It’s not every day that we fall in love with a pastry so delicious that we finish the whole box before even getting a chance to share it with others – that’s until we tried the Italian sfogliatelle at Keedo Keedo. This quaint, family-run pastry shop tucked away in Curbside Crafters at Bugis specialises in this dessert that’s a rarity in Singapore. Comprising a light, crisp, and strudel-like baked pastry made from layers of tissue paper-thin dough, it is also known as a ‘lobstertail’ in New York. This name, introduced by Italian immigrants, comes from the ridges of the pastry when baked.
While it’s traditionally piped with a mixture of semolina and ricotta cheese for a rich and tangy filling, the New York variation is filled with custard instead. Keedo Keedo’s sfogliatelle takes inspiration from the latter. Expect six Japanese-style custard cream flavours: dark chocolate ganache, peanut butter, pistachio with orange, strawberry, Fujisaki apple with cinnamon, and French vanilla with maple.
Keedo Keedo’s baking process begins three days beforehand. Gerald, its founder, explains that this process allows for the extensive folding and resting needed to create the countless layers within the pastry. This results in an earth-shatteringly crisp and buttery shell. Having learned the recipe from an Italian baker and friend, bakers at Keedo Keedo make the desserts as close to the traditional version as possible, adapting it slightly for local tastes.
We first try the French vanilla with maple cream ($4.20). The hints of toffee and nuttiness from the maple give the light vanilla custard cream base more depth than it would have on its own. This is the shop’s most popular option, so if you’re unsure of what to get, we recommend starting with this one.
We also enjoy the nutty, earthy flavour of the pistachio with orange lobstertail ($4.90). There’s a generous amount of nuts and orange zest folded into the citrus-perfumed cream. Compared to the shop’s peanut butter lobstertail, we prefer this one for its fresh and unique flavour that is not overly sweet.
Similar to the pistachio, Keedo Keedo’s Fuji apple with cinnamon ($4.20) contains a generous helping of diced apple bits in its custard. It tastes exactly like a crispy apple pie, with a distinct spiced cinnamon flavour and firm chunks of premium fruit. If you’re a fan of warm and toasty flavours, do not skip this crowd-pleaser.
The strawberry lobstertail ($4.20) is our favourite, with chunks of ripe and sweet strawberries cutting through the richness of the custard cream. It reminds us of strawberry milk and has the perfect ratio of cream to pastry. The heart-shaped sprinkles are an adorable touch, making it perfect for all ages.
In our book, Keedo Keedo’s pastries are worth trying not only for their novelty but also for their high-quality taste. The shop’s ambitious and genuine effort to introduce painstakingly handmade Italian delicacies to our ever-evolving food scene has been successful so far, considering that it often sells out even before its closing. So, if you’re looking for a sweeter taste of Italy beyond the usual pizzas and pasta, be sure to check out Keedo Keedo on your next trip to Bugis.