Decided to stop by on a rainy day to finally see what's all the buzz/hype about Naisnow since there weren't too many people inside when I took a peek from the windows outside. My initial thought when seeing only several people in there, "mhm yes ~ perfect timing to check it out today!"
Pushed through the heavy glass doors and stepped in. There're two floors in total, the lower floor to get the scrumptious goodies and seating/tables on the upper floor. Ambience wise is pretty much based off a signature light lime green concept which is supposed to represent "being healthy" and "plant involved ingredients."
All the baked treats are contained in a glass display case with a warm light above to highlight the best side/angles of their sweet and savory tarts. This marketing technique is definitely effective as it would drive customers to have a higher chance of buying a tart or two and making the golden flaky crusts look more mouthwatering under the light.
The ordering process wasn't too bad with only a mom and four kids in front of me. Shortly afterwards, it was my turn to place my order. I decided on the Bacon Potato Salad Tart and originally the Super Whole Lemon Tea. But then, I was informed by the cashier that I couldn't get no ice for that drink.
So, I asked which drinks I could get that didn't have ice. Staff replied that only the Super Orange Jasmine Tea under Fresh Fruit Teas & the other 4 drink options under Light Milk Tea that won't have ice. Opted for the Super Orange Jasmine Tea instead in the end.
Paid in cash but you can also pay with credit/debit card. Staff didn't have any smile (just a poker face expression). Not even a fake smile of any kind. He wasn't rude but I could tell he didn't wanna be there. Anyway, I waited about 5-10 mins and glanced at the LED screen from time to time to see when my order # would be called (trying to see if my order was ready yet).
Got my orange tea drink placed in a single cardboard drink holder to be secured and made sure that it won't spill/topple over. There was a plastic straw in green paper wrapper. The tart was placed inside a brown paper bag with a see-through opening. Everything was placed neatly inside the green reusable bag.
Took my order upstairs and hopefully would be able to find somewhere to sit down. Luckily for me, I found an empty table towards the front of the seating area. However, I was somewhat disgusted by the few long hair strands + pastry crumbs + a smear of dried matcha paste stuck/left all over the dirty table from the previous customer as soon as I had sat down.
So, you can see that the employees don't really care about the cleanliness of its seating area upstairs since nothing gets cleaned/wiped down especially not the tables. Fine, whatever. I quickly used a napkin in my hand to tidy up the mess. Started taking everything out from the green reusable bag. Sure glad I did, otherwise I would've never noticed and just left with the wrong thing.
Found out that the staff had given me the wrong tart. The paper bag somehow felt really light in weight before turning over to see that it was the signature caramel flavor instead of the bacon potato salad tart. Went downstairs again by the pickup section informing one of the staff that I didn't get the savory tart.
Showed my order on the receipt as proof and gave the caramel egg tart back to the staff. He quickly said "sorry about that" then proceeded to exchange with me for the correct tart right away. Went back upstairs and my table was still empty. Made myself comfy and settled in.
Took a sip of the Super Orange first and it was refreshing indeed w/o any ice and only 25% sugar. Can't imagine how many sips I would even get out of it...had it been filled with the "less ice" option, since you know that "less ice" is never truly "less ice" in reality either. More like half a cup of ice. Plus, the fruity tea had few slices of lemon, orange, and lime.
But, that's the main reason why I would often opt for the no ice version if I could help it. It's poured inside a sturdy plastic cup. Just the right amount of sweetness with the 25% sugar + refreshing feeling from the citrus slices. The fragrant jasmine tea taste was clearly visible in the entire drink itself. (4/5 - $6.90)
The Bacon Potato Salad Tart was stored in a disposable cardboard container. Now, this was how the savory tart should've weighted....heavy in my hand. My long lost tart...the symmetrical-looking golden pastry with its flaky crust! Normally, I don't go for flaky pastries of any kind so hopefully this better be above average for the money spent = worthwhile.
The texture of the potato bits resting on the tart with just the right amount of seasoning. The chewy consistency of mozzarella cheese melting in my mouth. The tart was warm & not "straight out of the oven hot." (4/5 - $4.50) read more