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Sunday, March 11, 2012

Grin Affair

This little cafe has been on my radar ever since it set up about a month ago and finally I had the time to go down to Outram Park to try it out and boy am I glad I did (: It was such a good experience that I'm already planning my next trip back!! Pardon the slightly dark pics, I've got no time to adjust/edit them so sorry!!


Sign of the cafe from the carpark. If you enter through this door, its take-away only! Walk round the other side to the main door and you can have your desserts in the cafe! (:


This is the door from the dine-in side of the cafe!


The menu! Do note that Chocolate Avocado has to be preordered! Full list of their menu can be found at their website! Each jar is like a mousse cake with different layers, and usually a layer consists of something of a diff texture like crumbs or adzuki beans or nuts or fruits etc. There are currently 12 different types of desserts, and I've tried 4 of them alr! Which means 1/4 of whats on offer (: I'm definitely gonna try all of the flavours!! They're that good (:


In addition to the desserts in the jar, they sell dried fruits - cherries/strawberries etc and dried figs as well! Oh there's also pineapple tarts, but I think they were sold out the day I went! :( Definitely gonna buy those next time hehe. Who says you can only eat cny goodies during cny? ;)



This is also on their website but I feel I shld type it out:

we stand for a slower pace & quality of life. we use fresh, natural ingredients too make food worthy of celebration. we ensure minimal waste & promote use of recycable & reusable materials. we believe in products crafted in a way that respects the environment as much as the people involved.

Really really agree and respect what the owner is doing (:





The drinks menu is lovingly drawn by the owner of the cafe and I really like her drawings + handwriting (:


Glass of water. Self-service. Love this old-school kind of milk bottle! There are 3 such tables in the cafe, really small but thats what makes it homey and cosy (:


Trolley with that typewriter. Was really amazed by it because its so pretty and guess what, it WORKS! The owner uses it to type and print things on paper in the notebooks she's selling!!


I like that the shop is environmentally friendly - returning the jars the "cakes" are placed into, no plastic cutlery, recycled material! If you take-away the "cakes", please remember to return the jars! The owner says even if you dont return the jars, as long as you're reusing them, she's happy w it (: 'cos this customer said she's using the jar now to put her things in (:

Collect 20 of those tickets (which are attached to each jar when you purchase) when you return the jars to receive 1 jar of dried cranberry! (:


VERY cute! Just makes me want to dig into them immediately. For all 4 jars, I had to consciously remind myself to take pics of them first before eating them 'cos I couldnt wait to dig in!!! :D Haha

Left: Mango Right: Matcha and Adzuki bean


The ticket!

Totally reminds me of days back in the arcade when I was young where seeing such tickets will make me vvvv happy 'cos it means I can use it to exchange for toys! Haha those were the days. Oh and the "mummyyyyy, daddyyyyyy, I want more tickets please *puppy eyes*"



Matcha and Adzuki Bean $4.80
Green tea mousse with chunky red bean and moist vanilla cake, topped with a layer of crunchy almond chunks (well mine that day was walnut!)


I really loved this one (: Think it was my top fav that day! The green tea mousse was packed with green tea flavour which I adored, chunky red bean layer - great textural contrast! 'Cos the moist vanilla cake was really extremely soft and spongy! And truly like what Amasou, Umasou (another blogger) said, "melt-in-mouth delicate". Green tea and red bean will never go wrong together but sometimes the green tea flavour's lacking but here, nope! Its strong and good. Something that I can keep spooning out of the jar (: MUST-TRY! 5/5


Mango $4.80
Mango mousse with a layer of mango coulis and vanilla cake, topped with crispy almond flakes and dark caramel bits


Honestly, I didnt taste the dark caramel bits! But even so, this was a delight! (: This was eating a yummy sweet juicy mango cake from a jar (: Makes me think of a hungry cheeky child eating out from a huge jar of something sinful and licking the spoon after each spoonful haha (this applies to all of the cakes here! This thought suddenly popped into my mind as I was typing this). Again the vanilla cake just gave this slightest spongy texture but was otherwise v soft and this time it was the almond flakes that was crunchy and gave it a contrasting texture. Mango fans will love this! 4.3/5


Honey Lavender $4.80
Light honey lavender mousse with moist vanilla cake, topped with fresh blueberries
2nd pic credits to grinaffair.com


Sorry abt the first pic hahaha I took it after eating it alr!! Couldnt resist (: the owner recommended me to try this and I'm glad she did. This was really light! If you're looking for a light dessert after a heavy meal, this is the one for you. I am loving lavender nowadays so this was mmm for me. The blueberries were not too sour and they were crunchy. Love the light mousse and the v light vanilla cake again! The mixture of flavours in this case goes very well together and is a good pick me up I'd say! 4.4/5


Maron (chestnut) $5.50
Chestnut mousse with soft vanilla cake and a layer of roasted chestnut puree atop the baked crust
2nd pic credits to grinaffair.com


If I were to compare, this was my least fav of the 4 I tried that day! This was because the main thing I could taste was coffee? The bottom layer of my jar wasnt like that of the picture, it was more granular and in a darker shade? I asked the owner if there was coffee in it and she said yes to go along w the roasted chestnut taste. I definitely got the roasted taste from this dessert but to me it was more coffee than chestnut! But nonetheless, I gladly finished it still because the mousse is so addictive. 3.8/5


There were lots of handmade crafts on sale, from these to jewelry (necklaces, rings) to notebooks to pretty paper!

