L.E. Cafe Confectionery & Pastry has been drawing in crowds for decades by presenting nostalgic flavours in new forms
Traditional pastry shops are a rare sight these days. For many, they signal nostalgia, reminding people of a time when treats like pastries, cakes, and a cup of coffee was a luxury and respite from the hardships of nation-building.
One such place is L.E Cafe Confectionary & Pastry, a place known for their Chinese New Year goodies, old-school cakes, and a couple of unique inventions that continually draw in the crowds. Loyal customers, curious eaters, and even tourists flock to one of their three outlets—one each at Mackenzie, Veersamy, and Cambridge roads—for their soybean tarts, Chinesestyle ‘moon pies’ (no relation to the marshmallow-and chocolate American confection), and golf-ball sized pineapple tarts.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF PASTRY
Run by the Wee family, the confectionery was first established in 1949, and started out as an eating house in David Elias Building, just a stone’s throw away from the location of their current flagship along Mackenzie road. Then, they served zichar-style Chinese food in addition to cakes, pastries and drinks. It wasn’t until 1975 that the Wees switched over to operating as a coffee house, focusing solely on baked goods. “Some of our offerings were buttercream cakes, swiss rolls, cream puffs, apple strudel, and chicken pies. Customers would come in to enjoy their cake and coffee,” shares Mei Ling, one of the third-generation owners whom, along with her brother, help to support their parents in runnning the business.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
New Blood
The next-generation is breathing new life into the forgotten art of spice-mixing, peppering the traditional trade with renewed ideas and fresh perspectives.
Sharing Is Caring
Compared to its flagship at Serene Centre, Fat Belly Social at Boon Tat Street is a classier and bolder affair, in more than one sense.
Nutmeg's Role In Singapore's History
From tales of it being used to ward off the plague in mid-1300s Europe to one of the ingredients in dessert, we have all known, tasted, or at least heard of nutmeg. But not many know of the spice’s role in Singapore’s history.
New And Improved
The ever-profound chef-owner Kenjiro ‘Hatch’ Hashida finds more room, three to be exact, to express a Ha Ri philosophy at Hashida Singapore’s new location at Amoy Street.
Pairing Spice-Driven Cuisines With Wine
Pairing spice-driven cuisines with wine has long been a challenge but with a little imagination, it doesn’t have to be.
Let Land Grow Wild
Niew Tai-Ran has worn many hats: aeronautical engineering major, investment banker, avid surfer, and, for the last 14 years, winemaker. Discover how this Malaysia-born, Singapore-native is championing the “do-nothing farming” philosophy at his vineyard in Oregon.
The South Asian Misnomer
Incredibly diverse and varied than most know, Indian food is far more intriguing than butter chicken or thosai. Here is a crash course on the extensive cuisine from region to region, recognisable for the seemingly infinite ways of using spices.
Keepers Of The Spice Trade
From its glory days along trade routes to pantry staples all over the world, spices have become so commonplace that we’ve taken them for granted. For these three trailblazers, however, spice is their livelihood and motivation: Langit Collective working with indigenous rural farming communities in Malaysia; IDH’s Sustainable Spice Initiative; and chef Nak’s one-woman mission to share forgotten Khmer cuisine.
Sugar, Spice And Everything Nice
Like food, spices bring vibrancy and variety to alcoholic beverages. Surfacing in unexpected ways on the palate, find everything from cumin to tamarind, cloves to cardamom enriching these drinks.
Building Blocks From The Archipelago
For the smorgasbord of dishes found in Indonesian cuisine, it is a little known secret that the modest bumbu, in all its variants, is the bedrock of such flavourful fare.
