Le Bon Marche in Tiong Bahru is a great place to go for quality biscuits, chocolate, jams and juices.

Its smoked salmon is fantastic too, and you can even get burrata cheese from Italy and tender mache lettuce leaves from France.

Owner Stephane Herve, 37, a chef, is now offering gourmet takeaway food, and one of the first offerings is an Earl Grey creme brulee.

Chunks of pears poached in an Earl Grey tea-flavoured liquid are topped with a delicate custard. A light sprinkling of sugar on top is blowtorched to make the thin, crackly, burnt sugar topping.

I love the silky smooth custard and the surprising chunks of pear at the bottom.

This is a great dessert to order when you have friends over for dinner. Nobody will know you didn't make it yourself.

Earl Grey creme brulee, $5.80 for a 200g serving,
from Le Bon Marche, 01-41, 78 Guan Chuan Street,
Tel: 6226-3269.
Opening hours: 10am to 7.30pm (Monday to Saturday), closed on Sunday.