Hopping Clouds

White, clean, minimalist.

Those are the 3 words Pacamera impresses upon a first time visitor. I want to write more about the clean lines, the white Synesso coffee machine, and the interesting test tubes.

I have been planning to visit Pacamera Boutique Coffee Roasters ever since I saw those gorgeous desserts on my friend's Instagram account. She is a dedicated cafe hopper so I find out new places through her feed. She was a frequent Pacamera diner before she moved somewhere further north on the N-S Line.

Then...the service at Pacamera spoiled my lunch date. Was it my unlucky day?

Ant has always been stuck at home on Sundays whenever he is in town because I'm usually in training on Sunday mornings. Feeling sorry for him because we have not been cafe-hopping as much as he would have liked, I decided to make the journey to Upper Thomson to try this place out.

It was around 2pm when we arrived. I did not expect the lunch crowds to still be there. The line 6 people deep. I was ready to apologise to Ant for making him accompany me on such a hot day and suggest somewhere else. Suddenly, a place for 2 opened up and seeing that everyone else had groups of 4 above, we were allowed in.

If I had know what was to follow, I'd wished they turned me away instead.

I'm not sure if it was the gear or the clothes I was in but one of the waitresses did a double take when she saw me. I was in dri-fit clothing with a huge 7kg bag. I'm carrying a weapon in the bag, of course it looks secure.

Everyone else who were there were in their Sunday brunch best. I decided to ignore her pointed look and followed another waitress to my seat.

That's when the service just went baaadddd...

1. Ant and I were seated at the counter. I'm fine with a counter. But would you be happy to have a seat like this?

My tolerance level is pretty high. If I'm sitting facing a faucet due to space constraints, fine. However, Pacamera staff decided to use the tap in front of me to rinse their cups, rinse out the dish cloth and fill up drinking water. We were treated to a nice misty shower. We had no idea they were using that sink until AFTER we ordered out food.

2. A lull in customers resulted in some tables being opened up. When I asked to change seats, explaining that we were sitting IN FRONT of their washing area, a (new) waitress tried to move things over before her senior told her that it wasn't allowed. I tried to speak to the senior to explain the situation but she dismissed me with a flick of her hair and hurried away to awaiting customers. Well! Blood pressure was really shooting up at this time. I tried to catch the senior waitress's attention and I know we made eye contact but she kept her distance. Seriously, that young thing needs a good smack for her rudeness. By the way, this "senior" is the same girl who gave me the look when I walked in with my training gear.

I wanted to cancel my order and asked another staff for assistance. The service was ridiculous! We were told that the kitchen were preparing our others. It took another 30 minutes before the food finally arrived.

By now I gave dirty looks to staff who used the sink and in the process, splashing us. I'm not sure if they got the idea but nary a word of apology was given.

Moving on to the food, my order of Penne Carbonara was pretty good. I liked the mix of bacon and baby asparagus with the cream sauce. The cream sauce wasn't too thick but had just the right amount of consistency to bring the whole meal together.

Everyone who goes to Pacamera one time or the other would try the Salted Caramel Banana French Toast. The portion was generous and it is definitely meant for sharing if you don't have a sweet tooth.

The coffee actually held my temper down from the ridiculous treatment we were subject to. The OZ Specialty Coffee had medium acidity and reminded me of the Melbourne cafes where I wiled away my afternoons.

I'm not sure if I'll make a trip back there. They may sit me in front of the faucet again. If I do return, I have to dress up really nicely and it'll probably be to have coffee on the go.

Maybe other cafe goers would have better luck. The coffee is worth making a visit for. Let me know!

Pacamera Boutique Coffee Roasters

Address: 185, Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574333.

Opening Hours: Tues - Sun 9am-11pm

Price: $-$$

It was ironic that we came to enjoy coffee but it ended up as a career counselling session. Exchanging war stories, seeking advice on how to handle difficult situations, self-reflection, reasons why we were driven to make a particular decision.

Heavy conversations wound around our hearts. Sometimes it felt like our load were lightened, and at other times, it settled into the pits of our stomach. Hugging our dessert plates and quickly cooling coffee, we used the food and caffeine as excuse to switch topics or to find out how another was doing.

SC's craving for a pecan pie led us here. By the way how do you pronounce pecan? Do you pronounce it as pee-caan, pee-kan or peh-kan? I pronounce it as a "peh-kan".

We usually sojourn together to a cafe after group events. Since the others were wondering where to go for dessert, we invited them along on our journey. Group Therapy is located on the 2nd floor or 1st floor (if you are Malaysian or other nationalities who count the ground level floor as G). You have to climb up a flight of stairs - watch out for the rickety one - and push over the wooden door to a counter with bikes propped up against it.

