Some time ago along Yuni-chan’s café-hopping journey, pretty shades of pink drew her attention to Whiskit, a café conveniently nestled next to Chinatown MRT.
Attempting to contain Yuni-chan’s excitement, the TRH team entered the ‘atas’ tea room, furnished with pink velvet seats and marbled tabletops. Neon lights spelled “Love made edible” as it lit up a floral feature wall, providing a perfect backdrop for Insta-worthy pictures.
The first cake we treated our tastebuds to was their rainbow cheesecake. Intrigued by different flavours that accompanied the myriad of colours, Yuni-chan left the TRH team with no other option. After a taste of smooth sugary goodness, she decided to that it was the perfect place to hold a crochet workshop for Mother’s Day that was just around the corner.
While Yuni-chan continued to obsess over the cakes, we began our enthusiastic enquiry about the baker behind the batter, Chee Keong, and barrista, Wilson – the dynamic duo of Whiskit café.
Q: Could you tell us more about the story behind Whiskit?
Chee Keong: I worked for 8 years in the public sector before I decided to pursue my interest. I was trained in French pastry art at Le Cordon Bleu Tokyo. It was an enriching and eye-opening experience where I got to see demonstrations by chefs from Japan and France. After attaining my diploma, I started selling cakes online for about a year before starting out at this space.
Wilson: I was introduced to coffee when I visited my friend’s café. He suggested that I could learn how to brew coffee from their barrista. It was there where I was trained and I slowly picked it up. Back then, when I was running delivery services for cakes, I met Chee Keong. I had always wanted to own my own café since I was a young boy so when I heard that Chee Keong was not extending his lease, the idea for a partnership came.
When Whiskit café began in December 2018, Chee Keong chose the name of the café when he envisioned a baker’s whisk as the theme for their venture. “Baking involves a lot of whisking and it is also how you produce tasty creations from the heart for customers to enjoy,” he explained. These guys aren’t just brainy at churning out delectable treats, but also at winning the hearts of customers; through a pink and floral space concept.
Q: How did Whiskit café start?
Chee Keong: Before Whiskit began, I was at a takeout outlet at Kallang Bahru for two years. I decided to move over to this space because I felt that it would be better for customers to have a place to sit or enjoy a drink while having dessert. Moreover, Chinatown has some office crowd, residents and tourists; a good mix of people. It is also more convenient for customers to pick up their orders now.
Q: Could you tell us more about your specialty?
Chee Keong: We use french pastry making techniques but incorporate local flavours and elements to suit the local palette. Some of our tart flavours include Ondeh Ondeh, Orh Nee, Bandung Raspberry and Milo.
Our bestseller is our Kaya Ondeh tart, which cannot be bought anywhere else because we make our own kaya. It’s a sable tart shell filled with our inhouse pandan kaya. The Ondeh Ondehs are made with honey and purple sweet potatoes and burst with gula melaka at each bite.
Q: Do you have a favourite cake?
Chee Keong: My favourite is our Hazelnut Speculoos tart because of the crunch from the toasted nuts with the layers of cookie butter. It is topped with a Lotus Biscoff biscuit and is perfect for any chocolate lover.
Q: What is the most difficult cake that you have made?
Chee Keong: A cake with a bag of a luxury brand. It was difficult because of the texture of the bag and its details. It took me more than two days to complete.
Q: What keeps you going everyday?
Chee Keong: When my customers enjoy what I produce. It is also good to receive feedback from them so that we can keep on improving. I also hope to collaborate with more people in the future to hold more events at our space.
Looking for another hideout to be checked off that café hopping list? Fancy a new stylish pixel on your Instagram feed? Pop by Whiskit café for a cup of coffee, a sweet treat for yourself, or join us this Mother’s Day for a relaxing session over dessert with Mom! Whiskit is not just about hard work, but “heart work”.
Reserve your slot now for our Mother’s Day Special Workshop Bundle!
Opening hours : 11am – 8pm, Monday to Saturday (Closed on Sundays)
Price range : SGD 4.50 – 6.50 (tarts), SGD 6.50 onwards (cakes)
Specialties : Kaya Ondeh Tart (Bestseller), Homemade pandan kaya filling, Cakes and Pastries with local Singaporean flavours and elements
Current promotion : SGD 3.00 for latte/cappucino/americano (all day)
FAVE Promotion : Any Cake and Coffee – SGD 8.50
Cake customisations available upon request
*Prices stated are as of April 2019
