Cafe Pal : Modern Thai

Oolong tea with pomelo and yuzu

Lychee tea

Freshly baked and soft orange chiffon cake that came with a chocolate dipping sauce

Met a friend for tea and cakes at Cafe Pal in Middle Road (close to Shaw Towers at Beach Road) , a place which also serves Thai food from a nearby restaurant. While the decor of the place was simple, you could see the effort put into the tea and the bakes. Reminded me of how the Japanese would go to great lengths for the little touches that would make the difference.  The chiffon cake was fresh and soft while the fruit teas were lovely. I ordered lychee tea which was very refreshing but what was really good was the blend of oolong, pomelo and yuzu which my friend ordered.  

Loved the presention too. The teas were served in glass teapots with flower teacups and saucers. They had little cornflake cookies on the side with simple and beautiful leaves adorning it. Must come back again for the Thai food and of course the fruit teas. 

Cafe Pal 
43, Middle Road #01-100, Singapore 188952

Cafe culture in Singapore

Above and below : L'etoile cafe at Owen Road

Above : Sticky chocolate cake from Old School Delights .
Below : Cute chalkboard menu

New cafes seemed to have mushroomed all over Singapore in the most unexpected places. Hidden in an old shophouse off Race Course Road is L'etoile, a French Japanese inspired cafe that has a beautiful space on the second level. Vintage furniture such as an old dresser, a sewing machine table, antique looking clocks and comfy armchairs complete the look with nice, flowy lace curtains. I went there with my friends for lunch on a weekday but I wished that the menu had more to offer besides sandwiches plus coffee and tea. Had the smoked smoked duck on ciabatta and for someone not particularly crazy about bread, it was really fresh and good. Highly recommended though by a friend is their weekend brunch where French crepes with butter and sugar are available including a most delicious strawberry shortcake. Maybe on a weekend the next time.

L'etoile

160 Owen Road near Farrer Park MRT Station (closed on Monday)

And for a place closer to my home is Old School Delights, off Upper Thomson Road. It had a very familiar classroom environment complete with chalkboards as well as vintage toys and card games from the 70s and 80s. Remember Old Maid, Happy Family and Donkey ? Old School Delights ' signature dish is definitely the mee siam made with a special family rempah recipe. Love the menu handwritten in chalk especially the dinosaur drinking from a straw. There are 3 versions of Singapore dinosaur drinks available here - everyone's favourite Milo dinosaur including the Horlicks dinosaur and Bandung dinosaur. I couldn't resist the sticky chocolate cake though I do recommend sharing it with a friend as it is decadently rich.

Old School Delights

215M Upper Thomson Road