CMCO takeaway: So who has the best apple strudel in the Klang Valley?

KLANG, April 16 — For 30 years, Fruity Bakery & Cafe in Klang has held the crown for the best apple strudel. Their Apple Talk strudel is said to be based on a recipe from Perth, Australia.

When they announced a collaboration with H Floriste at Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur for their strudel, it was welcomed by many. This meant cheaper delivery costs since the pre-order for your strudel can be collected from the Kuala Lumpur location.

However, newcomer Strudels Bakery House — also in Klang — may now hold that title with its ultra flaky apple strudel. Started just a few months ago by a baker with 30 years' experience, it's so new that there's no signboard for the place. They also offer a strawberry strudel which is filled with fresh strawberries.

Fruity Bakery & Cafe may be cheaper at RM28.60 but it disappoints with its under baked puff pastry bottom layer.

The proof, of course, is in the eating.

I ordered apple strudel from both places to test them out. As they both also offer cream horns, I also added that to the order.

Based on the famous Corica Pastries in Perth, the strudel is constructed with two layers of puff pastry. Sandwiched in between those flaky layers is diced, cooked apples, custard and whipped cream.

Strudel Bakery House has light, ethereal like crispy puff pastry layers that you cannot stop eating.

In terms of length, both strudels measure 34 centimetres. Even the size of the box is identical.

For Fruity Bakery & Cafe, their puff pastry layers seem a little inconsistent. For the bottom layer, some parts were undercooked making it hard to even cut through with a fork.

For Fruity Bakery & Cafe, their top layer just tops the filling of apples, whipped cream and custard.

This made it difficult to even eat a slice on your plate. For the top layer, it barely covers the fillings, leaving it slightly uncovered on top when viewed from the side.

For the custard, this is piped in an uneven line for the whole length of the strudel. There's a generous dollop of whipped cream piped on top of the apple filling. The diced apples are lightly cooked as they still maintain their crunchiness. However there's a slight tanginess to the apples.

For Strudel Bakery House, their puff pastry layers have a light flakiness with a slight golden crunch. When you cut through the strudel with a sharp knife, you can feel the crispy layers. The top layer sufficiently covers the fillings too. For the bottom layer, it has a golden crispiness.

The top puff pastry layer for Strudel Bakery House covers the strudel properly.

Similarly, they have custard piped in a straight line the whole length of the strudel. For the whipped cream, there's less used as the cream is piped in loops over the apple filling. You will also find the apples are cooked down more until they become softer and sweeter.

In conclusion, I felt the Strudel Bakery House version was much better since the puff pastry layers were light, flaky and crispy. The fillings were well balanced too and the apple filling had a slight sweet taste. However, Strudel Bakery House is priced at RM35 compared to Fruity Bakery & Cafe's Apple Talk strudel which is RM28.60.

Strudel Bakery House's cream horns has a crunchier pastry studded with coarse sugar.

I reckon my next purchase will be their strawberry strudel for RM43 which is served with fresh strawberries.

For the cream horns, both bakeries had their plus points. Fruity Bakery & Cafe's cream horns are a little smaller but I felt the ratio of pastry to the cream was much better. Each cream horn is RM3.70 each. There is also no minimum order.

Fruity Bakery & Cafe's cream horns has a better ratio of pastry with custard.

Strudel Bakery House's cream horns are sold in a box of five pieces for RM23. You can also have various flavours such as chocolate, blueberry or passion fruit for RM26. The cream horns' pastry is flaky with a slight crunchy texture, thanks to a sprinkle of coarse sugar. Even though the pastry was nice, I felt there was less custard piped inside which made them less appealing.

For transportation, Strudel Bakery House can arrange for delivery to places in Kuala Lumpur using Lalamove where you will be charged accordingly.

If you order four items, delivery within the Kuala Lumpur area is free of charge. For the Klang area, to qualify for the free delivery, you need to purchase at least two items. If you live in Subang Jaya, Shah Alam or Petaling Jaya, a minimum order of three items is required to qualify for the free delivery charges.

Strudel Bakery House sells their cream horns in a box of five pieces. They also offer different flavours such as chocolate, blueberry and passion fruit (left). You can buy just one or two cream horns at Fruity Bakery & Cafe from their Klang outlet (right).

Orders for the strudel and cream horns for Strudel Bakery House must be placed at least one day in advance.

Strudel Bakery House, 19, Jalan Bayu Tinggi 6 , Taman Bayu Tinggi, Klang. Open: 9am to 7pm. You can WhatsApp 014-9822338 to order. Website: http://www.strudelbakeryhouse.com Facebook: @strudelbakeryhouse

Fruity Bakery & Cafe, 107, Lebuh Turi, Off Persiaran Raja Muda Musa, Taman Chi Liung, Klang. Open: 10am to 9pm. You can WhatsApp 018-2255090 to order. Facebook: @fruity.bakery.cafe