Orh Nee Tart For those whom have been following the local F&B scene for quite a while, Rachelrax might be a brand that one could have heard of for quite a while. Previously having been an online-based business, Rachelrax had opened a brick-and-mortar store that was initially meant for takeaways and collections only in a shophouse along Lim Tua Tow Road which is a short walk away from Serangoon MRT Station. It seems that Rachelrax had recently seen a revamp — while they have still maintained their address and is still operating out of the same shop unit at Lim Tua Tow Road, Rachelrax had recently went through one round of renovations that have also added a dine-in area in its premises as well. The shop still maintains its striking pink facade which gives it a striking look when compared against the other units within the same stretch of shops; this colour theme extends all the way into the shop space where the interior also sports a pink-coloured theme matched against furniture that consists of wooden and rattan elements — one that is dainty without being immature. Being a shop that specialises in cakes and tarts, Rachelrax currently offers patrons with a small variety of cakes and tarts which are all displayed prominently in the display chiller at the counter; that being said, there are plans of which that they will be serving up savoury food in the future. With the conversion of Rachelrax from a takeaways-only concept to a dine-in establishment, Rachelrax had also started to serve up espresso-based specialty coffee as well, which includes the usual selection of Black, White and Mocha — just to name a few.
Having read up several articles about Rachelrax in the past and also skimming through the display chiller for the various tarts and cakes which they have to offer, what really caught our attention in the display chiller was the Orh Nee Tart — also one of the items which had been consistently mentioned across the various platforms that had mentioned about Rachelrax. Based on the description on the menu card displayed prominently in front of the items in the display chiller, the Orh Nee Tart consists of elements such as Taro Paste, Coconut Cream and Gingko Nuts. On first look, the Orh Nee Tart was quite a pretty tart to look at — the taro paste-infused coconut cream comes with a light shade of purple and is artfully piped into the tart. As one first lands their fork into the tart, one would find that the tart base is sufficiently firm — the tart base here is fresh and crisp; holds up the Taro Paste really well without having become too soggy. The tart base also slices down neatly without crumbling down into a mess; all that without feeling particularly dense as well. The Taro Paste was absolutely spot-on here; its earthy notes are absolutely on-point here, while the texture is smooth and sufficiently dense — all that whilst not being overly sweet with the emphasis being pretty much on the flavours of the Taro with a bit of richness from the coconut cream itself. Meanwhile, the Gingko Nuts added a soft bite with slight hint of bitterness that cuts through the earthiness of the taro paste. Overall, this was exactly the item that it replicates itself to be; all in the form of a tart — own that we really enjoyed.
During our visit to Rachelrax, we had also went for several other cakes and tarts — we had also given the Chamomile Cheesecake a go, whilst the Lychee Rose Tart was a recommendation by the staff behind the counter which we eventually also decided to go for. Between the two items, we seemed to have preferred the Chamomile Cheesecake a little more — an item which is described to come with elements such as chamomile-infused cream cheese, almond hazelnut, crumble and candied orange, the Chamomile Cheesecake comes with an aesthetic that makes it look closer to an entremet than being a classic cheesecake. One particular thing about the Chamomile Cheesecake was the execution of the chamomile-infused cream cheese — while the cream cheese on one hand is luscious and smooth with the flavour profile being sufficiently cheesy without being overpoweringly so, the infusion of chamomile adds a light and almost citrus-like tang that cuts through the inherent flavours of cream cheese really perfectly. The candied orange helps to add some sweetness and juicy bite that works out really well in terms of texture and flavour. The White was actually pretty well-pulled considering how Rachelrax is more of an establishment focused around their cakes and tarts — even with decent latte art to boast. A lot of attention seemed to have been placed to both the vibes and the food at Rachelrax; there are a lot of personal touches placed all around their wares that gives Rachelrax a character of their own — this includes the branding of the tarts, as well as the branded saucers and serviettes that they are using. The designs on those items do feel that a lot of effort has been placed in creating a unique identity here. Overall, Rachelrax is a pretty interesting spot to hit for dessert around the Upper Serangoon Road; despite there being no lack of cafes around, Rachelrax is a spot that we do think is worth making a visit down just to check out what they have to offer!
