We tried Singapore’s worst-rated bakery

Everyone in the SL office knows me as the local bread lover— cheap, tasty and versatile, what’s there not to love about bread? In my time as a writer here, I’ve gotten the chance to try all sorts of incredible bakes from highly rated bakeries all over the country. Today, however, I decided to explore the opposite end by heading down to one of Singapore’s worst-rated bakeries, MK Levure Naturelle.

At the time of writing, MK Levure Naturelle has amassed a 3-star rating on Google with 88 reviews for its Kallang Wave Mall outlet. I’d like to add a disclaimer that although there are a handful of bakeries with a rating lower than 3 stars, they have not amassed enough reviews for them to be fairly considered in the “worst-rated” bracket.

A large number of the negative reviews criticised the staff for being rude, while some others said that the quality of their waffles had dropped and the amount of fillings was meagre.

The consensus seems to be consistent across the other MK Levure Naturelle outlets— ratings range from 2.4 stars to 3.2 stars for this bakery chain.

I decided to pay a visit to MK Levure Naturelle in Kallang Wave Mall, which was tucked away at the very back. The bakery offered a pretty sizeable range of bakes, including fresh buns, waffles, cookies, pastries and cakes, each priced relatively affordably.

What I tried at MK Levure Naturelle

The first bun that caught my eye was the Chocolate Peanut (S$2.20)— this palm-sized bun was surprisingly hefty when I lifted it on to my tray. The surface came studded with peanut bits and chocolate chips, and it felt a bit tougher in comparison to other buns.

Cutting open the bun revealed creamy peanut butter filling within. The amount of peanut butter was certainly a delight— I could taste the thick, nutty spread in every bite. The bread itself was on the tougher, chewier side, but wasn’t too off-putting. There was a mild chocolate taste permeating throughout that wasn’t overshadowed by the peanut butter.

This was a surprisingly filling bun and its size made it well worth its price.

I moved on to the QQ Matcha Red Bean (S$2.80), which was similar in size to the Chocolate Peanut. This green bun came filled with red bean and stretchy white mochi within.

I was pretty surprised to find that the red bean filling was made with whole, mashed natural red beans— most neighbourhood bakeries tend to use the cheap, sugary and processed kinds. The earthy red beans complemented the sweet mochi nicely and the amount of fillings was proportionate to the bread.

The matcha taste of the bread wasn’t very prominent, but still worked in providing the whole bun with a bit of added aroma. It was a little on the tougher side too, but wasn’t too hard or unpleasant.

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While the Chocolate Peanut and QQ Matcha Red Bean were satisfactory, the same could not be said for the Polo Chicken Char Siew (S$2.20). The cookie surface was very soft and not crumbly at all. In terms of taste, it lacked fragrance and sweetness, making it pretty one-dimensional.

The true disappointment was the amount of char siew filling. Cutting the bun open revealed sparse portions of char siew bits.

The char siew tasted like any other regular, cheap char siew filling from neighbourhood bakeries. It was sweet and meaty, though its taste was easily drowned out in each bite due to how meagre the portion was.

Give this bun a skip and opt for the other instead.

The last bun I got at MK Levure Naturelle was the Chicken Ham & Floss (S$2.20), a simple bun topped with spicy chicken floss. Compared to the previous buns, this was slightly softer and fluffier.

This tasted like most other floss buns in the market, with a nice savoury taste from the layer of mayo beneath the sweet and spicy floss. I would have liked for there to be a little more ham in the bun as there was only one piece on one side of the bread.

While this bun wasn’t super outstanding, it was pretty familiar and comforting.

Despite the criticism it receives, MK Levure Naturelle is known for its waffles. Unlike other bakeries, the waffles here are large and thick due to the waffle iron used. I ordered a Chocolate Walnut Waffle (S$3.50), which was made fresh to order, slathered with smooth chocolate spread and sprinkled with whole walnuts.

Every bite of this waffle was pure bliss. The thick waffle was chewy with a kueh-like texture and a lovely pandan aroma. The warmth of the waffle made the chocolate spread oozy and flowy— the amount of chocolate spread was pretty adequate, and the inclusion of the walnuts gave the whole creation a bit of added crunch.

Though the price was a bit higher than most waffle spots, it effectively hit the spot and satisfied my waffle cravings beautifully. Not to mention, its huge size made it surprisingly filling!

Final thoughts

While there were hits and misses, the quality of bakes at MK Levure Naturelle were what you’d expect from a regular neighbourhood bakery. The bakes were affordable and tasty, and while they obviously could not compare with buns from higher end, more artisanal bakeries, they were simple and delightful in their own way.

Additionally, during my visit, I did not receive any rude treatment from neither the cashier nor the staff who made my waffle. They simply took my order and collected my payment without any hassle.

I’d rate MK Levure Naturelle 3.5 stars, given how the fillings in their sweet buns were quite satisfactory, and my general experience was quite positive. Give this bakery a try for yourself when you’re around the Stadium area— who knows, perhaps you’ll enjoy them too!

Expected damage: S$1.20 – S$5.50 per pax

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