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I absolutely cannot get enough of taro, evidently — I even wrote a whole listicle dedicated to where you can find affordable orh nee desserts in Singapore. While taro may have once been seen as an ingredient enjoyed by the older generation, in recent years, this humble root has become all the rage among the young and old alike. If you feel a strong love for taro too, you’ll want to check out The French Pastry.
The French Pastry is a former home-based business that opened a physical store in Tanjong Pagar. The bakery’s menu is largely comprised of various whole cakes, including crepe cakes, pandan cakes and lava cakes. Its most popular product is undoubtedly its Signature Orh Nee Petit Gâteaux Box, comprising of 4 small orh nee-based pastries — you may have seen these pretty bakes on your feed recently, as locals just can’t seem to get enough of them.
Wanting to see what all the rage was about, I purchased a box of pastries for myself online and headed down to collect it. Take note that The French Pastry does not accept walk-ins, so be sure to place your orders on their website first.
What I tried at The French Pastry
The French Pastry’s Signature Orh Nee Petit Gâteaux Box comes in at S$29, with 4 different bakes within. Of course, true to its name, all treats within the box are made using orh nee.
The French Pastry is known for its mille crêpes, so I started off with the Signature Orh Nee Mille Crêpes. Each crepe layer sandwiched smooth orh nee within, while the surface of the cake was decorated with a swirl of orh nee, a ginkgo nut and a dollop of roasted pumpkin cream.
The earthy taste of the creamy orh nee shone through with every bite, and I loved how smooth and silky the combination of the crepe layers and the orh nee paste was. The roasted pumpkin cream was a nice touch, as its natural, mildly sweet flavours complemented the similar profile of the taro.
Of course, to top it all off, the cake wasn’t too sweet — that’s how you know it’d get the seal of approval from your elderly family members.
The French Pastry’s Orh Nee Mochi Soufflé Roll was equally as impressive. Pieces of milk mochi bites were scattered both within and on top of the roll.
Like the Signature Orh Nee Mille Crêpes, the Orh Nee Mochi Soufflé Roll was at just the right level of sweetness. The generous amount of orh nee paste within the pillowy cake was rich and earthy, while the mochi bits were bouncy and stretchy with a satisfying mouthfeel.
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One of the most popular taro pairings is salted egg, and The French Pastry brings this combination to life with its Orh Nee Salted Egg Choux Puff. The crispy puff is filled with orh nee and salted egg custard, while the surface contains a purple yam cookie topping.
Every bite of this puff was pure bliss. The savoury salted egg custard was rich and intense in flavour, perfectly balancing out the milder flavours of the orh nee. The choux puff shell was crunchy and gave way easily when I sank my teeth into it. The textural contrasts from the crisp shell and the smooth fillings were delightful, to say the least.
The final pastry within The French Pastry’s Signature Orh Nee Petit Gâteaux Box was the Orh Nee Cheese Tart, consisting of a French butter tart shell with coconut-almond frangipane, filled with baked cheesecake and orh nee.
The thick and creamy cheesecake within paired nicely with the light, natural tastes of the orh nee. I loved the tart shell, which had an incredibly fragrant aroma. I especially liked how crunchy it was, without being too tough.
Final thoughts
The French Pastry’s Signature Orh Nee Petit Gâteaux Box was truly outstanding. Each pastry perfectly showcased the star ingredient, while also being incredibly creative. Despite the 4 pastries all being made with orh nee, they each tasted unique and different, with assorted ingredients enhancing the natural earthiness of the taro.
It’s no wonder why The French Pastry has become so popular online. Be sure to get your hands on one of their pastry boxes while you can!
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