Cafe | Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog

Jun 15 2025

Whatever Coffee 無事咖啡 – Guangzhou Cafe

Hidden in an industrial park is a relatively new café in Guangzhou, which I found out about through (none other than) Little Red Note. Though slightly out of the way from the central parts of Guangzhou where the CBD and tourist districts were, the café was still accessible by the metro (about 10 mins walk from the nearest exit of Nanpu station).

When I went on a weekday morning, there was just one other customer, giving me a good chance to explore the space freely. Right from the entrance, the café was surrounded by greenery, with a small garden/lawn in front decorated with (what seems like) lalang. The outdoor yard boasted a majestic tree, with camping chairs and wooden furniture strewn around, which I imagine would be a relaxing spot in the cooler seasons.

The main indoor café area was like a glasshouse – the glass ceiling allowed light and shadows to fill different spaces of the café when the sun shone, giving a dreamy effect. I was truly impressed with the design of the entire space.

At the coffee counter, I was ready to order my regular cup of espresso with milk, but the barista recommended to go for their specialty coffee drinks. So I picked the 日出, which directly translates to Sunrise (RMB 42, SGD 7.48). Made with cold brew, orange juice, home made rose vinegar and pomegranate sugar, it was incredibly refreshing, especially since it was getting hot and humid in China. I liked the balance of tartness, acidity and sweetness from the ingredients.

Something I did not expect was that the drink came with a smoke bubble “performance” by the barista with the smoke bubble gun, right at my seat. There were also non-coffee drinks on the menu such as Matcha Latte (RMB 35). Unfortunately, no food was available.

This is a café not to be missed if you’re in Guangzhou.

Address: 广东省-广州市-番禺区-凹凸凹创意园南门A座103

Weekdays 10.30am – 6.30pm

Weekends 11am – 7pm

Line 2, Nanpu station Exit D 2号线南浦站D出口步行500米

Apr 26 2025

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Cafe, Daejeon, South Korea

Daejeon Café Hop 2025 – Leafful Coffee, Seosew Café, Ordinary Project Café

I first visited Daejeon in 2018 as a carefree student, and now fast forward 7 years, it was unbelievably nostalgic to return as a jaded working adult. Nonetheless, I was still as passionate as I was about café hopping, so I explored 3 different cafes with my friend within half a day. With the trip from Seoul to Daejeon taking just a little under an hour by the high-speed KTX train, Daejeon made a great option for a day trip from Seoul. I also appreciated the fact that Daejeon was less crowded and had more wallet-friendly prices.

Leafful Coffee 대전카페 리풀

Our first stop was the furthest from the central train station, about an hour commute by public transport. This spacious café exudes European vibes and is characterised by warm yellow tones, wooden furniture, whitewashed walls and purposefully placed decorative items and trinkets.

On a sunny morning and afternoon, you can expect the space to be naturally lit through the large windows, casting lovely shadows across the front counter of the café especially. We just had to grab the window seats despite being thoroughly exposed to direct sunlight.

We had coffee – the Flat White (KRW5000, SGD4.6) which was their version of a “short latte”, and the Latte (KRW5000) which came in a bigger cup. No non-dairy milk options when I went, but I got an update that they have an oat milk option now.

The desserts on display were visually tempting. I had the Pistachio Berry Mousse (KRW9000, SGD8.3), which comprised an inner core of tangy and sweet strawberry and rhubarb compote, enveloped in nutty sweet pistachio mousse. The pistachio dacquoise base added a good crunchy texture to the tart.

40 Jukdong-ro 279beon-gil, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34127

11am – 9pm daily, closed on Tue

2. Seosew Café & Shop 서소우

With a completely different theme from our first café, Seosew was a café and vintage select shop we hopped over to as our next stop. The mixture of rustic wood furnishing and DIY metal shelving and racks gave the space an edgy, raw industrial look, boasting cool tones. Like Leafful, the space received lots of natural light in the afternoon.

My friend had the Latte (KRW5000), which I felt was on the milkier side, while I had their Chamomile Tea (KRW6000, SGD5.5). While waiting for your orders, you can browse their collection and shop for vintage clothing and goods, as well as items from their own brand, such as tea coasters.

