Japanese Eclairs and Parfaits.
If you have an appetite for all things sweet or if you are simply looking for a quiet place away from the bustle of the city, consider visiting Karafuru Desserts – an urbane Japan-inspired space that serves Japanese desserts and the most decadent eclairs on our tiny island.
With its pristine upkeep and sleek interior, Karafuru Desserts’ evident attention to detail is also apparent in the selection of eclairs they offer. To start off, we ordered six different eclairs, each charming in its own way.
From left to right;
Dark green & White – Jasmine Matcha ($6)
Out of the lot that we sampled, the Jasmine Matcha-flavoured eclair was a definite gem. The green tea flavour was not overwhelming and the matcha powder sprinkled along the top provided a lovely crumbly texture that complimented the eclair well.
Yellow- Yuzu ($6)
This eclair was a tad bit sour, due to the citrusy effect of the yuzu-flavoured cream, but nevertheless, it was a refreshing treat. After the initial zestiness of this eclair has worn off,
White- Marc de Champagne ($7)
Being a fan of alcohol-flavoured desserts, this was a definite favourite of mine due to its distinct light and fruity Champagne flavour. The exquisiteness of this eclair is further established with the silver flecks that the Marc de Champagne sports atop its chiffon-coloured cream.
Pink – Sakura Rose ($6)
The essence of rose in this eclair was particularly powerful and tastes very similar to the Bundung drink – syrupy and potent.
Dark green- Ume Shiso ($7)
Made from a Japanese Plum, Ume, this eclair achieved a nice blend of sweet and sour, very much like the Japanese plum liqueur, Choya. This eclair was also topped with an edible shiso leaf, which was a nice touch.
Brown- Gianduja ($6)
The Gianduja has a very rich milk-chocolate sweetness to it. Coupled with a lovely dose of hazelnut crème and delectable hazelnut dragée on the top, the taste and texture of this eclair are top-notch.
The Ichigo Cheesecake ($6) was easily the most good-looking eclair we had. The eclair combines the flavours of both a creamy cheesecake and tangy berries, which was an absolute treat.
All the eclairs cost $6-$7 per piece, but Karafuru Desserts also offers sets that include coffees.
Apart from eclairs, Karafuru also offer other desserts like parfaits.
Matchazuke ($16) was the first parfait we had. The parfaits at Karafuru Desserts are not served with the typical ice cream but with a unique in-house soft serve yogurt. The yogurt has a slight tang which was nicely coupled with the overall subtle matcha taste of the dessert.
This dessert dish also included a matcha soufflé, vanilla pudding and dango. The side of vanilla pudding was just the right shot of sweet and the dango was chewy and flavourful. This parfait is a definite must-try for any matcha-lovers out there!
The other parfait we sampled was the Hanami ($16), which is also served with Karafuru’s signature yogurt.
After drizzling this berrylicious parfait with the sugary berry sauce given, dig into this beautiful mixture of sweet and sour and relish every bite. The unison of different textures – the crunchiness of cereal bits, chewiness of dango and smoothness of the parfait – makes digging into this parfait an all the more pleasant experience.
To cleanse your palette or to quench your thirst, get Karafuru’s Fresh Soda with Yuzu ($8). It is a fresh, crisp soda that pairs Perrier with zesty jelly-like yuzu. Absolutely refreshing and delicious.
As an aesthetically-pleasing trove of flavours, Karafuru is indubitably the place to be to take nice “Insta-worthy” pictures of your desserts and to treat yourself to sweet delicacies! Prices are a bit on the high side for a small eclaire, but I’d definitely return for the soft serve parfaits.
Expected Damage: $15- $25/pax