There is not much seating on premise. A long table towards the window, some couches about, its a space to soak in some rays or just lounge and read. The limited seating also means that some may be put off by the wait of inconsiderate cafe patrons.

Sights in and out of the cafe

No one had a critic about the coffee. It was one of the better tastings ones around with their pretty coffee art. Flavourful with a tinge of bittersweet after taste.

Since we were here for therapy, sweets tend to be the comfort food for most people. We ordered a few to go around. I would say it's comfort food from elevated sugar levels.

The Belgian waffle, topped off with a scoop of ice cream, almonds and berries was quite nice as it came out hot from the waffle maker. The slightly firm yet spongy waffle was a favourite with everyone. I hate waffles that get soggy immediately after serving. bleragh...

The pecan pie and key lime crumb cake were good as well. The pecan pie wasn't too sweet and pecan lovers would be ever thankful to Group Therapy for the generous pecans topping off the pie. I wasn't too sure about the Caramel Granny Smith Apple Pie though. The oaty looking covering and sweetness made it the last of the desserts to go.

If you are an Ernest Hemingway fan, you'd have some expectations towards Key Lime Pie. It was a key lime crumb cake here but the focal point of any key lime is always the lime curd. Group Therapy prepares a pretty decent key lime cake which went fabulous with their roasted coffee. If you are reading this post Group Therapy owners, perhaps you can offer an option of meringue or vanilla ice cream with the cake?

SC and I also ordered truffled ravioli to share as I still couldn't eat much due to my jaw. Based on my previous experience with truffle oil, its either the you get something good, or something totally stinky. Luck favours those who are down. The ravioli was stuffed with truffles and porcini mushrooms. The watery tomato paste and parmesan cheese brought the whole dish together by tempering the oil.

This place calls for a second visit. It wouldn't be a bad idea to spend Friday evenings reading a book alone with ravioli and a cup of hot flat white.

Group Therapy
Address: 49 Duxton Rd, 089513
Tel: +65 6222 2554
Opening Hours: Monday closed, Tues - Thurs (11am-6pm), Friday - Saturday (11am-11pm),
Sun & PH (10am-6pm)
Website: http://www.gtcoffee.com/
Price: $$

I'm SC's first non-family passenger in his new ride! Considering that he has not driven in the past few years, I was wondering if anything will mar our concert night. With my past experience with pre-concert meals and SC's slightly rusty driving skills, one has to forgive my ominousity.

We realised that it always rain whenever we head out to somewhere unfamiliar. Then again, now with the car, I can dress a little bit nicer without worrying about soggy heels. We drove towards Bukit Timah and found ourselves debating over which cafe to try next. Since the concert was at NUS, Relish at Cluny Court was a good pit stop.

Relish is not a new name in the F & B industry. Rather it is an extension of Wild Oats, to serve comfort food to the masses. Okay, the prices are slightly above average but still affordable if you want to have a nice brunch out.

Caution: PARKING at CLUNY COURT during a rain storm is not a good idea. There was no sign to tell how many spots are vacant so you may drive in, thinking that there is a spot and get stuck because there is no clear signage to tell you when the dead end is coming up.

The place was pretty empty when we entered. Although it was 3pm in the afternoon, it was a marked difference from Gastronomia downstairs. If it was as quiet like this every weekend, I should start considering bringing my work there and enjoy the peace.

Relish at 3pm on a rainy afternoon

Every raves about the burgers here like the Ram-lee burger or the BBQ Char Siew Pork burger but eating burgers before a concert is inviting bits of bun stuck in between the teeth. I'll probably revisit this place for the burgers in the future, when I don't have a place to get to after the meal. We decided to have a proper dinner instead.

Spam spaghettini

Medium rare beef steak with wilted spinach and potato wedges

The spam spaghettini was quite generous in portions and I must say dear fellows, it was jolly nice. It was not too oily and just right if a person is looking for something light. As for the steak, it was not visually the greatest as it sort of looks like it went through a mowing machine but it was quite tender. We both loved the wilted spinach. Not too sure why but it reminded me of the times when I over boiled my vegetables as I rushed my work out and just needed something to line the stomach cavity.

Latte was drinkable

Relish carries interesting desserts like the Milo and Horlicks cheesecake which I was trying to tempt SC to share with me but the diva wanted to watch his stomach. *spoilsport* I need to find a dessert kaki who will travel with me for that cheesecake, perhaps on another rainy afternoon.

