Heard about Clap Cafe at Waterloo Street — a new cafe that had opened their doors pretty recently just beside Kurasu, being in its soft launch for family and friends on 15 May 2021; just a day before the measures for COVID-19 Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) were implemented, where dine-in would be disallowed from 16 May 2021 to 13 June 2021 (tentatively). Apart from specialty coffee, Clap Cafe also serves up loose leaf tea, fizzy concoctions and cakes as well — quirky beverage options include Dirty Chocolate and Pumpkin Latte. Found ourselves going for the following:

- Basque Cheesecake;
- Maple Pecan Tart; and
- White

Wasn’t too much a fan of their Basque Cheesecake; lacks that oozy, melty texture that I would really like — their version was one that was somewhat loose and airy, missing out of the rich, velvety and near-jelak sinfulness that one often associated with the cake. In comparison, the Maple Pecan Tart fared much better — the pecan providing a soft crunch that reveals a nutty note that goes so well with the sweet fragrance of maple that is not overly saccharine beneath the top layer; all that against the buttery tart layer that actually holds up to the fork really well. A dessert that would work well with the Black; it’s flavour profile being pretty complimenting to the roasty aroma of well-brewed specialty coffee. The White was well-pulled here — a medium-bodied cuppa with an earthy and roasty note; a cuppa fit for a great mid-day perk-me-up.

Felt that the cafe’s high ceilings make for a great hangout over coffee with an environment that is well-lit and airy once they open for dine-in operations. But in the meanwhile, do give Clap Coffee a try if one is in the area — tough times it is now especially for a new entrant into the F&B scene; would really wish that more people can get to know of their existence for how there can never be one good coffee place too many around.

niNg!
lasellacafella sem rating as last timE cox ordered same ting but dis time w drinGk honestly i think thAt aliciu’s meal p worth so mayb next time can trY d rice bowls instead of D brunch menus ~~

leecia
7.8/11
omG yeet didn’t know burpple had 1-1 here LMAOZ rice bowls here made cheaper with butpple and also near the mrt so conveniENT! ~~ we got d brunch muffin and the surf n turf which was p yumZ! xdxd good study spot!

Spent my Christmas Eve afternoon with a cup of coffee at this new spot at 111 Somerset; a space that is tucked away at the back of the mall that I did not even knew that it existed — located just beside the entry/exit to the mall where So Good Hong Kong Char Chaan Teng is located.

Being predominantly a shop that caters to skaters retailing skateboard and related peripherals (a pretty apt location given it being beside the skate park at Somerset MRT Station), Halfpipe Skate Bar also serves as a small hangout (limited to two tables and a bar counter that seats five) which serves coffee and a rather wide variety of craft beers in the display chiller.

The Flat White was actually surprisingly well-pulled — smooth, creamy with a medium body and a roasty and earthy flavour profile, which came pretty unexpected from a place where coffee seems more to be their side gig.

I am not really a fan of macarons because I find them sugar overloading and too sweet for my preference. When I visited M plot, their cake sized macaron look compelling and I took a leap of faith by ordering one of them. The bittersweet dark chocolate balanced the sugar that was used in making the macaron shell fortunately and it was not as sugary as expected.

The Academics Breakfast w scrambled eggs - $28
Eggs Royale - $24.50
Okinawa Coffee - $6.42

Really enjoyed the Eggs Royale! The Hollandaise sauce was excellent. However, it’s a little pricy if not for the 1 for 1 deal. Would definitely come again!

Apple pie with vanilla ice cream. Beautiful to look at and delicious as well! The charred caramelised bits of the apples are the best bit :)

Checked out the new Steep at Dunlop Street — a new cafe that is within walking distance from Rochor MRT Station that serves up usual cafe staples ranging from breakfast plates, eggy dishes, pasta and small plates — the cafe also serve up a beverages such as specialty coffee, tea and bottled juices as well.

Can’t fathom how some folks can bear expectations of how the food could have carried a similar monochromatic theme as the decor of the cafe (what are you eating anyway?), but the French Toast here does certainly looked the part considering the splash of colours from the fruits included — looked pretty appealing. This was pretty much a textbook definition of a French Toast here; bread that is soaked in egg wash for a slight eggy flavour, whilst coming with fruits such as blackcurrant, kiwi and strawberries for a slight refreshing zing — the fruits being relatively fresh and not overly sour, though the chewiness of the granola may not work well with some who prefers their granola to be more on the crunchy side. Whilst the Honey Thyme Syrup was a nice touch considering how it attempts to incorporate a herb-y note to the dish (seemingly a trend these days), I do wish that they would use actual honey of a more floral nature (acacia honey, perhaps?) that would further elevate the dish — the syrup somewhat “cheapened” the feel of the item, whilst also being rather strong on the notes of thyme that felt a tad odd to be had with a sweet item considering how thyme would usually compliment a savoury item more.

It seems that Steep does seem to have a bit of potential given the set-up; a spot that has seemingly placed quite a bit of emphasis on the environment to ensure that patrons do feel comfortable and at ease within the surroundings. That being said, we felt that the food was rather average — likely due to the quality of the ingredients used; perhaps also due to us ordering the wrong items. But in all fairness, Steep does work well as a good hangout for those who are not too picky with what they are having — just probably need to have some expectations managed with regard to the food served.

Chance upon this new stall in Grab and based on online reviews, I decided to give it try. Ordered the you tiao rice roll and peanut porridge. Happy with my order. The chang fen was thin and soft. And peanut porridge was satisfying. Will order again!

$24.5++. Visited their new (ish) branch at Millenia Walk & it was a nice place to catch up over a meal. Eggs royale was good as usual with a generous side salad & really tasty hollandaise.

Stumbled upon this cosy little brunch corner tucked away in Serene Center when I wanted to grab a hearty breakfast with my Boyfriend before work. We were both really impressed by the aromatic coffee and the portions were really generous. The Breakfast Works was really yummy with the perfectly buttery scrambled egg and soft brioche toast!

If you’re feeling a little peckish, the Truffle Eggs Prosciutto is an equally excellent choice.

Yummy!

• Beef Kofta Shakshuka ($16): 5.5/10
Similarly, the eggs were poached well and we enjoyed the bits of red pepper and tomato within. The sourdough was okay but we felt that the beef kofta was so negligible that we forgot that there was beef :,). I personally wouldn’t order this again.

Famous for its rustic Japanese-style breads (traditional stone oven baked) and pastries, @asanoyasg distinguishes their bakes by adding interesting fillings within their breads. From their Matcha Bread Collection, I tried the following:

𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐚 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐭🍩
Soft, fluffy and non-greasy donut stuffed with a generous amount of matcha ganache! I am glad the matcha flavor was suitably right and not overwhelming as it may appear to be!

Oozing with matcha goodness, @asanoyasg Matcha Bread Collection is a must-try for all matcha lovers out there!