Mentaiko Crab Meat Croissant Launched over the Sunday which has just past, Sooner or Later is one of the latest additions to the Haji Lane neighbourhood — a little sad how that street seems to be no longer pedestrianised on Friday and weekend nights; certainly missing of that buzziness that it used to have in the past. Being one of the more anticipated openings in the cafe scene in recent times, Sooner or Later, occupies a pretty small shophouse unit along Haji Lane — the very same one which used to house the former premises of Windowsill Pies which have since vacated the unit. Decked in a rather minimalistic theme with a touch of geometrical elements at play, the design of the space at Sooner or Later does remind us of one where Brotherbird Coffeehouse meets Birds of Paradise / Bamboo Bowls — that sleek, nearly industrial vibe with lots of curves that makes the space seem less “sharp” than it actually is. Comprising of only three small dine-in tables of which two are two seaters while the remaining table is meant for a lone diner, larger groups may find better luck in dining at the al-fresco dining area outside of the cafe. Given the small space, the menu is kept relatively simple at Sooner or Later — savoury items include a range of croissant sandwiches, whilst they do serve ice-cream is in cups, or accompanied with brownies or waffles. They also do offer other bakes such as cakes and a banana bread; the list of beverages available at Sooner or Later includes specialty coffee, Matcha, Houjicha, as well as their signature Sesame Milk and Sesame Latte options.
Was pretty intrigued by both the Thai Chicken Croissant and the Mentaiko Crab Meat Croissant which are listed together with the other croissant sandwiches on the menu here — we found ourselves going for the Mentaiko Crab Meat Croissant since that was what the guy at the counter was recommending to us. Being what it really was described to be, the Mentaiko Crab Meat Croissant is a croissant sandwich that features chunks of crab meat in between a croissant that has been sliced into half — all that with Mentaiko sauce that has been blowtorched before being served to the table, and topped with Ebiko. The Mentaiko Crab Meat Croissant also comes with a side of salted crisps as well. Whilst the Mentaiko Crab Meat Croissant offers no surprises, we were rather satisfied with how this one went — no doubt the croissant was pretty pedestrian; nothing too artisanal, but we liked how they did go with actual crab meat (even though it seemingly looked like came out of a can; there again, can’t expect much given its kitchen size) and came with a good amount of Mentaiko sauce over the top. The Mentaiko sauce carries the typical umami note that one would have expected; all that with a slight hint of smokiness from that char by the blowtorch — the Ebiko adding that slight popping sensation that gives it an interesting contrast of texture. The accompanying potato crisps were decent; well-salted, whilst still maintaining the crispness without being anywhere near limp or stale. Overall, a little steep in terms of pricing considering this is $18, though an item would gel well for those who are not particularly picky — nothing to fault about it here.
One thing we really liked about Sooner or Later is how well they seemed to vibe with the neighbourhood that it is being situated in — it’s that raw, indie and playful vibe that seemingly make them feel like they just simply belong here. No doubt the savoury food menu is restricted to just a selection of croissant sandwiches — it is, however, a great attempt to serve up something simple to avoid themselves to be yet “another ice-cream shop”. A spot with loads of character and a pretty interior to boast, Sooner or Later is likely to be one of those locations that cafehoppers would likely add to the list of places to check out; one that also has a character that is truly of its own.
