To quote American singer and rapper Lizzo, “It’s about damn time.” We are referring to Cotelato, a new dessert cafe that has opened in the leafy enclave of HillV2.
For years, Westies have envied those living on the other side of the island who had their pick of the many cool eateries and restaurants there. Now, thanks to Danny Pang (who also owns Spruce restaurant next door), there’s a dessert cafe in their backyard that they can happily and easily visit.
Cotelato, a name that’s a mashup of the words“coffee”, “tea” and “gelato”, serves up whimsical petits gateaux, miniature edible handbags, contemporary lava cakes and more in a cosy space. All cakes and bakes are exclusively made in-house with premium ingredients flown in from all parts of the world.
It’s a full-on dessert experience that complements Spruce restaurant’s hearty mains. The menu comes in three chapters – Frosty, Firey and FrostFire. Frosty encompasses Cotelato’s own house-developed gelatos in distinctive flavours such as the premium Korean Strawberry Cheesecake, and speciality Mao Shan Wang.
Under Firey, order the Whimsical Carousel that features the chef’s selection of tea cakes and petit gateaux served on a rotating merry-go-round complete with music and lights. It’s a little gimmicky, but definitely fun. Flavours include a Double Chocolate Cake that oozes with surprise chocolate ganache; Brownie, Baked Cheese Tart and Carrot Cake.
FrostFire marries the best of hot and cold with items like StackOver, an original triple waffle stacked conically and drizzled with Canadian maple syrup and served with a side of premium gelato of choice.
For an interactive experience, we suggest Break the Blossom or Mystic White Chocolate. You’ll need to use the mallet to break the chocolate sphere to reach the cake inside. Tip: Hit it hard but not too hard or else pieces will go flying.
The Golden Rosa is another favourite, a light and thin-as-air crepe shaped into a golden rose, layered with caramel sauce, hazelnut praline, and French Chantilly cream, and complemented with an orange caramel sauce a la crepes suzette. Then there’s the layered Pinky Lava where the strawberry cream cheese sauce is dramatically “poured” over warm hotcakes (get your video camera ready for this one).
If you are feeling posh, order the Surprise Package. Choose from a range of three mini cakes shaped like luxury designer bags – bag lovers will instantly recognise the brands. Limited orders are available daily on a first-come-first-serve basis, although larger versions can be considered with advanced pre-order.
Pair with your desserts with a selection of hand-brewed coffee and artisanal teas. Each one, from the Cotelato Signature Blend to the Blooming Tea, has been carefully curated to delight the senses.
Cotelato is at 4 Hillview Rise #01-01 HillV2, Singapore 667979.
