365days2playCan you remember the most important things to you when you were 22? Probably thinking of what modules to take next in Uni, or how to tackle the upcoming exams? Well Serene Tan has done all that and started her own cafe in Singapore by the age of 22! Have you heard of the Dazzling Cafe brand from Taiwan, which is renown for its sky high honey toast? I am told it that you have to wait 5 hours just to snag a table at the cafe! Such a pity I never got to check it out when I was in Taiwan a couple of years ago.
The brand was launched in 2010 and has now expanded to 9 outlets all over Taiwan, in addition to 4 outlets in Shanghai, 1 outlet in Hong Kong, and now also available in Singapore! Savoury Creations, owned by Serene Tan plans to open a couple more outlets in Singapore featuring different concepts.
Dazzling Cafe is currently in its soft launch stage so it is only open from 12 noon — 8pm. On the day that it opened, I heard that people were already lining up at 8am. Crazy or what? I was lucky enough to be able to check out the cafe sans the queue. 
I think it’s only obvious that we start with a review of the desserts first…. Dazzling Cafe serves the Shibuya style French toast that are all the rage these days. They have somehow come up with a technique to render the French toast at an amazingly even crispness. I don’t recall seeing it in the menu but apparently you can ask for the toast to be either normal, medium or crispy, depending on your personal preference, and whether the toppings are more moist or not. And apparently, there are FOUR generations of French toast!
[4th Generation French Toast] Matcha with Azuki Beans Honey Toast $19.90
One of the more popular choices at Dazzling cafe despite the hefty nearly $20 price tag for toast, as it’s literally the tallest dessert here, and matcha anything always seems to up the interest factor. The toast was generously laden with thick cream, hiding some ice cream inside as well. The Matcha flavour is definitely distinct. While enjoyable, we all agreed that more ice cream and less cream might be a better combination. The azuki beans were kinda non existent too, or perhaps so in the portion that I took.
Valrhona Chocolate Waffle With Bailey’s Ice Cream $12.90 + $2.50
These waffle have a more chewy texture as compared to the ”western” waffles that are more common in cafes in Singapore. I quite liked the QQ texture and I loved the Valrhona Chocolate. The Bailey’s Ice cream was fantastic and was really the clincher which elevated the taste of the waffles. My favourite sweet dessert of the evening!
[3rd Generation French Toast] Mango and Coconut Gelato Honey Toast $18
The toast is similar to the 1st one except not in staggered form. It’s amazing how fruits can go so well with French toast, but the combination works!
Cheddar Cheese Danish Honey Toast $17.90
My favourite savoury dessert of the evening! Probably the least Instagram friendly dessert as there’s no voluptuous ice cream, but trust me, if you’re a savoury person like me, you would have LOVED the buttery brioche topped with ooozy cheese and lashings of custard. So decadent.
Black Truffle and Wild mushroom Spaghetti $24.90
Okay, on to the pastas, of which we tried four flavours. Dazzling Cafe’s really the place to go if you want rich and creamy pastas! Loved the generous slices of cheese and truffle.
Mentaiko Spaghetti in Cream Sauce $18.90
My favourite has got to be this Mentaiko pasta. Although it doesn’t boast many ingredients, I like the intense flavour of the mentaiko. Some times, a little goes a long way!
Spicy Seafood Tomyam Tomato Spaghetti $22.90
This dish was specially created just for the Singapore market. I have to say, I was quite torn between whether to call this my favourite, or the mentaiko. The tangy and spicy flavours are really distinct, there’s no escaping them, but they really do whet the appetite. Probably the 1st place ever to get Tom Yam pasta. What will they think of next?
Scallop and Crabmeat Spaghetti Aglio Olio $18.90
This pasta almost seemed normal in comparison, but I love a good Aglio Olio any day. The key to a good Aglio Olio is al dente pasta, which all the pasta dishes passed, and fresh ingredients sauteed lightly.
One more picture of the Valrhona Chocolate waffle to end the evening!
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Dazzling Cafe Singapore
15 Stamford Road, #01-85
Capitol Piazza
Singapore 178906
Tel : 6384 3310
Soft Launch Opening : 12 noon — 8pm daily (until June 2015) They don’t take reservations, but don’t worry, you can put your name down in person and go shopping after that. When (and if) there are seats available, they will give you a call.
