Reviews by goji

Konditor & Cook (Baker)
11 March 2008

I go to Konditor weekly for lunch and it never fails to deliver quality food with the same high standard. Their savouries include soups, sandwiches, pizzas, jacket potatos and two daily hot dishes (one of which is a vegetarian option) that are all delicious. Most importantly, their cakes are to die for. Curly wurly, lemon chiffon, coffee walnut and orange whiskey bombe are the hallmarks. My personal favourite is the pumpkin pie, though it is not always available.

Just one bit of advice for when you go: this branch of Konditor is very popular amongst the corporate people nearby and gets packed during lunch hour, so go earlier or later to avoid the queue if possible.

Ladurée (Cafe)
09 March 2008

Perhaps I shouldn't have held such high expectations for Laduree, but then review has it as a world-famous patisserie that musters some of the best cakes and macarons in Paris, so I went to try some weeks ago with my boyfriend. True that the grandeur of the decor and the panoply of cakes are quite mesmerising, but the quality of the morsels doesn't quite match up.

We had the Mont-Blanc (the chestnut tart, that is) but it was bland and failed to enthrall the tastebuds. One could easily get a better rendition elsewhere for a cheaper price. The Saint-Honore, supposedly one of their traditional creations, did not excite us either. The choux pastry wasn't fresh - it was only crisp on the outside because it's caramelised. The texture wasn't as intricate as I had hoped and the custard and chantilly cream didn't punctuate through, though to be fair Saint-Honore is very tricky to make. The macaron biscuit of Ispahan was too chewy and lacked the required light and airy consistency, although this one tasted a lot better. The combination of rose, lychee and raspberries was very delicate and refreshing. Overall, the cakes taste like they've been pre-made a while ago and God knows how long they've been on display for. As for drinks, I had the violet tea, which was rather pleasant. But you can't really go wrong with a brew can you?

Service was unbelievably slow - it took us a total of 20 minutes to get the bill and pay for it, but that's probably because the place was packed at that time. Try not to sit under the stairs when it's crowded, otherwise there's a good chance that you'll be ignored.

It still deserves 4 stars because it does give you a pretty Parisian tearoom setting in which to indulge in a luxurious afternoon tea after shopping sprees. Just bear in mind that you'll be paying premium price for something that could've been done better. Adjust your expectations to avoid disappointment.

Hummingbird (Baker)
03 December 2007

Went to the South Ken branch today and had the 'Red Velvet' - very yumscious, but could've been better if it was more mellow and moist. It might be too sugary for some but personally I think the frosting is dreamy. Service was OK but seemed rushed because there was a constant long queue. The place was too packed for a sitdown, but the cakes are definitely worth revisiting.

Brompton Quarter Cafe (Cafe)
03 December 2007

Great ambience and love the chichi decor. Most importantly, the millefeuille was absolutely amazing (though I must say the pastry could've been crunchier... but then it was nearly 7pm and the millefeuille was amongst the very few morsels that there was left, so it's justified). A tad expensive but it's worthwhile. Will definitely visit again.