The owner is SUPER DUPER friendly and an extremely nice person to talk to. I spent a good hour or so talking to her I think? Felt really at ease and its really inspiring listening to someone who take the conventional route in Singapore, a route I feel none of my batchmates will even consider and one that I doubt I have the guts to take. I'm definitely going back to this cafe, even if its not for desserts, but to talk to the owner!! (: She says me eating 4 jars in one visit is a record haha. FYI, I ate those for lunch so yup!

The owner says her customers have been encouraging her to give out flyers about her cafe so that more ppl will know about it! I feel I can do my part to help her promote her cafe by blogging about it!! So my dear readers, please go down to her cafe and try out the jars of desserts, you will not regret and will definitely want to go back! You'll be hooked on the jars of cake like me (:

Apparently there's a vvv nice ang ku kueh in the area which the owner and another customer who stays nearby recommended! Didnt have time to try it that day but will surely but it the next time I go! (:

Now here's directions to the cafe, because I did get lost for a period of time and uh even went to ask a policeman 'cos I walked through the Police Complex oooops. So to prevent any such blunders from ppl, I've taken pics to direct y'all there! (:

Come out from either exit G or F at Outram Park MRT Station (you'll see directions for these exits easily if you took the purple line to Outram but if you took the green line, HAPPY WALKING is all I can say omg. But good la, exercise before eating the yummy cakes!)

If you exit from exit F, walk towards the overhead bridge and crossover to the other side. You'll then see this (below) on your right and then take that path towards the huge tree!

From exit G, turn right and then keep walking till you can walk OUT of the police complex and I suggest you quickly walk out of the police complex haha, then keep walking straight till you see the grassland and the path to the huge tree.

After following the path, you'll have to cross the road and walk up those stairs (below). Then just keep walking straight and you'll see the door in the 2nd pic and there you are! Have faith and just keep walking straight, initially you will think "omg where's the shop I dont see anything" but you will!!


This place is surely a keeper and hopefully you'll visit it and feel the same way as me (: But well, please dont make it so crowded that I'd have to queue hahahaha. Just kidding.

Grin Affair
3 Everton Park #01-77
Mon-Sat 12-8pm

12 comments:

  1. hi, do you happen to know their opening hours?

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  2. hey, i really like your blog!:)

    i was searching for the good eats in singapore when i chanced upon your blog(: thanks so much for setting up this blog(:

    You rock! PS: i am a girl so you don't need to feel harassed or anything(: just wanted to express my gratitude(:

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    Replies
    1. Hi Jessica! :) Thank you so much for your compliments!! Am really glad you like it and hope it'e been of help!! Its ok, I wont feel harassed :) you're a really nice person! I wish you all the best in everything you do! :)

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  3. Love ya description! starting to droooooool :D

    do u think if the dessert can be kept slightly longer for a day or so (a gift for a friend)..and does it has to be chilled?

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    Replies
    1. Hahaha glad it had that effect on you!! Yup I think it can but must be chilled 'cos that's how the owner keeps it too. The desserts are all cold when served. To be sure, you can call and check w the owner but I think it can definitely be kept for a day :)

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  4. Do they have delivery service?

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  5. Is the portion very small? it seems like we can finish it in one mouth!

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  6. i tried their dessert today...certainly nothing to shout about and the service really sucks. My friends and i decided to check out the shop after it was featured on a show. The atmosphere in the shop was tense and we felt like we were intruding and will definitely not want to return again. The lady that served us didn't smile at all. It was as if we were begging her for free desserts and she was forced to entertain us.
    Im not sure if she was the same lady featured on tv..but i had thought the lady featured was very friendly and definitely passionate about her shop's products.
    No, i will not ever wish to return again and i think they should re-name their shop to Grim Affair. What a huge disappointment and waste of time.

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  7. yes, i am her fren who i went with above. she told me abt this program and cakes in a jar. but the cakes were almost sold out. only left two or three varieties. she didnt even came out to apologise or explain to us. she dont even know the basic of customer service. damn rude. thw rest my fren above had already mentioned. its definitely not worth it to travel all the way to everton road and try. and oh yah the signboard outside the backdoor is not what u saw above, its already "disfigured" and we cannot even see it was grin affair and there was no signboard at the front door too. took us awhile to find the pathetic shop.

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  8. Waste of time waste of money n waste of petrol..... N it really spoils my day.

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  9. I really really love your blogging style and the way you describe all the cakes and how good they were!!! Only started reading your blog now but Im glad Im not too late!!! Thanks for all the good recommendations and thoughtful consideration (like providing directions)!!! :-)

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