Little Pancakes

01.04.2013.

I went to Upper Thomson Road intending to find Little Part 1 cafe. I actually found it but it was closed which I had expected since today is Monday. So Monday is a no-go for cafe hunting because most shops were closed on this day. Instead of Little Part 1, I made a discovery for myself which was the Little Pancakes.

It was raining heavily when I reached the Upper Thomson Road. So, I stayed in the bus stop for roughly fifteen minutes until the heavy rain became drizzles. I still find it amazing how a heavy rain can last from a quarter to a full hour and it will completely be sunny afterwards.

After discovering that Little Part 1 Cafe was closed for the day, I started to walk towards the commercial area that I passed by earlier on the bus. I enjoyed my stroll since everything I saw were new to me. Besides, I discovered so many other cafes and ice cream parlors in the area. I thought that Thomson is a haven for sweets.

I tried to see if Old School Delights cafe was closed since it was also on my list. It was closed. So as not to waste my effort of visiting this area on a rainy day, I might as well try other cafes that looks interesting.

As I have said, there were several cafes and ice cream parlors in the area. But ice cream wouldn’t fill my hungry stomach at the moment and the cafes weren’t cute at all. Before I gave up on finding a cute cafe, I saw Little Pancakes on the other side of the road. It looks nice on the outside and pancakes could satisfy me at the moment. So I crossed the road and entered the cafe.

Little Pancakes was a small cafe that serves only pancake dishes and beverages such as coffee and tea. Menu wise, it may not be very different from the traditional cafes I passed by earlier but at least it was unique and cute.

Design. The cafe was small and cute. Their icon were two pancake heads, and I will call them Mr. and Mrs. Pancake. I honestly thought that they looked like takoyaki.

At the entrance of the cafe was the open kitchen since they were only serving mini pancakes. The seats and tables were placed in the inner part of the cafe. Strategically, that kind of floor design was good since the service staff can see all the guests coming and going out of the cafe.

There were not much artsy decors in the cafe besides the lettering in the menu board, their tagline in a wall, and framed Mr. and Mrs. Pancake pictures. I will say that the most artsy part was the menu board.

The menu was simply printed on paper and was laminated, punched with a hole and had 2 pieces bound by a ring. It was not even an A4 sized paper. As small as it is, the menu contained everything they served in the cafe. And it even has lengthy descriptions to boot! They really only have a number of food items which are all pancakes.

The ambience of the place was good as well. It was made for teens to hang out. Actually, as I stayed there longer more young people are coming, mostly are couples too.

Coffee and Pastry. As the cafe name suggests, their selling point is basically the pancakes and they only have pancakes to sell. It was a genius idea to innovate pancakes which was really easy since they are as simple as bread. Pancakes for dessert, snacks and brunch plates. It was like a mix a match of whatever you can think of.

I ordered the Gimme S’more Oreos and a cup of Vanilla Latte. I actually didn’t expect much from my order since I already saw other table’s orders. And the pancakes were really little.

I got my coffee first since the pancakes’ serving time were 10 to 15 minutes. Even the coffee was cute. I never expected to have a latte art on my coffee but there was one and it was a cat. I believe it was a cat, and it’s so cute. The art was not as firm as the ones I’ve seen in the other cafes I’ve been so far. The coffee was not that strong as well which I had expected. The milk froth was not very rich and creamy. It was at least satisfactory.

Then, my little pancakes arrive and it was crazy cute. It was plated nicely although it looks messy in an artistic manner. I think there was a total of 12 mini pancakes in the plate. A few oreo cookies and big marshmallows, a cup of chocolate ice cream and a good serving of butter. The maple syrup was served in a tiny glass which I don’t think could even be considered as a shot glass.

It excited me to eat the pancakes and all the sweet things with it. The pancakes were not exactly special but they were really good. The maple syrup was watery and not very sweet but I didn’t use much of it as I have much sweeter things in my plate.

Service . The service staff were all nice, cheerful and accomodating. I was welcomed when I entered the cafe. Then I stayed there for quite sometime looking at the menu board. One of the staff tried to entertain me by offering a seat first and letting me knos that the serving time for the pancakes were 10 to 15 minutes.

Their service was prompt. The food werke not delayed and they are even artistically served. I have to get the cutlery and napkins from the side station.

Whereabouts . Little Pancakes. 200 Upper Thomson Road.

The cafe was situated in a commercial area along Upper Thomson Road. It was small but it was conspicuous from the main road. It wouldn’t be easy to miss too because of the bright prints in the exterior of the cafe.

From Upper Thomson Road: The nearest bust stop was Thomson Community Center stop with bus service numbers 52, 130, 132, 162, 162M, 163, 165, 166, 167, 855 and 980.

From Sing Ming Road: The bus stop Sing Ming Plaza was also nearby catering to bus service numbers 130 and 410.

