Kyushu Pancake – Those pancakes are legit!

Kyushu Pancake Cafe

#01-08, Novena Regency, 275 Thomson Road, Novena Regency near Novena MRT

When it comes to authentic Japanese cafes, I have never been disappointed by any so far and Kyushu Pancake Cafe, hailing from Kyushu, is delightfully delectable and completely satisfying. They may not have a huge range of savoury items which are also pancake / waffle centric, the sweets though are the ones to look out for I reckon. Their forte, if their name has already not suggested, is obviously the pancakes that has the perfected texture, soft, fluffy yet contains a lower quotient of butter as compared to those from the famous Clinton Street Bakery, making it less queasy than the usual American style.

Classic Salad with Chicken – Refreshing luscious greens, made savoury with that thick sesame flavoured wafu sauce. $9.50.

Karaage Chicken waffle with Special sauce and honey – Unlike its American counterpart, the Texas Chicken Waffle, the Japanese savoury coating over this huge slab of chicken gave it a huge Asian twist and definitely didn’t clash with that slightly sweeter tasting thick solid waffle that is evidently prepared from some quality batter. $19.

Managed to convince the buddy for a Matcha Tiramisu instead of a toast as one could have imagined how perfect that combination of creamy brown sugar Mascarpone cheese would have been with those fluffy pancakes underneath. Smothered by that thick creamy layer, just like what I have hoped for, sprinkled with the matcha powder, this dessert is completed beautifully with the creamy Vanilla ice cream and Matcha sauce. Around $18.

I earnestly felt credits have to be given to them as these pancakes were not made just from any wheat flour, instead it is a combination of specially selected wheat from the different prefectures in Japan, as what is described in their website; a mix which is totally befitting as “one that brings you the natural taste, free of emulsifier, artificial fragrance, additives or processed starch”.

Verdict: An excellent cafe. 4.3/5.

 

Dulcet & Studio – Just like a typical Japanese cafe, quiet, classy and delicious!

Dulcet & Studio

Liang Court near Clarke Quay MRT

How excited we were when we thought this would be a great Japanese cafe, just like all the cafes that I have visited in the many Japan trips, with absolutely no disappointing ones (as yet). And indeed, the constant flow of Japanese patrons on a Sunday afternoon is testament to the quality of food over here at Dulcet & Studio. Italiano-Japanese fusion, just like what most Japanese cafes in Japan are doing, is the style undertaken by Dulcet as well and we love it.

Smoked salmon salad ($10.90) for the regular size – Thick cut salmon slices that give the fresh greens a coat of delicious omega 3 balm while the sesame dressing tossed with it gave it an extra edge.

Scallop Miso Cream Pasta ($16.50) – Miso cream, and we could already imagine how umami and thick the sauce would be while the springy mochi noodle pasta came as an even more exciting element on the plate as never have we encountered such perfectly textured pasta. A definite order for the chewy mochi lovers and we reckon its a huge twist from the usual ones with many exciting Japanese elements thrown into it.

Dulcet’s Beef Stew Rice ($20.40) – Uncannily felt like a Muji concept when this was served, with its super healthy looking multi grain rice neatly compacted by the side while the beef stew tasted wholesome, tender and the sauce reduced to the right thickness and concentration. Then again, I think the pasta is still my favourite out of the two – my weakness for mochi.

And time for the lovely desserts that Dulcet & Studio is really famous for. I bet every cake and patisserie on the shelf is spot on, starting off with the randomly chosen Lemon Yuzu Eclair $5.70. Slathered with a thick yuzu glaze topped with caramelised yuzu strands, this elcair has been piped fully with the decadent creamy yuzu custard, just of the right sourness, acidity yet still satisfying with that thickness and richness.

And the finale belongs to the Matcha swiss roll ($4.40) that has been widely raved by many as perhaps the best one in Sg. And indeed credit should be given to the intense matcha cream while the sponge was indubitably light, fluffy and moist.

That led to the purchase of a whole roll for $35 which intriguingly looks different from what was on the shelf. Both renditions were good, but I preferred the one with more intense cream!

Well, definitely this cafe deserves a revisit and I love the quietness of the cafe and the sizeable number of Japanese patrons around me.

Verdict: An excellent cafe. 4/5.

 

Dolce Tokyo – Japanese Italian cafe made right by a Sg chain

Dolce Tokyo

Bugis Junction at Bugis MRT

Having to wait for 2h for a simple lunch at the newly opened Clinton St Bakery just didn’t work for us, and we found ourselves dining more comfortably at the less crowded Dolce Tokyo with much better air conditioning. Without holding on to much expectations as it is a Japanese cafe from a Sg chain, we were gladly proved wrong with their pretty delicious mains actually!

 

 200g Prime ribeye – with whipped potato and wasabi mayo. After a pretty bad Rump Steak the night before at Jamie’s, I was contemplating real hard if I should risk getting disappointed again with my calories wasted or have my craving satisfied. Took a leap of faith, and it turned out to be surprisingly gratifying with its more flavoursome meat. Pretty tender and succulent, I reckon a few minutes could have been shaved off the grill to yield a better bite. The Wasabi Mayonnaise at the side was noteworthy with its unique creamy base that lifted the taste of the splendid grill while the luscious mash was perfectly lashed with the bitty gravy. $26. This was infinitely better than what I had at Jamie’s.