If you’re feeling peckish, they have 2 simple desserts – the Pistachio Tiramisu (KRW8000, SGD7.3) and Strawberry Tiramisu (KRW8000).

1F, 457, Dosol-ro, Seo-gu, Daejeon

12pm – 10pm daily, closed on Wed

3. Ordinary Project Café & Showroom 오디너리프로젝트 쇼룸, 카페

Near Daejeon Lotte Department Store was this café and furniture showroom that might be easily missed because of the lack of a conspicuous signboard and of the fact that it is located on the second floor of the building.

This is where you can enjoy sipping on an afternoon drink while (window) shopping for furniture. The showroom featured mainly hardwood furniture in varying shades of oak, against a backdrop of white walls, an exposed concrete ceiling and a wood panelled floor. The entire look was very clean and minimalistic. On one end of the café were large windows – a pity that it was winter when we went and missed out on the view of greenery.

Since we already had coffee and tea from the previous cafes, we opted for something more refreshing – the Iced Grapefruit Ade (KRW7000, SGD6.4) and the non-alcoholic Iced Lime Mojito (KRW7000). It felt weird to be sitting on chairs and placing my drinks on tables that were furniture going on sale for at least $1000~$2000. I suppose they will get brand new pieces for customers who wish to purchase them.

Don’t forget to remove your shoes and change into the indoor slippers they provide before stepping in – we totally overlooked the sign (oops).

12pm – 8pm daily, closed on Thu

574-1, Gyeryong-ro, Seo-gu, Daejeon 35269

Mar 16 2025

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Cafe, Chiang Mai, Food, Thailand

Lot of Taste, Chiang Mai

It was an early Saturday morning in the Chiang Mai, when the roads were still rather empty and footfall still low. I went into Lot of Taste, the latest outpost of Taste Cafe. On that cloudless morning, the café was directly lit by the rising sun which cast beautiful long shadows. It was a lovely sight to behold while having my coffee – though if you cannot deal with sun exposure, and don’t mind dealing with a busy/packed café, I would advise to come later in the afternoon or evening.

The interior was spacious, with a mix of wooden and stainless steel furniture, and the speakers played jazz music, building a relaxed atmosphere.

I could tell that the café was serious about their coffee when I chanced upon their in house coffee roasting machine at the back, which you may get to see in action if you’re lucky. Along the back wall of the café, there was also a huge glass display of the different roasted beans packaged for sale.

The signature item here was the Soft Latte, with the dollop of silky cream on top, but I went for the basic hot Flat White (THB100/SGD4, +oatly THB25/SGD1) with Oat Milk instead as I normally have hot coffee in the morning. There were also extensive options for both espresso and filter coffee. The coffee lived up to my expectations with a deep flavour and smooth mouthfeel.

The food menu was simple and limited to just 3 sandwiches and 3 muffins when I visited. I ordered the Spinach and Cheese Sandwich (THB125, SGD5) just as a stomach filler without much expectations since the focus here seemed to be much heavier on coffee, but it turned out to be very decent, with a generous portion of each ingredient of toast, spinach and cheese that I couldn’t finish it (I had to save space for a few more cafes I planned to visit on the same day).

If you’re looking for good specialty coffee in Chiang Mai, Lot of Taste is that cafe you should save and tick off in your itinerary. Apart from being conveniently located in the bustling Nimmamhaemin area, it is also opened from as early as 8am to as late as 10pm.

8/5 Nimmanahaeminda Road, Suthep, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

8am – 10pm daily

Mar 09 2025

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Cafe, Food, singapore

Lean and Rich Bakery – Minimalistic Bakery Café in UE Square with Northern European Bread and Pastries

Helmed by a Korean baker from the famed Tartine Bakery in Seoul, Lean and Rich Bakery opened in UE Square last year as a Northern European, minimalistic style bakery. The bakery café occupies a modest space on the first floor of UE Square, with a bold red branding for their name/logo and storefront. The interior is kept minimal with cement floors, exposed ceilings and simple wooden tables and stools.

