Nana’s Green Tea Cafe @ Plaza Singapura

If there’s one thing I love about the Japanese, it’s their ability to take anything that’s quintessentially Western and add their own unique twist to it.

Take Nana’s Green Tea Cafe for example: ever since it opened its doors to matcha lovers ten years ago, it’s been touted as the Starbucks of Japan. And what’s more, word is on the street that Nana’s only uses green tea leaves from Kyoto, the capital of matcha production! Talk about taking quality control to a whole new level.

So when Fiona and I checked out their flagship store at Plaza Singapura on a whim, we certainly had high expectations.

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[CLOSED] Humble Origins Cafe @ NUS

Update 20 Jan 2025: Humble Origins has closed.

Humble-Origins

Happiness is a scoop of vanilla ice cream; all other things are secondary.

If you’ve been hanging around LT 11 and 12 at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (NUS), you’d probably have noticed a quiet and cozy cafe run by cap-donning baristas- that’s right,  I’m talking about Humble Origins Cafe which opened in August last year.

Drawn in by its relaxed atmosphere and soothing music, I’ve been frequenting Humble Origins for its drinks in between classes, but I never tried its array of baked goods that practically beg to be eaten whenever I head to the counter for a Root Beer Float or Coffee with Ice Cream. 

Well, this week I finally gave in to temptation and succumbed to not one, but three of the “new” items on the menu! Oh, the joys of indulgence

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Tiong Bahru Bakery @ Raffles City

Tiong Bahru Bakery

When I first heard the name Tiong Bahru Bakery, I honestly thought it would be one of those old-school, steam-filled joints with pastry makers hawking their wares in a quaint, forgotten corner of Singapore.

I couldn’t be more wrong; it’s actually a new bakery started by Spa Esprit Group in collaboration with Gontran Cherrier. But enough with the facts; let’s get on to the really important bits: the pastries!

It was a busy weekend afternoon when I popped by the branch at Raffles City for a light tea break after dropping off my film for development at Peninsula Plaza. Luckily, the place is big enough to accommodate the weekend crowd, so I managed to find myself a seat within in a minute, quite a feat for a weekend tea stint in town!

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