We interrupt your daily business to bring you an important message. We think we have found the best cheesecake of the year.

Yes. From LeTao. And I don't know why it is not repeated like a broken record in my social media feed. The only articles I came across mentioning LeTao were the Straits Times and Daniel Food Diary.  After seeing Daniel's Instagram video which included someone breaking down into touched moments of "Omg it's very nice..", I was left with no choice but to check out LeTao.

For the uninitiated, LeTao is a super famous cheesecake from the land of desserts a.k.a. Hokkaido. Finally, LeTao has found home in Singapore, in the form of a takeaway counter store in Ion Orchard, located at B1 level near the Moleskine store if you know where is it. 

The best thing is there are no queues. Initially I was trying to see if there was some hidden queue.. You know, like Bake Cheese Tart's queue at B4 level which had me grinning like a lottery winner when I first saw there was no queue at its store... only till I was informed that the queue begins a few hundred meters away so that traffic is unblocked for other shops. 

But nope, no confusing queue system for LeTao. No never-ending queue. I repeat, no queue at all. #NeverUnderestimateSocialMedia

Petit Chocolat Strawberry ($12 per 50 grams)

Before we get to the best cheesecake of the year, the very helpful salesgirl gave us some samples of their chocolates and biscuits to try. The petit chocolat strawberry is a whole freeze-dried strawberry encapsulated by sweet white chocolate and dusted with a layer of strawberry powder. It's neither overly sweet nor sour, and makes a perfect TV or reading snack for the freeze-dried strawberry lover.

Otaru Rue Ironai Fromage ($10/box of 9 pcs; $19/box of 18 pcs)

I noticed many people were buying the Otaru Rue Ironai Fromage, or cheese cookies in English. I can see why. In between the crispy biscuits was a smooth creamy layer of cheese, which is the same mascarpone cheese used in the famous cheesecake. The affordable price-point makes it a popular add-on item too.

Double fromage ($28)

Now, for the pièce de résistance, the double fromage. The beauty comes in two layers: a froth-like creamy no-bake cheesecake that's not overly rich, and a rich solid baked cheesecake. 

The joy is when I eat them in one mouthful together. That's when the light airy layer melts into the solid layer, resulting in a sensational out-of-the-world taste and texture.

The cheese used in the no-bake cheesecake is Italian mascarpone. And I tell you, the Italians make really good cheese. Mascarpone cheese is a buttery-rich double-cream to triple-cream cow's milk cheese. Instead of using rennet which is an enzyme from ruminant animals to coagulate the cheese, citric or tartaric acid is used instead. Hence, the taste is softer and more delicate than other cheeses, making it a perfect combination with the rich cream cheese used in the baked portion.

Mascarpone Creme Brulee ($25)

We wanted to get their chocolate double cheesecake but it was sold out. But it's ok, I found love in the creme brulee cake. It uses the same Mascarpone cheese, Hokkaido milk and Madagascar vanilla. There is no caramelized top but the joy is not affected as I tucked into the creamy, egg-fragrant smooth creamy custard. The crust is a thin layer of flaky pastry akin to mille-feuille. Very good!

Take note that the double fromage costs $28 for a 12cm cake. That's equivalent to 4 slices. Which is about $7 for a slice.. not that expensive if you can slice it. LeTao Singapore does not sell in slices as it is the brand directive from Japan HQ. They can only sell pre-packed cakes with no direct contact with the food. But they provide disposable forks and knives so you can share with a friend and cut the cake on the spot. But I personally think it will be unwise to share.. kekeke..

There is no "we" in food.

Ok quickly go and eat LeTao before you make your new year resolutions on dieting, clean-eating,  blah blah blah..

Address: Ion Orchard B1-K7, 2 Orchard Turn Singapore 238801

Tel: +65 8799 3551

This is the Best. Chocolate. Ever.

Just like Rihanna singing “where have you been all my life??"...  that was what I felt about my virgin experience with Chocolate Origin’s chocolate lava ice-cream.

A plethora of “omg .. omg.. OMGG..” was unleashed when I first ate it. It was a touching moment for me.

At $5 a cup, the Cuppa Lava Cake, which is chocolate lava vanilla ice-cream is totally worth it for that moment of ecstasy.

And I missed it so much that I want to write a love letter now (warning: mushy content ahead).

Dear Cuppa Lava Cake,

I love you.

I love how intense and rich you are, and the bittersweet feelings that invoked within me when I devoured you.

I love how you are hot and cold at the same time.