On the weekends, the indoor area got filled up quickly about an hour into their opening and patrons started to take up seats in the outdoor area where more tables were placed.

“Lean and Rich” refers to the type of dough used in the menu items. Lean dough, made with basic ingredients, is used to bake bread such as their signature sourdough and focaccia; Rich dough, made with additional ingredients like eggs, butter, sugar and milk, is used in the pastries.

From the “Rich” menu, I tried both the Vanilla ($7) and Pistachio ($7). My pick would be the Vanilla – I thought the smooth and creamy vanilla filling with vanilla beans paired better with the flaky and buttery croissant layers. On the other hand, I felt that the Pistachio custard was a tad too sweet and lacked the distinct nuttiness I was expecting.

For drinks, I tried the Vanilla Bean Latte ($7), Vanilla Bean Milk ($5.5), White ($5.7, +$1 for oat milk) and Matcha Latte ($7). The vanilla drinks and matcha latte were too sweet for my liking and I would stick with the White.

Post-opening, the café also launched breakfast/brunch dishes. Reminiscent of the Scandinavian breakfast was the Morning Platter ($11) which came with sourdough, soft-boiled egg, cheese, whipped butter and fig jam. I enjoyed the simple yet classic dish.

The Apple and Brie ($12) was a good surprise – I particularly liked the balance between the subtly sweet apple, candied pecan and honey and the savoury brie cheese, wild rocket and pastry layers. The mix of textures was also commendable.

Perhaps the most luxurious item on the menu, the Caponata and Burrata ($21) came with sourdough, a goulash-like mixture of eggplant, tomato, onion, celery, pine nuts, and burrata cheese. The burrata unveiled a soft and creamy filling, which when spread on the vegetables topped on the crispy, toasted sourdough, made a scrumptious open-faced sandwich.

With the emphasis and focus on serving consistently quality bread and pastries, I could see why the bakery gets crowded right from the early morning.

81 Clemenceau Ave, UE Square, #01-14, Singapore 239917

Tues to Fri 8.30am – 5pm

Sat and Sun 8.30am – 4pm

Dec 21 2024

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Cafe, Food, Malmö, Sweden, Travel

Atrium, Malmö – Brunch in an Aesthetic Cafe in Sweden

For my day trip to Malmö (in Sweden) from Copenhagen, I researched and shortlisted a few cafes to visit. Atrium was the first café stop of the day for breakfast. Stepping into the cafe, I was greeted with cozy and relaxed vibes, akin to visiting a grandma’s cottage for comfort food.

There were plenty of seats in different corners to choose from – the outdoor terrace allows you to bask in laid-back vibes of a charming outdoor garden and is perfect in the spring and summer, the indoor communal tables allow for gatherings, while the smaller tables and countertop table allow for an intimate meal alone or with a plus one.

What I also noticed and appreciated was the emphasis on greenery – apart from the plants in the outdoor garden, there were also many plants and even small trees thriving indoors thanks to the naturally, brightly lit interior.

I started off with coffee and was delighted to find that the coffee quality was just as good as those from specialty coffee roasters I visited in Copenhagen.

The café offers typical brunch fare, with both vegetarian and vegan options available on the menu. I had the Turkish Eggs (98 kr, SGD 12), which features 2 poached eggs in garlic yogurt topped with browned butter, chilli, fennel and pomegranate served with toasted sourdough. The spice level was mild, balanced with the savoury garlic yogurt which was the highlight for me.

The Avocado Sandwich (125 kr, SGD 15.4) was the next dish I had. Nothing too fancy, it was a simple dish of a poached egg, tomatoes, avocado cream served on sourdough bread with cream cheese. I did wish that the portion could be bigger, e.g. serving 2 poached eggs and 2 slices of sourdough instead of 1 each.

For a sweet (but not overly sweet) ending, I opted for the Roasted Banana Bread with White Chocolate Mascarpone (69 kr, SGD 8.5). Not sure if it was due to the roasting process, but I thought that the banana bread could be more moist inside.

Compared to the cafes in Copenhagen, the atmosphere was less busy, and sitting here feels like getting a respite from city life, indulging in slow living. Furthermore, prices in Sweden were significantly lower than that in Denmark which is an additional plus point.

