Dessert @ 1 Caramel

i read of this place from a couple of blogs and got me curious. had the idea of going prior to catching 'UP' since it's at Handy Rd where The Cathay was. Almost could not make it coz of the activities which i arranged. In the end, we had early dinner and managed to find 1 caramel to have a nice, yummy dessert makan sesh.


when we reached 1 caramel, i was surprised that there weren't that many people. somehow, i was expecting full crowd at the place and finding a seat would be difficult. but i guess it's prolly because it's national day and most people would either be at the parade or catching it a home. if not, then most likely they went overseas. anyway, no complains. happy to be able to get a seat without waiting.


the place looks pretty small. there are two kinds of al fresco areas. one with round marble tables and chairs, each table sitting 4 and there were 4 tables. then there was another more cosy area where there were long comfy sofas to chill and relax.

i love the interior for the mustard yellow cushion seats, dark zenish brown tables and the chairs with the super long backing. it looks almost like antique children chairs but enlarged a few times bigger. felt like a kid when i sat on it. well, the chair was tall. there was also a huge see through fridge where the cakes, tarts, wines were being kept. it was a visual treat indeed!

love their lightings and the cutlery they use. Very modern and classy. in all, the place has a very homely feel. it's like stepping into someone's house of sorts.


the cakes menu is always on the table. it has i think probably close to 30 varieties? it is indeed a tough choice to make. if you make a visit to the see through fridge, it's even harder.


i was determined to eat Lychee Rose until i came upon a separate menu where this dessert caught my eye. 'Red miso souffle'. the souffle is made with miso and comes with yuzu ice cream. i was curious how this combination would be like. so i forgo the cakes and chose this instead.

we had the Chocolate Berry Lust which was recommended. it's actually a tart with chocolate ganache filling. looking at it, seems like very rich chocolate and i wonder how potent it would be. taking a bite, i knew it's ok. the valrhona chocolate ganache was very smooth, creamy and rich but not to the extend of being overwhelming. the tart base is made of 2 layers. one which tasted like kit kat and another hmm.. some very dark chocolate biscuit? i'm not sure and can't really taste what it is.


there was also generous topping of a variety of berries (gosenberry, strawberries, blueberries, raspberry and that very sour berry which i can't remember the name) and small chocolate coated biscuit balls made this tart looked even more tantalising! i must say that the sour berry and the chocolate ganache tasted best when eaten together. there was a balance of sweetness from the ganache and tartness from the berry. not so good combi when eaten with the blueberry though.

the Red Miso Souffle took quite sometime to arrive. we finished the CBL and had to wait quite awhile. when it arrived, i didnt see any reds, instead it's all in different shades of yellows and creams. the presentation was simple and pleasant. we then poked a hole in the middle of the souffle wondering what's inside. poking the souffle was like 'waw! soooo super soft and fluffy!!' we didnt see any filling, but the reward came in the form of the warm, sweet buttery, creamy and milky smell. definitely something nice and yummy. it's a very comforting smell actually. fresh, original and untainted.

eating the souffle with the yuzu ice cream is akin to eating warm brownie and vanilla ice cream. the hot and the cold was like mmmm.. but the difference is the souffle was salty though can't taste the miso-ness of it, but it was definitely salty and eating it with the yuzu ice cream which was partially sour and sweet, it was pretty happening! 3 tastes at one go, it was quite unusual coz each taste has it's presence and was not overwhelmed by the other.


i like this dessert coz it played with my sense of smell, 'touch', taste and sight. i like it and it would have been better if the yuzu ice cream was sherbet instead to play down on the cream i feel.


i was wrong to say that they didnt serve mains. primarily coz i didnt read of mains being served. i should have asked when i called the day before. but nevermind, this leaves more chances to explore what the place has to offer another time, another day.


the chef made this cityscape for national day. It's damn big, should see it for yourself. we were also in for a treat of fireworks display from the NDP after we finished our dessert and got a partial good view. what a way to end a yummy dessert sesh. i'm definitely going back to 1 caramel and hopefully soon :D!