Cafe Gyoen is a new Japanese-themed cafe in Serangoon Gardens with a train decor. Taking over the space vacated by Isshin Machi, Cafe Gyoen will transport you to the Tokyo metro stations and train cabins!

Opened by the same owners behind Yamato Izakaya in Tai Seng, Cafe Gyoen has transformed their toilets into a Tokyo metro cabin-inspired backdrop and it has gone viral online.

But other than that, the interior of the cafe is pretty bare and looks like an ordinary cafe.

Cafe Gyoen serves all-day Teishoku (which means set menu in Japanese), donburi, curry rice and small Japanese bites.

Apart from coffee, you can also get an array of Japanese beverages including Matcha Latte, Black Sesame Latte and matcha Yuzu spritz.

We ordered several dishes and all of them were simple, hearty and delicious. They are something that we can eat on a regular basis.

Each Teishoku set comes with tamagoyaki, cold marinated scallops, onigiri, miso soup and pickles.

Our top picks include the Hokkaido Pork Teishoku, Katsu Pork Teishoku and Tori Teriyaki Donburi.

Cafe Gyoen is a good reason for you to make a trip to Serangoon Garden neighbourhood for brunch the next weekend.

Cafe Gyoen
55 Serangoon Garden Way,
Garden Estate, Singapore 555951
Daily: 9am – 9pm

Hello Arigato has become one of those top-of-mind cafes at Joo Chiat, and it is not difficult to understand why. We fell in love with the cosy small space even though there was nothing much to speak about, rest for a feature shelf with a display of Japanese and minimalistic knickknacks.

Hello Arigato is a lifestyle cafe with a Japanese-inspired menu, and it first gained popularity with its first outlet at Upper Thomson. We prefer the one at Joo Chiat, because Joo Chiat.

Step into Hello Arigato Joo Chiat and be greeted by a minimalistic white space. The cafe isn’t big – probably 30-seater – and you can see from front to end. Whilst it can get a tad cramped, it is still a cosy space for a meal and a drink.

You must try their Japanese-inspired sandos (sandwich, in case you didn’t get it). That was what got people’s attention when Hello Arigato first opened; people flocked to the first outlet at Upper Thomson for sandos.

There are quite a few variations, with the Gyu Sando (S$26) being their house specialty. While we thought it was very reasonably-priced for the generous portion, the wagyu didn’t hit the spot for us.

The Spam & Egg Sando (S$18), on the other hand, may sound simple but was way better. A thick slab of luncheon meat, lots of scrambled egg and American cheddar are enveloped in Japanese brioche, complete with spiced tomato jam. Gratifying with every bite, we’d say.

For all the sandos, you have the option of topping up with a side of curly fries at S$5, but we would say skip this and go for the a la carte Hello Twister Fries (S$13). A full portion of everyone’s favourite sinful fries is generously coated with a housemade Japanese curry and cheese sauce and topped with scallions – so damn shiok.

There is a Pasta and Brunch menu too, and while it is interesting to see they used Udon to whip up Japanese-styled pastas, we weren’t fans of it.

Oh, but we really loved the Iced Dirty Matcha (S$8) on the drinks menu and it is our must-order every time we dine at Hello Arigato. They also bake their own cookies which we have yet to try, but we will, soon!

Hello Arigato
227 Upper Thomson Rd, Singapore 574359
Tel: +65 8772 3778

314 Joo Chiat Rd, Singapore 427565
Tel: +65 8889 5657

Boyutei is a new all-day dining Japanese Café at Ann Siang Hill by One-Michelin Starred Whitegrass and Hvala.

It has officially opened to the public on 1 June 2022.

Boyutei’s food menu is conceptualised by Whitegrass Head Chef Takuya Yamashita and they will be offering an array of salads, soups, Japanese sandos, rice, noodles and crepes (both sweet and savoury), while Hvala will be in charge of the dessert and beverage items.

Some of the dishes that you can look forward to include Cha Soba, Ebi Katsu Sando, Japanese Dry Beef Curry as well as crepes with Seafood Mentaiko and Okonomiyaki flavours.

Fans of Hvala’s matcha desserts and drinks will love their creations here.

With matcha farmed from Hvala’s exclusive partner tea garden in Kyoto, the Matcha Goma Garden comes with handmade matcha warabi mochi and matcha ice cream alongside a goma chocolate cookie.

There will also be an expansive tea selection at Boyutei which is brought in from Hvala’s exclusive partner farm.

Photos credit: Boyutei

Boyutei
28 Ann Siang Rd, #01-02
Singapore 069708

Souffle Pancakes – a term for one of the hottest desserts in Singapore right now. These wiggly-jiggly stacks of cloud-like pancakes have taken the country by storm with more and more souffle pancakes appearing on menus in every restaurant!

If you haven’t hopped on the latest trend in Singapore, or have lost track of what’s good in Singapore, check out this list of the fluffiest souffle pancakes in Singapore! These are the places you can grab some fluffy stacks of your own.

19TEA

Originating from South Korea, this popular tea store is known for their creative concoctions and cloud-like stacks of souffle pancakes! Besides being absolutely delicious, their pancakes are super affordable too, all under S$4.50!

They have three flavours of pancakes currently – Original Snow, Matcha and Tiramisu!

