Nestled in the one of the hippest gastronomic enclaves in Singapore, Tiann’s Bakery stands out as unusual due to its gluten-free and sugar-free offerings. The café along Seng Poh Road has an uncluttered minimalist interior, which resonates with the sensibilities of its clean-eating menu. Patrons can enjoy an abundance of natural light that enters the café thought its glass ceiling. Over the weekends, it is hard to find seating at the café without first making a reservation. The café draws a health-conscious crowd eager to sample the inclusive menu free of gluten.
The popular opinion is that food governed by healthy virtues is not very tasty. This is not the reality at Tiann’s. The dessert menu is surprisingly delicious. The waffles are light and fluffy, which is an amazing feat since no wheat flour is used. A variety of attractive pastries are displayed on the counter and taste as good as they look. Among the gelato display, the chocolate sorbet stood out embodying a luscious texture despite the absence of dairy. The desserts are testament to the fact that gluten-free and sugar-free recipes can be just as indulgent as its traditionally made counterparts. Not forgetting the carefully prepared savoury menu that keep customers coming back.
The founder of Tiann’s is Ng Tse Tiann who helms the café’s operation and is also responsible for its imaginative menu. The banker turned F&B business owner says that since young, she had always known that she wanted to make food. In her later 20’s, Tse Tiann left her high paying job to do just that. Perhaps it was the stress of her job that inflicted a toil on her health that by the time she left the finance industry, she was suffering from egg, dairy, and gluten allergies. It was only reasonable that she researched and experimented with recipes to re-create food she enjoyed without the use of these allergens. Her health responded positively to the diet overhaul. As she self-prepared her meals and paid attention to only using whole foods, her intolerances improved. Additionally, she witnessed weight loss without having to restrict calories.
It was then that Tse Tiann became inspired to launch a health-centric café. The space has allowed her to express her creativity in food. She is also adamant about sticking to her food principles, which is to create every item on the menu using sustainably sourced, anti-inflammatory ingredients. For example, Tse Tiann uses only grass-fed butter in her recipes. Other types of fat she uses are nourishing oils such as olive oil and coconut oil. Flours include almond flour and brown rice flour. She does not use refined sugar to sweeten her offerings. Instead, she uses dates, maple syrup and honey. This increases the cost of making her food by x20 times. The result is tasty, nutrient dense meals for her customers.
Asked about her expansion plans, Tse Tiann says that she wants to partner with grocers to distribute her packaged food products around the island.
