I was hungry and looking for a place to lunch in The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands when a made-in-Singapore French-inspired bistro-cum-confiserie caught my eye. With façade reminiscent of a café on chic Parisian street and reasonably-priced items on its menu (considering how expensive food can be in the area), I decided to try its all-day breakfast since there were available seats. Looking around while waiting for my Aebleskivers to arrive, I saw trains running above me in mid-air. Details of the whimsical restaurant, themed around the adventures of a free-spirited 8-year-old and her two dogs in chocolate fantasyland, could be seen in intricate drawings on the ceiling. Loved how fun such as large blobs of molten chocolate hanging from the ceiling, was intertwined with the laid-back ambience and old-world charm (think brick walls, colourful stained glass panels, mock fireplace and mosaic tiles).
Soft and fluffy Danish pancake pockets, filled with caramelised banana and melted chocolate chips, gave my stomach a warm fuzzy feeling. While the pancakes were a tad bland, they were well-balanced with the sweet fillings and toppings – dusting of icing sugar and drizzle of chocolate sauce. And slight bitterness from the walnuts with a roasted aroma but if it is still too bland or bitter, the maple syrup on the side should do the trick. There was an aroma of roasted beans in the freshly brewed coffee served at the end. Smooth with muted acidity, and bitter though nothing that could not be salvaged with a little sugar. Overall a pleasant experience with friendly service by cheerful staff and the $3 voucher, valid at the adjoining and equally sprawling retail section only on the day of issue, was a bonus.
The intricate drawings on the ceiling were replicated on one side of the voucher while the other side depicted the three fictional cartoon characters – Danielle, based on Au Chocolat's Chief Operating Officer Kenneth Lee's 15-year-old, Yufa and OO based on Chief Executive Officer Chris Au's pug and French bulldog. Merchandise such as t-shirts and stuff toys based on them were also sold alongside unique candies. But nothing could beat the highlight – extensive array of the finest chocolate pralines made in-house daily at the chocolatier, mouth-watering cakes, desserts, pastries and pies at the patisserie and fanciful gelatos (like blue, sweet and minty Smurf flavour) at the atelier. With this and the biggest M&M’s Concept Store in Asia-Pacific joining the confectionery scene in Singapore, we now have more dizzying choices than the popular biscuits, chocolates, snacks and sweets imported from the various countries by Candylicious, Candy Empire and The Cocoa Trees.
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