“Why Spend $7 At An Atas Bakery?” Ex-Hotel Chef Sells $1.50 Madeleines & $2.50 Tarts At Hawker Stall

Trained in five-star hotel pastry kitchens

Cat In The Hat’s rapid success is quite a feat, considering that its owner had previously never dreamed of starting her own shop at all. After graduating from SHATEC in 2014 (she was a nurse previously but pivoted to F&B to pursue her passion in baking), Ellis worked exclusively in the central kitchens of five-star hotels like Mandarin Orchard Singapore (now Hilton Singapore Orchard) and Shangri-La Singapore as a chef de partie (station chef). There, she honed techniques for classic French pastries like lemon meringue tarts and financiers – items that are currently offered at her hawker stall.

Left stressful job to become a hawker

“It was stressful. Everything is fast-paced and the work is never-ending. Even if you stay there for 24 hours, you feel like the work is never done,” says the pastry chef, who used to work “from 10am to 11pm on most days''. The idea of starting a hawker stall appealed to her, so she applied for NEA’s Incubation Stall Programme, which helps aspiring hawkers to start a business. “Opening a hawker stall made sense because of the lower overheads. Rent is cheaper too,” she affirms.

Affordable French pastries

The lower start-up costs enable Ellis to sell her mostly French pastries at wallet-friendly prices. These range from $1.50 for a madeleine (a shell-shaped French sponge cake) to $4 for a mini carrot cake. What’s her motivation for creating an affordable menu?

“Because I don’t like spending a lot of money on something that you can easily make for less. Why spend $7 at an atas bakery?” was the reply from the pragmatic hawker. To keep prices low, Ellis offers pastries that are smaller than what’s found at your usual bakeries. “There’s a big office crowd here and I saw potential in selling affordable pastries that they can enjoy for tea time or meetings,” she continues.

The pastries are sold out daily

Her prediction was right. Cat In The Hat’s bite-sized baked goods have been selling out daily, though the humble hawker, who’s the sole baker, explains it’s because she “can’t bake a lot” at her tiny stall.

She makes about 80 tarts of each flavour daily, and around 40 portions each for the other pastries like cakes and scones. During our visit, the trays were all emptied by 1.30pm – two hours ahead of its official closing time. Most of the customers are workers from nearby offices.

Mum attends to customers 

Enjoying the hawker life

Doesn’t plan to open a full-fledged bakery

Unlike most pastry chefs, Ellis has no plans to open a bigger bakery or cafe someday. “If we were to expand to a bigger shop, the prices would have to increase. I don’t want that. My goal is to keep selling affordable French pastries,” she shares.

For now, she’s focused on expanding the menu. On the horizon: a pistachio tart, as well as gluten-free and vegan options that some customers have asked for.

Lemon Meringue Tart, $3 (8 DAYS Pick!)

The silky and sharp lemon curd sits on a sturdy shortcrust base and is topped with a sweet, though slightly grainy, meringue swirl. At only $3, the petite pastry holds its own, flavour-wise, when compared to what’s sold at upmarket cafes or bakeries. The petite size is perfect as a post-lunch dessert. We recommend chilling the tart for a few minutes before serving.

Chocolate Ganache Tart, $2.50 

Featuring 60 percent dark chocolate (“not Valrhona, or I’d have to charge $5,” quips the baker), the tart doesn’t boast the decadent richness and bitterness of fancier versions made with more expensive chocolate. That said, the faintly bitter ganache is smooth and thick, and chocolatey enough to hit the spot as a wallet-friendly treat.

Roasted Pecan Tart, $2.80

The crunchy texture and warm flavour of toasted pecans crossed with the slight gooeyness of a candy bar. A lovely, nutty dessert.

Carrot Walnut Cake (April Special), $4 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Shaped like a mini bundt, this moist and not-too-dense carrot cake is generously studded with chopped walnuts and finished with smooth cream cheese frosting. Drop by before the month ends to try this seasonal item – we hope the baker adds this wholesome and yummy confection to her permanent menu.

Coffee Pecan Financier (April Special), $3

The roasted pecan brings an earthy, nutty flair to the buttery French cake. Pretty good, but we wish the coffee flavour was a little more concentrated. This would pair really well with a caffe latte or cup of tea.

Cranberry Scone, $2.50 (8 DAYS Pick!)

Bottom line

Because of the more affordable ingredients used, the patisserie-style confections here may not be as polished as what you’ll find at higher-end joints — but they still mostly hit the spot when you’re on a budget and craving European pastries. The lemon meringue tart and carrot cake, in particular, are tasty treats we’d be back for. Visit in the morning to beat the lunchtime throng.

The details

Cat In The Hat is at #01-106 Golden Mile Food Centre, 505 Beach Rd, S199583. Open daily except Mon, 10.30am–3.30pm (or till sold out). More info via Instagram & TikTok.

Photos: Alvin Teo

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