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

Opening its door with little fanfare earlier this year is Fine Dining Bakery by Akira .M, a Japanese bakery specialising in handcrafted breads made with flour from Hokkaido. Head baker chef Akira boasts impressive credentials, having worked at Joël Robuchon as well as béni in Singapore.

Particularly popular amongst the Japanese expats, most get their breads for takeaway but the bakery has a small dine-in area if you wish to enjoy their fresh bakes or sandwiches in house.

We started off with a Croissant (S$3.80). Toasted and served warm, the croissant was buttery and flaky but a tad dry. Fine Dining Bakery offers almond croissants, chocolate croissants and even chocolate banana croissants as well.

What really brought us to Fine Dining Bakery was the Fluffy Shokupan Sandwich (S$14.50) which came in a set with a mini salad and soup. The salad of fresh crunchy greens came with cherry tomatoes and rhubarbs for a splash of colour and was finished off with a homemade vinaigrette while the soup of the day was a sweet and creamy carrot soup that was lightly salted – perfect starters for our sandwich.

Now, for the main event. Made with honey and fresh cream, the shokupan slices were so fluffy and chewy we just couldn’t believe it. Between the two slices of shokupan was a generous amount of luscious egg salad that featured hints of spice from mustard, some tanginess from mayonnaise and was seasoned with chives and black pepper.

Not only was this sandwich such a delight to eat, but it was also filling; we can totally imagine coming back here just for it!

207 River Valley Road
#01-59 UE Square
Singapore 238275
Wed to Mon: 10am – 5pm
(Closed on Tuesday)
Nearest Station: Fort Canning

Updated on 9 Nov 2020

Tucked away in The Herencia at Kim Yam Road is Kura that serves up delectable Japanese pastries at reasonable prices. Even so, they don’t compromise on quality and offer up some mouthwatering cakes.

Kura shares the space with cafe and bar, In Bad Co, with a small glass display of their multi-coloured confections. With offices and residential areas nearby, we’re sure it will be an up-and-coming place for desserts in no time.

The shared cafe space between Kura and In Bad Co. has a rustic, almost industrial-like setting. Kura’s colourful cake display, taking its place in the back of the cafe space, is visible just upon entering.

Firstly, we tasted the Strawberry Shortcake (S$4.5). It was a simple sponge cake and cream with strawberries dotted through it. The seemingly simple slice of cake turned out to be so delicious, with a consistency that rivalled that of a cheesecake. It was simple and executed to the tee.

Kura’s Lemon Tart (S$7.5) is one we would never forget. Despite being a rather petite pastry, it packed a very big punch. Made with a vibrant lemon curd center and toasted sweet meringue, it definitely tasted as good as it looked. The pastry crust was a tad bit soft  (probably from the curd’s moisture) but it didn’t really affect the overall plate.

Life gave Kura lemons and they definitely did a great job with them.

Last to grace our palettes was Kura’s Tiramisu (S$8), a mix of coffee-soaked sponge and mascarpone cream sitting inside a mini dark chocolate cup. The mascarpone filling was light – not too creamy nor heavy. We finished this in mere minutes.

When Kura first started in 2019, they had quite a selection of desserts that were under S$5. Unfortunately, they’ve increased their prices by quite a bit since then and most of the desserts are priced between S$7.5 – S$9. That being said, there are still a few options that are priced under S$5 and they include Carrot Cake (S$4), Chocolate Pound Cake (S$4), Strawberry Shortcake (S$4.5), and Uji Triple Match Tart (S$4.6)

Kura Singapore
46 Kim Yam Road
The Herencia
Singapore 239351
Mon to Fri: 8am – 5pm
Sat & Sun: 9.30am – 7pm
Nearest Station: Fort Canning
(There’s a two-way shuttle bus from Somerset MRT to The Herencia)