LUNA, Amoy Street: “If you love artisanal cakes, come early and secure a slice”

If your preferred weekend afternoon activity involves popping over to the newest, trendiest cafes and enjoying a cuppa with a slice of cake, you would already know all about LUNA.

This cake patisserie fits right into the café enclave along Amoy Street. My visit to LUNA was hard-earned indeed. After two failed attempts (thwarted by the crowd on my first try, and a private event on my second), I finally claimed a table triumphantly when I dropped by on my third try.

So, is this café worth the hype? Let this cynical café-goer rate LUNA.

Stepping inside, sleek marble walls and counters greet you, with a wall artfully framed by greenery. The actual seating area isn’t wildly spacious by any stretch of the imagination, but that really just added to its cosiness.

Cakes are seasonal here, and subject to availability—if there’s something you simply must try, then best come early to secure that slice.

I ordered a total of four cakes, just to try a variety, together with two drinks and a surprisingly good savoury treat.

What I tried

The Orh Nee Cake (S$8 per slice) has been gracing everyone’s Instagram feeds with its pretty lilac cream swirls and chunky yam layers. As a Teochew girl myself, a good bowl of orh nee always hits the spot. So yes, I was rather invested in finding out how this reimagining of my favourite traditional dessert would fare.

Made of vanilla sponge layered with yam ginkgo paste and yam cubes, this cake is also topped with coconut Chantilly cream, white chocolate pearls, and desiccated coconut. A strong start, ingredients-wise, and it’s no slouch when it comes to visual appeal, too.

Taking a bite, the Orh Nee Cake was definitely a lot fluffier and lighter than I expected. It’s the vanilla sponge and Chantilly cream, I suppose. I loved the textural contrast of velvety yam ginkgo paste, with gritty desiccated coconut and crunchy, sweet chocolate pearls.

Those with a sweet tooth will appreciate the Dark Chocolate Speculoos (S$8 per slice). This decadent creation consists of chocolate buttermilk sponge layered with Valrhona Guanaja 70% ganache, crunchy speculoos filling, and speculoos icing.

Now, I remember a time when speculoos-anything was all the rage. I wasn’t a huge fan then, because of how overly sweet it tasted, and I was hoping LUNA could change my mind.

Surprisingly, this chocolate cake wasn’t uncomfortably sweet. Thanks to the dark chocolate, it held just the right amount of sweetness, lifted by nutty, roasted notes and the kind of bitter cocoa finish I look for in chocolate.

Another of the popular cakes I’ve seen on my Instagram feed is the Matcha White Chocolate (S$8 per slice). Light matcha chiffon sponge is filled with two types of matcha Valrhona Ivoire 35% chocolate ganache, with a matcha Chantilly cream coating topped with matcha powder.

Talk about matcha overload!

I appreciated the authentic matcha bitterness, complemented by just the right amount of sweetness from the chocolate ganache. Don’t forget to snap a pic or two for the ‘gram before digging in.

The Vanilla Cheddar Cheese (S$7.50 per slice) might be one of the more ordinary-looking cakes from the selection, but it’s just as tasty. It’s made with vanilla sponge layered with vanilla whipped cream and finished with a shower of grated cheddar cheese.

I was a little curious—not to mention apprehensive—to see how this would taste since savoury cheddar cheese probably isn’t the first thing you’d expect to find on your slice of cake.

The first bite allayed my fears—surprisingly light on the palate and in texture, the vanilla sponge and whipped cream were also pleasantly sweet. And if you enjoy sea salt on your chocolate brownies or cookies, then the cheddar flakes on this cake will be right up your alley.

I decided to switch things up with something savoury, so I tried their Mentaiko Brioche (S$6) as well. Crispy, fluffy brioche topped with garlic flakes and a cream cheese mentaiko centre—what more could you ask for?

No cheese pull here, I’m afraid, but plenty of savoury, briny mentaiko goodness (they don’t hold back on the ingredients here!) and fragrant garlic notes. I’d be getting one of these for afternoon tea every day if I worked in the area.

Try their drinks too if you still have the stomach space. I always gauge a café by their basic coffees, so I got the Long Black (S$5). I found it quite acidic, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you prefer fruitier notes in your coffee. A little light too, so for those of you who have caffeine in your veins like me, it may not provide that kick you’re used to.

For something more intriguing, LUNA offers the Hot Chocolate With Turmeric (S$6). Take a sniff, and a heady orange fragrance hits you, together with toasty cocoa notes. It’s almost like a bar of orange dark chocolate in a cup.

Final thoughts

If you’ve yet to try the cake selection at LUNA, hop over to this cosy café on Amoy Street to check this off your list. I’d love to nibble my way through their cake selection, especially since they switch out some of the cakes.

Word of advice: get here early on the weekends, or be prepared to wait.

Expected Damage: S$10 – S$15 per pax