Skvadronsgatan 13, 217 49 Malmö, Sweden

8am – 5pm weekdays, 9am – 5pm weekends

Oct 13 2024

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Cafe, Copenhagen, Denmark, Travel

La Cabra Coffee Roasters in Aarhus, Denmark

It had all begun in 2012, when La Cabra was founded as a modern coffee company. Shortly after, the first physical location of the café was born out of Aarhus, Denmark.

Today, La Cabra is a widely recognized coffee roaster round the globe with a new roastery in Copenhagen and cafes in New York, Bangkok and Oman. To complement their coffee, La Cabra Bakeries were also set up near their café locations to serve sourdough bread and modern pastries.

It was Saturday afternoon when I arrived. The café was lively, with most of the crowd basking in the spring sunlight in the alfresco dining area, and the rest taking refuge in the modern Scandinavian, wabi-sabi interior. Designed by their in-house team, the interior is decked in beige and wooden tones, with clean lines contributing to the overall theme.

Grabbing a table outside was harder than expected so I settled for the indoor table by the window.

From the drinks menu, I tried both the Espresso with Milk which comes in 3 sizes – Small 120ml (DKK40, SGD7.7), Medium 150ml (DKK45, SGD8.6) and Large 220ml (DKK50, SGD9.6), and the Matcha Latte (DKK55, SGD10.5). Both were high quality, though I would just head for the coffee if I had only one choice. There were 3 coffee selections when I was there, and the friendly baristas explained them and recommended me the most suitable one to go with oat milk.

All of the bread and pastries on display are made by their own bakery. Since I was determined to try and rank cardamom buns from different bakeries in Denmark, I could not leave out the Cardamom Swirl Bun (DKK35, SGD6.7) here, which is one of their signatures. Their cardamom bun was probably the most visually aesthetic out of all that I’ve tried, with a crisp brown layer. It was also chewy and sufficiently spiced with cardamom.

The Basque Cheesecake (DKK55, SGD10.5) with notes of lemon was alright, but didn’t have the creamy, borderline lava-like was centre which I liked.

Lastly, I also had the Seasonal Bun (DKK45, SGD8.6), which was incredibly soft and generously filled with lemon and white chocolate cream. It was a good balance of tartness and sweetness, without one flavour overpowering the other.

For my Singaporean readers who wish to experience their high quality coffee and bakes without taking the long haul flight, you may visit both their coffee shop and bakery in Bangkok.

Graven 20, 8000 Aarhus Centrum, Denmark

Mon to Sat 8am – 6pm

Sun 9am – 5pm

Aug 31 2024

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Cafe, Copenhagen, Denmark, Food, Travel

Kafeteria SMK – Aesthetic Museum Café Known for Pancakes and Pastries in Copenhagen

Founded by Frederik Bille Brahe (who also owns Atelier September and Apollo Bar in Copenhagen), Kafeteria SMK is a café situated within the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was the first agenda on my itinerary after offloading my luggage at the hotel.

With extremely high ceilings and large glass windows on one side overlooking the lush greenery of the museum’s main entrance, the space is bright, wide and airy. The aesthetics matched that of the art museum and was indeed very Scandinavian.

After grabbing the window seat, I headed to the counter where I had a hard time choosing from the mains menu and especially from the display of pastries.

As per my prior research, their pancakes were seemingly popular so I went for the Buttermilk Pancakes with Mascarpone and Maple Syrup (135 DKK, SGD26). These were on the thick and denser side, well-accompanied with a generous layer of maple syrup at the base and mascarpone and jam at the top. It can however get too heavy halfway through.

From the selection of pastries, I had the Cardamom Bun (45 DKK, SGD8.7) which was fluffy and soft on the inside, and also the Chocolate Cake (45 DKK, SGD8.7) which was a tad dry but still gobbled up thanks to the smooth cream and nut butter on top.

