[Overseas Edition] TAIPEI - Café. Waiting. Love (等一個人咖啡)

Café. Waiting. Love (等一個人咖啡) is a cafe located in Taipei, Taiwan. This is also the actual filming location for the film "Café. Waiting. Love (等一個人咖啡)".

According to sources online, the cafe was initially built solely as the film set for the movie.

The moment I stepped into the cafe, I was so excited. The storyline and characters of the movie flowed throughout my mind, partially because the cafe was filled with props and pictures from the movie.

Menu wise, Café. Waiting. Love had an extensive range of coffee and drinks to choose from. Prices was a little tad expensive compared to other eateries in Taiwan. However, I wouldn't complain too much since it's the cafe from the actual movie.

Food items on the menu also had interesting names (most are a series of Chinese idioms/sentences related to the movie).

On my visit, I've decided to order "老板娘特调" (translated as Lady Boss Speciality) and "告白需要勇气" (translated as Confessing Takes Courage).

I was then informed by the waiter that the "老板娘特调" was served cold, unlike the usual hot one. Just a note: each diner is only allowed to order the "老板娘特调" once.

The iced version of the Lady Boss Speciality has a strong flavour of lime in it. Yet, it wasn't too sour and actually paired pretty well with the coffee.

The main, was a sandwich bread with Bacon, Tomatoes, Mustard, Mayonnaise and Lettuce, served with Potato Mash and a bowl of Fruit Salad.

Overall, the food was pretty much on par with the Singapore cafes' standard. But the atmosphere and service was the thing that's worth remembering from the trip.

Café. Waiting. Love (等一個人咖啡)
No. 1, Lane 44,
Yishou St, Wenshan District
Taipei City, Taiwan 116

Opening Hours
Mon - Sun: 11:00am - 9:00pm

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Shawn 23:08  No comment

Sweet Potato Latte Recipe

I had a warm cup of Sweet Potato Latte from Tom n Toms Coffee and the idea of making my own struck me. The next thing I know, I was at this 24hrs NTUC purchasing some sweet potatoes.

Sweet Potato Latte is a popular breakfast and afternoon treat in Korea. Though it consists of Latte in it's name, the drink itself has no coffee in it!

Without further ado, here's a really simple and easy recipe for Sweet Potato Latte (고구마 라떼).

PREPARATION TIME:
20 mins

MAIN INGREDIENTS:
1 sweet potato (Small Size)
1 drinking cup of milk (Almond or Soy Milk preferred)
1 tbsp Maple Syrup/Honey

In my case, I used Japanese Sweet Potatoes (because I could only get that from the supermarket). You are recommended to use Korean Sweet Potatoes.

Firstly, pick a small-sized sweet potato and wash it before steaming it. You may choose to peel the skin off by using a peeler before steaming it, but I steamed it first before I peeled the skin off using my hands.

The steaming process may take 5-10 minutes. After which, rest the potato on a plate. To make sure that it's fully cooked, poke a fork through it.

If the fork goes through fully, the potato is cooked

Diced up the potato into small cubes so it's easier to blend them later. While cutting the potato into pieces, you may notice that some parts of the potato is still a little hard. Fret not! Place them into a small bowl and put it in the microwave for a short while.

Following which, prepare your blender and pour in the cooked diced potatoes, cup of milk as well as the maple syrup/honey. (Note: Do not add too much maple syrup/honey. You may adjust the amount to your liking after you taste the final product after blending.)

Blend them together for a minute or so, until the texture becomes smooth. Do taste it before serving. If it is too thick, you can add in more milk.

And you're done!

The Sweet Potato Latte I had at Tom n Toms Coffee was a warm version. 

So, for the warm version, follow the exact same steps as listed above. However, pour the latte into a cup at the end and microwave it before serving. 

Optional: You may choose to top off the drink with a layer of form milk and cinnamon powder.

There you have it! Your very own homemade Sweet Potato Latte.

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Shawn 04:02  No comment

#16 Lady M (Orchard Central) Review

Lady M is a cafe located at Orchard Central which opened its doors on Christmas Eve last year. This also marks Lady M's third outlet in Singapore.

Lady M at Orchard Central consists of two levels. The waiting line however, starts from the second storey.

I entered the cafe from their entrance at level one and was swiftly guided to climb the stairs to the second storey and join the waiting line. Nonetheless, you could also opt for takeaway if the queue is too long for you.

A tip from me will be to visit the cafe in smaller groups! Better if it's just 2 of you.

Lady M Chocolate Mille Crêpes

The Lady M Chocolate Mille Crêpes ($9.00), exclusively to the Orchard Central outlet, doesn't only  looks fanciful, it tasted incredibly delicious as well.

The paper-thin handmade chocolate crêpes were layered neatly and really rich in flavour.

Strawberry Mille Feuille & Cafe Latte

The Strawberry Mille Feuille ($9.00), a puff pastry with strawberries and cream, was really tasty as well. The strawberries were slightly frozen for mine, but it was a well match with the light fluffy cream as well as the crunch of the puff pastry. Perfecto!

