Edible Helium Balloons Are Coming To Central Perk So You And Your F.R.I.E.N.D.S Can All Sound Like Chipmunks

If you’ve had any kind of childhood at all, there’s one thing you’d probably have done as a kid: breathe helium from a balloon and tried talking after it. Whether you have done it yourself or watched someone else do it on YouTube, it’s ALWAYS hilarious.

For those of you who’ve never had this sacred childhood experience, now you can with EDIBLE Helium Balloons. Yep, that’s helium balloons are not only safe, but delicious to eat.

This latest addition to the menu at Singapore’s own FRIENDS-themed cafe, Central Perk, was inspired by a dish at 3 Michelin starred ‘Alinea’ in Chicago. The brainchild of one of its co-owners, Grant Achatz, it’s been touted as one of the coolest desserts in America!

This would be its first ever appearance in Asia.

[caption id="attachment_24415" align="aligncenter" width="694"] The Edible Helium Balloon was created by the co-owner of a 3 Michelin starred restaurant in Chicago, ‘Alinea’[/caption]

As with most of Central Perk’s food and drink offerings, every dish has a FRIENDS-related story behind it. This dessert draws inspiration from this particular episode of the beloved sitcom:

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtA4jNrKVSQ[/embed]

Coming in 3 flavours–strawberry (red), banana (yellow) and blueberry (blue)–these edible balloons each come attached to a chocolate stick.

So, how do I eat this? Simply put your mouth to the balloon and suck in the helium! Talk, laugh, sing, do whatever you want with your newfound chipmunk voices! You’re sure to have a blast with your friends.

We headed down to Central Perk to have a taste of their newest dessert. Here’s a sneak peek!

[caption id="attachment_24836" align="alignnone" width="750"] Jessie trying out the edible helium balloon[/caption]

Our ambassador, Jessie, had a few turns at the bubble-like dessert. Bringing back memories of the plastic bubbles we used to blow, pop and play with as kids, we found that this dessert was a lot more delicate.

https://youtu.be/k6oMofTzins

The effects of the helium didn’t last very long, just 3-5 seconds before leaving us with sticky, sweet remnants. We were also served a deconstructed Nutella cake along with the helium balloon.

[caption id="attachment_24837" align="alignnone" width="750"] Deconstructed nutella flavoured cake[/caption]

Bite-sized Nutella cake served atop a scoop of frozen yoghurt and chocolate syrup – we were disappointed to find that the Nutella cake hardly tasted of Nutella. Instead, it tasted like your regular chocolate cake, although we were surprised to find that the frozen yoghurt gave the dessert a kick of tartness.

In every other bite we took, we found tiny sticky pieces of candy which gave the dessert a surprising element!

This fun, wacky dessert will be available from the 2nd week of April onwards, although prices are currently unavailable. Do watch this space for more information!

Central Perk Cafe
Address: 1 Magazine Road, Central Mall #01-01, S059567
Contact no.: 9025 2524
We Got A Sneak Peak Into The Highly Anticipated Central Perk Singapore – And “OH MY GOD!”

OH. MY. GAWD! A F.R.I.E.N.D.S – Themed Cafe Is Opening In Singapore!

If you grew up watching re-runs of the popular sitcom FRIENDS, you might have heard news of a Central Perk opening its doors on our sunny island! As an avid FRIENDS enthusiast myself (I have VCDs to prove it. Yes, VCDs.), I was a tad skeptical when I first saw the crowdfunding project on Indiegogo.

team
(image credit: CentralPerkSG)

The One With The Owner

Let’s be honest a lot of spinoffs and fan-made projects rarely pan out ( I have yet to see a FRIENDS movie, even after 12 years of waiting!) so when I chanced upon a “Central Perk SG Friends Themed Cafe” it attracted my attention but I didn’t have much hope it would pan out.

And boy am I glad I was wrong, theCentral Perk SG Facebook page has more than 16,000 likes (obviously there are MANY FRIENDS fans here in Singapore)!

Lim Jit Min (like a lot of us), fell in love with FRIENDS back when he was a student in Anglo-Chinese School. He says that he saw Central Perk SG as a place when friends could gather and reminisce about the popular show.

place-2 (image credit: CentralPerkSG)

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(image credit: CentralPerkSG)

The One with Central Perk

What we really want to know is what does Central Perk SG look like? Lim Jit Min is bringing in the trademark aspects of the show and original cafe to Central Perk SG. Look out for the coffee bar, the Central Perk logo, a recreation of Monica’s kitchen, Pat the Dog and of course not forgetting the trademark orange couch!

Lim Jit Min, brought the aspect of FRIENDS to the menu as well; cheesecake from Little Mama’s bakery and the “Moist Maker” are just some examples of just how much Lim Jit Min is tying the FRIENDS concept to his themed cafe. If you’re keen on bringing something back to remember your time spent here, get your hands on caps, apparel and mugs printed with FRIENDS quotes!


(GIF credit: https://www.facebook.com/centralperksingapore/

In the meantime, why not re-watch the whole 10 seasons again!?

(Feature image: NBC )

Also Read: South East Asia’s First Pompompurin Cafe Is Coming to Singapore this April!