The Flour Department: Viral bagelry has new garden-themed items

If you’re a seasoned cafe hopper, you are probably no stranger to The Flour Department. This popular bagel specialist has become well known on social media for its daring flavour combinations and its viral tomato-shaped bagels. 

Head baker Julie Tay and her team have recently launched a new line of items with floral notes and garden-inspired roots, following a short break in May.

We sampled the new items, a creamy shakshuka (S$18) paired with original salt bread (S$2.80), as well as a grilled peach shokupan (S$16) for dessert. 

Other new items making their debut include a truffle salt bread (S$3.50) and a truffle butter and sesame bagel set (S$5).

New garden-themed offerings at The Flour Department

The Flour Department’s shakshuka is inspired by simple garden ingredients and plated to look like a miniature garden. Its spin on the traditional dish — usually a mix of tomatoes, herbs and other strong spices — is a mash of savoury flavours and textures. 

The bakery’s version has a hearty cream base filled with potato chunks, earthy mushrooms with a hint of black truffle, topped with crispy thin lotus root chips and perfectly poached eggs. 

The end result is an incredibly addictive dish, especially when paired with the bakery’s lightly toasted salt bread.

Our personal favourite is the grilled peach shokupan — a sweet treat with cinnamon honey toast, custard, mascarpone, and peach jam — a riff off the traditional Japanese milk bread. The dessert is paired with a grilled white peach and various nuts that give a good crunch. We liked that it satisfied our sweet-tooth, without being overly cloying. The grilled peach added fruity and refreshing notes.

The Flour Department has also dressed the sweet treat with an array of flowers, sourced locally from Pocket Greens Urban Farm, for that “garden-to-table” touch. And yes, they are edible!

Fan-favourite drinks

During our visit, we also tried the cafe’s fan-favourite beverages. In particular, the Pure Pistachio latte (S$8), which has undergone some tweaks.

The drink is now less sweet, allowing the freshly made pistachio paste and roasted pistachios to shine through. You’ll enjoy this if you enjoy the fragrant taste of fresh pistachios on its own. Despite its looks and milk-base, it’s not as creamy, rich or decadent as you might expect.

The earl grey strawberry tea (S$6) is light, refreshing and cleanses the palate well. If that doesn’t strike your fancy, you can also check out its honey chrysanthemum (S$6) and the lychee rose latte (S$7).

Longtime fans of The Flour Department’s viral bagels will be pleased to know that the tomato curry katsu (S$15), matcha strawberry mochi (S$13) and the black sesame tangyuan (S$13) bagels are still on the menu. 

The Flour Department has plans to create seasonal bagels post re-launch – which means we can look forward to more surprises soon! 

This was a hosted tasting. 

For more sweet treats, read about the best bingsu places in Singapore or check out the sisters behind Butter Town for Japanese-inspired shio pan rolls. Alternatively, check out the newest openings in Singapore. 

You can also book a ride to The Flour Department to try its new floral themed menu.

Do explore the GrabFood Dine-in service for awesome deals.