If you’ve already made your way through the list of best croissants in Singapore and want a new way to enjoy the buttery, flaky pastry, La Levain has got you covered. They’ve just launched their Smashed Croissants ($7.20 each) series, where croissants are flattened, baked till extra crispy, then dipped in sauce and covered with toppings.
Their signature croissants are made using dough that has been fermented for two days, and layered with gourmet Elle & Vire French butter. To make the smashed versions, the rolled-up croissant dough gets dusted with sugar for a nice caramelised crust. It then gets flattened between two trays, and into the oven it goes!
The result is a thin pastry that is astonishingly crispy. Seriously, I was taken aback upon my first bite; it was like eating a rich and buttery biscuit.
There are three flavours to choose from: Raspberry, Speculoos, and Nutella.
I’m actually not a fan of berry-flavoured desserts nor sour things in general, but the Raspberry Smashed Croissant took me by surprise. It’s dipped in premium raspberry Valrhona chocolate sauce, and topped with chopped raspberry chocolate and crunchy white chocolate pearls.
The sauce had the perfect amount of tartness and zing, while still being smooth and creamy. It is also the least jelak out of the three, and more subtle in sweetness.
Biscoff lovers will be delighted by the Speculoos Smashed Croissant, which is submerged halfway in a vat of cookie butter spread then topped with crushed Biscoff cookies. I had to restrain a gasp when I saw how gao the coating was.
Speculoos is notoriously sweet, so I really appreciate that La Levain balanced it out with a sprinkle of sea salt. Not just any old sea salt, mind you, but fleur de sel.
The most decadent option is the Nutella Smashed Croissant, hands down. The crispy flattened pastry is coated in a thick layer of hazelnutty Nutella, then topped with a mix of chopped dark chocolate and white chocolate, along with crunchy dark chocolate pearls.
This is a must-order for chocoholics, but it can get rather heavy so I’d recommend pairing it with La Levain’s Black Coffee (from $4.90) or a refreshing iced tea, like their Hanami White Peach or Osmanthus Passion Fruit ($6.40 each).
Because only half of each smashed croissant has sauce and toppings, it’s best to eat it lengthways so you can balance the covered portion out with the plain one. This will also help to ease off the sugariness.
While you’re there, make sure to try out their other pastries too. La Levain is no stranger to innovative bakes, having released their rendition of Korea’s viral Onigiri Croissants last year.
They come in Orh Nee, Sicilian Pistachio, Scallion Sour Cream, and Lao Gan Ma flavours ($7.20 each), as well as a Mentaiko Cheese flavour for $7.50.
The bakery cafe is located just five minutes away from Bendemeer MRT Station on foot. Other highlights in the vicinity include Prince Noodles, which serves handmade KL-style ban mian, and Wild Coco, a former kopitiam stall turned tropical-themed nasi lemak restaurant.
Address: 23 Hamilton Road, Singapore 209193
Opening hours: Tue, Thurs-Sun 8am to 6pm, Wed 8am to 4:30pm
Tel: 6514 0510
Website
La Levain is not a halal-certified eatery.
Photos taken by Casandra Nicholas.
This was a media tasting at La Levain.
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