Buttery, flaky and oh so tasty – The croissant has been around for ages and has been labeled a French staple even though as legend has it, it was in fact invented by the Turkish, its shape modelled after the crescent on their national flag.
Photo courtesy of blissfullydelicious.wordpress.com
Behind every crisp and golden brown croissant lies a tedious baking process that involves steps like letting the dough rest for a good 24 hours and folding it four times to give you as many as 81 astounding layers.
Tiong Bahru Bakery has been touted to carry the best croissant in Singapore but with entrance of so many new bakeries in recent months, could the king possibly be dethroned?
We take a look at the delicious continental breakfast item, the original croissant, at five of the newest bakeries on our land.
Missing entirely on the idea of being light and flaky, this measly croissant just didn’t make the cut; neither did it look appealing enough to entice our taste buds. It lacked that crisp top and held a fair amount of density that was too dry and doughy for our liking. While you are at Anthesis, perhaps it would be a better idea to pair their artisanal coffee with a tuna tataki.
Address: 86 Robertson Quay #01-01
Tel: +65 6737 9873
Opening Hours: 8.30am – 5.30pm (Tue to Sun)
Price: $2.80
Heads up, we may have found a compelling contender against Tiong Bahru Bakery’s signature croissant! Perfectly glazed, it bore a strong shell of crust on top, which disallowed any deflating, leaving the core of the croissant airy, light, soft and moist all at the same time. The messy finish only meant that the croissant was as ideally flaky as one could hope for. Our only disappointment was finishing it because that last bite just left us wanting more.
Address: 118 Killiney Road
Tel: +65 6444 8130
Opening Hours: 8am – 10pm Daily
Price: $2.80
If we could describe the croissant at B.A.O. in one word, it would be “potential”. With a light glaze atop, it had a good balance of butter and salt throughout the pastry. All it needed was a bit more crunch for a better contrast against the soft-tissue like layers.
Address: 2 Kallang Avenue #02-17, CT Hub
Tel: +65 6444 4787
Opening Hours: 10am – 6pm Daily
Price: $3
Fresh and hot from the oven, the croissant at Bread King won us over when it crackled with a crunch on the first bite. While the interior was light and pleasantly layered, it was just a tad too soft and moist despite bagging a comforting chew. Do keep it in the provided paper bags because the tasty flakes are bound to rain down with every mouthful.
Address: 43 Burghley Drive, Burghley Squash and Tennis Centre
Tel: +65 6289 2508
Opening Hours: 7.30am – 9pm (Wed to Mon, Closed on Tue)
Price: $3
At Craft Bakery & Café, two things they got right with the classic croissant is its flakiness on the outside and moistness on the inside. It’s a pity that the croissant wasn’t glazed with a glossy and tantalizing shell, but a slightly burnt one after being reheated in the oven. Aside from that, it was a buttery and flavourful treat with some rather decent layers embodied in.
Address: 24 Lorong Mambong
Tel: +65 67467 7710
Opening Hours: 12pm – 11pm (Sun to Thu), 12pm – 12am (Fri & Sat)
Price: $2
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To see how croissants are made in a Parisian bakery, watch this!
All in all, it is clear that while some new bakeries stand nowhere near the forefront with the best croissant in Singapore, others like Artisan Boulangerie are coming on strong and could find themselves on parallel grounds with royalty sometime in the near future.
What about you? Have you tried the same croissants? Do you think any of them could knock Tiong Bahru Bakery off the throne? Let us know, we would love to hear from you!
Written by Peh Yi Wen
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