The new NYDC -- Fresh face, old faves

I admit that I have fond memories of the old NYDC (short for New York Dessert Cafe), with its kitschy bright decor and signature square menus (which will undoubtedly become collectors' items before long). More importantly, we remember the ridiculously sinful but good mudpies and giant-sized Elephanccino drinks, which were essentially a super-sized double-shot cappuccino served either hot or chilled. And of course there were the crayons on the tables for doodling on the table papers. 

Ah, those were the good ol' days. 

But after 15 years in the business, the look was admittedly getting a little tired. So when the Singapore-based SUTL group took over the chain of cafes, they undertook to refresh and update the entire operation. The first to come under the construction hammer was the Wheelock Place branch, which was completely re-designed and re-opened just recently. I went to visit the new place and have to say I came away with mixed reactions.

New addition -- the Beef & Chili.

The New York kid's all grown up now

The interior design's now a lot edgier and funkier, with pop art displays and New York-esque features like street signs, big red subway beams, black chandeliers and new mod furniture. Gone are the kiddish teddy bears which used to adorn the place and kindergarten art that hung on the walls. It's all a lot more "30 Rock" and a lot less "Friends", if you catch our drift. The uniforms have also been updated with a nice gray, black and red swirl pattern that oddly reminds us of barber shops, but thankfully the service remains super-attentive, casual and friendly.

The old menu's more or less intact, retaining the old classics like the mudpies, Elephanccino drinks and the whole range of Western comfort foods like salads, pizzas, pastas and baked rice. It also includes 27 new creations such as the chef's salad (S$13.50), the beef and chili (S$11.50), and bigger thin crust pizzas which have been up-sized to ten inches from the original seven. New flavors in the latter are "Meat me up" (S$16.50; beef pepperoni, onions, garlic bratwurst sausage and bacon bits) and "Hot chick" (S$14.95; chicken breast with garlic sauce with onions and cut red chillies). Other new mains include the chicken creamolata (S$13.95) and Italian ham carbonara (S$15.50). The oven must have been on hyper-drive the day I visited, as most of the baked items we tried were dry from being cooked too long.

The classics' all there still

But fear not, the mudpies are as good as ever, with the Cookie monster, Jedi mudster and "Grandma goes nuts, seriously!," all priced at S$10.95 still. Within the list of signature Elephanccino drinks, there are now also new concoctions such as the cinnamon truffle coffee Elephanccino, banana coffee Elephanccino and Berry dark mocha Elephanccino (my favorite). 

The NYDC branches at Holland Village and Bugis Junction are currently undergoing the same re-branding renovation exercise, and will be fully completed by the end of this year. According to the SUTL group, there are also plans to roll out three or four new outlets within 2010, and another 12 outlets within the next three years.

All we hope to see is a revival of the big square menus. Or maybe we're just suffering from a bout of nostalgia.

getting there

NYDC Wheelock Place
501 Orchard Road, #02-19 Wheelock Place, Singapore
tel +65 6736 3253
Open 11.30am to 10.30pm Sunday to Thursday, and from 11.30am to 11pm on Friday, Saturday and public holidays
www.nydc.com.sg