I love how your warm chocolate lava gives me moments of bliss and indulgence, and how the moist fluffy soft sponge cake absorbs the flowing lava.

I love your cold and sweet vanilla ice-cream that is waiting for me at the bottom of the lava cake.

I love how serious you are as a chocolate, and yet seem like a dreamy fairy tale to me.

I love how therapeutic it is just to say your name.

I love you.

It was as if I have been sleeping for the longest time.

Until I met you.

This is an apt representation of my love for Cuppa Lava Cake.

Address:
230 Victoria Street, Bugis Junction, B3-10A (near escalator near Subway)
They have outlets at Changi Village, AMK Hub and 313 Somerset too!

I think Smoulder has the biggest variety of lava cakes I've ever seen. Apart from the standard chocolate lava cake, they have pistachio, Black Forest, milk chocolate banana, raspberry, matcha. *blink blink blink at the matcha!!* Full menu available at their website here.

The lava cakes are bite-sized versions so that one doesn't get sick from eating it.  Or is it Smoulder's strategy to let one feel less guilty eating more than one lava cake?

Baby Lava Cakes

These small sinful cakes are meant to be consumed at room temperature. I reheated them as I ate them the next day. Reheating instructions are available on the box or on their website too. I think I reheat for too long. My raspberry lava cake erupted in my toaster oven. Boo..

Dark Chocolate: 
The signature dark chocolate was amazing. One of the best chocolate lava cakes I've ever eaten. The warm molten chocolate oozed out of the soft moist spongy crust, and the rich and robust chocolate was like doing a dance in the mouth. Although it's name is dark chocolate, it's not bitter at all. 

At that moment, I regretted I only bought one. 4.75/5

White Chocolate Matcha:

Being seriously biased towards all things matcha, the white chocolate matcha was no doubt my most favorite. This is the first time I come across a matcha lava cake. The intense slight bitterness of the matcha was unmistakable and when matched with sweetness of the white chocolate, it was pure heaven! If there was ever a matcha volcano, I would gladly live in it. 5/5 (warning: Non matcha lovers should take note this rating could be biased.)

White Chocolate Raspberry:

A pity the raspberry cake "erupted" in my oven. There was still some molten raspberry in it though. The raspberry lava is strictly for the sweet and sour tooth. With raspberry fruity bits in the lava, one can't help but feel blissful devouring it. 4/5

Verdict: 
At $2.80 per piece, I find it ridiculously expensive for its small size. But if quality is what you are looking for, look no further. Smoulder has some of the best lava cakes I've ever eaten. They also take special orders for parties or baby showers too. Maybe it might be cheaper if buy in bulk.

Trivia: 
NYC 3 Star Michelin chef Jean Georges is the inventor of the molten chocolate cake in 1987, but French chef Jacques Torres disputed that the dessert already existed in France. Jacques Torres supposedly took out a cake which was not fully baked from his oven and found that the centre was runny. Regardless of who invented the lava cake, I am the biggest winner Mwahhahaha... So blessed to be born in this century to eat it!

Outlets:

Raffles City B1-68 

Takashimaya Basement Food Hall

There are some food that you can never forget. For me, Tim Ho Wan's Baked Char Siew Pau is one example. I am very fortunate that my list of unforgettable food has expanded to include Lady M's Green Tea Mille Crepe Cake ($8.50). Layers of buttery flaky crepes were coated with green tea mousse. The mousse was so soft and it sticks to the fork. Loved how it was not overly rich or sweet, and also not overly bitter. Combined with the flaky milky layers of crepe, this was a well balanced dessert.  How can it be? How can a dessert be so perfect leh?

Here are the different poses of my new found love. Yes I am perverted, so what?

The mysterious pose

The innocent pose

The come-and-devour-me pose

The 5/5 pose

Omg life will never be the same again! Green Tea Mille crepe, I love you!

It's other cousins were less memorable for me. They include the plain vanilla mille crepe which was average, buttery and had a caramelized top. Each layer tasted similar - too milky for my liking and soon I was tired of it. The banana mille feuille had a piece of small banana in the middle, which was engulfed by layers of fattening whipped cream which made me cringe.

Plain Vanilla Mille Crepe ($8) - 3.5/5

Banana Mille Feuille ($8.50) - 3/5

It was surprising to find that the outlet was pretty empty on a weekend. Are we not at One Fullerton? It's a bit weird because there were throngs of passer-bys and tourists outside.

Address:
1 Fullerton Road
#01-10
Singapore 049213