Malaysia
Singapore
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Tucked away in Golden Sultan Plaza, Japanese barista Jyoji runs The Cook & The Barista alongside Zuno, a Singaporean cook.
With sweet treats like Pandan Gula Melaka Cheesecake, this Japanese-local fusion cafe is pretty promising.
Flanking the long countertop, you’ll find the coffee bar which Jyoji affectionately calls “his playground”. He crafts artisanal coffee at this station, impressing customers with his truly admirable curiosity and passion for coffee.
One of his more ambitious creations, Antidote ($8), is a one-of-a-kind concoction combining tonic and citrus juices with expresso.
The taste was rather complex, starting with a burst of sourness and leading to a slightly bitter coffee aftertaste. This drink would definitely be perfect as a “mystery drink” at a cocktail party.
Gyudons are a dime a dozen in Singapore, but the Gyudon ($9.90) here made it into my list of favourites.
Aside from having decent portions, what I really enjoyed about the dish was the beef marinade, which helped brought out the natural flavours of the beef. Also, the addition of a perfectly sous-vide egg added little more gooey texture to each bite.
The Cook’s Signature Soba ($8.90) truly embodies the ideas and inspirations derived from Chef Zuno’s upbringing in a mixed family. The dish comprises of soba noodles, diced mushrooms, an ajitsuke egg and wanton skin.
It took a little while to get used to not having soba with tsuyu dipping sauce. But with every slurp, the texture and the taste of the noodles started to grow on me, and before I knew it, I found myself slurping up the entire bowl of noodles.
The flavours were generally pleasant, with a slight sourness to the noodles. I also liked the contrast in texture added by the crisp wanton skin.
If you love Japanese curry as much as I do, then you should definitely get The Katsu Curry ($7.90). One thing’s for sure, you really get bang for your buck with this dish!
You’ll get a slab of chicken katsu that takes up more than half the plate, along with a generous amount of curry to completely drench the rice in. I liked that the homemade curry was thick and aromatic, with a pleasant peppery taste, and the amount of heat from the curry was just right!
The chicken slices had a crispy exterior, and the meat was tender and packed with flavour. My only gripe, however, was that the meat was a tad too dry for my liking.
Finally, we got to the highlight, the Pandan Gula Melaka Cheesecake ($7.50 per piece). Forget about any other types of cakes, once you’ve had a taste of this, it’ll be all you’re ever going to need or want in this lifetime.
The consistency of the cake was perfect; it was dense, smooth and creamy. The flavour was a wonderful blend of pandan and cheese. And when it’s paired with the top layer of coconut flakes and gula melaka, it’s safe to say the cake truly was perfect to a fault.
Getting a slice when you’re over at this cafe has gone past being highly recommended, it has become a necessity.
I’ve tried many different kinds of cakes, and the Pandan Gula Melaka Cheesecake is definitely at the top of my list.
The Cook & The Barista truly is a hidden gem, so if you’re around Haji Lane looking for a cafe, it’ll be well worth the extra distance.
Expected Damage: $10 – $15 per pax
