There’s been some talk about Gentle Roast, which had recently opened their doors at Upper Thomson Road — the new cafe being situated along the stretch of shophouses where Habitat Coffee and Yi Jia Bakery & Cafe is, taking over the former premises of the now-defunct Maneko Japanese Restaurant.

Offering a variety of items ranging from sides to mains such as brunch plates, burgers, pasta, and large plates featuring meats or fish. Opting for the Gentle Cheese, it is described to be a dish that features Grilled Mozzarella & Cheddar on Sourdough, Crispy Bacon, Chicken Sausage, Mini Hash-brown, Salad. The dish is overall rather decent, though the plating could have been better executed — felt a little haphazard with the salad greens hiding the other components such as the hash-brown and chicken hotdog. The sourdough itself comes relatively fluffy and carries quite a good bite, comes with a crusty exterior that carries quite a chew — all that whilst topped with melted mozzarella and cheddar for that slightly stretchy, oozy and gooey texture that provides for a slight savouriness. Wasn’t too much of a fan of the crispy bacon — the fried turkey bacon was somewhat oddly chewy and carried quite a bite instead; more with a hint of added sweetness amidst the savouriness, and comes with a fried “skin” that felt a little greasy which also disintegrated with the bacon easily. The chicken sausage was more of a chicken cheese sausage; somewhat of a crowd-pleaser and similar to those slightly premium ones sold in supermarkets. Felt that the greens were a little dry, but that is where the cheese sauce, which tastes like melted processed, sliced cheese, on the side comes in — makes for a rather palatable dressing that is otherwise easily overwhelmed by the heavier cheesy flavours going on for the toast.

Gentle Roast isn’t quite the space that I would be rushing to return — food does seem rather decent but its offerings do feel a little distant from what other cafes in Singapore has; perhaps an attempt to appeal to the more hipster audiences. Still, a rather decent spot for a cafe meal in the area — though the Matcha cake is something I may return for!