So here's a secret confession -- most of the photos I have posted recently on instagram/Facebook have been processed before they were uploaded and liked many times over.

Do we really need another cupcake shop? At a time when pastries are going haywire with the latest cronuts or doissants or what-have-you baking hybrid trends, I would say YES! Despite the slew of 12 or more cupcake shops popping up left right and overseas, I still think that if you bake the good stuff, it will always be welcome. And cupcakes will probably never go out of trend. That's why I was happy to be invited by an old friend of mine to visit the newly opened Kisses Bakery at the hipster central Tiong Bahru.

Did you know that Kisses Bakery actually took over a provision shop that was there for many many years? Hence the old signboard and even the shutters, which was a nice homage to the past. They are as old as 60 years! Given some elbow grease and a new coat of paint and they look every bit at befitting of the pink and white themed cupcake shop. I like how the new bakery has acknowledged the past, even when they are starting something new. That's how Tiong Bahru gets rejuvenated!



Decor is simple, concept is simple. All they sell (for now) are 9 flavors of cupcakes, and a "special" flavour of the day or week depending on what the kitchen comes up with!

These are the 9 flavours. Did not get to try the chocolate caramel as they were out that day! You realize that the cake batter is not just plain vanilla or chocolate (like some other cupcake shops) but has its own flavours to match the light icing on top. The most interesting one has got to be the Kaya cupcake because it sits on top of a pandan coconut cake. What would kaya cream cheese taste like, I wonder...

The two fruit-inspired cupcakes also stood out because they have real passionfruit and raspberries in them! They are tart, but refreshingly so.




Rosé caramel - vanilla cake with salted caramel core, rose buttercream and salted caramel buttercream

Red velvet - light chocolate cake with a hint of vanilla topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting

Passionfruit - vanilla cake with tangy passionfruit cream cheese frosting

White chocolate raspberry - vanilla cake studded with white chocolate chip and a fresh raspberry topped with raspberry cream cheese frosting and white chocolate curls

Mocha chocolate - coffee infused light chocolate cake with coffee infused chocolate buttercream topped with a chocolate coffee bean

Peanut butter choc chip - peanut butter cake studded with dark chocolate chips topped with peanut butter buttercream and dark chocolate drizzle
Kaya - Pandan-infused coconut cake with a kaya cream cheese frosting and kaya swirl

Chocolate chocolate - chocolate cake studded with dark chocolate chips topped with chocolate cream cheese frosting, cocoa nibs and chocolate chip

Chocolate caramel* - chocolate cake topped with salted caramel buttercream and salted caramel drizzle


I immediately picked the Rose Salted Caramel cupcake to try first at the shop. I really liked the fact that Kisses Bakery makes it a point not to make their cupcakes VERY sweet, because that's the one thing I cannot take about desserts - when you overload the sugar. The cake texture is light and fluffy with the "bandung" fragrance wafting from the butter cream. The salted caramel core is so shiok. Possibly my favorite among the lot, just from the ingredients combo!

Of course I also have to try the Red Velvet -- any good cupcake shop will have this as a staple. The chocolate cake was rich, dense and sinful - but the cream cheese was whipped to light texture so you don't feel like you are drowning in cheese. Making this a very good combination!

Great new addition to the lovely neighbourhood. I really do recommend you check these cupcakes out, and don't be too tardy too because they can get sold out by 4pm. Best to call and check first!



I had the rest brought home, so I can savour them one by one. I will keep updating this post after I have tasted the rest.

Kisses Bakery
55 Tiong Bahru Road #01-02, Singapore 160055
+65 65367470
Tuesdays - Sundays, 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

Our lovely neighbours - Celes from celestialdelish.com and Karen from superfinefeline.com



Thanks to Lee Kum Kee Singapore and brand cellar PR for the invite!

It was my good fortune to be invited by Halia at Raffles Hotel to try out their new Afternoon High Tea set a couple of weeks back.

If there is no such thing as BRUNCH in this world, my next favorite meal of the day would undoubtedly be the Afternoon High Tea. I'm not sure why I love these "in-between" meals. Perhaps because there's just something slightly rebellious to eating at times when not as many people are eating, or because there's a sense of luxury of time if you could do brunch or afternoon high tea. You enjoy the company with the people you dine with more, I think!


Halia at Raffles Hotel took over the now defunct Seah Street Deli, which was known for it's old-school American deli food and sorely missed. I'm glad a restaurant that is at least up to standard was its replacement, though Halia has more of a European and Asian fusion slant to their food. As you can see, the decor maintained elements from the old, but updated with the new. I like how it fits perfectly with the architecture and heritage of the hotel.