[CLOSED] DessertStory (Tiong Bahru Plaza)

Who knew that a dessert speciality shop actually sells popiah that tastes surprisingly good?

Good:
• Soft and chewy skin, comparable to Qiji's
• Fragrant peanuts lands a delightful crunch
• Turnips were juicy
• Available nationwide (yayyyy)

Drawbacks:
• Loosely wrapped
• Requested for less sweet sauce but the popiah is still too sweet for me because the turnips were on the sweeter side
• Slightly pricier at $2.30 per roll

Verdict: 4/5

Available till end of May at all of their outlets, beat the heat with the two newly launched shaven snow ice desserts - Strawberry & Yoghurt and Mango & Coconut ice ($5.90 each). And of course, loving the classic tropical combination my pick would definitely be the latter.

Having pair the usual mango snow ice and fresh fruit chunks with coconut, the nutty layers of milk ice were able to impart a refreshing and luscious quality to the treat. Well… you can’t go wrong with the favoured union. A lighter alternative, the Strawberry Yoghurt Ice lacked a certain oomph for me. The added texture from the Nata de coco didn’t seem to pick up the flavours as well. But no matter the weather, the thin sheets of flavoured milk sure hits the spot with the smoothness of ice cream and airiness of snow!

Thanks Dessertstory Singapore as well as Jan Jee and Jana from Brandcellar for hosting this tasting, and Burpple for the invitation!

[Media Tasting, 4/4] "I think the Yam flavour is immediately nicer, but if you take the time to navigate the taste of the Coconut flavour, it makes more sense than the Yam." — Vanessa Kou, Burpple

Those weren't her exact words, but they did hover more or less around what she meant. I wholeheartedly agree with them, after I gave it some thought awhile after the tasting.

It made more sense because the corriander leaves gave it this a wisp of bitter but watery taste, and coconuts share that in common. Both are pretty neutral to the taste, but are refreshing additions to various concoctions in the kitchen. There's consistency in the flavours, which means that the combination fit as tightly as a glove.

Still, I personally prefer the contrasting flavours in the Yam flavour. It had a unique nostalgic charm to its taste that wasn't present in this one. Of course, that's not to say you should avoid this at all! 😧 (7/10)

[Media Tasting, 3/4] Carrying on from where we left off, we also had these interesting twist of a dessert.

This is apparently much raved-about in Taiwan - it's like our local favourite, the popiah, but only reimagined as a dessert. And they did that with the aid of the shavings of a Taiwan-imported block of peanut candy (you can definitely find pictures of it somewhere on Instagram), corriander leaves and a few spherical dollops of Yam ice-cream. If this isn't the epitome of an Asian dessert, I honestly don't know what is haha.

But in regard to the combination, it's surely strange in words, but one that definitely feels familiar to the palette. Sure, it's hardly adventurous, but it has a certain nostalgic quality to it - very evocative of the iconic pairing of ice-cream and bread. In that way, it becomes more alluring with every bite. I can't say if it'll do the same for you, but finishing one (or one half, technically speaking) left me wanting more. The dessert compartment of my stomach was smiling by the end of this tasting session.

So please. Don't hesitate on trying it. It's available only til' the end of May. At only $3.90 for two halves, it's honestly worth a shot. (7.5/10)

If you've been to Taiwan, chances are that you would have tried this popular street snack - the Peanut Ice Cream Roll, and they are now available at Dessert Story till the end of May! To ensure the most authentic experience, Dessert Story hunted down peanut candy blocks from the supplier of the famous stall found in Jiu Fen 九份, Taiwan! Topped on each thin popiah skin is a mini hill of freshly hand-shaven fine peanut shavings, coriander and 3 scoops of ice cream of your choice, yam, coconut (prefered this for its creaminess and more pronounced flavour) or a mix. Also enjoyed the combination of the savoury coriander and sweet peanut shavings - the former wasn’t too overpowering and both actually married very nicely together.

A huge thank you to @dessertstorysingapore and @brandcellar for the warm hospitality and kind invite! 🙆🏻

Bringing a well-known Taiwanese street snack to our shores for a limited time only, DessertStory delivers the perfect summer treat - Peanut Candy Ice-Cream Roll ($3.50/per flavour, $3.90/mix).

With two crowd-pleasing flavours, coconut and yam, it was difficult to choose a favourite but the latter was the unanimous pick as the subtle earthy notes better complemented the sweet peanut candy. All crunchy, nutty, and slightly sticky! The brittle shavings are as authentic as it gets - having the massive block specially imported for the dessert chain.

Layered with coriander, ice cream scoops then wrapped in a thin flour crepe; each was packed generously with the hand-shaven candy. The marriage of flavours and textures were also hard to beat. However, the added element of coriander might not be for everyone. Imparting a nice fragrance with a touch of savouriness, the addition made the rolls more “popiah-ish” and provided a refreshing lift (strangely I liked it).

So till the end of May, get your hands dirty and sink your teeth into the cool dessert rolls at any of their outlets!

Thanks DessertStory Singapore as well as Jan Jee and Jana from Brandcellar for hosting this tasting, and Burpple for the invitation!