News of 174bingo, a new bakery-café in Joo Chiat, popped up on my feed just before I went to Denmark and Sweden, and I decided to visit after coming back from my travels. As per my preference and habit, I targeted to reach at opening hour but I was minutes’ late and there were already several patrons in the café.
The interior of a humble size is furnished with moody lighting and wooden furniture, featuring a communal table and benches in the middle. There are also small and low stools along the walls which may be slightly uncomfortable for some. Note that only the outdoor seating area is pet friendly.
Coffee here is made with beans roasted by Maxi Coffee Bar and served out of disposable cups, I had the Hot White ($5, +$1 for oat milk). Non-coffee drinkers can opt for Chocolate ($5.50) or their Iced Seasonal Shrub Soda ($7.50).
The humble selection of bakes is displayed behind a glass counter next to the register. Having just came back from Denmark and Sweden, my interest was piqued by 2 Scandinavian inspired pastries.
The first was the Cardamom Bun ($6), which originated from Sweden and which I had tried 6 different ones on my vacation. The one here was decent with an adequate amount of sugar and cardamom, but lacked the softness and fluffiness of the ones I had in Scandinavia.
“Memory of Osterbrograde” ($9) was the other Scandinavian inspired bake – Osterbrograde is one of the main streets within the Osterbro district in Copenhagen. The laminated layers of the pastry, topped with a piping of very subtly sweet vanilla cream, were crispy and flaky. Upon cutting through them, I found that the core was filled with raspberry jam that was more tangy than sweet. This is a good choice for those who do not have a sweet tooth.
I had only stomach space left for 1 more item, which was the Iranian Pistachio Tart ($14) – arguably the most premium pastry served here. The base is made with Iranian pistachio praline and pistachio frangipane, while the top layer is made from vanilla and pistachio cream. This was on the sweeter side, though I loved the sweet nutty flavours of the praline which was reminiscent of baklava.
Other than the sweet pastries, a tempting range of savoury items were also available, namely the Garlic and Herb Knot ($6), Four Cheese (Brie, Mozzarela, Cheddar, Cream Cheese) with Honey and Ol’ Fashioned Chicken Pie ($10.5). I guess it will require a second trip to satiate my curiosity.
Love this new addition to the Joo Chiat enclave.
174 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore
Wed to Sun 8.30am – 4.30pm (last order at 4pm)
Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog 