Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters

So...OZ Specialty Coffee closed down, and there's a new kid on the block at Upper Thomson road! And gosh. I absolutely love it. Though there are many cafes along the entire stretch and there are no lack of choices, I hadn't really found one that I had a calling to....till now. I liked One Man Coffee, but it's a tad too small to stay for long. And I just never really got what the hype was about for Habitat Coffee. Of course, I do still feel very privileged to have all these options around me, but Pacamara Boutique just stole my heart (: 

I rarely take photographs of restaurant/cafe interiors but this place is gorgeous!!! I'm selfishly quite reluctant to share this place with all of you but...ah well. Good things are better shared I guess ^^ 

I was spoilt for choice there, and I really wished we could have ordered more. But that's just more reasons for me to go back hehe. We chose the Miso glazed Salmon ($22) for our main. Though it's rather on the pricey side, it made up for it in leaps and bounds in terms of quality. The salmon was beautifully cooked, with a crispy charred skin. It came with an apple fennel salad that was really tasty, and I loved the flavourful miso seasoning for the fish. That smear of pumpkin (at least that's what I think it is) on the side, perfect!

We couldn't resist the Salted Caramel Banana French Toast ($16) which sounded so sinfully good. I'm really not a fan of bananas, but in desserts like these, I do think they go together pretty well. The french toast was fluffy, and though not spectacular, was saved by the creamy, gooey salted caramel sauce. The bits of crispy oats added a welcomed crunch to this dish which I really liked too! 

Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters

185 Upper Thomson Road

Tue-Sun 9am-11pm

One Man Coffee

The newest kid on the block along Upper Thomson Road, this cafe cleverly shares the space of Crust Pizzeria, which only operates for dinner. Word spread about this hidden gem of a place, and suddenly everyone was flocking there! I'm glad that we managed to come here right before the crowd on a Sunday morning though! :) Hehe, we were lucky to take the last available table :P Whoops! And I've gotta say that I'm so happy to have this new cafe in my neighbourhood! :) Love the food and vibe of this place.

The menu is really simple, with less than 10 items on it. What you really need to order though (at least on your first visit) are the Brioche french toast ($10) pictured above, and the gashouse egg ($10) pictured below. All items on the menu are very affordable for brunch, considering how some cafes charge increasingly exorbitant prices, and I can see myself coming back for numerous visits for my favourite dishes here! OMC's french toast is one of the best I've eaten (especially at that price), for its fluffy brioche (I just love this bread) that comes with a homemade berry compote which had the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. The candied walnuts added a crunchy dimension to the dish, and the final flourish came in the form of the fresh cream atop the french toast which was so delicious!

This might not look like much, but boy, it was good!

Now you see why? Another name for this dish, as aptly described on the menu was egg-in-the-bread-with-the-hole-in-the-midde. We cut open the bread and out came this oozy egg goodness. An alternative to eggs benedict for those who are getting bored of it. And that bacon jam that came with it was spectacular. Who's ever heard of a savoury jam like this? I certainly hadn't. And while the bread had been seasoned with a light hand, the bacon jam was enough to jazz up the taste of the bread significantly.

The Big Brekkie ($12) was pretty decent and beautifully plated, but if I had to choose, I'd pick the two above anytime.

I also tried the Baby Spinach Salad ($10) that was drizzled generously with olive oil and tossed with prosciutto, feta, dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts. Though it was not very filling because of the lack of (real) meat and the rather small portion, it was one of the tastiest, healthy salads I've had! :)

One Man Coffee
215R Upper Thomson Road (look out for the Crust banner)
Daily 9am-5pm