Marymount MRT Station (Circle Line) was the closest station to the cafe. Even though this was the closest, there was actually a good distance between the cafe and the station, which is about a bus stop away. There was also nothing much to see in the area but a good long walk would be good to make space for the pancakes.

[All Photos were taken using Samsung Galaxy Note II.]

The Orange Thimble

09.04.2013

I decided to visit The Orange Thimble in Tiong Bahru area because I find its name cute. The tagline of the cafe was ‘cafe meets art’ which for me is very interesting since I like artsy stuff.

I actually thought that the weather will be cloudy for the whole of the day. While waiting for the bus however it started raining heavily. Surprisingly though, it didn’t last for an hour. And I reached the cafe just slightly wet.

Design . It was suppossed to be a place where cafe meets art. I would say that the tagline was shown in the cafe design.

The cafe looks small from the outside but they actually have a lot of seats available further inside. And you wouldn’t just go in a straight line. Like a gallery or museum, you have to make turns. They also have a non-airconditioned part which was located in the innermost part of the cafe. Whether it was a smoking area or not, I didn’t bother asking. I believe though that it was not.

The cafe was very artistic in every sense. They have decorated every wall with artworks from various artist. I loved every nook of the cafe. Especially the non-airconditioned area. There were plants in that area and a red brick wall. Of course, there are also artsy posters in that part. The most eye catching one though was the car door creatively painted and displayed amongst the plants.

Another part that I love was the 2nd quarters of the cafe. It was chic and simple and girly. I believe that ladies would love to be seated in that part. The walls, painted white, were simply decorated with framed artworks that were arranged neatly. There was a sofa and a coffee table and 2 other separate tables. And that’s it. But i can’t help to like that part. It was just pretty.

There was a shelf upon entering the cafe which contains magazines and books and art-related advertisements. It was messy when I visited the cafe but I will suggest to rummage a little among the pile. There were some interesting books to check there.

The cafe in general was modern and chic. It has a cozy and warm atmosphere. I’ll take the liberty to say that it was like a gallery turned cafe instead of a cafe infused with arts.

The plain white walls were decorated neatly maintaining simplicity and artworks were hanged on every wall but that was not offsetting. Like being in the gallery, you might have the urge to look into every artwork available in the whole cafe. They were not paintings by Picasso or other famous european artists, and not even replicas of their works. The artworks were creations of local artists. I don’t have much knowledge about the art industry but I think that the artists featured in the cafe have made name for themselves. Every now and then, they also have artwork displays for a certain period for certain artists. Now, that’s really like a gallery.

Coffee and Pastry . The cafe was serving a variety of food items from light snacks to heavy meals. I was pretty much surprised to see that they also have a number of chocolates. I was actually tempted to try at least one but I managed to hold myself.

The pastry selection wasn’t so bad. The presentation was appetizing and I had a hard time deciding what to take. I have a limited budget for my coffee adventures for the note.   I ordered a slice of cheesecake with crumble top and a cappuccino. Both are good but not exactly outstanding.

The cappuccino was not full-bodied but it was good. The milk and foam were not so thick and creamy. Even so, it helps to lighten the bitterness of the coffee. By the way, I got a bear latte art. I call it the angry bear because the brows were crunched close to each other.

The cheesecake was sumptuous. It was presented with a appetizing look. It was only a simpe cheesecake topped with crumbles. The latter added crunchiness and flavour to the cheesecake. I had a friend who told me that cheesecakes usually taste a little sour. I later realized that was really the case. The Orange Thimble’s cheesecake has a mild sour taste but more to being sweet and creamy.

Service. The service staffs looked snobbish but they were actually accommodating once you approach them.

As usual, it was my first time going to the cafe which seemed obvious to them. They answered to my inquiries with kindness. They were always behind the counter so it’s pretty much easy to spot them and to approach them.

Whereabouts. The Orange Thimble. 56 Eng Hoon Street.

The cafe is located in a  commercial area around a residential area. It wasn’t easy to spot from the main road since the cafe is situated in one of the inner streets.

From Tiong Bahru Road: The nearest bus stop was Blk 55 catering to bus service numbers 5, 16, 33, 63, 75, 123, 175, 195, 195A,  851 and 970. Coming from the bus stop, you just have to pass by through the alley right by the bus stop. That will bring you to Eng Hoon Street and by turning left, you can already see the cafe.

From Outram Road: YWCA Outram Centre bus stop is pretty close by catering to bus service numbers 33, 63, 75, 851 and 970. Coming from this stop though, you will have to walk a short distance to reach the cafe.

The cafe is located in between Tiong Bahru (East-West Line) and Outram Park (East-West Line/North-East Line)

[All photos were taken using Samsung Galaxy Note II.]