Dong Po Colonial Cafe

The vintage setting with traditional chinese logo can trick one into thinking that this cafe has a long history. But it isn't. This less-than-a-year old cafe is opened by 4th generation baker Mr Kevin, who wished to carry on their family recipes. (visit here for full story)

However, entering this cafe when it ran out of kaya butter toasts and its signature bostock is just as disappointing as entering Ya Kun when their kaya toasts are sold out or even Breadtalk emptied of pork floss buns.

Understandably,  it was a busy Sunday at 5pm but I still could not swallow my disappointment. Other items that have appeared in other reviews such as Cream Horn, Long Sponge Egg Cakes, Cookies, etc......were all gone.

Scone Set (Kopi Siu Dai + Scone-2 choice of preserves)
Count myself lucky or unlucky, I managed to catch the scones which were fresh out of the oven. Neither the aroma nor texture stood out and it was slightly dry on the inside. At the very least, I did manage to try it with their homemade lemon curd and kaya.

The lemon curd was smooth and tart. But the kaya was not the brown version that we preferred and it was slightly too sweet.

For the other kopi/tea set with choice of 2 pastries, we picked the almond biscotti and coconut tart. Unlike many coconut tarts from neighborhood bakeries, it distinguishes itself from the average ones with its sharp toasted coconut fragrance and controlled sweetness.

The almond biscotti was even better-it looked deceptively sweet with the baked almond meringue top but it was nowhere at that level. Crunchy and buttery, this tough biscuit is really enjoyable by just using hands.

The moist and custardy bread and butter pudding ($2) was as good as those served at many restaurants. It tasted as if Creme Anglaise (vanilla cream sauce) had been mixed into the batter, and should be left on its own without the strawberry sauce.

The pastries here are cheap and good. But not fantastic enough to draw me back unless I am in the vicinity. Perhaps it would be good if they can focus their core on only a few pastries and their coffee.

I'm not very sure but was it common for kopi tiam to sell so many pastries back in the fifties or sixties?

Dong Po Colonial Cafe 东坡茶室

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