Canelé has been around for quite a long time but I have never tried it until today! I heard that the food is decent and the pastries are supposed to be good.
My dining partner and I liked the luxurious velvet arm chairs. The chair was big and comfy and rather well maintained, considering how velvet tends to wear and tear after time.
Carbonara – $16.00++
I heard that the carbonara at Canele is one of the best. I had to try to satisfy my curiousity. The carbonara was drenched in cream and I sensed that I would get sick of it even before starting on it. True enough, I didn’t finish my plate. Not that it was awful, but it’s just that the spaghetti was really swimming in a pool of sauce. The sauce was actually alright, with flavour of the bacon and it wasn’t just bland cream. After trying La Strada, it is hard to impress me with carbonara and this was no exception. I’d say this is above average but not the best. If I had to compare this to Antoinette’s, I felt Antoinette’s fared better too.
Velvet Earl Grey – $6.00++
This earl grey tasted rather different from the earl grey I have on the regular, namely TWG French Earl Grey, Twinnings Earl Grey and Marks and Spencers. The taste was rather sweet and smooth to the palate, I didn’t have any urge to add in sugar. However, when the tea got thicker it got kind of too bitter for my liking.
Initially we wanted Matcha and Mont Blanc to go along but unfortunately both of them were unavailable.
Le Royale – $7.01++
Supposedly this is one of their signature cakes, but personally, I didn’t find this impressive. It’s supposed to be a dark chocolate and hazelnut cake with some crunchy layers. Not that it wasn’t nice, I just didn’t find it unique. If you simply like chocolate cakes, this would fit the bill. I think they have changed this cake, as it doesn’t look like what it looked like before, based on pictures. For a hazelnut cake, I would recommend the Hazelnut Chocolate cake from Galbiati instead.
Tarte Citron – $6.07++
I know we’ve been pre-warned from the name that it is citrus and citrus means sour, but this tart was really, really sour! The lemon cream was screaming with citric acid. However, the texture was quite nice, custard like. I think they’ve modified this too, as it doesn’t look like pictures from the past.
*****
Ambiance: 7/10 (would have been an 8, if it wasn’t indoor alfresco)
Food: 7/10
Value: 7/10
Overall: I would recommend Antoinette over Canelé, but without comparison, it is a fairly decent restaurant/ patisserie with reasonable prices!
*****
Paragon Shopping Centre
290 Orchard Road
#B1-K8
Singapore 238859
Tel: 6733-8893
*****
8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Hungry Bird 