[Invited Tasting by MakanJoy} Lunch at D'zerts Cafe @ Simpang Bedok

30 Jalan Pari Burong, Picardy Gardens, Singapore 488696

Tel: 6448 6707

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DZerts

Over the weekend, we attended an event at D'zerts Cafe hosted by MakanJoy, that comprised of fun-filled activities as well as food-tasting session.   The main attendees were bloggers, Instagrammers and some social entrepreneurs, etc.  Some of the regular faces who came with me for this event were IvanTeh, ChubbyBotakkoala, Purple Eats and Epicurious etc.

A short introduction to MakanJoy first, an e-commerce platform started by Mr. Anderson Tan to make dining easier for everyone - encompassing all the functions of searching, booking, ordering and charitable contributions all in one app. I remember him describing to me before that it would be like a "huge shopping mall" concept, where all the restaurants and cafes shall be found and listed within this platform, and MakanJoy users can browse the photos and menus of each restaurant, order beforehand to enjoy a percentage discount, and play games on the mobile apps to win dining credits.    Interesting right?

You may also download the app from Android, Google or iTunes stores now :)

So, the event was held at D'zerts Cafe, a quaint little desserts cafe located in Simpang Bedok / Changi area, owned by an ex-Engineer and the chef is none other than his son, who used to be with the Navy. Pity they did not come out to say hi to us all.

Seats were bright red, so it gave off a cheery feel. The array of desserts comprised of Black Velvet Cake, Matcha Latte Cake, Salted Caramel Cake and Gula Melaka Cake etc.

There were gifts of Macaroons (peanut-butter and raspberry ones) as well as a  MakanJoy Tee-shirt for us - one of the bloggers wore the Polo Tee for sports the next day, and commented that it was actually rather comfortable.

And oh yes, the Green Mug you see on the table - it is what they use for us to take ice-water. This is adorable to the max!

Our tasting menu was on the table - they had asked if this tasting session should go by "Order what you wish" or to showcase and promote some signature dishes. I suggested the latter, so was rather anticipating to try what was instore for us all.

We started with some Tea while waiting for the event to kickstart at 12noon, while we mingled and caught up with each other.

There was also a short talk by a rather flamboyant (in personality) and commandeur lady named Linda Teo, owner of Carrie Models, and asking us to download the MakanJoy app. Oh well, we probably got a sneak peek of how she keeps her models in line on a daily basis.

Then Mr. Anderson Tan also went to give a short speech in the midst of the event, introducing himself and the apps he has researched and come up with.

Photosource: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/makanjoy/id969344085?mt=8

To spice up the entire event, there were also games and lucky draws in between the food-tasting session. The First Game was an Ice-cream Guessing Game, where the representatives of each team had to try three flavours of ice-cream and guess their flavours.    The Second Game was for us all to play games on the MakanJoy app, and the one with highest score in each team wins.  The Last Game was Lucky Draw, in which I was fortunate enough to win a set of dining vouchers worth SGD$50.00, only to be spent at D'zerts Cafe, is valid for three (3) months, and one voucher to be used per transaction.

We were served their signature Waffles and Ice-cream (SGD$10.90) before the mains, which was a blessing in disguise. The waffles were shades of a healthy golden-brown, crispy on the exterior, and fluffy on the inside. The huge scoops of ice-cream were delightful - we shared and tried everything basically. The better ones were peanut butter, earl grey, salted caramel and chocolate mint.    The matcha and black sesame ones were a little light - probably because we were comparing them to the traditional Japanese ones with thicker flavours.

This photo credit goes to one of my guest, C, to highlight the differences between the
 2 sandwiches, which I did not notice at the point of food-photographing.

Then the Sandwiches and Pasta Salad were served. The pasta salad was flavourful-tossed with peppers and rather strong onion taste, and texture was taut enough not to be hard, but "just nice".

My Egg Mayo Sandwich was pretty all right, hitting all the right notes of egg's aroma and sweetness of mayo, served on crisp white bread. For the Tuna Sandwich, there were mixed reviews from my group - some thought it was especially delicious sans the strong fishy flavour whereas others thought it was merely normal canned tuna within white bread.

Plain presentation and lack of aesthetics aside, I think this is a pretty decent and simple meal. However, if this were to be promoted as a "Signature" then it has been both a surprise and a disappointment.

Finally, more desserts. Here was the Salted Caramel Cheesecake (SGD$6.00) that consisted of a good balance in its light flavours of savoury-sweet combo. The cottony-soft texture was well balanced by a piece of (biscuit) crisp in between the layers, giving the cake some crunch.

The Matcha Latte Cake (SGD$5.00) had a good blend of green tea's taste complemented by the stronger jolt of milky-coffee layers; forming a lovely union of deliciousness that melted lusciously in the mouth.

Overall, the event was fun and vibrant, though there was room for improvement on the food. Given that this was the first time they were hosting a semi-public event, the efforts were rather good. Thank you, MakanJoy, for the invite once again, and D'zerts Cafe for having us.

**also, special thanks to IvanTeh, who helped greatly in coordinating on my side, and through whom I also got to know other great foodies such as Kris (Msginginly), Tiara (Herpenandfork), Jennifer (Jellylovesfood) and Rachelle (poohlovesfood).