Is 19Tea closed?
Yes. 19Tea, a cafe in Tampines that specialises in affordable souffle pancakes from Korea, is permanently closed.
But if you’d still like to read about how great it was back in 2020, here’s our brutally honest review of the cafe.
Our honest review of 19Tea’s souffle pancakes
When someone mentions souffle pancakes as a post-dinner dessert, you’d most likely think of Fluff Stack or the latest contender Flippers.
Located at Our Tampines Hub, 19Tea (or Nineteen Tea) is a humble shop from South Korea with souffle pancakes that start from a wallet-friendly price of $4.2.
Souffle pancakes from $4.2
Since they first started shop in 2018, their army of souffle pancakes has grown from three flavours to seven flavours. Originally, they had Original and classics, Matcha and Tiramisu. Now, you’ll see a new addition of more hipster flavours like Oreo, Red Velvet Oreo, Marshmallow and Biscoff.
When you first walk past 19Tea, located at the entrance of Our Tampines Hub, you might be a little confused when you spot their rows of pre-made soufflé pancakes in their display fridge. If you’ve ordered soufflé pancakes anywhere else, you’d be familiar with the relatively long waiting time as most cafes whip them up upon order. As seen from Fluff Stack and Flipper’s open kitchen, every pancake is served fresh to prevent a deflated mess.
The reason why 19Tea is able to maintain the shape of their pancakes is that they chill them right after cooking. This results in a jiggly texture that’s a little moister. While it was a decent bite, there is a better way to enjoy it. If you’re willing to wait 10-15 minutes, you can request a fresh soufflé pancake that has an airier and fluffier bite.
How about the taste? The Original had a coating of a milky, creamy sauce (meringue?) which was on the sweeter end.
Meanwhile, The dusting of matcha powder was a little heavy, resulting in clumps of sharp bitterness in some bites. Perhaps, incorporating matcha into the pancake batter or cream would’ve helped.
In comparison, the Taro (unavailable) cream was light, with just enough taro taste to complement the pancakes.
Out of all the flavours, the Biscoff stole my heart. I mean, it just tasted like biscoff but sometimes, the simplest things are always the best, aren’t they?
On the other hand, I wished that the Red Velvet Oreo had more prominent flavours. The Marshmallow reminded me of the Pokemon Sylveon (Eevee’s fairy evolution). It was definitely the prettiest soufflé pancake out of the seven, embellished in multicoloured marshmallows and two sticks of strawberry Pocky. Granted, it was also going to taste sweeter than the others so this might not be for you if you don’t have a sweet tooth!
You might have read older reviews that pointed out inconsistencies such as undissolved sugar grains in their pancakes. I was informed that 19Tea has upgraded their machines over the years and the last few pancakes I’ve had was free of such issues.
Bubble tea Review
Ignore the dark brown streaks on their Signature Milk Tea ($5.1). With barely any hints of brown sugar, it was essentially just Taiwanese milk tea. That being said, it was actually delectable; not too sweet, with pearls with a soft but chewy texture. However, it’s definitely a lot more than I’m willing to pay for a standard cup of milk tea.
We also tried the Meringue Milk Tea ($5.9). Not only does the Meringue serve as bonus beauty points for photos, but it’s also similar to milk foams which add a little touch of sweetness to the drink.
Our verdict
19Tea is the real deal. A soufflé pancake that cheap can be dubious, with Fluff Stack’s starting from $8.8 and the others with an average price of $15. But after some simple calculations, 19Tea’s pancakes are almost the same price as Fluff Stack’s. The only difference is that you can order just one pancake at 19Tea whereas every plate at Fluff Stack comes with two.
While the standard chilled pancakes are souffle enough, we highly recommend asking for a freshly made one for maximum fluff. Do note that 19Tea only has four seats available, but they are available for takeaway.
Location: 1 Tampines Walk, #01-K7 Our Tampines Hub, Singapore 528523
Opening hours: 12pm-10pm
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