Wai Cafe

For those who are working in the Central Business District especially in the Raffles Place area — perhaps Wai Cafe would be a familiar name to them. Previously located at Clifford Centre, Wai Cafe had recently made its move to CIMB Plaza (i.e. formerly known as Change Alley) following the redevelopment of Clifford Centre. Taking over the former premises of the now-defunct outlet of The Source Bulk Foods Singapore, Wai Cafe’s move to CIMB Plaza can be said as an expansion — their space at CIMB Plaza being just a little bigger than the unit which they used to occupy in Clifford Centre. Along with its move, Wai Cafe also features an entirely new look — one that is also more modern featuring tiled walls, and a bright colour scheme with splashes of orange amidst the white tiles and marble-esquire tables with wooden furniture and fittings; does remind us a little bit of Monument Lifestyle at Duxton and Yong Siak Street. Wai Cafe serves up a simple menu for those who are looking for a quick bite to go along with their coffee — the food menu comprises of toasts with different spreads, as well as the Avocado + Tomato Toast, Tomato + Cheese Toast, and Ham + Cheese Toast for those looking for something savoury. Those who are not into the toast offerings can also opt for the Granola + Yoghurt / Milk, or Ice-Cream Croffle as well; there are also a small selection of cakes and brownies, as well as a croissant which are prominently displayed in the display case at the counter. Serving up a range of espresso-based coffee brewed using beans roasted by Common Man Coffee Roasters, they also do serve non-coffee beverages like hot tea, iced fruit tea and slow-pressed juices as well.

Dropping by Wai Cafe with the intention of having just a light lunch, we decided to go for the Honey + Almond Butter Toast. A fairly simple dish in terms of execution, the item is pretty self-explanatory where it feature a thick toast being spread with a layer of almond butter and drizzled with honey. The thick toast used here somewhat reminds us of the usual thick toast that we are used to seeing at spots serving up Shibuya Toast; that being said, being lightly toasted meant that the toast itself does still come with quite the chew with a good tension as one attempts to pull the toast apart using the fork and knife. Spread with a pretty apt amount of almond butter over the top, the almond butter itself bears a bit of resemblance to peanut butter in terms of flavour for those who are unfamiliar with almond butter — nutty and creamy, though the texture could be described as denser with a grittier texture that comes with more bite without necessarily coming with a crunch. The almond butter does not exactly carry a sweet note, and this is where the drizzling of honey comes in — the honey not only carrying a sweet note that further enhances that of the almond butter, but also provides a floral note as well. Overall a simple dish, though one that is done well enough that we found to be pretty comforting to have.

Independant café with great coffee and perfectly steamed milk (Australian flat white style). Love that their matcha latte has no added sugar and the staff are super friendly and helpful. Reasonably priced too, flat white and matcha latte were $5 each. This is my go to Cafe in the CBD 👌

Had flat white with soy milk. All coffee comes with double shot which is great for the morning. Unfortunately the coffee is quite acidic which is not the kind i like. Staffs here are pretty friendly.

From the new Wai Cafe at Clifford Centre, which serves well-pulled cuppa using beans roasted by Common Man Coffee Roasters.

The Hummingbird Cake was also pretty delicious; the unfrosted version here felt like a crossover between Carrot Cake and Banana Bread — soft and moist, the cake carried nibs of nuts and fruits along with a hint of other spices used.

Flat White was also well-executed; a good balance of espresso and milk that works great for that mid-day cuppa to revitalize the senses.

[23 September 2019]
$7 - iced mocha