Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog

You may have some inkling of the now-defunct OZ Specialty Coffee, or even visited it before. Though I didn’t get to do a blog post on OZ, I had a pretty good brunch there earlier in the year, featuring their signature waffles done Belgian style. Coffee was excellent as well. Sadly, we had to bid this tiny coffee hole farewell before I could visit it again with my camera.

But it was all for the better, as OZ Specialty Coffee has collaborated with Pacamara Coffee Roasters to bring to us cafe hoppers the newly opened Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters. It occupies a much bigger space than OZ, where Liquid Kitchen used to be at. Yet another joy to the Upper Thomson area. The cafe’s interior is gorgeous. It is based on a minimal, white theme coupled with wooden furnishings. I really felt like I was stepping into a cafe in Melbourne or New York, so kudos to the designer. If only that bare concrete floor had some nice white patterned flooring…

Essential thing first – coffee. Opt for either black or white coffee here. Their White coffee comes in 3 sizes: 3oz ($4.5), 5oz ($5) and 7oz ($5.5). On both occasions that I had the White, it was smooth and came with a nutty aftertaste.

The brunch menu offered up to 2.30pm sounds promising, despite the no return of their popular waffles from OZ Specialty Coffee. It has been a long time since my last unforgettable eggs benedict, and the Truffle Benedict ($18) here rewrites that record. Blanketing over brioche, smoked ham, spinach and two poached eggs is a savory truffle hollandaise sauce. I was impressed at how well-infused the truffle was into the sauce as well as how it complemented the eggs benedict so well (I once had pretty bad truffle eggs from a restaurant I shall not name).

As mainstream as it might sound, the Salted Caramel Banana French Toast ($16) was above average. I liked how moist it was without the brioche french toast being soggy. The salt crystals from the salted caramel might be an overload though.

Served with greek yogurt, fresh berries and mango, the simple Granola ($10) was elegantly presented in that deconstructed style. However, I felt the greek yogurt and granola were lacking in quality.

I love how consistent the food here is. It is always neither too dry or moist, just like the Red Velvet Pancakes ($16) which has a golden touch of mascarpone to it. The mascarpone does add an interesting dimension to the otherwise dry, boring pancake stack.

The full menu is up from 12pm onwards. Expect main courses such as Wagyu Burger ($25), Shellfish Risotto ($23), Miso Glazed Salmon ($22) and Hanger Steak ($25) and salads like Buffalo Caprese ($16) and Rocket & Pear Salad ($15) to whet your appetite. I might just return here soon to pamper myself. If you’re far from being famished, the glass counter has a range of bread and pastries from The Bread Table which you can settle for.

I’m not sure about you, but I’m totally digging this new cafe. It is not just about the large, clean space or warm service from the service staff. Unlike the dozens of new cafes out there, Pacamara has a truly comprehensive food menu to go along with their specialty coffees. The prices are steep but I’m not hesitant to pay for the experience of having both quality coffee and food. Go quickly before the noise gets unbearable.

185 Upper Thomson Road

Tuesdays to Sundays 9am – 11pm