Review: 2am Dessert Bar

I've long bemoaned the fact that there's no where to go for good dessert after a dinner - somewhere you can chill and let your sorrows and tribulations be eased away with a sweet treat and some delicious chocolate.

Sure, there were places like Swensen's and Bakerzin, but they often closed by 10pm, which was when most dinners ended, and they didn't quite have that relaxing, lounge vibe.

Then places like the Chocolate Factory started popping up, but still they closed relatively early at 11pm.



So I was truly excited to learn that Janice Wong was opening 2am Dessertbar, a bar devoted almost exclusively to desserts and the occasional tipple, which, true to its name, would close at 2am. I was even more excited to learn that 2am would be located in Holland Village, adding a touch of class to what is rapidly becoming a more developed FnB scene.

At 24, Janice isn't much older than I am, but she has a wealth of experience under her belt. Possessing a diploma from Cordon Bleu, work experience in the kitchens of Sydney and Les Amis, Janice has some truly amazing qualifications to helm Singapore's latest dessert-oriented offering.



2am definitely has the look right - sleek and modern, resplendent in off-white and plush brown, an entire wall has become just one long reclined couch complete with pillows, allowing you to slouch lazily while enjoying your dessert.



Should you prefer something with a little more backbone, you can choose to sit at one of the islands, or even at the bar itself and have the pleasure of being served right at the counter.



What I don't like about 2am is the way they've designed the menu. Presently they have one bold heading, and the components of the dessert listed underneath, so what you see in the picture is Green Tea: creme brulee, frozen white chocolate dome, apricot. Personally this sounds like a list of ingredients, rather than a description of the dessert. At $14, this is also pricier than what many restaurants would charge, so it shouldn't bee too much to ask for a more enlightening description.



I ordered the Cheesecake: "smoked", blood peach foam, mango, breadcrumbs. What it turned out to be was a tobacco-infused cheesecake, coated with breadcrumbs, served with a peach foam and a chunky mango coulis ($15).

I didn't quite enjoy this, as I'm naturally averse to cheesecakes, and I couldn't really taste the smoked tobacco. The cake was, however, much lighter and airier than normal cheesecakes. While the breadcrumbs coating was meant to give the cheesecake a slightly deconstructed look, I felt this had the effect of making the cake more powdery than was necessary.



The star attraction is probably Chocolate: warm tart, wild nettle, salted caramel and blood orange sorbet. I thought this was very impressive, as I've never seen a tart version of the ubiquitous warm chocolate cake before. Satisfyingly runny beneath a soft, creamy exterior, this artistic dish was a hit with the chocolate-loving girls.



Janice also generously provided a plate of home-made churros drizzled with chocolate sauce, but we were all too stuffed to do justice to her delicious creations.

2am Dessert Bar is extremely promising, and as it gets more popular it would be very advisable to reserve seats in advance. Their grand opening is the first weekend of October, and I'm sure they'll be packed. While the prices are not exactly cheap, sometimes it's worthwhile to splurge a little bit on desserts to make up for a lacklustre meal, or to get your daily sugar fix.

2am Dessert Bar (Desserts)
21A Lorong Liput
Holland Village
Tel: 6291 9727
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