Ate Cookies at Golden Mile Food Centre serves thick, gooey cookies with molten centres

Cookies come in all shapes and sizes, but the ones at Ate Cookies in Golden Mile Food Centre fall firmly into one camp: Thick and chunky, yet soft and chewy. 

Opened just six weeks ago, the stall currently keeps things simple with four cookie flavours (for now), all baked fresh daily.

Since every batch is baked fresh, we’d recommend placing a pick-up order if you can. On busier days, walk-in customers might have to wait up to 45 minutes if their preferred cookie isn’t available in the display case. 

Pick-up orders can be collected until 6pm, while walk-in orders close at 2pm.

Behind the counter is Donovan Wong, 33, who’s no stranger to the F&B industry.

He’s a co-founder of Wen Li Taiwanese Food stall, with his partner Joe Cheong. It’s a stall known for its niu rou fen (Taiwanese beef noodles), conveniently located just behind Ate Cookies in the same food centre.

Ate Cookies marks his second venture, but unlike running a cooked-food stall, it’s one he can largely manage on his own.

Finding manpower seems to remain one of the bigger challenges, and it’s partly why he settled on cookies. 

As a former burger cook, he had considered opening a burger concept. But he says it would have required a much larger team. Cookies, on the other hand, can be realistically run as a one-man operation.

Practicality aside, his reason for opening a cookie stall is also much simpler.

 “Why cookies? Well, because I like them,” he says.

 “I did Taiwanese food because I like it. I’m doing cookies because I like them.” 

Donovan credits Subway’s cookies as one of his earliest inspirations, though he wanted to create something thicker and chewier. The idea eventually led him to Ate Cookies’ signature chocolate lava cookie (S$7).

But if you ask Donovan what makes his cookies stand out, his answer is just as straightforward.

“It’s nothing crazy,” he says. “I just make sure I use good ingredients.”

There are no artificial flavourings or colourings in any of the cookies, just quality ingredients backed by weeks of recipe development before the stall opened.

Chunky cookies

Once purchased, the cookies are best enjoyed within three days at room temperature. Donovan also recommends reheating every cookie before eating — especially the chocolate lava. 

His tip? To break the cookie slightly before microwaving it for a soft centre.

Yes, the cookies are on the pricier side — starting from S$5.50 and going up to S$7.

To be fair, the cookies are also much larger than your average cookie, so it’s certainly worth it for the size.

In fact, we found ourselves sharing every single one, so they’re best enjoyed as a whole box with friends.

The chocolate lava was easily my favourite one, and it’s also the first flavour Donovan developed. Every chocolate lava cookie starts with a frozen chocolate ganache centre that’s wrapped in cookie dough before baking.

Crack it open while it’s still warm and a rich 55% dark chocolate ganache slowly spills out from the centre. 

Despite using dark couverture chocolate, it’s not overly bitter. Instead, it strikes a nice balance between rich and lightly sweet, making it easy to finish.

We also liked the matcha macadamia (S$5.50). The matcha profile comes through clearly, pairing nicely with the crunchy macadamias scattered throughout the cookie.

Donovan says the matcha powder is sourced from RedMan after trying a few other options, and it does give the cookie a pleasant depth that isn’t overpowering.

The walnut chocolate chip (S$5.50) is a classic choice. The walnuts add a satisfying nuttiness, while the chocolate chips bring just enough sweetness, creating a combination that is familiar but well-executed.

Donovan tells us he spent quite some time sourcing the walnuts, as many imported varieties lose their flavour after storage. Finding one that retained its freshness made all the difference here.

If you’re on Team Raisin, the oatmeal raisin (S$5.50) is for you. The oats lend the cookie a crunchier texture, while the raisins add little bits of sweetness through each bite.

The menu won’t be staying at these four flavours forever.

Donovan is currently experimenting with a pistachio lava cookie, and wants to make the pistachio paste from scratch. Whether it becomes a permanent menu item or a seasonal special depends on whether it can be consistently produced in larger batches.

For now, Ate Cookies is keeping things focused with just four chunky cookies on the menu, and each one holds its own. We even picked up a few extra to bring home after trying them — reason enough to make the trip yourself.

For more ideas on what to eat at Golden Mile Food Centre, read on our guide with 15 stalls worth queuing for and Maremyst serving Algerian food.