Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog

On my past trip to Bangkok, I was continuously impressed by the cafés’ interior and high standard of coffee. In particular, the Sukhumvit area has been booming with such cafes and is now as busy as it gets on weekends. My café of choice when I visited the area was A Keen House, just a few minutes’ walk away from Ekkamai BTS station. They have another outlet at EmSphere but I highly recommend this outlet at Sukhumvit 40 for the interior.

Originally a three-storey townhouse, it was then redesigned into a café while maintaining the old structure. Additionally, a new glass house, that was inserted on the side of the first floor became the main aesthetic feature and seating space of the café. The interior reminded me of a cross between Scandinavian minimal + Japanese wabi-sabi – an inspiration I would like to take for my future abode.

The menu offers a wide range of coffee, non-coffee, pastries and artisanal goods such as breads, biscotti and truffle aioli. Many items are also seasonal in nature.  

While the café is popular for their signature flavoured coffees with Instagram-worthy toppings such as the Burnt Caramel Latte, I opted for the boring Matcha Latte (THB160, SGD 5.9) as I just had coffee from the previous café stop. It was decent, though slightly grainy with a flavour profile on the sweeter side.

Along with my drink, I had the seasonal Double Chocolate Cherry Brownie (THB320, SGD11.8) which came in a glass jar. Rather than a brownie, it felt more like a jar cake with several layers including a cacao almond crumble base. I loved exploring the different textures and layers. Despite it being a double chocolate cake, it was not cloyingly sweet and felt more like a blackforest cake thanks to the use of cherry.

In between sips and bites, I also explored the second floor which serves as an art gallery with exhibits. The third floor is reserved for workshops only.

It was an interesting concept and use of space for various purposes – something I wish that we could have in Singapore, despite being aware of the impracticalities from a financial standpoint.

4 Soi Sukjai Sukhumvit 40, Phra Khanong, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110

Nearest BTS station: Ekkamai

9am – 5.30pm daily

Serving single origin coffee from Glitch Coffee Roasters out of a traditional Japanese house is Nadoya no Katte, located conveniently from Yoyogi-Uehara subway station.

The house was in fact a vacant 60-year-old house which was refurbished into the existing café. Entering the gate, I went up a short flight of stone steps which led me to the façade of a corner of the house.

From there, I was led by stepping gravel stones straight into a tranquil garden with a myriad of greenery – cherry blossom trees, plum trees, peach trees, hydrangeas, trees which bear autumn leaves. As the café is only opened 3 days a week from Friday to Sunday, I missed the previous weekend when the cherry blossoms were still blooming fully on the trees. The remaining blossoms had already fallen to the ground.

On one end of the garden is the coffee counter where at least 8-10 different beans were available to choose from. The beans’ lineup changes depending on the season, and are all light roasted as intended for patrons to enjoy the original taste of the beans. Though it is possible to opt for coffee with milk, it is recommended to drink it as black coffee.

I had a hard time choosing the beans I wanted but thanks to the barista who was very friendly and helpful in explaining the different profiles of the beans in fluent English, I could make a more well-informed choice. She was also the first barista I met in Japan who made light conversation with me, which gave a personal touch to the overall experience.

The beans were split into 3 different categories, the Traditional (800-900JPY, SGD6.9-7.8), Innovation (800-1100JPY, SGD6.9-9.5) and Hard to Find (1200-2000JPY, SGD10.3-17.2). I had the Colombia Huila Monteblanco (1000JPY, SGD8.6) with tasting notes of vanilla, milk tea, white chocolate, fresh mango, mint and smooth. I enjoyed the natural sweetness and aroma of the coffee. Glitch coffee was no doubt more expensive than average but of high quality.

While there were proper seats and tables within the house (when there are no ongoing exhibitions), the other café goers and I all went for the outdoor garden benches, where one can feel at ease with nature under the sunlight in moderate temperatures.

This is the one coffee stand in Tokyo for filter coffee enthusiasts to put on their list. While there are other Glitch Coffee outlets in Tokyo, the environment here has a lovely touch of nature, allowing you to feel different moods across the seasons.

3 Chome-19-3 Nishihara, Shibuya City, Tokyo 151-0066, Japan

Fri to Sun and Holidays 9am – 6pm

Nearest station: Yoyogi-Uehara Station North Exit 2 (2 mins walk)

After having a great experience at the Edition Denmark store in Seochon in my spring trip to Seoul, I decided to check out their other physical location in the hip Seongsu-dong in autumn, which offers a full-fledged food and drinks menu.