The warm Cafe Latte ($5.00) tasted pretty decent as well.

That said! Being a picky instagrammer,  I was rather shocked when the orders were served. The puff pastry was all around the plate with cream at the edge of the plate. I observed the other tables and found that their pastries were cut inconsistently, some Mille Crêpes even came in slightly curled up shapes! The presentation of their pastry totally doesn't match with the fantastic white & clean surrounding.

Service at Lady M (Orchard Central) outlet was rather satisfying. Orders and requests were attended promptly and the staff members were courteous.

Lady M (Orchard Central)
181 Orchard Road, Orchard Central
#01-27 & #02-07
S(238896)

Opening Hours
Mon - Sun: 11:00am - 10:00pm

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Shawn 03:28  No comment

#15 Dean & DeLuca Review

Dean & DeLuca is a cafe located at Orchard Central. The layout in Orchard Central is a tad confusing, but you should be able to search for the cafe easily when you are at the fourth floor of the building.

Dean & DeLuca also has a retail section in their cafe, where they sell a wide variety of products (you name it, they've got it).

I have visited the cafe twice (once around tea-time on a weekday afternoon, another during a weekend night). The cafe wasn't too crowded on both occasions.

The Rainbow Cake ($7.50) was definitely one of their more popular products. The second time when I dropped by the cafe, it was sold out.

Upon taking my first bite of the Rainbow Cake, I realised why it was so popular. It was surely one of the best I've tasted. The layers in the cake was so well constructed and each layer consists of a different taste (the cafe uses different fruit extracts/flavourings in each individual layer).

The cream frosting doesn't taste too heavy as well.

The Red Velvet Cake ($8.00) was also an item not to be missed (even though I will choose the Rainbow Cake over any of their pastries).

The Red Velvet Cake was moist in their layers and the cream cheese frosting doesn't overpowers the taste of the cake.

The service in Dean & DeLuca was acceptable, with service crew actively clearing the tables.

Also to note, Dean & DeLuca serves main courses, side dishes and other desserts as well. So, you could drop by the cafe anytime of the day and grab yourself something good!

Dean & DeLuca
181 Orchard Road
#04-23/24
Orchard Central, Level 4
S(238896)

Opening Hours
Mon - Sun: 10:00am - 10:00pm

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Shawn 14:12  No comment

#14 Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters Review

Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters is a new cafe that opened just weeks ago at Upper Thomson Road. In fact, the brightly lit cafe had already caught my attention even before it opens it's door when the public bus service I took passed by the area somewhere around mid-October.

A wooden standing board outside the cafe

I arrived at the cafe around 12.30pm on a busy Sunday afternoon. There was already a handful of customers lingering outside the cafe for a seat and we were advised to leave a name and contact number on a waiting list.

Within the next ten minutes, the table was ready and we were told to place our order first.

Menu to die for with such nice typography

Prior to the visit, we had done some research online and found some reviews of "must-try" food dishes. That said, we went ahead and asked the waiter for recommendations.

"Truffle Benedict and Salmon Royale are the more popular choices for brunch".

So we went ahead and ordered the two items.

Fully Packed

At the same time, we were told that the wait for the food could take an hour. I looked around and saw that the cafe was totally packed! However, since we were not in a rush for time in the relaxing Sunday afternoon, we didn't mind the wait.

We were then ushered to sit at the table directly in front of the kitchen. As the seats were rather limited, we had to share the table with another group of customers. This was also the moment when we discovered the reason for the wait.

The kitchen has only 2 chefs, 1 of them even have to plate the dishes.

Truffle Benedict and Salmon Royale

So exactly after an hour of wait, with our stomach growling, the food arrived! Presentation wise, they were fabulous.

The Salmon Royale ($18) was good. There was a generous portion of smoked salmon served on top of the toast. I also loved the asparagus and spinach as they were well-cooked.

Some of the poached eggs were however slightly overdone/undercooked (keyword - "slightly"). That said, I loved the dish.

On the other hand, the truffle hollandaise sauce of the Truffle Benedict ($18) tasted really good as well. The combination of truffle and the hollandaise sauce was pretty amazing!

Service at Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters was acceptable. The handsome waiter at the cashier counter had warned all customers of the waiting time beforehand, so if you choose to wait, don't ever complain and show your displeasure to the working staff (I've witness some customers showing terrible attitude to the waiters. One of them didn't even volunteer to move the dish of pancake that was smack in between the table for sharing out of place for the waiter to place another dish when he was clearly holding onto a new plate of food and having difficulties reaching out to clear space for another plate).

So, if you are those who can't really wait too long for food, or if you plan to visit the cafe together with your family, choose a better timing or approach the staff to enquire how long it takes for the food to arrive.

Do note that the last order for brunch ends at 2:30pm.

Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters
185 Upper Thomson Road
S(574333)

Opening Hours
Tue - Sun: 11:00am - 11:00pm
(Closed on Monday)

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Shawn 14:00  1 comment

#13 NOM (No Other Meaning) - Bistro & Bakery Review

NOM (No Other Meaning) - Bistro & Bakery is a cafe located at MacPherson Community Club. In fact, if you happen to pass by the Community Club, you would have most probably caught attention of the cafe's outdoor seating area (as well as their huge signboard!).

I visited the cafe at around late afternoon during a weekend. Surprisingly, it was rather cozy and not too crowded. You can choose the dine in the indoor area or choose the outdoor area (which has more greenery and the background music that was playing was comparably softer compared to the indoor area).

NOM cafe offers quite a huge range of selections ranging from Light side dishes, Pizzas, Main Course (consisting of Burgers, Fish & Chips, Ribs and Steak) to Desserts. They also offers an 'All Day Breakfast' menu.

Drinks wise, they have coffee (duh!), a range of teas, beers and chocolate.

Oh! And before I move on, they do not charge any additional Service Charge or GST. (*Punch fist in the air*)

I ordered the Iced Mocha ($3.90) and it was rather well executed.

The top layer of whipped cream with the drizzle of chocolate syrup and cocoa powder was a perfect combination with the coffee.

The Iced Latte ($3.90) however was just alright! The coffee could have been stronger.

Introducing the main cast, Salted Caramel Rainbow Cake ($7.90)! The cake that can be seen posted by Instagrammers. They have another different variations on that day, which is the Chocolate Rainbow Cake.

Of course, judging by its looks, the rainbow cake was yummy enough already! But when I took the first bite (which I can't bear to do so even after taking tons of pictures of the cake), I literally saw a rainbow appear in front of my eyes.

It was really delicious. The salted caramel buttercream wasn't too sweet nor too thick and the rainbow sponge itself was pretty dense. Overall, an item not-to-be-missed!

The Fries ($2.90) was also worthy for a mention.

Service at NOM was really good as well. The waiters and waitresses were attentive and kept a lookout for you even though you may be seated at the outdoor area.

Last but not least, I would certainly recommend you to visit NOM if you haven't drop by the cafe yet.  Next up, I would love to try their Main Course items as well as their Pizzas.

On a side note, do check out their instagram page as they will be regularly posting updates of any private events happening in the cafe throughout the week which might lead to a closure of the cafe in the afternoon on certain days.

NOM - Bistro & Bakery
400 Paya Lebar Way
Macpherson Community Club, Level 1
S(379131)

Opening Hours
Mon - Sun: 11:00am - 11:00pm

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Shawn 01:22  No comment

[Instagrammer's Visit #3 - @shareroll] ~ Whisk Cafe

Next for the 'Instagrammer's Visit' series, we welcome Cheryl (@shareroll) to contribute her review of Whisk Cafe. 

A couple of days ago, I visited the Whisk Café with one of my girlfriends Yuting to celebrate the start of my well-deserved Recess Week Break (YIPEE!) Located at Tiong Baru, it is a relatively new family-run café that has made its appearance only a couple of months ago.

What really attracted me to pay this café a visit was its crisp, clean white interior (I have a thing for whiteness hehe!). We picked the window seat at a cozy little corner, and were welcomed with the view of the stretch of Tiong Baru shop houses.

Every table was meticulously decorated with a tiny cup of flower, which not only added to the ambiance of the café, but serves as good props for taking Instagram worthy photos (perfect for an Instagram addict like me HAHAHA!).

We ordered pastries, and according to the café owner, these pastries were all hand-made by them (WOW)! They were generally to my liking as they are not the extremely over-the-top-sweet kind of pastries.

The strawberry sponge cake ($7) was alright. Nothing particularly special or great about it.

Their carrot cake ($7) though, which was highly recommended by the café owners, was really good!! Soft and moist with bits of crunchy fruits and nuts, it surely lived up to the recommendation. (The tiny carrot on the cake is really cute too! SO YAY!) It is definitely worth a try!

Another one of my favorite will be the Lemon Meringue Tart ($5.50). It was a good balance of flavor between sweet and lemony-sour. Coupled with the smooth and creamy meringue, it is a perfect high-tea snack. (Although it could have been bigger; it was really quite small HEHE!) ONE IS DEFINITELY NOT ENOUGH!

Last on the list would be the macarons ($2.50 each). We ordered the lemon, earl grey and matcha macaron. Crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, it was pretty good! My favorite would be the earl grey and matcha macarons!

Overall, the Whisk Café is a really nice cozy place for afternoon tea and long chats with friends. They serve coffee and croissants as well, although we didn’t get to try it. Would I go back? YES! Definitely!

Whisk Café Singapore 
58 Seng Poh Road
#01-15
Singapore 160058

Tues-Thurs: 9am-8pm
Sat-Sun: 9am-10pm

Want to follow more of Cheryl's cafe hopping journey? Be sure to follow her instagram - @shareroll!

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Shawn 16:03  No comment