Keong Saik Bakery: Does This Aesthetic Bendemeer Cafe Still Deserve Its 8/10 Rating?

Keong Saik Bakery is an aesthetic cafe with pastries in Bendemeer

When we first got acquainted with Keong Saik Bakery, they were still located on the road they’re named after. It’s been three years since they moved to their current premises at the Luzerne building in Bendemeer, complete with an Instagram-worthy dining space. It’s also been a hot minute since I last paid them a visit in person, despite seeing their bakes pop up on my Instagram feed time and again. I finally made the trip down on a weekday afternoon to see what new offerings they’ve rolled out—and whether they’re still as good as I remember.

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Food at Keong Saik Bakery

Keong Saik Bakery’s menu is split into a few main categories—cakes, pastries, drinks, and brunch if you’re after something more substantial. We went straight for the bakes, since that’s what they’re best known for.

We started with the Seashore Cake ($8.90++), one of their longstanding signatures that’s seen a few facelifts over the years. It’s a layered dessert of sea salt butterfly pea mousse and butterfly pea whipped ganache on top, sitting over an earl grey cheesecake base with an earl grey shortbread cookie crust beneath.

This one’s pretty, and I’ll admit I ordered it purely for the aesthetics—but I was also curious whether the taste lived up to its looks.

The earl grey flavour was well-incorporated throughout, giving the cheesecake a fragrant, slightly tannic depth. I could also detect the subtle, woody notes of the butterfly pea. The earl grey shortbread cookie base added a satisfying crunch and caramelised sweetness to every bite, though it was a bit hard to cut through with a knife.

The cake was also not too rich or cloying, which, by Asian standards, is basically the highest praise you can give a cake. It’s on the airy side as far as cheesecakes go, evident from the air pockets running through the mousse.

We had to try the Black Sesame Tart ($9.90++) the moment we found out there was mochi in it. It features a nutty black sesame filling and chewy mochi encased in a buttery tart crust, with peanut whipped cream piped around it.

This one’s a definite must-try for black sesame lovers. The filling was rich and properly nutty, while the crunchy tart base provided a satisfying contrast against the soft mochi and creamy peanut topping. It does get jelak quickly, though, so it’s the kind of dessert that’s better shared between two rather than tackled solo.

Moving onto something savoury, we ordered the Mini Truffle Potato Clairssant ($8++), which takes their croissant pastry and zhngs it up into an eclair-style creation:, filled with truffle-infused cheese and tender boiled potatoes, then topped with cheddar cheese.

As someone who loves everything truffle, I liked how the truffle cheese melted into the potato filling and came through strongly with each bite. Impressively, the croissant layers remained flaky and crisp on the outside despite the soft potato filling within—and stayed that way even when I brought the leftovers home and enjoyed them hours later. The cheddar on top added a salty, slightly sharp finish that balanced out the richness beautifully.

For drinks, we got the Matcha Yuzu Iced Latte ($9++), made with ceremonial-grade matcha powder, yuzu syrup, and fresh milk, and the Iced Kaya Latte ($9.50++), featuring a double shot of espresso over coconut milk, finished with a pandan cold foam.

The Matcha Yuzu, unfortunately, didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The natural bitterness of the yuzu was present, but it wasn’t balanced with enough sweetness, so it ended up tasting more like a diluted lemon green tea. That said, the matcha itself was enjoyable on its own, offering a savoury, earthy profile.

The Iced Kaya Latte fared much better. The pandan and coconut flavours came through strongly, genuinely reminding me of kaya toast. As for the espresso underneath, it was robust like what you’d get from a kopitiam. It was a well-balanced drink overall, and one I’d surely order again on my next visit.

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Ambience at Keong Saik Bakery

Ambience-wise, not much has changed in the past three years, save for their opening hours—they used to close in the early evening, but now stay open till 9pm, which is good news if you’re planning a dessert run later in the day.

You’re greeted by a walk-through display of their viennoiserie and other bakes as you enter. Clean white walls form the backdrop for two long, narrow counters that curve to create a passageway, each pastry exhibited like an art piece with a tag that describing it. At the midpoint, you’ll reach a granite-fronted, semi-circular counter that leads to the unfinished cement floors of the dine-in area. Choose from a row of seats facing the square outside, cosy tables in a recessed nook, a communal table, or a long wooden bench that runs around the cafe.

Luzerne, where Keong Saik Bakery is located, is a short six-minute walk from Bendemeer MRT Station, but the route is not sheltered, making it an uncomfortable walk in the heat or inaccessible if it rains.

Keong Saik Bakery – Eatbook review

Three years on, it’s reassuring to see that Keong Saik Bakery hasn’t lost its touch. The Black Sesame Tart and Truffle Potato Clairssant were definite standouts, and the Iced Kaya Latte was a pleasant surprise. It is on the pricier side for a bakery, with most items hovering around $9++, but the quality and presentation make it easier to justify—at least for me. Overall, this visit reminded me why I used to come here so often, and why I probably shouldn’t have waited this long to return.

Check out our list of beautiful cafes in Singapore for more inspo when you’re looking for an aesthetic place to work. If Keong Saik Bakery is full, SYIP has an outlet right across too!

Address: 70 Bendemeer Road, #01-03, Luzerne, Singapore 339940
Opening hours: Daily 8am to 9pm
Tel: 9021 9626
Website
Keong Saik Bakery is not halal-certified but serves no pork or lard.

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Photos taken by Nathania Tay.
This was an independent review by Eatbook.sg