Behold… Those who have tried After You Dessert Cafe in Bangkok will understand the withdrawal symptoms that you suffer when you’re back in Singapore – because I do. I crave for these babies once every few months, and it’s killing me!
They are so delicious that I went twice in three days during my trip to Bangkok last year just for their thick toast. One was for my post-dinner dessert, and another being my breakfast! Even though I was so stuffed from the delicious Thai food, I managed to wipe the plates up spanking clean!
Ferrero Rocher Toast, After You Bangkok
Sticky Toffee Toast, After You Bangkok
Just glancing at the pictures that I took is making enough to make me drool!
To better understand why it is so popular amongst Singaporeans and the cafe scene now, you just gotta try and see it for yourself.
My personal criteria for a good Shibuya or Thick Toast that I always look for are as follows:
- Toast served thick, hot and crispy on the outside
- Accompanied by not just one, but two scoops of cold, fresh (non-melting) ice cream to generate a temperature contrast AND ensure that there’s enough to melt and soak through the hot bread. This is highly crucial for maximum enjoyment of the toast.
- Insides of the toast must be fluffy, while having a thin wall that is easy to cut through
- Able to taste the eggy, buttery flavour that’s not too overpowering
- Adequate toppings and other ingredients for added sauces like chocolate sauce, maple syrup, fruit compotes, caramel etcetera.
Guess what?
After You has hit ALL THE RIGHT SPOTS.
#TakeMeBackToBangkok
While we do not have an After You branch in Singapore, cafes serving similar renditions have sprouted, including Assembly Coffee, Dazzling Cafe, Tuk Tuk Cha and Stateland Cafe – but have they got the recipe right?
I’ve tried almost half of lists of “Best Shibuya Toast in Singapore” written by famous food bloggers, and so far, none have reached the level of Dessert Project!
The exterior of Dessert Project is fairly simple, with black window grills that makes it look like a greenhouse. There is only one menu, which is at the counter, and two tables were occupied on a weekday mid-afternoon.
Like After You, Dessert Project offers a range of Thick Toasts for you to opt from, such as Classic Maple [$13.90], Nutella [$14.90], Sticky Toffee [$14.90], Matcha [$14.90], Gula Melaka Coconut [$14.90] and Pina Colada [$14.90].
It is interesting that they offer Maple, instead of Honey toast, and their Sticky Toffee definitely is not the same as After You’s – since it has Coffee ice cream on it.
It’d be a pity to leave the cafe without ordering any of their homemade ice creams! Their renowned Truffle flavour exactly tasted like truffle with a smooth and creamy consistency, but I certainly do not want it to be on my toast. Not sure how much Truffle Oil is added inside, hmm…
To generate a fair comparison between Bangkok’s After You and Dessert Project, I opted for their Nutella Toast [$14.90], but I wanted to replace the vanilla ice cream with Thai Earl Grey that was packed full with Earl Grey goodness.
However, the owner said that we could not replace the ice creams on their thick toast with fancy ones that you see on display. *inserts crying face* So if you want to have a try of their ice creams at the counter, you have to add $4-4.50 – which was I did in the end.
Is this a way to earn more revenue from their ice creams? You be the judge.
Nutella Toast [$14.90] with Ferrero Rocher and Vanilla Ice Cream + Thai Earl Grey Premium Scoop [$4.50].
“Can we dig in now?”
Taste: 4.5/5
The toast itself was aesthetically pleasing that I couldn’t bear to eat it! It was totally worth the 20-minute wait that we had.
The texture of the toast was exactly what I was looking for… Hot, toasty and the cold drizzle of chocolate sauce sealed the whole package together. All my criteria were checked.
What was lacking is the Ferrero Rocher on top that After You has!
I came down on another occasion to try their other popular thick toast, the Gula Melaka Toast [$14.90] with Coconut Ice Cream, Grated Coconut Flakes & Gula Melaka Syrup.
Taste: 3/5
On first bite, I felt it was rather bland. This could be due to both scoops having a subtle Coconut flavour and Gula Melaka syrup being kind of water. I sensed no flavour burst like what the Nutella Toast had. What a letdown!
Moreover, the edges of the toast this time round were quite thick and tough this time round. I had trouble slicing through the toast… Not sure if it was day old bread, but their quality has gone down. I don’t recommend anyone to order this, unless you are craving for a thick toast and thinking of something less decadent.
But why would you do that?!
BUNNY’S VERDICT:
YES, it has become my go-to Thick Toast place.
BUNNY RECOMMENDS: Nutella Toast
RATING
Ambience: 3.5/5 Very minimalistic, simple and nothing much to look at. It is Instagram-friendly though, with small potted plants at the long bar seats that you could use to take your food photos with, which I did it on both visits.
Service: 4/5 All smiles during our time at the cafe, and although the toasts took about 20 to 25 minutes to prepare so be prepared to wait!
Dessert Project
Address: 22 Havelock Rd, Singapore 160022
#01-673
Phone: 8113 5385
Opening Hours:
12 – 9.30pm (Mon – Thurs, Sun)
12 – 11pm (Fri, Sat)
Directions:
- Nearest MRT: Tiong Bahru. It’ll be a 10-15 minute walk from the MRT, but there is a shortcut if you walk by Bukit Ho Swee Link and Jln Bukit Ho Swee, and behind the Havelock Food Centre that has a staircase down to the block that the cafe is located at.
- Parking is available at Havelock Food Centre or the nearby HDB Estate Multi-storey Carpark.
Hopping out…
ANDREA THE #FOREVERHUNGRY BUNNY
DON’T BE A STRANGER!
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