“Mitbord” translates to “my dining table”, and the Danish café was established to bring happiness and enjoyment through seasonal plant-based dishes served on the table.

With the Scandinavian-inspired interior highlights such as the herringbone wooden flooring, white and brown colour theme and effortless displays of small props, I could not help but imagine I was in Denmark (though I have not been there before). In the day, the café received plenty of natural sunlight which created a warm and cozy environment amidst the transition from fall to winter.

I ordered 2 of their signatures. The first was the Danish Bread Plate (KRW13,000), comprising Danish Rye Bread 3pcs, Spring Honey Butter, Soft-boiled Free Range Egg, Comte Cheese, and Salt. This is in fact the most common type of breakfast dish served in cafes in Denmark, and I enjoyed how simple and clean tasting it was.

My other pick was the Sourdough Pancake with Fig (KRW14,000) served with Mascarpone, Maple Syrup and Berries. Unlike the usual buttermilk pancake which is light and fluffy, the sourdough pancake was more dense and substantial.

Since I already tried the tea (sourced from A.C Perch Tea, the oldest teashop in Europe) and I had the Latte (KRW6500) with Plant-based Milk (Sproud). The coffee (sourced from Coffee Collective in Denmark) was of high quality – a light roast with a smooth finish.

There were also a range of desserts and dishes that rotate with the seasons which I wished I had more stomach space for.

The café was strategically located near the Seoul Forest Park entrance, so I took a stroll around the park grounds after a satisfying Danish brunch experience.

1 Seongsuil-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea 서울 성동구 성수일로 1

Nearest subway station: Seoul Forest Station Exit 2

Tue to Fri 11am – 6pm

Sat to Sun 8am – 6pm

On my birthday this year, I was blessed to be treated by my close friends to a lunch at Fico, one of the restaurants that has been very high on my list of places to try in Singapore.

Admittedly, the obscure location along East Coast Park was one of the hardest to get to – with public transport, I took 3 buses and walked about 15mins thereafter. However, the sunny clear weather and views of the beach from the masseria-inspired beachfront restaurant made up for it.

My friend (thanks Emily!) made the reservation about 2 months in advance since this was a highly sought after venue and I chose the al fresco section for the vibes. Later I found out that the cheese wheel (for cacio e pepe) and dessert trolley could only be experienced if you dine indoors, so that was a real bummer for me.

Unanimously, we picked the San Marzano Tomatoes ($23) to be one of our favorites of the meal. It was a type of Focaccina offered in the menu – an 8” focaccia-based pizza made with 80% semola dough. The dough was light and airy and topped with creamy bufala mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and EVOO.

I could not skip burrata whenever I see it on a menu, so we got the Burrata Di Puglia ($22) served on a bed of escarole, pine nuts and olives.  

Amongst the 4 fresh pastas we had – Denti Del Drago ($27), Tagliolini ($38), Linguine ($32), Cacio e Pepe ($26, min order of 2) – the Denti Del Drago was the most memorable. It came in an unexpected shade of green, and I later found out that the pasta was naturally coloured with spinach! It was served tossed with white ragu and a generous portion of ricotta cheese which I loved.  

Thankfully, the staff allowed us to enter the indoors section and admire the mixing, tossing, and serving of Cacio e Pepe from the pecorino wheel. Would recommend it if you are a fan of cacio e pepe.

There were few mains on the menu, from which we picked the Charcoal Grilled Octopus ($36) and Pork Loin ($43). My pick would be the Octopus which I felt was tender and more flavourful than its red meat counterpart.

The desserts (choice of 2 for $15, for every third dessert +$7) also came in very small portions (I could probably have 2-3 entire items on my own), so I would propose to try every item if you go in a big group.

We had the Burrata Gelato, Souffle Tart, Cannoli and Zeppole (Italian donut).

The interesting pick was the Burrata Gelato which had an acquired taste as the gelato was savoury with a slight sweetness and tartness from the strawberry and tomato jam. It was a yes for me.

Meanwhile, the Souffle Tart would be the safest bet as what could go wrong with a 70% dark chocolate tart with sea salt right?

The Cannoli was also good, with a crisp and light shell balanced with the substantial ricotta and pistachio filling.

We were the last group to leave the restaurant at the end of lunch service and had the luxury to roam about for photos. Kudos to one of the staff who voluntarily helped us with many photos, even directing the backdrop and poses!

Even though I’ve heard mixed reviews, I honestly had a good experience with the ambiance, quality of food and service. However, beware that the price point was high for very small portions so I would save the experience for a special occasion. Make your reservation early.