Relish @ Cluny Court

Address: #02-01, Cluny Court, 501 Bukit Timah Road, SG 259760

Tel: +65 6763 1547

Website: http://www.wildrocket.com.sg/relish-the%20place.html

Opening Hours: 12pm-3pm and 6.30pm - 11pm (Mon-Fri)

10.30-4pm (brunch); 4pm-11pm (dinner) (Sat-Sun)
Price:$$

We had passed this shop many times during our walks back after dinner in spring. Usually, we would be either too tired, too cold or plain full from dinner to think about dessert. It's name also reminded us of a place back home where we wondered about the colouring content in the food. *shudder*

It was a particularly windy spring night when we, armed with shopping, decided to make a pit stop to warm ourselves up. The wait for an empty table wasn't too long. We stood on the steps chatting away for 10 minutes before the waitress came and showed us to our seat.

Almost every table had a similar tall dessert. We were curious. The shop smelled of fresh waffles. But where were they? We decided to go with the crowd choice and selected a unassuming chocolate waffle listed on the menu. When it came, we were thankful for not ordering more than one. Look at the size of the thing! By the way, that's the true deal maple syrup. The banana was slightly baked, along with toasted nuts. The balls are those chocolate cereal balls that you can find in the supermarket. The chef must be pretty good at stacking. The waffles were placed on our table nary a wobble.

There is not way to eat this creation without destroying it. We lifted off each layer, split the ice cream, cut the banana into portions and munched away. I think the best combination with chocolate is always the banana. The fruit tempers the sweetness. Add on the chocolate ice-cream and the tastes meld in your mouth. However, if the chocolate ice cream could be changed to rum raisin...*rum raisin happy dance*

Winds picked up when we were inside. A chill set in as we sat near the door. I ordered something else interesting on the menu - ginger soufflé. If you don't like ginger, don't order this. I'm quite partial to ginger as it keeps me warm whenever the weather cools. Ginger actually has many medicinal properties and if you like Chinese home remedies, ginger usually finds its way into your diet.

The ginger soufflé takes 20 minutes to prepare. Soufflé can't be pre-made as the air will escape the dessert and the middle will deflate almost immediately if not served straight from the oven. I have eaten soufflés at hotels which claim that its alright to eat deflated heavy soufflés. Perhaps they can hoodwink those who aren't familiar with pastries and desserts.Sweet Tooth makes soufflé the correct way. It's meant to be airy and light because of the whipped egg whites. With a little pot of flavoured cream, it was awesome.

See it all puffed up

Osmanthus tea, Roselle and Chrsyentenum Tea to wash down the sweet snacks.

Sweet Tooth
Address: G/F, 46 Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Telephone: +852.2721.1121
Opening Hours: 12pm-10pm
Price: $

You know that feeling of getting a bite during a long shopping trip, yet it can't be too heavy because you don't want to spoil your dinner.There is a place like that in Causeway Bay where you can grab a snack and yet be healthy about it.

Yan Wo Soya Bean Curd (人和豆品廠) lies tucked away unassumingly in between boutiques and you may actually walk past it but for the steady stream of people entering and leaving the place. People come here for 2 things - soy bean curd and beancurd tofu. In a nutshell, soya bean products. You can give everything else a miss on the menu.

Great for those who are health concious. By the way, you can get full from eating too much tofu as its almost pure protein. For those who sneer at soy bean stuff, wait 'til you try the house speciality. There is frying station at the front of the shop where the tofu chef takes his time to carefully fry rows of tofu stuffed with fish paste.

The constant frying also means that you are guaranteed fresh tofu. Every table we saw had a plate of these even though you could choose the fish-less version. It was so good that AF and I went back for seconds!

The shopkeeper, seeing that we were first timers, volunteered that most patrons asked for either the original or ginger flavoured soy bean curd. As AF already had her cup of hot soymilk, we went with almond flavoured bean curd and original beancurd with red beans. I lovveedd my almond beancurd.

I don't eat almond flavoured food except for soy bean curd or almond jelly. A particular trait of mine I guess. The almond bean curd here was silky smooth and the soy taste balanced well with the almond taste. I would say it's 80% almond taste. I could do a almond bean curd commercial with what I was having. Imaginary flowers popping about me as I take a gulp and birds doing the cha-cha. La di da di da...

If you ever feel hungry after SOGO or Island Centre shopping, come by for some wholesome snacks.

Walking directions (cr Google Maps)

Yan Wo Soy Bean Shop (人和豆品廠)
Address: 38 Jardine’s Bazaar, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.
Opening Hours: 11am-11pm
Price: $
Getting there: Causeway Bay MTR Station Exit F ►walk along Jardine’s Bazaar

When in Hong Kong, I avoid touristy places and head for areas that the locals venture to. As with any culture, old establishments with horrible service yet with repeated customers tend to signal "there be good food to be found!"

