Hediard

Started in 1854 as a small shop of exotic foods in Paris, Hediard first expanded overseas to Japan in 1973. The luxury French grocery chain now has stores and dedicated shop corners in 30 countries including Madagascar and Vietnam, as well as a restaurant in Moscow and six cafés in countries such as Singapore. Located next to Tanglin Mall at Tudor Court, this charming little café with black and red décor reminded me of the times I hid from the cold and rainy weather in restaurants at Paris and Brussels in Belgium. During my 1st visit, I tried its breakfast set. Had soft boiled instead of hard-boiled or fried egg, and a small jar of homemade jam or fruit preserves (honey also available) with country-style toasted bread that was soft and fluffy. My choice of viennoiserie was pure butter croissant with a crisp and flaky outside, airy and fluffy inside. Other options include brioche and pain au chocolat.

Chose classic chocolate over coffee or tea and thought it was the best I had – smooth, thick and rich with a strong aroma, sweet yet not overwhelmingly so and definitely not cloying at all. Heart-warming in cold weather and since it does not snow in Singapore, this rainy season is the nearest and next best we can get. Could neither rave about nor fault the glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. When I visited the 2nd time, I ordered The Classical French Tea Set which came with a pastry of choice from its All Day Sweets menu. Moelleux chocolate cake with vanilla crème Anglaise was dense, moist and rich while sweetness and tartness was well-balanced in the seasonal fruit tart I added. This time, I drank a smooth and full-bodied but a tad acidic espresso with a nice aroma of roasted beans. It was served with a yummy mini madeleine. And the ambience is lovely too.