To balance the heavy amount of carb and sugar, I also got some greens – the Green Asparagus with Stracciatella, Rye, Mustard and Ramson (145 DKK, SGD28). It was surprisingly very tasty – the crisps were nutty and enhanced the texture of the dish, while the stracciatella cheese and mustard added flavour to the asparagus without overpowering it. The quality of the rye bread was also great.

The café is accessible to all without the need for reservations or museum tickets, but I highly recommend exploring the museum before/after a meal at the café – as the largest art museum in Copenhagen, it houses a large collection of visual art from a time as old as the sixteenth century to modern times.

Please do not be alarmed by the prices – they are on par with the cost of living in Denmark.

Statens Museum for Kunst, 48-50, Sølvgade, 1350 København, Denmark

Tues to Sun 10am – 6pm

Tagged Cafe, Copenhagen, Denmark

Aug 24 2024

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Cafe, Food

butter tgt – New Café in Tanjong Pagar with Homemade Bakes

The newest kid on the block in Tanjong Pagar is butter tgt, a new venture by home baker @youkneadcakes on Instagram. Somehow “smooth like butter” always plays in my head whenever I think of butter…

I have already been there thrice – for the peaceful, quiet me-time in the morning, for my new-found favourite corner spot where the low wooden round table is. That time and space is perfect for reading while sipping coffee and munching on bread, before the crowd starts streaming in and the chatter from conversations starts to fill the space especially on weekends.

The menu here features a range of breakfast items such as toasts and granola, together with their rotational bakes displayed in a glass counter at the cashier.

On my visits, I tried their White ($6, +$1 for oat milk) and Mocha ($7, +$1 for oat milk). They use their house blend, the Butter Blend (Ethiopia & Tanzania), which has notes of dark berries and nutty chocolates. I thoroughly enjoyed the coffees which were not too heavy on the palate.

For non-coffee options, there are the Matcha latte ($8) made with kiku ceremonial matcha by Niko Neko Matcha and Hot Chocolate ($7.5) made with the Alto Beni by Fossa Chocolate, with caramel, woody, browned fruit notes.

From the food menu, I’ve had the Avocado Toast ($12) – a simple slice of toasted sourdough, with avocado and house made garlic butter. For something more substantial and savoury, try the Grilled Cheese ($16) sandwich made with 3 types of cheeses (gouda, mozzarella, cheddar) and which also comes with a thick tomato soup on the side.

Though the café is famed for their Madeleines (set of 3 for $7.5, baked to order with 15 mins wait), I unfortunately have had better ones in Singapore so I would skip it if I were to come again.

On the other hand, the Banana Bread ($6) which was recommended to us had the right balance of moisture and fluffiness while not being overly sweet, so it turned out to be one of my favourite items. The Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk Cookie ($5.8) was also a sinful treat which I relished.

Despite the simple, no-frills food and drinks, I had good experiences overall thanks to the unpretentious concept, cozy ambiance and friendly hospitality.

Wed to Mon 8.30am – 5pm

76A Duxton Road, 2^nd floor, Singapore 089535

Aug 10 2024

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Cafe, Food, singapore

Big Short Coffee – New Coffee Bar in Joo Chiat with Creative Specialty Drinks

Just last week, I popped by the new Big Short Coffee in Joo Chiat – this specialty coffee bar serves innovative coffee specialty drinks by experimenting with techniques from molecular gastronomy, cocktail mixing, science labs and ingredients not normally used in coffee.

The creative drinks rotate on a seasonal basis and they are currently serving drinks from their Chapter 1: summer 2024 menu.

I tried 4 drinks from the summer menu. My first cup which also turned out to be my favourite was the Happy Valley Punch ($8.5). The highlight of this drink was the clear, clarified coconut milk, made using a milk clarification technique commonly used for cocktails. The natural sweetness of the coconut milk striked a balance with the acidity of blood orange and bergamot, and together with early grey and a shot of their own Big Short Blend espresso (50/50 brazil & Columbia blend natural process), made a refreshing drink with a subtle sweet tone.

The house blend espresso (a 50-50 blend of Brazil and Columbia naturally processed beans) has a lighter roasting style to accentuate the natural flavour and sweetness of the beans. It is also used in the normal coffees (white, black, mocha etc.) that are the mainstays of the menu.