When my HK friends found out that I was staying somewhere on Kimberly Road, they told me that there is a secret place where locals go to for their fix of tomato gong zai mein. Hmm, interest piqued... Armed with the address, MG, AF and I went to search for the "bing sut" that locals love.

Ok I have to make an explanation Not every small local eatery serving Western-Canto food in HK is a char chaan teng. There is a char chaan teng (茶餐厅) and there is another category called bing sut (冰室). The difference between the 2 is that bing sut traditionally serves only snack food and drinks. No rice dishes are served. Think of it as a "fast food" version of the char chaan teng. However with the increasing need to earn money, some rice dishes are added to the bing sut menu.

I realized that you were to rely purely on the address, you would probably take ages to find this place. It's pretty hard to find especially when you can't believe that it's located in some run down building and down a flight of dim stairs.

Instructions from Tsim Sha Tsui station Exit B2. Cr. Google map

You will see these landmarks if you are walking based on the map above.

Google Street view

Once you turn the corner, you will see this.

Look for Champagne Court B

When you enter Champagne Court B, you will see a surly uncle guard at his station next to lift. The stairs downwards are directly across from him. Otherwise, there is this yellow archway with these words over it "大都酒店" and stairs heading up. Don't take the stairs up to poshness. Take the stairs down to slightly dodgy, grimy downstairs.

Once you reach the bottom of the stairs and turn the corner, you will see Star Cafe! I'm not kidding.This is actually how it looks like.

As we were there after lunch hour, there were minimal people tucking away at their bowls. The great thing about this place which sets it apart from the other char chaan teng is that real tomatoes are used in the soup instead of processed canned tomato. The egg is whisked into boiling soup that gives it that flotsam sorta feeling. It's thick, gooey and definitely a comfort food in its own right.

Most of the menu is dedicated to various tomato egg noodle variation so you can take a stab at anything. I would say that if you are a first timer, go with the house favourite - tomato beef noodle, add egg "fan keh ngau yuk mien, kaah daan" (蕃茄牛肉麵, 加蛋). Addition of egg sets you back by HKD3. Order a ice lemon tea or "tong ling cha" to make the bing sut experience complete.

Don't expect 5 star treatment or hygiene here. You will be lucky if the waiter didn't nag at you for taking such a long time to decide on your order. Just soak in the 1960's ambiance in a dank alleyway warmed by one of a kind tomato noodles.

Star Cafe (星座冰室)

Address:Shop No. 36, Champagne Court, 16-20 Kimberley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui , Hong Kong[尖沙咀金巴利道16-20號香檳大廈地庫36號舖]

Tel: +852 2721 2908
Opening Hours: 8am-9.30pm

Price: $
Getting there: Refer to pictures above
Tip: Champagne Court sells lots of cameras. You can check out the prices.

I can't quite remember how did we end up at Cups & Canvas.

It wasn't on our 'coffee places to conquer' places nor is it near our shooting range. I did remember, however, looking at this place on the Internet when Leef wanted to know about upcoming cafes. Hmm, my memory is like a certain gold coloured cold-blooded domesticated fish.

Cups & Canvas was open in September 2012, with the concept of introducing art in a 1950's art-deco shophouse and a fresh brew within a painting brush breath. There is something British about the place, possibly due to the Union Jack with the Keep Calm theme. SC was wondering if there are any other homages to our previous colonial masters*rolls eyes*

Located along the main Selegie Road, we almost missed it as it blended in with the shops beside it. If it wasn't for the standee placed out front, SC and I would have walked past.

I am always attracted to shops with a stripped down, industrial look. Perhaps it stems from a long standing dream to have a abode in the meat-packing district. There is a little open space out back if you want some privacy. I think it's a great place if one needs a place to do model photography.

The cafe transforms into an art space when there is an exhibition, art jam or art studio session going on. With kids classes available, parents could let their little ones play with colours while the parents have a nice cuppa on the other side of the glass *evil grin*. The classes, based on their website, are for everybody. There are short crash-course lessons to lessons where one could learn at their own pace. I could tell you that art is something that cannot be rushed. Having experienced late night drawings under pressure and when one is doing something from inspiration will produce 2 entirely different results.

The food menu is not extensive so there isn't much pondering to be done. 5 pastas, a couple of sandwiches and a few finger food. Under their "DRINK ME" menu *so Lewis Caroll* we saw sweet potato latte was available. SC was trying to dare me into drinking it but I don't even eat sweet potato on a normal basis! We did see some interesting beer on their shelves. Our beer interest was so apparent until the barista told us that the beer stock just came in. LOL. We must have looked like a couple of hard core drinkers. But then again, the day was pretty hot and cold beer was super tempting then.