Half roasted chicken with potato mash. This chicken could have tasted better if it wasn’t left in the oven as long but the barbecue sauce it was glazed with was commendable. Thick, flavourfully herbal and adequate, this was a decent roast. $16.

And as S thought that I am too crazy to get another pasta for myself (I was still peckish then actually), I got the Just Pancakes for dessert instead. Fluffy and really pillowy soft, this was completed with the bitty sesame ice cream by the side. I like how the berries could be removed and $2 could be struck off the bill as they usually are more often than not for aesthetic purposes. $8.90.

Verdict: A good cafe.

Cafe & Meal Muji 無印良品 – Redefining simplicity

Cafe & Meal Muji 無印良品

Paragon #04-36 near Orchard MRT

 

 Finally, Muji cafe has landed in Singapore! Its debut cafe, located on the fourth floor of Paragon, has attracted a perpetual queue since its opening yesterday. Expectedly looking sleek, minimal but modern, this is one of the much better cafes that we could have hoped for in Sg! The menu, embodying Muji’s creed, is kept very simple and straightforward. You could get a three (2 cold and 1 hot) or four (2 cold and 2 hot) deli rice set at $12.90 or $16.90 respectively. Add $1 more and you could upgrade to the super healthy 10 grain rice. Looking all so delish, the choice was quite apparent while V went for the conservative one.

 

3-deli course – salad with shrimp, matcha caesar salad and saba mackerel. Not mindblowing, but uncomplicated and calming, this has definitely redefined simplicity. Exuberating with much vibrancy, I especially love the emphasis on colours by the Japanese which has been thoroughly exemplified by this set. The intense, lip-staining matcha latte sealed the deal with the signature wobbly pudding that has been permeated fully by the lightly sweet caramel. Sublime.

4-deli course – matcha caesar salad, vegetable omelette, black vinegar sweet and sour pork, chicken hamburger; accompanied with the zesty yuzu squash ($5.90) and the fluffy earl grey perfumed chiffon cake ($5.40). Yes indeed, the matcha caesar, tossed heavily with the pesto sauce mixed with some matcha flakes, is a first for me; very refreshing and daring combination I reckon.

While I was particularly more impressed by the tasty vegetable omelette that consists of the favourite pumpkin cubes.

Simply another good Japanese cafe added to the growing list! Perfect service, kind and helpful while you know they pay special attention to their presentation when one of the service crews wiped the sauces off the rim of the transparent bowls when it got stained accidentally during service. The desirable opening of these chain Japanese cafe seems to be on a roll!

Verdict: An excellent cafe.

Watanabe Coffee 渡邊珈琲店 – Flanked by Japanese families, definitely an exciting Jap Cafe

Watanabe Coffee

Shaw Centre, just beside Isetan, near Orchard MRT

Flanked by Japanese families both left right and front, the crazy Japanese streak in me was grinning away already at the authentic surrounding upon sitting down. A relatively new cafe in the biggest Isetan departmental Store at Shaw Centre, Watanabe Coffee 渡邊珈琲店 does indeed has what it takes to attract this continuous flow of Japanese. Spacious, staffed with smartly dressed and the ever smiley service crew, together with its slightly industrial outlook yet not losing its currency, Watanabe Coffee definitely has embodied all the virtues of a good Japanese cafe.

 

Sat down, felt comfortable despite a slightly shaky table, S and I got the two classic mains – Curry Omu Rice ($15.80) and a Japanese Neapolitan pasta ($15.80). Serving mainly pasta and omu rice for mains together with a section on tonkatsu, we realised the whole savoury menu is chiefly made out of the many renditions of these mains! Unlike the omu rice I had at Taimeiken,  this doesn’t have its delicate scrambled eggs encased in a pan-fried omelette, but rather beautifully perfumed in the viscous, savoury curry sauce it is drenched in. A spoonful of curry sauce with the smooth, buttery eggs with the warm pearl rice below it = salivation.

The Japanese Neapolitan pasta, was made special as the taste of the reduced tomato-based sauce is absolutely lifted by the permeation of the porky bacon fragrance; yielding a savoury, fragrant and slightly sour tang. Definitely not just a simple tomato based sauce used, its savouriness was quite exciting. The only gripe – I wish both mains have bigger portions!

 

My first Shibuya toast – Matcha Ogura Honey Toast; I have never thought that such sinful, monotonous-looking dessert could actually taste so good. If you think you could dismiss it as just a stack of thick toast topped with sinful whip cream, mochi, overly sweet mashed auzki red bean and matcha and vanilla ice cream, it really is more than just that and I reckon a good shibuya toast isn’t a given.

The whip cream plays a pivotal role in lifting the overall flavour; so fresh is it over here that calorie-cautious me actually scooped the layer that I have initially forsaken back onto my toast to give it an even more milky, buttery fragrance without feeling queasy at all. The whole combination together with the fluffiness of the pillowy toast was on point, and the azuki was gladly adequately sweet. So impressed am I that I believe I will try more shibuya toasts from now on! $16.80.

Hopefully, with more Japanese cafes opening in Singapore (eg. favourite Hoshino Coffee), this would turn into a solid trend and raise the bar for the quality of cafe food over here!

Verdict: A good restaurant!