NestCha: Delicious yam floss mochi cakes + bird’s nest fruit tea at Chinese dessert shop

While I love Western desserts as much as everyone else, modern Chinese desserts hold a special place in my heart. I’m talking about desserts that incorporate seemingly unorthodox ingredients like chicken floss, taro, wine and mochi, and NestCha is a humble dessert shop that has always satisfied my cravings.

NestCha first started out as a small takeaway store in the basement of Chinatown Point in 2021, and initially sold mainly bird’s nest products, hence the name of the store. Afterwards, the owner of NestCha decided to start incorporating the bird’s nest into trendy fruit and bubble teas, and in late 2021, NestCha opened its very own cafe along the bustling streets of Haji Lane.

I have been a big fan of NestCha’s desserts ever since their conception in Chinatown Point, so I was excited to visit their cafe and try their expanded range of products. The quaint space functioned well as a takeaway spot, with a few limited but comfortable seats for customers to dine-in.

What I tried at NestCha

We first tried NestCha’s boxed cakes, starting with the Sea Salt Soya Mochi Cake (S$9.90), made with soft cake and dollops of salt soya milk cream. A stick of stretchy mochi sat atop the cake.

The Sea Salt Soya Mochi Cake had the delicate taste of soy milk, and a hint of saltiness that complemented the mild sweetness of the cake. This was my dining companion’s favourite of the three box cakes we tried, and I enjoyed how light it was on the palate.

The mochi on top had a delightfully soft and chewy texture, but I would have preferred if it had been sandwiched between the cake layers instead for a more even dispersion throughout the whole cake.

My personal favourite of the boxed cakes was the Yam Chicken Floss Mochi Cake (S$9.90), containing yam cream, chicken floss, seaweed and mochi. The yam was smooth and had a natural, earthy taste, while the chicken floss added a unique savoury element to the sweet cake, making it stand out even more.

If you are a lover of taro, this cake is most definitely a must-try. Similarly to the Sea Salt Soya Mochi Cake, I would have preferred for the mochi to be more evenly spread throughout the cake, but in terms of presentation, the Yam Chicken Floss Mochi Cake was stunning.

NestCha’s Tiramisu (S$12.90) came in a rectangular shape, compared to the square-shaped mochi box cakes, and contained alcohol.

The coffee aroma was distinct and strong, with a bitter yet aromatic profile. I could also taste the alcohol within the Tiramisu, which gave it a sharper and more flavourful, full-bodied taste.

Lovers of more intense and rich tiramisu cakes will definitely enjoy NestCha’s take on the popular dessert.

Next, we had the Chicken Floss Lava Cake (S$8.50 for two pieces). Each cake came with soft chiffon cake sandwiching a layer of salt soya milk cream, topped with chicken floss, seaweed and sesame seeds.

The cake was incredibly soft and fluffy, while the salt soya milk cream was light yet flavourful, providing a salty and creamy element to the cake. The chicken floss was the highlight, as it was bursting with a savoury, umami flavour, which complemented the sweetness of the other elements perfectly.

Both my dining companion and I unanimously agreed that this was our favourite of all the items we tried at NestCha!

I thoroughly enjoyed NestCha’s mochi box cakes, so naturally, I was looking forward to trying their assortment of handmade mochi. We got the Black Sesame Mochi (S$3.50) and the Yam Chicken Floss Mochi (S$4.20).

Each mochi was super soft and delicate, with a delightfully chewy texture. I loved the sweet and savoury combination of the Yam Chicken Floss Mochi, though I thought that it could have used more yam filling.

The Black Sesame Mochi, on the other hand, had a light nutty fragrance. Personally, I found that the skin of both mochis were a bit too thick, and that there could have been a greater ratio of filling to mochi. Despite that, both mochis had amazing textures and flavours.

Who could leave NestCha without trying their colourful drinks? The Watermelon Camellia Tea (S$5.90) was very refreshing and surprisingly not too sweet. It tasted just like a fresh and juicy watermelon!

The Pineapple Phoenix Tea (S$5.90), meanwhile, had a more piquant and citrus-y taste. There were little bits of pineapples within the drink, and like the Watermelon Camellia Tea, it was the perfect drink to cool down on a hot day.

Finally, we ended off with one of NestCha’s titular bird’s nest drinks, the Papaya Peach Gum Bird’s Nest (S$12.90). The drink had a rich, milky taste, with bits of gelatinous bird’s nest, chewy peach gum and chunks of papaya within it.

I found that the papaya taste wasn’t very strong, and I would have preferred if the chunks had been pureed instead, for it to be more drinkable. I enjoyed the creaminess of the drink, and was left feeling satisfied.

Final thoughts

NestCha stands out from other dessert shops due to its unique offerings and creative flavours. With refreshing drinks and a large assortment of delicious desserts, NestCha continues to remain as one of my favourite dessert spots in Singapore, and I do look forward to seeing what other innovative products they come up with!

Expected damage: S$8.50 – S$20 per pax

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