As a part of El Estoque’s Dessert Detective series where El Estoque staff review local bakeries and cafés to evaluate the quality and cost of its most well-known menu items, we visited Sheng Kee Bakery, a Taiwanese-based bakery that offers a grand selection of breads, cakes and other pastries.
Taro & Coconut Pudding: $4.45
The taro and coconut pudding, displayed elegantly in a petite glass jar, consists of three layers: a plain jelly top that holds a blueberry in place, a white coconut custard layer and the main attraction, a thick taro cream base. While it took a few bites to fully get all the flavors, the three layers fuse well to create a diverse, delicious bite with just the right amount of sweetness.
Rating: 7/10
Green Onion Bun: $1.95
The green onion bun consists of a fluffy, toasted, light-brown bread topped with green onions and butter. The green onion topping had a very appealing flavor with just the right amount of saltiness, effectively complementing the bread. However, the topping wasn’t evenly spread so it was a gamble to get either a concentrated or plain bite.
Rating: 8/10
Lava Matcha Mooncake: $4.75
The lava matcha mooncake was presented simply with a unique, well-sculpted swirl design. However, the texture of the cake was underwhelming as it felt dry and powdery. The matcha flavor felt lost in the rest of the egg yolk filling. Ultimately, the filling had a lackluster solid consistency that failed to live up to the “lava” in the dish’s name.
Rating: 4/10
Tiramisu: $4.95
The tiramisu is composed of four alternating layers of coffee cream and a denser chocolate cake, topped with dusted cacao powder. However, the espresso in the coffee cream overpowers the flavors offered by the chocolate cake and creates an unbalanced ratio between the two main components.
Rating: 5/10
Danish Fruit Boat: $2.99
The Danish fruit boat consists of strawberries, blueberries and a custard cream surrounded by a layered Danish bread which is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The presentation of this dish serves its appeal, with the vibrant colors of the fruits and abundance of powdered sugar that adds a finishing touch to the dish. While sometimes hard to eat due to its flaky nature, the crunchy texture of the bread and fruits near the core of the dish go well with the softness.
Rating: 9/10
Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie: $1.99
The chocolate marshmallow cookie is a soft chocolate cookie topped with chocolate chips and toasted mini marshmallows. The marshmallows effectively complement a somewhat run-of-the-mill chocolate cookie as the crunchy exterior and melted interior of the marshmallows provide an additional textural element. While the cookie itself isn’t overly sweet, the marshmallows add just the right amount of sugar, balancing out the sweetness between the ingredients very well and ensuring that no specific ingredient has an overpowering flavor.
Rating: 8/10
Overall: 6.5/10
$/$$$
The items served at Sheng-Kee Bakery had a wide range of prices, with some on the cheaper side such as the Green Onion Bun, along with others on the overpriced side such as the Lava Matcha Mooncake. Considering that the bakery prides itself on its distribution of a variety of mooncakes, these items did not live up to the expectation. However, the taste and affordability of many of the other dishes make up for it.
As you walk into the bakery, you are met with a large display of many of the pastries and baked goods along with an appealing aroma. The store consists of two large aisles that contain all the goods that are served, and while there is no dine-in space in the building, there are many other stores in the complex with places to sit as well as outdoor seating. Overall, while some items fall below-average, there is a wide variety of delicacies at Sheng-Kee Bakery.