19Tea
1 Tampines Walk
#01-82, Our Tampines Hub
Singapore 528523
Daily: 11am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Tampines

BELLE-VILLE PANCAKE HOUSE

Belle-Ville Pancake House is a popular Millefeuille Pancake cafe that hails all the way from Osaka, Japan. Prices start at S$7.90 for four pieces of plain millefeuille pancakes topped with buttercream. However, be prepared to wait up to half an hour for these pancakes are made upon order!

Belle-Ville Pancake House
Bugis Junction #01-01B
Towers 230 Victoria Street
Singapore 188024

CAFE DE NICOLE’S FLOWER

This whimsical cafe is a floral wonderland with dishes that also uphold their floral fantasy theme! Light, fluffy and sweet, the Original Pancakes are served with maple syrup and sweet cream. It tasted a little eggier than sweet!

Their soufflé pancakes also come with Hokkaido Strawberry Ice Cream or in a Tiramisu-flavoured rendition.

Cafe De Nicole’s Flower
224 Telok Kurau Road, #01-01
Singapore 423836

FLUFF STACK

Fluff Stack wows with their generous portion of fluffy stacks at a more affordable price point! Their pancakes come in fun flavours such as Strawberry Cheese, Oolong Boba and Mango Passionfruit but we loved their Original flavour the best.

The stack of two pancakes was accompanied by honey butter, chantilly cream and maple syrup. We liked how the honey butter added some saltiness that was a good contrast against all the sweet.

Fluff Stack
3 Temasek Boulevard
#B1-K4 Suntec City
Singapore 038983

GRAM CAFE & PANCAKES

Probably the most iconic of all the stacks, this Japanese powerhouse of a pancake shop was the “OG” store that started this infatuation with souffle pancakes. Thankfully, you don’t need to fly all the way to Japan for these stacks anymore – Gram had graced Singapore’s shores, setting up a store in VivoCity.

Fair warning that there is always a long queue for these highly-coveted pancakes. Go early and grab a queue token!

Gram Cafe & Pancakes
1 Harbourfront Walk
#02-110 VivoCity
Singapore 098585

HOSHINO COFFEE

These Japanese cafes definitely know how to woo us with their delectable desserts – one of their specialities being souffle pancakes.

Hoshino Coffee makes a pretty amazing rendition of a fluffy stack with their special Strawberry Pancake. Fluffy pancakes are topped with fresh strawberries, freshly whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.

Hoshino Coffee has several outlets. Check out the full list here.

SWEET.REX

SweeT.Rex started as a hawker stall at Alexandra Village Food Centre and it has opened its first cafe at International Plaza.

The soufflé pancakes were light and fluffy – not anything short of those you get at fancier establishments. They had a slightly eggy taste but the ice cream and the caramel sauce would balance it out.

SweeT.Rex
10, 01-11 Anson Rd, International Plaza, 079903
Tel: +65 8163 7630

TYPHOON CAFE

This pretty cafe serving up all-things-Taiwanese doesn’t just serve Lu Rou Rice and Bubble Tea. They also serve up Milk tea Souffle Stackers – three cloud-like pancakes that are accompanied by a rich milk tea sauce, ice cream, biscuit crumble and boba pearls.

It’s the most indulgent dessert to have, especially if you love Taiwanese milk tea and souffle pancakes. Now you can have the best of both worlds with this dish!

68 Orchard Road
#04-63/67 Plaza Singapura
Singapore 238839

Previously known as the brand that brought the Instagram-worthy Hong-Kong style egglet waffles to Singapore in 2015, Hvala since has rebranded as an all-matcha lifestyle cafe. They have recently opened their second outlet at TripleOne Somerset, boasting the same chic, zen vibe as their outlet at CHIJMES.

Serving all-things Matcha, think Matcha Lattes, Whisked Matcha, Matcha cakes and Matcha Ice Cream, Hvala is an oasis for true matcha fans in Singapore.

Walking into Hvala at TripleOne Somerset was like walking into a modern Japanese Garden. Its Japanese-style minimalist interior was extremely calming and it provided the perfect backdrop to relax and enjoy the food and drinks.

It would be a great place to spend an afternoon catching up with friends over tea or just having some nice alone-time.

We first had to try the Matcha Latte (S$5.80) and we were not disappointed. The Matcha was freshly whisked and gently poured over milk to create a beautiful gradient. Sipping it down, the bitter taste of the matcha is contrasted by the milk and a little sweetness from the sugar syrup.

The Matcha was wonderfully smooth and flavourful with a floral note to it. It was pretty much one of the best Matcha Lattes we have had in Singapore.

To pair with our Matcha Latte, we ordered a slice of Hvala’s Hojicha Cake (S$7.80). Light and airy Hojicha-infused sponge is layered with fresh cream, adzuki beans and a generous drizzle of thick Hojicha sauce.

We loved how the smoky aroma of Hojicha was amplified by the bitter Hojicha sauce but we felt that the cake did not hold as much Hojicha flavour as we had hoped. We did like the nice contrast in texture that the adzuki beans provided, though!

Overall, we were pretty pleased with our experience at Hvala and we would love to come back again and spend the day here, sipping on a Matcha Latte and perhaps enjoy a book while doing so.

111 Somerset Road
TripleOne Somerset
Singapore 238164
Daily: 11.30am – 9.30pm
Nearest Station: Somerset