https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cngfLrGUWc&feature=youtu.be
Over-the-top milkshakes started taking over Singapore’s social media feeds some time last year. The craze hasn’t died down yet – cafes are still adding insane O.T.T. milkshake creations to their menu. The Shout team took it upon ourselves to scour the island for the best shakes, putting on a few pounds on your behalf in the process. You’re absolutely welcome.
Patissez
It seems fitting to start this guide with the very creator of Freakshakes, the brand synonymous with over-the-top milkshakes – Patissez. Freakshakes were the brainchild of this Aussie chain, which has finally arrived on Singapore shores. Creative director Anna Petridis said the inventive café is set on global expansion – they’ve recently opened branches in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and will be opening one in Bangkok soon. They’ve made their milkshakes less sweet for the Asian palate, using frozen milk instead of ice cream. Here we present four of their legendary O.T.T. milkshakes, for your viewing pleasure.
Pretzella ($16)
This one is our undisputed favourite of the four shakes – and perhaps even our favourite O.T.T. shake ever. While many would expect Freakshakes to have an insane amount of toppings and ingredients, Patissez believes in using simple and quality ingredients. This milkshake embodies that sentiment. It’s straight-up nutella and pretzels but it’s a velvety-smooth winning combination we couldn’t get enough of. No wonder this is the top seller.
Muddy Pat ($16)
In the words of Freakshakes creator Anna, this is possibly the best chocolate shake you’ll ever have. Gooey chocolate sauce is drizzled over a concoction of chocolate ganache and vanilla mousse, and topped with a fudgy chewy chocolate brownie and torched marshmallow. We loved the smoky marshmallow and chocolate combination, which reminded us of S’mores.
Mint Condition ($16)
This shake was the prettiest of the lot, with a mint-and-chocolate base and a massive semifredo perched atop. A semifredo is much like ice-cream but with a more custard-like texture. This one came in the form of an ice-cream sandwich, with buttery cream wedged between two chewy, chocolatey cookies. It’s not as melty as your regular ice cream, but just as creamy and satisfying.
Sneaky Freak ($16)
This one is for the peanut butter lovers. It’s snickers inspired with a salted peanut caramel base and chocolate mousse. This sneaky shake isn’t as sweet as you’d expect. It’s topped with a cute semifredo pop, which is dipped in chocolate and rolled in liquid marshmallow.
Patissez
118 Holland Avenue, #01-06, Singapore 278997
Business Hours:
Mon – Fri: 10am – 10pm; Sat – Sun: 9am – 10pm
Contact:
Tel:+65 6262 3616
Benjamin Browns
A heavyweight in the O.T.T. milkshake scene, Benjamin Browns has since expanded their menu with their Cerealsy Crunchy Shakes – six brand new, cereal-inspired monstrous shakes that rank high on the epic scale.
Fairy Pebbles ($16++)
If unicorns were real, this would probably be their national drink. This unicorn puke of an O. T.T. milkshake has your classic vanilla base topped with whimsical clouds of cotton candy, red velvet cake, marshmallows, a chocolate rim of fruity pebbles and some of our old school childhood snacks. The shake base is made from premium vanilla bean ice cream to achieve a rich and creamy flavour, and the iced gem biscuits and colourful disc wafers are laced with a taste of nostalgia.
Chocolate Lava Pillow ($16++)
It’s either go big or go home, and this milkshake is going all out to fulfil your chocolate dreams. Think overflowing layers of white chocolate and milk chocolate Tim Tams, chocolate wafers, chocolate Pop-Tarts, a chunk of Nutella cake and a generous serving of lava pillows. The lava pillows are like little chocolate bombs – crispy cereal bites with a chocolate filling that oozes out. We’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve said chocolate.
Charm My Shake ($16++)
A rustic addition to the family, Charm My Shake is essentially S’mores in a jar. The milkshake is smothered with a layer of torched marshmallows, iced gem biscuits, S’mores Pop-Tarts, Lucky Charms and Arnott’s Hundreds & Thousands biscuits. The different ingredients gel well together; it’s not too sweet with a hint of smokiness. The shake base is the same as that in Fairy Pebbles so we suggest choosing between the two. Either way, they’re both equally Instagram-worthy.
Strawberry Cheesecake ($16++)
This mountainous extravaganza is made up of a sinful stack of sweetened strawberries, cheesecake and digestive biscuits. The tartness of the strawberries contrasts the other sweet elements in this decadent shake, and the digestive biscuits balances out the creaminess nicely. The portion is huge, so unless you want to enter saccharine coma, it is always wise to share this calorific dessert, or you might find it hard to shake it off in the gym the next day.
Nutella Banana ($16++)
We saved the best for last! The divine combination of banana and chocolate makes this our favourite out of the five. Apart from the chocolate banana milkshake base, this beast is piled on with chocolate coated mini pretzels, banana slices, chocolate wafer sticks and a chunk of Nutella cake. It is further smothered with even more Nutella to glue every artery-clogging element together. But for its taste, we reckon this is well worth the calories.