Young Harry ($8) is a combination of a cold brew with jasmine green tea and raw fresh coconut water topped with roasted pistachio cream and corn flowers. This was much less sweet, with bitter tones from the tea.

Those who enjoy nutty flavours will like the Bee’s Knees ($8) – I loved the addition of roasted pine nuts in it. The unexpected combination with cold brew, fresh strawberry puree, coastal wildflower rare honey (from Western Australia) and fresh honeycomb was pleasantly unique.

Inspired by the coffee slushy the owner tried in Italy, the team recreated their own version, called the Crema Al Caffe ($8). Their house espresso blend is churned in the slushy machine with fresh and condensed milk, brown sugar and vanilla bean, resulting in a smooth and creamy emulsion. The slushy is then topped with almond and hazelnut praline, providing an added crunchy texture and nutty dimension to the sweet treat.

Work is going on behind the scenes by the R&D team to launch the Chapter 2: autumn 2024 menu and I honestly can’t wait to be back for that.

8am – 5pm Wed to Mon (closed on Tues)

2 Fowlie Rd, #01-01, Singapore 428505

Tagged Cafe, coffee, singapore

Jul 13 2024

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Cafe, Food, South Korea, Suwon

Vivre Sa Vie (비브르 사비) – White and Minimal Cafe near Suwon Hwaseong Fortress

On a clear autumn morning filled with gusts that signalled the transition to winter, I did a day trip out from Seoul to Suwon for the first time. The journey by the subway was convenient and fuss free. It took me slightly less than an hour and a half to get to Suwon station. From the main station, I then hopped on a bus which brought me to Suwon Hwaseong Fortress.

Before attempting the fortress hike, I had planned to visit Vivre Sa Vie, a café with my kind of white and minimal aesthetics. The café was run by just a kind and friendly middle-aged lady who came slightly past opening hour and was very apologetic that I waited past 10am outside the café, exposed to the chilling winds.

With large glass windows along one side of the café, the café was filled with natural light and I got a clear view of the fortress walls from inside. The white walls and ceiling contrasted with the wooden and rattan furniture, while props like books and plants spruced up the small and modest space.

From the range of drinks and desserts on the menu, I ordered the Homemade Apple Cinnamon Tea (KRW6500) to warm myself up, along with a Matcha Terrine (KRW5,500). The tea came with an aesthetic presentation, topped with slices of apple and a small uncut apple. I recommend to several rounds of hot water as you drink it as it was very sweet.

Meanwhile, the Matcha Terrine was rich and dense, with a substantial bitterness of matcha that helped balance the sweetness from the tea. I loved the overall attention to detail, as can be seen from the style of plating and presentation.

As the owner put on her Korean autumn playlist through the speakers, I indulged in the sentiments of the season in the cosiness of the café, while not having to be conscious of others as I was the only customer on that early weekday morning. This is that one café where you can rest your mind and body.

193-231 Yeonmu-dong, Jangan-gu, Suwon, South Korea

Mon, Wed to Fri 10am – 6pm (closed on Tues)

Sat to Sun 10am – 7pm

Foodography: A Singapore Food Blog

crystalwee.com

Category Archives: Cafe

Whatever Coffee 無事咖啡 – Guangzhou Cafe

Daejeon Café Hop 2025 – Leafful Coffee, Seosew Café, Ordinary Project Café

Lot of Taste, Chiang Mai

Lean and Rich Bakery – Minimalistic Bakery Café in UE Square with Northern European Bread and Pastries

Atrium, Malmö – Brunch in an Aesthetic Cafe in Sweden

La Cabra Coffee Roasters in Aarhus, Denmark

Kafeteria SMK – Aesthetic Museum Café Known for Pancakes and Pastries in Copenhagen

butter tgt – New Café in Tanjong Pagar with Homemade Bakes

Big Short Coffee – New Coffee Bar in Joo Chiat with Creative Specialty Drinks

Vivre Sa Vie (비브르 사비) – White and Minimal Cafe near Suwon Hwaseong Fortress

crystalwee.com

Category Archives: Cafe

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