Wonders (Ang Mo Kio)

My sister she order three scoops for ice cream (discount - $1) with belgian chocolate ($6) and she decided to come down for osmanthus oolong specially lol. but then the taste for osmanthus oolong (standard - $4.20) was not that bad initially until she went to taste for honey chrysanthemun w cacao nibs and then the taste is being removed alr. Mint Dark Chocolate (premium - $5.20) taste like strong toothpaste with chocolate infused. Mango Yuzu Sorbet (premium - $5.20) hmmm i don't managed to try it out. The waffles for belgian chocolate was quite fluffly and soft tbh and also was quite slightly sweet.

I order two scoops for ice cream (discount - $0.50) but the taste for honey chrysanthemun w cacao nibs (premium - $5.20) was quite fragrant but slightly sweet and hojicha (premium - $5.20) was quite average roasted tea.

visited the cafe after dinner at 7pm and it was already super packed, hence decided to come back again during a weekday afternoon. definitely worth a visit to admire the cute little mahjong motifs around the shop!:)

It has been a while since ice-cream parlours have been sprouting up around the island — from within HDB estates, mixed-use developments to shopping malls; they just seem to be everywhere. Hidden deeper within Ang Mo Kio is Wonders; a new mahjong-themed ice cafe located at Blk 128 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 that is situated at a corner unit that is at the end furthest from the carpark entrance of the HDB estate. Occupying just a small shop space, Wonders is sized rather similarly to other F&B concepts of its type located in the heartlands — the simply-decked interior which features mahjong-themed elements comes with four dining tables; two of which catered for groups of four pax each whilst the remaining two catering for groups of two pax each. There is also a high table being placed by the window; the table accommodates for dine-in seats for three pax — Wonders would also be able to set up dine-in seats by the corridor outside of their shop as well. Sticking close to the mahjong theme that runs even in the decor of the establishment, the ice-cream flavours do come with names such as 门青 (Roasted Pistachio)，大四喜 (Gianduja Chocolate), 花上 (Chrysanthemum, Honey, Cacao Nibs) etc. — all of which being terminology used in Mahjong. Patrons can opt to have their ice-creams as-is served in a cup; they can also choose to have a cone, or opt for Belgian Waffle / Pandan Mochi Waffle to go with their desired ice-cream flavour; we also noted that a Chocolate Lava Cake is also offered as a seasonal item during the day of our visit. Beverage options offered at Wonders include tea and specialty coffee — the latter being brewed using the Smoky Quartz blend roasted by Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee (yes, the same one located at Stirling Road at Queenstown) which comprises of 50% Brazilian and 50% Indian beans.

Opting for the Pandan Mochi Waffle, we also opted to go with two scoops of ice-cream to go with our order of the waffle — the ice-cream flavours which we went for would be the 十三幺 (White Chocolate, Almonds & Nori) and the 一饼 (Honey Cinnamon Biscuit). The Pandan Mochi Waffle on first look seems like any other waffle in terms of aesthetics; it is beautifully browned, though it is noted that the Pandan Mochi Waffle from Wonders does come as-is without any sauces that would accompany the waffle. Slicing up the waffle to enjoy it together with the ice-cream, the waffle reveals a green interior within from the infusion of pandan into the batter — the waffle is lightly crisp on the exterior, whilst being soft, fluffy and slightly chewy from the mochi within. It is interesting how they seem to have kept the mochi to a very thin layer within — not quite as visible as it would be as compared to the mochi-infused waffles that other establishments serve up, but it does seem to be there subtly to provide a chewy consistency within. The ice-creams were smooth and creamy — stored in an appropriate temperature considering how we they maintain a pretty good consistency overall. We found the White Chocolate, Almonds & Nori really familiar — this rendition being pretty much almost identical to the one that Tom’s Palette serves up; the flavour being aptly sweet with its white chocolate base coming with chunks of white chocolate that further enhances all those notes, while being oddly umami in a rather interesting way that keeps one digging in for more. The addition of walnuts further adds texture to the ice-cream; provides a crunch factor to the scoop of ice-cream. The Honey Cinnamon Biscuit carried a rather apt, Christmas-sy vibe to it — perhaps it was that hint of cinnamon that really gives the ice-cream its festive feel; the honey being subtly sweet and runs at the back of the tongue, while that are crushed biscuits that adds to the texture of the scoop of ice-cream as well.

Despite being a rather simple set-up, Wonders does serve up some pretty good quality ice-cream — probably something this HDB estate needs considering how there really are not many hipster options for residents around that particular area to sit around to hang out and catch up with one another without having to travel a few stops away. That being said, the ice-cream flavours do seem to be priced a little steep at the highest tier — the ice-cream flavours are segregated in three different categories here; the most basic ones being priced at $4.20 for a single scoop, while there are the Premium and Gourmet flavours which are priced at $5.20 and $6.20 respectively. It is also noted that those opting for ice-cream flavours across two different categories (i.e. like in our case, where we opted for a waffle with one scoop of ice-cream from the Premium selection and another scoop of ice-cream from the Gourmet selection) will be charged for individual scoops instead of being at the rates for double scoop or triple scoop. The waffles are appropriately priced however; both the Belgian Waffle and the Pandan Mochi Waffle being listed at $6. That being said, the quality of ice-cream at Wonders do hit the spot — whilst we aren’t sure if they make their own ice-cream or obtain them from suppliers, they do offer quite a decent selection of flavours that sets them apart from the other establishments (especially in heartlands) that serves up almost identical flavours across the board. Overall, Wonders does seem like a great addition to a quiet neighbourhood, though it would be interesting to see if the location that they are at would play in their favour in the long run.