Benjamin Browns
583 Orchard Road #01-20 Forum The Shopping Mall
Business Hours:
10am – 9pm (Mon – Thurs), 10am – 10pm (Fri), 9am – 10pm (Sat), 9am – 9pm (Sun)
Contact:
Tel: 6887 4117
Jen’s Kitchen On-the-Go
Housed in the lobby of Hotel Jen Tanglin, this is another café that has hopped on the O.T.T. milkshake bandwagon with their visually appealing concoctions. Jen’s Kitchen On-the-Go is in the midst of adding more flavours to their menu so do stay tuned.
Death by Brownie ($11)
Their bestseller, Death by Brownie, is a chocolate milkshake on crack. While it does look like it could send you into a perpetual state of sugar high, it Is surprisingly not as sweet as it looks. The Nutella in the shake gives it a strong and aromatic hazelnut flavour, and the brownie chunks are incredibly moist. The drink is crowned with swirls of whipped cream and held together with a generous dollop of chocolate fudge and Nutella.
Jen’s Kitchen On-the-Go
Hotel Jen Tanglin, 1A Cuscaden Road
Business Hours:
Opening Hours: 24/7
Contact:
Tel: 6831 4374
Dazzling Café
Heads up Internet: this Taiwan-based café is launching their own O.T.T. milkshakes on 18 July, and we’ve got the deets on two of them. These shakes will only be available in limited quantities, so do drop by early!
Black Monster ($10++)
Black Monster has the classic milkshake base – two scoops of vanilla ice cream blended with a shot glass of milk. It is slightly richer than all the other milkshakes we’ve tried, so it’s most ideal for sharing. Apart from the generous, chocolate coated rim of colourful M&M’s (three whole layers!), this milkshake is also toped with Oreo bits, marshmallows, Peppero sticks and whipped cream drizzled with chocolate and caramel sauce.
Pink Unicorn ($10++)
This is a girly milkshake that screams Barbie. Pink Unicorn is a milky blend of strawberry ice cream with Froot Loops, marshmallows, cotton candy, sour gummy strips and a gigantic lollipop*. This strawberry shake is not as sweet as Black Monster, but still has the same creamy consistency and rich flavours.
*lollipop subject to change
Dazzling Cafe Pink
#01-12, #01-13, #01-14 Orchard Gateway
Business Hours:
11am – 10pm (Mon-Thur, Sun), 11am – 10.30pm (Fri-Sat)
Contact:
Phone: 6385 3639
Dazzling Café Mint
15 Stamford Road, #01-85 Capitol Piazza
Tel: 6384 3310
Opening Hours:
12pm – 10pm (Mon – Thurs, Sun), 12pm – 10:30pm (Fri – Sat)
The Lab Sg
The Lab is named as such because the owners of this quirky cafe believe in experimenting with their food creations. Testament to this spirit of experimenting , The Lab’s colourful OTT shakes are a smorgasbord of explosive and surprising tastes and textures.
Matcha Peanut Butter ($13)
This might look like diabetes in a jar – but don’t be misled. This is the shake for those of you who cannot stomach the usual cloying sweetness that comes along with OTT shakes. At first sip, we were hit by the fragrant nuttiness of peanut butter, blended into a creamy but surprisingly light concoction. Hints of matcha linger more like an afterthought. It might be disappointing for those expecting a full-on matcha beverage. Chocolate love letters, button biscuits and marshmallows spill over the cereal-encrusted mouth of the mason jar and a generous drizzle of peanut butter ties it all together. This one wins points for being surprisingly moreish.
Durian Caramel ($13)
The star of this drink is The Lab’s homemade durian pengat, a Malay dessert mousse. Sweet, pungent pengat is pureed with vanilla bean ice cream and adorned with caramel popcorn, mini pretzels and butter wafers. This is one sinful, sticky, sugar rush, balanced by the saltiness of the pretzel bits. I can imagine that a durian lover with a sweet tooth would appreciate this drink. While I do have a soft spot for all things durian, the sweetness on this one was a little too cloying for me.
Strawberry Spongecake ($13)
I am guilty of judging a milkshake by its appearance. This one caught me completely off-guard. I was expecting the vivacious, bubblegum-pink Strawberry Spongecake to taste like nothing more than Instagrammable syrup. I am happy to report that my visual assessment was completely wrong. To my delight, this shake had all the right elements of a strawberry smoothie, its mild sweetness accented by the natural sourness of fresh berries. It’s attractively bedecked with strawberry wafers, button biscuits and strawberry pocky sticks. As if this were not enough to melt the hearts of ladies everywhere, the rim of the jar is lined with strawberry jam and fruity pebbles. Be still, my heart. This thing of beauty is hands down my personal favourite because it’s both style and substance.