1300 East Coast Parkway, Carpark F2, Singapore 468964

Mon to Wed 5.30pm – 10.30pm

Thu to Fri 11.30am – 3pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm

 Sat to Sun 11.30am – 10.30pm

Tucked away in an unassuming alley, away from the main street in Joo Chiat, is Pelle and Pepe Bakery. Characterized by the bright green frames of its doors, one might pass by and not even notice that it is a bakery if they miss the modest sign.

I was there with my friend at 8.30am on a Saturday at opening hour, and there were already a few people waiting to get in.

Stepping into the quaint unit, I realised that a corner of the store is operated by Narrative Coffee Stand, serving drinks, while the other bigger corner is the baking space for Pelle and Pepe. I ordered a Matcha Latte ($5.5, +$0.70 with Oat Milk) from the coffee stand, but regretted not getting coffee instead.

Pelle and Pepe bakery prides itself as a sourdough bakery space focusing on plant-based, wholegrain forward, and zero yeast bakes – a point of attraction for those who are into nutritional bakes. There is a range of naturally leavened bread, sourdonuts (sourdough donuts), wholegrain croissants, other baked goods and pastries and a hot menu that changes on a weekly basis. You can check their Instagram for the weekly menu.

We had a total of 4 items – the Apple Pie Sourdonut, Cardamom Bun, Pain Perdu and Croque Madame.

The Apple Pie Sourdonut ($7.50) was light and fluffy and I enjoyed the chunks of apples which were not overly sweetened.

Somehow, it’s not common to find bakeries offering Cardamom Bun ($6.50) in Singapore, so I was satisfied to find one here that was of good quality.

If I visited again, I would skip the Croque Madame from the hot menu. Unfortunately, we found parts of the overly crisp toast that were blackened, and the dish felt more like an egg, tomato and cheese toastie rather than a Croque Madame.

Thankfully, we liked the Pain Perdu (French Toast). The spiced pear was slightly too ripe and mushy, but the fluffy sourdough brioche, soaked in the mildly sweet and spiced cardamom syrup and crème anglaise, made a sweet finish to our breakfast, without filling too heavy on the stomach.

Don’t miss this bakery especially if you are living or traveling around the area.

83 Joo Chiat Place, #01-01, Singapore 427800

8.30am – 4pm Thurs to Sun

Returning to Bangkok after 7 years, I was happily surprised to see that the café scene has been booming with many new cafes. One of my café picks on my recent trip was Stockroom, which was tucked away in an old alley of shophouses – somewhere you would not expect to find a modern F&B establishment.

When I was there at the Ratchatewi outlet (there was another outlet at Thonglor), the café had a collaboration with a local artist so the exterior and interiors were decorated with cute cartoon illustrations. There was even a Fotoautomat booth in the café.

The café interior felt homely, with the use of various pastel colours and wooden furniture – there were both locals and foreigners, some just having casual conversations with their friends and some who were comfortably working remotely with laptops. There were 2 floors but unfortunately the 2^nd floor was not opened for diners despite being fully and cleanly furnished. The indoor patio with the sun-roof made an aesthetic spot for photo shoots but not quite a functional dining area when the sun was blazing through.

A variety of Signature Drinks was on the menu, with some interesting-sounding ones like Sangria Coffee (140THB) and Darci (150THB, SGD5.60). However I played it safe and got a Hot Mocha with Oat Milk (150THB, SGD5.60). The coffee was decent, and I noted that the prices of coffee have increased significantly, coming close to that in Singapore.

From the All Day Brunch menu, my first choice – the Smoked Salmon & Egg Avocado Toast (270THB, SGD10.11) was unfortunately sold out, so I opted for the Tuna Melt Sandwich (250THB, SGD9.36) instead. The combination of toasted and crispy sourdough, tuna in a housemade sauce akin to tartar sauce, mozzarella and sunny side up was simple yet hearty.

As I was café hopping throughout that day, I skipped the desserts – some of the more promising and popular items I saw were the Blueberry Almond Tart (180THB, SGD6.70) and French Toast with Ice Cream (190THB, SGD7.12).

This was a lovely respite in the heart of Bangkok, away from the heat and crowd of the huge nearby shopping malls and hotels.

119 80 Phetchaburi 18 Alley, Thanon Phetchaburi, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400

Nearest Station: Ratchathewi BTS Exit 2

Weekdays 8.30am – 5pm, closed on Mon

Weekends 9am – 5.30pm