Dong Po Colonial Cafe, Kandahar Street

Zee, Diana and I finally met up for a catch-up at Dong Po Colonial Cafe. Perhaps, there is no better place to meet up with old friends than at an old school cafe. 

Decorated with retro posters, knickknacks and a very random bicycle, the nostalgic factor was certainly not lacking.  

The charm extended to its warm, friendly service too. I thought the young man at the counter was the owner but a quick Google search reveals otherwise. And you know, good service just makes the experience a 120% more enjoyable. 

People in the 50s and 60s must really be small eaters too as most of the confections were no bigger than the size of my palm. It was one of those occasions where the more I ate, the hungrier I got.

"Fresh from the oven," proclaimed the staff.  

A sucker for happy endings and anything fresh from the oven/ stove/ grill, I placed an order for the quiche immediately. The spinach and tomato quiche, still warm, served as a nifty savoury snack (note: snack, not meal). 

Diana opted for the kaya toast... 

 While Zee zoned in on the long bottom butter cakes.

After we've had our fill of the savouries, we picked out some sweet confections. The friendly guy at the counter recommended a whole bunch of stuff but like typical women, we ignored his advice and picked out three other treats. 

Between the coconut tart and the conversation tart, I preferred the straight-up no-nonsense coconut tart. Sweet, delicate and crumbly, it is easy to down one or two of these babies. 

The conversation tart was filled with an almond sugee cake filling, topped off with a meringue puff pastry blanket. It felt a little monolithic at times but it's not a big tart so you probably won't have any trouble finishing it. 

Buttercream makes my toes cringe and vanilla buttercream cake is not something I grew up. However, as I sank my teeth into this tiny triple-decker, its incredibly airy-fairyness quickly won me over. 

Apparently, the owner is a fourth-generation baker slash graphic designer (as opposed to a lawyer, banker or Indian chief). 

Here's a 'toast' to our friendship. Feels great to know I can count on these ladies for laughter and support, be it high up in the mountains or stuck in a valley.