Kumoya Review: Picture-Perfect Eclairs, Desserts And Soft Shell Crab Pancakes

Mains at Kumoya We kicked things off with one of Kumoya’s new mains, Tempura Soft Shell Crab Pancakes ($17.90) . The stack comprises of a whole battered soft shell crab, capsicum tempura sticks and a ring of grilled pineapple, which dwarfed the three mini-pancakes it was piled upon.

The thin pancakes had an interesting savoury profile that worked well with other components in this dish. Though the capsicum sticks were nothing to speak of, the soft shell crab was satisfactorily juicy, with a good crunch.

The pancakes and tempura crab could start to get dry when eaten on their own. The pineapple and wasabi mayo made all the difference by adding a crisp sweetness that cut through the crunchy battered crab.

Plated desserts at Kumoya The summer-hued Yuzu Parfait ($15.90) is made up of yuzu souffle cheesecake, vanilla bean milk pudding, frozen yogurt. A yuzu macaron atop a bed of popping white chocolate butter crumble. Not saccharine at all and with an uplifting natural sweetness, this sauce packed a punch of yuzu savour, alongside a crisp tartness that shone through.

It consists of three mini-pancakes topped with a swirl of frozen yogurt, accompanied by a cocoa-dusted tiramisu block, brownie cube, dots of chocolate cream, chocolate crumble and slivered almonds. The coffee component comes in the form of an espresso shot, which is poured over the dessert. The same kind of savoury pancakes as the Tempura Soft Shell Crab Pancakes was used here, adding a jarring saltiness that left my taste buds confused.

While the espresso enhanced the dessert’s chocolate notes, it failed to stand out on its own. The pancakes didn’t soak up the espresso shot, and the tiramisu block tasted like a mild cheesecake, leaving the dessert absent of a distinct coffee character. Eclairs at Kumoya Kumoya has a range of nine Petite Eclairs ($3 for one, $8.50 for three, $16.50 for six, $31.50 for 12) that are almost too pretty to be devoured.

The chocolate hazelnut had an outstanding hazelnut savour that was much more potent than your usual Nutella, with a roasted hazelnut on top sealing in the nuttiness. For the sakura eclair, I was expecting the taste of cherry blossom to be quite mild, and was pleasantly surprised by how rich the sakura rose cream was.

Drinks at Kumoya This Hot Matcha Latte ($6) was quite unlike most matcha lattes I’ve come across in Singapore. The verdict The creative dishes at Kumoya were refreshing and light on the palate.

Kumoya could do with some tweaks, particularly for the dessert pancakes and the frozen yogurt.