expecting a refreshing fruity touch amidst the sinful indulgent mascarpone cheese cream. First mouthful left us pretty shocked, with a strong cinnamon taste from the powder on top, then a subtle lychee taste coming through. It sounds as mismatched as what we'd tasted, and even after several mouthfuls, we still couldn't reconcile the both. Though there were lychee bits in the combination, the taste of lychee had a tinge of artificiality, like those you'd find in lychee essences. I'm typically a fan of lychee-based products but this was a disappointment.
Matcha
We loved the strong taste of matcha, and the good quality of matcha powder used. It was rich and flavorful but perhaps due to the overdose of powder on top as per the other samplers, it then got a little bitter with the aftertaste kicking in.
Dark Cherry
My first association with dark cherry - Black Forest cake. We were expecting a tad more alcoholic
content with soaked cherries in it, but this was more of cherry compote used in giving the cherry taste to it. It was a little too sweet for my liking and somewhat like softer version of chocolate cake rather than tiramisu. An alcoholic version of it would have been better for us, though this was still a decent piece.
Classico ($6.80)
If based simply on the samplers, we probably wouldn't order another piece since it all tasted pretty average to us. But we were glad we decided to try out the individual slices, getting a piece of our most preferred Classico from the verdict of our sampler version.Very much different from the sampler, we thought this had a well-balanced level of moistness throughout. The cocoa powder and chocolate shavings on top weren't overwhelming and we loved the strong espresso coming through. The ladyfingers weren't, however, fully soaked so it didn't give the overly moist and 'nua' texture, yet packing a full flavour of strong coffee in it! We thought this was nicely executed with an impressionable flavour left on us. What would have been perfect would have been a stronger alcohol taste to it, to top off the perfect tiramisu experience!
Pandan ($7.20)
This was one of the latest additions to their tiramisu selection, and there's even an ongoing promotion going on, bundling a coconut drink with this for $10. We were pretty full given that this was our pre-dinner desserts, hence ordering only ala carte to try it out. It lives up to its name indeed, tasting just like pandan cake, with a strong fragrance of coconut coming from the shavings on top. The textures blended pretty well, with smooth cream cheese on top yet not overwhelming. Sandwiched in the middle, however, was the sponge layer that seemed artificially green with its bright rich colour. There was also brown crunchy surprises hidden beneath, tasting somewhat like hazelnuts, adding an interesting layer of texture to it! I found it a little too sweet for my liking, perhaps especially since I was craving for a strong dose of coffee just like that of the Classic version. Though we think it's probably not worth that price tag for a taste so similar to our homely pandan cakes, those looking for a creamier version of pandan cakes might want to give it a shot!
A small cosy space accommodating only about 3 tables, it's best to visit before the usual desserts time or to have it for takeaway. This has indeed managed to meet our expectations of a good slice of tiramisu, and we'll probably be back for more soon! As for the other flavours, we weren't exactly impressed and would probably stick to our preferred classico piece.
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