Former Odette pastry chef Louisa Lim opens Loulouca, a dessert destination on Ann Siang Hill

Fans of the immaculately-plated desserts at three-Michelin-starred restaurant Odette need not wait till the tail-end of a lengthy meal to sink their teeth into sweet treats. Louisa Lim, the erstwhile pastry chef of the acclaimed contemporary French restaurant has struck out on her own to start an all-day dessert atelier, Loulouca. It opens on July 29 at 6 Ann Siang Hill.

This marks the Singaporean chef’s maiden independent venture after she vacated the top pastry post at Odette in March. Lim received the Asia’s Best Pastry Chef award by UK-based hospitality ranking company, 50 Best in 2023.

The 20-seat Loulouca in the Chinatown district combines Lim’s background in French pastry-making with a focus on seasonal produce and a touch of Singaporean nostalgia that are showcased through plated desserts and cakes.

The restaurant also reflects the Le Cordon Bleu Paris graduate’s long-held ambition to build an entire dining experience around pastry.

“Creating desserts has always been where I feel most myself, and with Loulouca, I wanted to create a space where you weren’t waiting an entire night just to get to the sweetest point. Dessert is the main event,” Lim says. “My approach is to always create a dish that is delicate and balanced, but more importantly, is able to evoke an emotion, and drive home a feeling.”

A pâtisserie by day, a dessert restaurant by night

By day, Loulouca functions as a pâtisserie, serving a rotating selection of entremets and ice cream alongside coffee and tea. Individual and whole cakes are available for dine-in or takeaway.

Highlights include Loulouca, the atelier’s namesake cake and Lim’s interpretation of tiramisu. The concoction has Japanese buckwheat tea and Vanuatu vanilla layered with coffee praline, maple crèmeux, hazelnut biscuit and reconstructed pecan sablé.

Tropical Exotic draws inspiration from tropical fruit such as mango, passionfruit and pineapple, and pairs them with coconut and jasmine pearl tea flavours; and Matcha Kaya Pistachio is her take on Paris-Brest meets Mont Blanc.

Spotlight on seasonal fruit

Come evening, Lim serves her signature style of ethereal desserts. The tight à la carte menu of plated desserts is anchored by seasonal fruit.

Coinciding with the atelier’s opening is Shizuoka melon season, which takes centre stage in the all-green plated dessert. Shizuoka Melon showcases the sweet crown melon with Vanuatu vanilla mousse, lime and mint jelly, watercress and a rosette of mint ice cream, and is topped with melon carpaccio.

Strawberry pays homage to Lim’s years in Paris, spotting the seasonal Mara des Bois variety, paired with crème fraîche, lemon curd, strawberry compote, sorrel and yoghurt sorbet on a crisp gavotte shell.

Yamanashi Peach has peach compote with blackberries and blackberry yoghurt sorbet, Earl Grey chantilly, and slices of Yamanashi peaches housed in meringue and topped with a blushing pink layer of rose jelly.

Reinforcing Loulouca’s dual identity are its interiors designed by homegrown interior design firm Studio Rascal. Guests first enter through a pastry gallery and coffee counter before passing into a dining room where an open plating counter puts Lim and her all-female chef team at the centre of the experience. The intimate allows diners to watch each dessert being assembled and finished before it reaches the table.