Local pastry chef Daniel Tay, the man who founded and sold off Baker’s Inn (now known as Bakerzin), has gone the brick-and-mortar way with new flagship stores at Clarke Quay Central for his two culinary ventures: Old Seng Choong and Cat & the Fiddle. Both previously only available online, Old Seng Choong is an homage to his baker father, who ran Seng Choong Confectionery with his wife from 1965 till 1996; while Cat & the Fiddle is a cheesecake brand inspired by the classic nursery rhyme.
Even though they sit just a couple units away from one another, both stores are worlds apart in appearance and product. At Old Seng Choong, you’re welcomed into a warm, elegant, and slightly sentimental space featuring mosaic, marble, wood, brass, and Chinese lattice work. Start at the kacang puteh station to snack on roasted or fried nuts and legumes while you make your way through the shop and its array of baked goods.
The Lion City edition’s Botanic Flora series showcases lavender and Earl Grey cookies ($18.80/can), while the Kampong Spirit edition highlights a Changi Picnic Series with cookies in flavors like satay ($18.80/can), cereal prawn ($19.80/can), bak kut teh ($19.80/can), and putu mayam ($18.80/can).
As for the Colonial Days edition, the Katong Breakfast series takes the charming Katong neighborhood as inspiration for its laksa ($18.80/can), gula melaka ($18.80/can), gai zai ($19.80/can), and smoky bakwa ($19.80/can) cookies.
Of course, with Chinese New Year just around the corner, you can expect the store to stock up on seasonal treats such as yam cake, carrot cake, pineapple tarts, and more.
A few doors down, Cat & the Fiddle exudes a completely different feel from the nostalgic bakery. The cheesecake shop, which has been around since 2014, is all kinds of quirky and colorful. Customers can choose from over 15 types of whole cheesecakes to bring home, or pick a couple to savor by the slice ($4.90-$5.90). The Fickle Feline — the cheesecake that’s made up of 10 different varieties — will also be completely customizable at the store.
For a little after-lunch snack, swing by the cheesecake pop counter and sprinkle on as many as eight out of 15 toppings on your treat ($7.50), with options like Oreo cookies, M&Ms, rainbow sprinkles, and nuts.
Old Seng Choong is at #01-48 Clarke Quay Central, daily 11am-10pm. Cat & the Fiddle is at #01-41 Clarke Quay Central, daily 11am-10pm.
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