Tiong Bahru Bakery and The Baker’s Story: How to win friends and influence people

There are many great things about living in the free-food, free-drink world of the media. While we are of course always objective (and do pay for our own restaurant reviews), there’s no denying we do also get lots of swag and dinner party invites.

And saccharine as this might sound, one of the best things about getting free food is sharing it with your colleagues. It’s especially smart bringing in sweets—it builds such good will. Among the recent treats we’ve tried are Tiong Bahru Bakery’s latest menu items: Orange croissant ($3.20), apple raisin brioche ($3.50), cranberry white chocolate vienna ($2.90) and chocolate kouign aman ($3.90). We especially dug the chocolate kouign aman. It sounds like it could be overkill, but is really lighter than the caramel-glazed original, with an ample dose of dark chocolate.  

We also got a delivery of goodies from The Baker’s Story including their mint cheese brownie ($2.30), orange cheese brownie ($2.80), banana brownie ($2.20) and walnut chocolate brownie ($2.30). The baked goods may not be new, but with their balanced flavor and deep fudgy texture, were definitely appreciated.

Who wouldn’t love a cheery dose of sugar to perk up a long work day? Besides, they make the giver of the sweets look good. It’s almost enough to trick the world into thinking you’re a kind and giving person—a great friend making and influencing technique.