Nutella Brownie ($13)
You can never go wrong with Nutella and chocolate brownies. This was a sure-win formula from the very conception of the idea. Hazelnut chocolate is blended with brownie ice cream into a velvety, chocolatey medley. This match made in heaven is then topped with mini pretzels, chocolate love letters, chocolate pocky sticks and Tim Tam biscuits. And of course, a brownie. Unfortunately, I think the vegan brownie perching on this drink is its very undoing. I wasn’t too fond of the herby aftertaste and I prefer my brownies fudgy and chewy. Still a great option for chocoholics everywhere!
The Lab Sg
1 Jalan Pisang, #01-01, Singapore 199069
Business Hours
Monday to Saturday: 10am to 9:15pm
Sunday: Closed
Contact
Phone: +65 6299 5681
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weexperiment
Cake Spade
Cake Spade prides itself on being a baking specialist that strictly uses the best and freshest ingredients. A slice of cake is included in every one of its over-the-top milkshakes. The cafe thus refers to this decadent dessert as a ‘cakeshake’ instead.
Unicone Cakeshake (SGD14.90)
One of the best sellers at Cake Spade is undoubtedly the Unicone Cakeshake. It is topped with a slice of red velvet cake, a variety of wafers and a cascading waterfall of rainbow sprinkles. A cone of bright pink cotton candy tops this stunner off. It looks like Barbie and one of the mares from My Little Pony had a love child – and clearly it is a crowd pleaser both visually and gastronomically.
Matcha Azuki Cakeshake (SGD 16.90)
This combination of matcha, azuki red beans, digestive biscuits and green tea cake come together childhood sweethearts. This shake is ultimate #goals for matcha dessert enthusiasts and is also the item from this cafe that was highly raved by renowned food blogger Seth Lui.
Cake Spade
1 Tras Link, Orchid Hotel, #01-06 Singapore 078867
Contact
Phone: +65 6444 3868
Website: http://www.cakespade.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cakespadesg
(Note: Cakeshakes are only available Monday to Friday after 5pm and Saturday from 1:30pm onwards.)
The House of Robert Timms
Apart from their well-loved gourmet coffee, this established Aussie bistro also has five crazy shakes that will bring out the inner kid in you – or successfully break your diet. Either way, they’ve got a good variety milkshake flavours (chocolate, coffee, strawberry, banana and vanilla) to cater to every indulgence-seeking tastebud out there.
Rocky Timms ($16)
Australians take their coffee seriously, so it is no surprise that Rocky Timms – a coffee based O.T.T. milkshake – is the best-seller amongst the five. This is every caffeine addict’s sinful variation of their everyday staple, and we reckon it’s well worth sinning for. The milkshake has a balanced, aromatic blend of flavours and is further accessorized with whipped cream, Froot Loops, chocolate Pocky sticks and a mini éclair. Don’t be too quick to dismiss the understated, bite-size éclair – you are going to love the coffee ice cream filling.
Cocoa Carousel ($16)
A chocolate based milkshake embellished with brownies, Oreo cookies, chocolate wafer rolls, chocolate-coated pretzels, whipped cream and marshmallows. The chocolate base is rich and smooth without being overwhelmingly sweet. When in doubt, always go for chocolate. You can never go wrong with this gravity-defying tower of pure chocolate joy.
Strawberry Whoopee ($16)
Strawberry Whoopee is a pastel pink strawberry based milkshake piled to the skies with copious amounts of sweetened strawberries, whipped cream, bite-size butter cookies and Pocky marshmallow skewers. This is the sweetest one we’ve tried, so it makes the ideal dessert to share on a girls’ day out in town.
Banana Popcorn ($16)
This dramatic masterpiece of a classic banana milkshake has a rustic charm to it. The glistening, caramel-coated bananas and glazed caramel popcorn toppings will have your followers salivating all over their screens. Visual feast aside, the shake has the right balance of milk, ice cream and banana that won’t send you into an instant sugar high at first sip. Yes, you can make it to the end of this jar without getting your dentist involved.
Vanilla Bon Bon ($16)
If you’re dead serious about doing It for the ’gram, this monstrous shake is your best bet. Vanilla based milkshake topped with a chocolate glazed donut and a chock-full of whipped marshmallows, M&M’s and whipped cream? This visually stunning stack is ready to take reign on Instagram. Unlike Cocoa Carousel, Vanilla Bon Bon is no match against gravity, so unless you are going for a gooey, melted mess kind of aesthetic, it is wise to have your cameras ready before your milkshake gets served.
The House of Robert Timms
Wheelock Place, 501 Orchard Road #01-02/03
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehouseofroberttimms
Business Hours
Wheelock Place:
Sunday to Thursday & PH: 8am to 11pm
Friday to Saturday & PH Eve: 8am to 1am
Orchard Shopping Centre:
Sunday to Thursday & PH: 11am to 11pm
Friday to Saturday & PH Eve: 11am to 1am
Contact
Wheelock: +65 6338 7758
Website: http://roberttimms.com.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehouseofroberttimms
in Roundup
