L’eclair by Sarah Michelle @ Singapore Shopping Centre - Introduces High Tea Degustation Set

An affinity with eclairs spurred Sarah and Michelle to open L’eclair, with a vision to bring eclairs to and beyond its realm of plain pastry cream. Located at Singapore Shopping Centre, L’eclair by Sarah Michelle then became Singapore’s first eclair specialty store and cafe. One year into its opening, High Tea Degustation Set is now available, showcasing not just their signature e'clairs but also tantalising savouries that are all crafted with their own hands.

This degustation set will be strictly for reservations only with limited slots per day. What distinguishes it from other high tea set is that the sweets comes in the form of mini eclairs in various flavours, hence you get to try 5 different flavours in one go! For the savoury, you get an assortment of homemade canapes. Each high tea set comes with two complimentary drinks.

Truffle Egg Mayo Choux Puff, Tomato & Basil Bruschetta. Foie Gras Pate & Tomato Relish Crostini 3.8/5

We started off with the cold canapes sitting on the top tier - Truffle Egg Mayo Choux Puff, Foie Gras Pate & Tomato Relish Crostini and Tomato & Basil Bruschetta. My personal favourite would be the crostini. The piquant homemade tomato relish has deep, sweet notes edged with a bit of tang which balances the creamy pate that carries a slight gaminess. The textural contrast of the creamy topping and the crunchy crostini is excellent.The choux puff delivers a satisfying creamy mouthfill with its egg mayo and spongy choux puff, while the bruschetta brightens up my palate with simple, fresh ingredients.

Smoked Salmon & Dill Mousse Tartlet 3.8/5, Roasted Mushrooms Vol au Vent 3.8/5

Moving on to the warm canapes, the Smoked Salmon & Dill Mousse Tartlet is light on the taste buds but is packed with the wonderful flavour of smoked salmon. The Roasted Mushrooms Vol au Vent fares just as well. It is thin with flaky crust that is just right for the strong earthy mushrooms.

Signature Chicken & Bacon Pie 3.5/5

Trained at Le Cordon Bleu Paris, the pies here are notable too. Along with the warm canapes, you got to try their signature Signature Chicken & Bacon Pie. Baked to a gorgeous brown, the crust was flaky, leaving a warm, buttery aroma on my fingertips. The filling is not too heavily peppered and is on the sweeter side but there are bacon within to lend a savoury note. If this mini version has proven its worth, you could get it at its original size.

Done with their savouries, the pretty eclairs beckons. You will be treated with 2 seasonal editions - Lime Basil & Coconut and Lemon Meringue, and 3 classic flavours - Salted Caramel, Ispahan and Dark Chocolate.

Lime Basil & Coconut 2.5/5, Lemon Meringue 3/5

While I have tasted really good desserts that have a herbaceous profile such as Shiso leaf sherbet, the addition of basil to the Lime Basil and Coconut doesn't quite work here for me. The Lemon Meringue fares much better in importing the flavours of a classic Lemon Tart.

Salted Caramel 3/5, Isphan 3.8/5, Dark Chocolate 3/5

Out of the 3 classics, my favourite would be the Ispha, perfumed with rose and sweetened with lychees with tartness lent from raspberry. The filling seems less dense compared to the rest. Salted Caramel and Dark Chocolate cater to you if you are craving for warm and rich flavours. Overall, the sweetness level of their eclairs is acceptable but a lighter and fluffier filling is much preferred. The pastry is airy and would have been more so should the pastry carries that delicate crisp which I was anticipating as I suck my teeth into it.

Mushroom Soup 3.5/5

Somehow, I favour the savoury items here a lot more. Even their Mushroom Soup ($8.50), one of their latest savoury items, hits the notes.  Rich with mushrooms bits that are bond together with cream, the partnering toast comes in the form of bite-size crunches that allows you to just tuck into the wholesome goodness with a spoon.

Tuck away from the hustling streets of Orchard Road, High Tea at L’éclair by Sarah Michelle is a welcoming respite. High tea degustation set is available from Tuesdays to Sundays, 11am to 5pm (with 3 fixed seatings a day).

Words and photos by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


L’eclair by Sarah Michelle
Singapore Shopping Centre
190 Clemenceau Avenue
#01-28
Singapore 239924
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Dhoby Ghaut (EW Line, NE Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Fri: 11am - 8pm
Sat: 11am - 9pm
Sun: 11am - 6pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station. Take Exit B. Cross the road. Turn right and walk towards Clemenceau Avenue. Turn left onto Clemenceau Avenue. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck (金记潮州卤鸭) @ New Upper Changi Road - New Stall In The East

Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck (金记潮州卤鸭) has come a long way since 1980 at Smith Street Food Centre. It has expanded its business and recently opened a new outlet at New Upper Changi Road, bringing its traditional Teochew braised duck dishes to the East.

Braised Duck Bento Set 4/5

Food has to evolve with time and Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck is probably the first stall to introduce the Braised Duck Bento Set ($8) in Singapore. The bento set comes with 3 ball-shaped yam rice, braised duck. offals, salted vegetables, cucumber, radish and lava egg. You may called it gimmicky but I think it is smart thinking of re-packaging a traditional dish and giving it a refreshed look. I guess it turned out successful as it got quite a fair bit of attention from the media.

The new stall was slightly more than a week old when I visited for dinner. I could not really fault the yam rice, tender braised duck and the lava egg. However, I thought the offals were not braised long enough, failing to absorb the richness of the braising sauce.

Kway Chap Set 3/5

Besides the bento set, I also ordered the Kway Chap Set ($4) to try. Once again, and you probably can tell from the color, the ingredients do not seen to have braised long enough to absorb the richness of the braising sauce. Th rice sheet was also on the thicker side and the accompanying broth tasted rather bland. This is not the usual standard I know of, probably it needed more time to smooth out the whole operations and quality consistency of the products.

Jin Ji Teochew Braised Duck (金记潮州卤鸭)
Blk 56 New Upper Changi Road
#01-1314
Singapore 461056
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Tanah Merah (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 11am - 8pm
Sat-Sun: 10am - 8pm
(Closed on Fri)

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanah Merah MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop at Tanah Merah MRT station (Stop ID 85099). Take bus number 2, 9, 14, 24, 31, 35, and 45. Alight 1 stop later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]