Combining both retail and F&B, Bynd Artisan + Sunday Folks ION Experience Store is a collaboration between two craftsmen brands, the former in bookbinding and leather crafting, the latter in artisanal ice cream and desserts.
The concept of combining 2 different retail and F&B brands somewhat reminds me of In Good Company which also shares the same space with Plain Vanilla Bakery at ION Orchard.
Bynd Artisan had undergone a revamp at this existing location, right next to JUMBO Seafood and The Marmalade Pantry.
It has rebranded as the ION Experience Store with Sunday Folks on board.
The entire space uses an earthly-coloured tone with shades of white, brown and gold, incorporated with wooden elements and equipped with terrazzo table tops.
Here, Bynd Artisan occupies the front section of the shop, where shoppers can customise their own handmade leather and paper gifts such as card holders, luggage tags, notebook, passport cover and book jacket.
Occasionally, there will also be crafting workshops conducted.
Sunday Folks, on the other hand, occupies the rear section of the store, offering 11 seats for dine-in customers.
Patrons who are familiar with their branch at Chip Bee Garden will notice that the menu is completely different, entirely exclusive to this outlet.
Primarily focusing on their artisanal in-house ice cream, signature items are in the form of Ice Cream Parfaits ($16) and Ice Cream Petits Gateaux ($12 – $14).
Fans of Sunday Folks will be quick to notice that the brand offers Soft Serve at Chip Bee Garden whereas this outlet offers ice cream instead, which resembles more of their sister brand – Creamier.
3 different Ice Cream Parfaits ($16) can be found, namely Genmaicha Yuzu, Earl Grey Butterscotch and Rum Raisins & Apple.
Each item is served on place mats made from recycled food pulp papers by Bynd Artisan, with random inspirational quotes written on it.
The Earl Grey Butterscotch Ice Cream Parfait ($16) looks the “most-instagrammable” due to the colours, with 2 scoops of Earl Grey Lavender and Butterscotch Almond Ice Cream that created an earthly yet aromatic tea profile.
The texture of the ice cream is smooth and creamy with bits of crispy crumbles and crunchy toasted almond, in contrast to the soft and pulpy strawberry compote.
The Genmaicha Yuzu Ice Cream Parfait ($16) is more refreshing with the incorporation of lemon yuzu sorbet in addition to genmaicha ice cream.
The aroma is also distinctive with the addition of crunchy nori popcorn whereas the matcha curd adds more depth to the flavour.
What I enjoyed is the yuzu konnyaku and candied lemon peel, adding refreshing and citrus notes to it.
3 Ice Cream Petits Gateaux are currently offered on the display shelf, namely Ete ($12) using blackcurrant ice cream, Pavlova ($12) using mango passionfruit sorbet and Marrakesh ($14) with roasted pistachio ice cream.
A mini hourglass is served alongside the Ice Cream Petits Gateaux, which has a 5 minutes countdown timer that indicates the optimum thawing duration (and for photo-taking) for ideal consumption.
The Ete ($12) is essentially an “ice cream cake” with a layer of blackcurrant ice cream coated with lemon mousse, sandwiched between the vanilla sponge.
Dollops of Italian meringue, fresh blueberries, white chocolate and edible gold are added as finishing touches.
The candied lemon strip was the highlight, adding a chewy texture with a sweet and citrus touch to it.
The components from the lemon mousse to the blackcurrant ice cream and candied lemon strips were light and refreshing, perfect as an after-meal dessert.
The Ice Cream of Sunday Folks ($17) are packed in takeaway tubs with ice cream and toppings added in each layer.
Customers can keep a look out for the 3 Classic flavours: Honey Lemon Yuzu sorbet, Rum & Raisins and Butterscotch Almond, and ION exclusive seasonal flavours: Genmaicha with Candied Lemon & Nori Popcorn and Earl Grey Lavender with Toasted Almond Thins, all are used in their Ice Cream Parfaits.
Other Artisanal Pints include Strawberry Milk with Meringue, Festive Ferrero Rocky Road, Raspberry Rose & Lychee and Genmaicha and Matcha Mascarpone.
Non-ice cream desserts are offered here, available in Sliced Cakes ($9) of 2 different flavours – Rich Cognac Chocolate Ganache Cake and Lemon Lavender Cake.
Using a 2-beans Speakeasy Blend (Brazil and Rwanda) roasted by Liberty Coffee for their espresso-based drinks, the usual selection of Espresso ($4.50), Black ($5), White ($6), Piccolo ($5.50), Mocha ($6.50) can be found.
My cup of Flat White ($6) is medium- bodied, smooth with distinctive dark chocolate and nutty notes.
Their Filtered Coffee ($8.50) uses beans from Peru and Guatemala roasted by PPP Coffee, employing the V60 drip method.
Specially-designed leather sleeve by Bynd Artisan is used for the filtered coffee served in glass carafes, set on top of wooden coasters imprinted with Sunday Folks’ logo.
More than just soft serve and waffles, Sunday Folks has continued to innovate and change their menu to offer more refined artisanal desserts.
Bynd Artisan + Sunday Folks ION Experience Store
ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, #04-11, Singapore 238801
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
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* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
