Desserts First 糖水先

The weather is so hot these days that sometimes I just want to chill in aircon places only. Another great way to hide from the heat is to eat a bowl of cold dessert. In the field of desserts, one of my favourite types would be the Hong Kong style desserts.. Now I am able to find a piece of Hong Kong in Singapore. That will be along Liang Seah Street which has the three big players in the Hong Kong dessert scene: Desserts First 糖水先, Ah Chew Desserts and Ji De Chi. I observed that Desserts First is usually the most crowded, especially after dinner time.

During peak hours (i.e. after dinner, lunch), sharing tables with strangers is a must if you are with friends in small groups. That's because the tables are mostly for big groups. I went during off-peak hours during a weekend afternoon and there was no crowd. Mandarin pop songs were played which made me felt like I was in Taiwan instantly.

The menu is on the table. After you decide what you want, proceed to order at the cashier.

If you are a durian lover like me, you must try the Durian Shaved Ice ($6, below). Either Durian Shaved Ice or the Durian Snow Ice. They used real D24 durians. Look at the top .. It's real durian fruit which was rich, sweet and pungent. Every bite delivered a robust and icy durian taste. Chomping on the shaved ice and the smooth and creamy durian - a great way to relief from the heat. However, be careful if you are eating with a Durian hater. He/She might squeal in disgust if he/she catches a whiff of that durian smell which I insist it is fragrant! 5/5

The Green Tea Snow Ice with Red Beans ($5, below) was also a winner. It carried a bit of bitterness with the "just nice" amount of sweetness. The accompanying red beans were sweet and complemented the green tea well. The "snow ice" were firm yet soft and melts in the mouth, making it a refreshing treat on a hot day. 4.5/5

The mango desserts are also their specialty. The Mango Snow Ice ($5.50, below) is my favourite! The mangoes were not overly sour but sweet. Layers of the "snow ice" were smooth and each of them were rich with the sweet and slightly sour mango taste. Mixed with the cubes of mango, it was heavenly! The accompanying nata de coco pieces were also very nice and addictive to chew on. 4.5/5

Waffle with Nutella and Bananas with Vanilla Ice-cream ($6.50, below) was perfectly done too. The waffle was crispy and the combination of nutella sauce and bananas was excellent. The vanilla ice-cream was sweet and creamy. Atop the hot waffle, it was a delicious treat. 4.5/5

Service speed was average and not fast, maybe due to the long preparation time needed to make the "snow ice". However, be patient and you will be rewarded :) A tip is to avoid dinner/lunch times as you would need to wait for some time for a seat. The portions are also very big and it's a good idea to share if you are a small-eater. Overall, we loved this place very much. This place is a must-try!

Address:
8 Liang Seah St #01-04, Bugis, 189029

Tel: 6333 0428

Opening Hours:
Mon to Thu: 1630 - 1230
Fri & Sat: 1300 - 0100
Sun: 1300 - 2330