Traveling Chomps: Sweet Endings at Canele

Where: Singapore (Paragon Shopping Center - Orchard Road)
Specialty: Dessert, Chocolate, Cake, Macarons

I discovered Canelé Pâtisserie Chocolaterie at Paragon Shopping Center (basement) on my last trip. I love their variety of cake, macarons and such. Being centrally located on Orchard Road, it's easy to stop by after shopping. We headed here after dinner at Tatsuya which is right across the street. Yes, the fruit was insufficient to satisfy my sweet tooth :P

The shop is small but there are several tables where you can sit and enjoy some coffee and cake.



Feeling rather guilty, P and I shared a Green Tea Mousse:


Chomp Meter:
One of the better dessert cafes in Singapore. Canele stands out because the desserts are aesthetically appealing in addition to delivering on taste and packaging.


Canele Patisserie Chocolaterie
290 Orchard Road,
#B1-25 Paragon,
Singapore 238859
Telephone: (65) 6733-8893

There are also Canele outlets at Raffles City Shopping Center, Shaw Center, and Robertson Walk.

Pastiche Review - Again ...

I'm a broken record but I can't help it. Pastiche Fine Desserts is better than any pastry shop in Boston! You have to visit to believe me. The best time to go is in the afternoons when it isn't so crowded so you can savor your dessert and coffee or tea.

Pastiche is a must visit cafe for me in Providence regardless of the time of day or how full I am. On this visit, we got the plum frangipane tart (daily special), a key lime mousse, and a raspberry chocolate cake. They were all superb but the absolute BEST was the plum frangipane tart with a creme anglais sauce. I don't know how they do it but the plums were cooked yet slightly crisp and not too sour. This went nicely with the almond flavored filling. Wow!

All the fruit based dessert I've had at Pastiche is fabulous. I swear they must taste every berry and make sure it's just ripe before serving.

No fancy photos this time and no prizes for guessing which is which:


My 2006 Pastiche review with more photos is here.

Chomp Meter:
Enough said!

Pastiche Fine Desserts
92 Spruce St
Providence, RI
401-861-5190

Cannolis - Mike's Pastry vs. Modern Pastry

I had a major cannoli craving while in the North End. Having read that Modern Pastry Shop does a mean cannoli, I decided to put it to the test. Bought 2 from Mike's and 2 from Modern to sample.

The cannolis from Mike's were much sweeter. The ricotta cheese filling was also smoother. The cannolis from Modern weren't as sweet and the texture of the filling was lumpier with bits of ricotta curd. The Modern cannolis are filled as you order while Mike's are ready made.

Disclaimer: I have to admit that I'm not really a cannoli connoisseur before I present my verdict. Yes Mike's is all touristy and commercialized but I did like their cannoli's better. Part of the reason could be that the cannolis were fresher. The few cannolis they had out at Modern when I stopped by seemed rather sad. I also took the cannolis home so I could be partly to blame. Since the filling at Modern is more moist, it didn't hold up as well. I should eat it on the spot on my next visit!



These are the cannolis from Modern. They're from my phone and a little blurry. :( I can't seem to find the photos from Mike's.


Chomp Meter: I'm going to take the easy way out and say both pastry shops are worth a visit! Mike's and Modern Pastry also sell an assortment of other treats ranging from gelato to biscotti and marzipan.

Mike's Pastry


Modern Pastry