we find ourselves, quite regularly these days, at azuma patisserie in the belly of regent place in the city. a $2.50 takeaway cup of maccha froyo — light, milky and above all, surprisingly tangy — is just the antidote to being a little bit sticky and rumpled after walking about the muggy city. or the perfect dessert after any manner of chinatown dinner. it tastes so healthy! (although i’m sure, despite all its benefits handwritten on the chalkboard menu, it is only deceptively so.)

one evening we ate in, and put together a dessert degustation of our own. a twist of frozen yoghurt, a pair of macarons — blackcurrant and pistachio (somewhat sweeter and soggier than they needed to be), and a mini maccha ganache tart. within the sturdy tart shell, the rich and intensely green filling (in flavour as well as colour) had a pleasing — almost diabolical — bitter twinge, but i am sorry to say the kid was completely happy to eat her entire half-share.

midweek just past, we sought refuge from the summertime out on the streets, but it turned out the cafe was even more stifling. the ovens, you see, disgorging an array of chiffon cakes. the maccha latte will just have to wait, perhaps for a freakishly unseasonable cold snap come january.

instead, i picked the white peach mousse with white wine jelly from the counter display. how the jelly glistened like shards of broken glass! it was a very grown-up dessert, with a surprising depth of flavour to the delicate jelly (and quite an alcoholic punch for this non-drinker) contrasting with the considerably milder, somewhat overly aerated peach mousse. at its heart was a hidden pocket of peach gel. it was pleasing all round.

the kid was similarly pleased (perhaps more so) with her eat-in cup of yoghurt, this time a mixed swirl of plain and green tea, with a topping of milk and white chocolate flakes. it cost a dollar more for the pretty ceramic cup (slightly larger than the takeaway tub), and then a dollar on top of that for the sprinkles, but i begrudge it nothing. next time, i might have to order one for myself.