Spa Esprit kicks off brand-new range of desserts at Skinny Pizza and Barracks

If you noticed, the creative factory at Spa Esprit never stops. So when I heard that these guys had just rolled out a brand-new range of desserts at Skinny Pizza (#03-04 Wheelock Place, 501 Orchard Rd., 6235-7823) and Barracks (8D Dempsey Rd., 6475-7787), I squeezed the tasting event into my packed schedule at once (for desserts, it’s worth it). The good people here have taken desserts one notch higher—mixing modern Western-style dessert techniques in tandem with Asian ingredients. There are over 20 sweet treats with which to stuff yourself now. My fave cake of the bunch is the warm Banana Salted Caramel Cake ($7)—a sweet-salty creation stacked with pieces of glazed bananas and coffee popcorn and nicely balanced by salted caramel and coffee soil (love the salted caramel). The lemon cake ($12)—with sinful layers of lemon butter cream, Madeira sponge and lemon curd with a baked meringue top—also is a sour-sweet delight sure to please. Another of my faves is the warm apple crumble ($10)—a funky, addictive version that features an awesome blend of dried longans, apple compote and ginger oat crumble waiting to be doused in the accompanying vanilla bean sauce—yummy! Harking back to childhood, Pandan Jelly Sponge ($6) is made memorable by pandan jelly, almond cream, black rice and toasted almonds—awww. True-blue choc fans will have their hearts set on the bitter chocolate tart ($8) that’s so rich it’s criminal! Tip: Order the Tiffin Hi-Tea ($25) with four desserts to make you oh-so-high: The comforting Lemongrass Rice Pudding, Salted Caramel Banana Cake, Iced Nougat and house fruit salad. Oh yeah!