I ordered the Blanc Bacon, al dente fettuccine with cream sauce and with a dash of white wine for good measure. I did get my dose of alcohol after all. Oh my dear liver. SC went with his usual lasagna order. While we debated whether we should buy a pint to share, our fingers were busy folding origami with the folding paper made available by the cafe. You can grab some scrap paper and colour pencils to color your time productively.

The Blanc Bacon was pretty good with the steaming sauce coating the pasta without drowning me in dairiness. SC wished his lasagna was more substantial. Even though at 32, he is still a growing boy. Even though I think he is tall enough.

Blanc Bacon

Lasagna

As the day turned to dusk, we packed up. We are sold on the place. Not only the ambiance but the 1980's music jamming as we were spent our time there. Cups & Canvas, your playlist is plenty awesome!

Cups & Canvas

Address: 139 Selegie Road, SG 188309

Tel: +65 6884 6865

Website: http://www.cupsncanvas.com/

Opening Hours: 10am-10pm (Tues- Thurs); 10.30am -11pm (Fri-Sat); 10pm - 6pm (Sun)

Price : $$

A visit to the Hardware store was long overdue.

It's been awhile since Skyscraper and I got our supplies to keep us going. Coffee, that is.

Skyscraper has been anticipating this trip for the past 2 weeks. He even made a recce trip to find out where it is on his way home from work.

Boy, his supplies must be running low if he actually did a recce trip to ensure we got to the coffee joint on time after the range.

When we reached Chye Seng Huat Hardware, we kept seeing people exiting through a metal gate on the side of the shop. No signage or no indication of the word "coffee" (except for a small plastic board which states www.cshhcoffee.com on a pillar) shows that a cafe lay yonder 'em those gates.

The power of the hipster movement and social media is amaze-balls.

A queue snaked around the barista island when we walked in. Seating places are quite limited so we ended up on the bar stools facing a huge retro mirror (those that you see in coffee shops dating back to the 60's). It's pretty good to unobtrusively people watch.

The menu for coffee doesn't confuse a coffee virgin to Italian/French/German names like Piccolo Latte, Flat White, Cafe Miel, Americano etc. It just states - Espresso, Espresso + Water, Espresso + Milk, Brewed Coffee, Hand brewed with Love. Choose your poison.

Me and my flat white

People watching. The tables are built into the shelves

A little tidbit on CSHH. It is opened by the same group which runs Papa Palheta. They roast their own beans at the Roastery (the building you see past the iron gates). There is a coffee appreciation class at the Annex, where coffee and light snacks will be provided. Places for the class are limited so check with the -staff. You can see the Annex from inside the shop itself. I heard there is a C-Platform where you learn about the geeky side of coffee but I did not manage to poke around much due to the torrential rain.

Rain does make coffee better. yums~

For our tummies, we went with a mix of mains, desserts and coffees.

Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Cream Cheese, Onions and Caper ($11)

Beef Patties with Onions, Parsley and Cajun Spice ($13). The mustard choices were a great touch.

We also had a serving of Pancake Stack with Blueberries ($10) but I was too excited about my beef patties and forgot to take a picture before another member of our party started munching on it. How excited was I about the beef? The beef is quiver-worthy.

Skyscrapper thinks there may be tofu mixed in with the beef. I did not see nor taste no tofu!

I managed to attack one pancake and it was F-L-U-F-F-Y. Not of the heavy batter shitz. It was velvety, with enough air bubbles inside for the lift needed.

Pecan Lime Cheese Tart and Hazelnut Ginger Teacake

We preferred the Pecan Lime Cheese Tart on its own but you have gotta take some coffee with the Hazelnut Ginger Teacake. The coffee balances out the spices in the teacake nicely. Without the coffee, you may get sick of it after awhile.

The Pecan Lime on the other hand had a nice crunch with a slight tartness. Most people shun cheese tarts because it is too rich and you'd probably get "jelak" of it after a few bites. Not this one. The lime reduces the richness so you can keep digging in.

I'm happy with the coffee so far. I'm an easy customer. Don't spoil my coffee.

Ruined coffee means no returns.

The barista at CSHH made a pretty decent flat white. Coffee was really warm to the touch so it cools progressively. The sour and acidity was not present. Plus, it was pretty! Overall, coffee pass!

Chye Seng Huat Hardware
Address: 150 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore 207563
Tel: +65 6396 0609
Opening Hours: Tues - Thurs (9am-7pm), Fri-Sun (9am-10pm). Closed on Mondays. Kitchen closes at
5pm

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