Such a variety of goodness housed under the same roof of Levure Naturelle, sitting on rows and rows of shelves, each in different shades of colour, screaming “pick me, eat me!” Levure Naturelle’s breads are a treasure chest of gems — slice any in half and watch as the filling oozes out. Though common-looking in the outside, there is so much more to savour inside. In doing this review, I tried to focus on a favourite to share, but there were so many to choose from that it was simply impossible to settle on just one.
There’s no stopping at just one: (Clockwise: Top tray- matcha red bean, Belgian chocolate,chocolate cream cheese; Bottom tray- (Clockwise starting from the bagel-shaped one:) Oreo cream cheese, salted egg yolk, peanut butter, curry, chocolate)
The variety of breads Levure Naturelle offers caters to different groups of people too. Those who are more health conscious can try their wholemeal breads sprinkled with nuts and stuffed with beans or cranberries, or their red bean matcha bread. Being healthy does not mean depriving yourself, for even the healthier breads are generously filled. Those who simply wish to relish and live for the moment can go for their range of cream cheese breads which has flavours such as chocolate, coffee and even red velvet; or indulge in peanut butter or Belgian chocolate breads, both which are stuffed to the edges.
Pretty little gems on rows on shelves!
The exterior has nothing much to shout about, but wait till you get inside!
The bread sent all my senses into a tizzy. The bread was aromatic, the generous fillings were a sight to behold, and biting into the bread was heaven itself — all soft and fluffy, the filling so very flavourful.
The red bean matcha bread for instance was soft and fragrant though no red bean paste was used. Their coffee cream cheese bread had a mild and pleasantly sweet coffee taste, complementing the thick slab of cream cheese which was smooth and creamy. Their Oreo cheese bread had more coffee taste than Oreo [Ed. did you rinse your mouth out after the previous sample?], but its mild coffee and cream cheese taste made me crave for more after every bite. Even their savoury teriyaki chicken bread was baked wonderfully, the chicken not drenched with teriyaki sauce, and hence is not sickeningly sweet, yet still retains that distinctive Japanese flavour. Their curry bun could have been more spicy, but I do like the fragrance of lemongrass infused within the curry filling. However, their salted egg yolk bun could have used more filling, and it wasn’t one of the better versions I’ve tasted before. In short, for most of their breads, though packed with filling, do not make consumers feel overwhelmed from eating too much. Rather, they makes us want even more! Most breads are also really soft and chewy, as though still fresh out of the oven.
No matter what buns you buy, all are generously filled. (Top: Chocolate bun; Bottom: Peanut butter bun)
Even the larger buns are packed full too! (Clockwise: matcha red bean, chocolate cream cheese, Belgian chocolate, Oreo cream cheese)
Though Levure Naturelle breads are quite pricey, the filling to bread ratio can easily be three times more than elsewhere, making their breads a good buy.
Their coffee cream cheese bread – with a thick slab of rich cream cheese in the middle
I recommend their coffee cream cheese bread and their mini Belgian chocolate bread due to their richness in taste. So for those who crave a one-time indulgence, either of these will leave an indelible memory! But then, after the first, the temptation to grab another is pretty strong.
A budget moment? I don’t really know about their other outlets, but the Holland Village one was selling 2 large buns for $7 (U.P. $4.50-$5 each), and 4 small buns for $5 or 5 small buns for $6 (U.P. $1.80 each) when I went there at around 7.30 pm.
Unfortunately, the outlet at Holland Village has closed since 31 March 2017. However, do not despair at the missed opportunities as another outlet is opening at Raffles Place MRT in April 2017! Hopefully, we’ll get to see some great Grand Opening promotion prices then.
Overall, I would really recommend trying their breads even at regular prices. The rich yet not overpowering taste of the fillings, the perfect bread to filling ratio, the satisfaction of sinking your teeth into the softness of the bread and filling, all make every cent spent worth it. I could list out more reasons why Levure Naturelle’s breads are exceedingly delicious and worthy of praise and money, but I would rather let you discover them by yourselves. So do try them out, and give your support to the upcoming new outlet at Raffles MRT!
Levure Naturelle:
Holland Village Branch: 200 Holland Ave, #B1-03/04 Singapore 278995 (inside Holland Village MRT)
Alexandra Retail Centre Branch: 460 Alexandra Road, #01-08 Alexandra Retail Centre, Singapore 119963
Downtown East Branch: Downtown East #02-337, Singapore 519599
Kallang Branch: 1 Stadium Place, #01-30, Singapore 397628 (inside Kallang Wave Mall)
Raffles Place Branch: 5 Raffles Place 048618 (COMING SOON)
The Supplementary Paper 