[CLOSED] Hvala (Keong Saik)

Nothing beats freshly made matcha upon order. Not forgetting the yummy deserts that they serve.

Happened to pop by few days before this outlet closed! The chewy warabi mochi here is actually pretty worth it and we enjoyed the kuromitsu that was served with it. Hop over to the Craig Road outlet for a wider variety (Goma was my personal favourite and Yuzu was refreshing!).

Also ordered their outlet exclusive Ichigo-ichie gelato, a small batch experimental gelato flavour. This time it was smoked oat milk - smoked with applewood chips; but we thought it was too mild.

SORBETS - ROCKMELON, YUZU ($5.80 ea.)
superr refreshing🌬 & not too sour/sweet nor icy!

HOT YUKI MATCHA LATTE ($5.80)
I love my matcha gaooo but this, this ain’t it, she pOwdery. I’ve tried it ice blended and trust me it’s sooo much better than the iced & hot versions.

Ideal for a quiet cup of tea, Muse Initiative by Hvala at Keong Saik is a lovely space - a quaint Japanese Teahouse. Armed with a cup of their Iced Genmaicha Latte ($6.80), I enjoyed the slight frothy top of the concoction. The drink was not too sweet but loaded with a really pleasant nutty and roasted flavour. The crunchy brown rice puffs also added some fun textures and an extra dose of toasty aroma.

As for the popular Matcha Hojicha Latte [$5.80 (hot) / $6.80 (iced)], the blend was a little sweeter in comparison. With a shot of freshly-whisked matcha layered onto fresh milk, the concoction was smooth and full-bodied. The bitterness of the matcha was distinct yet mild. Thus, this is one for those that dislike the overwhelming vegetal taste of the tea. Noting that the flavour from their house-made hojicha syrup was also rather subtle.

What better way to unwind than pairing Hvala's signature drinks with their cakes?! Late to the game, it was my first time having their Goma cake ($8.80). Hence, not really knowing what to expect, I found it a tad dense as I presumed it to be fluffier. The chiffon sponge was decent but the layers of goma cream made it heftier in a sense. The taste of black sesame could be more pronounced in my opinion as well. However, the earthiness was distinct, the flavour was nicely balanced and it wasn’t cloying at all. Still a really good slice of cake!

Hvala at Keong Saik has been revamped to be MUSE Initiative by Hvala. While I don’t know much about the difference, they do seem to have different specialties, and at the same time lacking the usuals. I went for an iced matcha Hojicha latte as they told me that the frappe version was not available there - and if i wanted that I would have to walk about 200m down to Craig Rd for the ‘normal’ Hvala. So I settled for the ice. It tastes great, but I still preferred the creamy texture the frappe gives. This iced latte was strong and authentic at the same time. Though priced at $6.80 on the menu, I was charged $7.20+, presumably because I took away. Surprising to have surcharge when I am not dining in😩

Rate:🌟🌟🌟🌟