The Perfect Place For A High-Tea Session
Hoshino Coffee has expanded their operations in Singapore to include a third branch right within the luxurious shopping centre complex of Capitol Piazza.
Originating from Japan, the cafe / restaurant prides themselves on their specialty hand-dripped coffee and fluffy pancakes.
When I first stepped into the cafe, I felt like I had been transported into a gentleman’s club – Hoshino coffee was fitted with high-backed sofa with plush leather upholstery, wooden tables and a few full-length mirrors. Waiters and waitresses were also dressed very smartly in their uniforms.
Furthermore, multiple chandeliers which adorned the ceilings of the cafe added to the glamour of the place. It was all very grand and spacious; it fitted right into Capitol Piazza’s concept of a ‘high-end’ shopping mall.
A trip to Hoshino Coffee will not be complete without trying their specialty hand-dripped coffee. We went for their “Hoshino” Blend Coffee ($5.80). After having been lovingly roasted over open fire, a cup of delightfully light and slightly sour coffee was obtained through Hoshino Coffee’s pour-over brewing method.
Without milk and sugar, the acidity of the coffee was a little too overbearing for me. Upon the addition of those, however, I found myself nearly gulping the entire cup of coffee down.
You can rest assured of the quality of coffee beans at the cafe – Master Kanno, Hoshino Coffee’s very own coffee blend specialist carefully selects only the best Arabica roasted coffee beans for the cafe’s brews.
While I personally have never been a fan of French Toast (soggy bread is a no go for me), Hoshino Coffee’s French Toast Topped with Sugar and Cream ($9.80) was described by Chui Choo to be ‘so fluffy that they put pillows to shame’.
If you think that the French Toast had been topped with vanilla ice cream, I don’t blame you. I only realized my mistake when I greedily scooped some of it up with my spoon – it was actually homemade whipped cream!
Even though the whipped cream was more dense than most of the whipped creams I’ve tried, it felt light on the taste buds. Its sweetness was very subtle, enhanced by the maple syrup which came with the French Toast. In my opinion, french toast lovers should definitely order this.
The Mixed Pie Pizza ($15) was topped with prawns, sausage and cheesy goodness. The prawns were springy and incredibly fresh. As its name suggests, this dish is a fusion dish – incorporating the essence of a pizza into a pie: the base of the pizza is the normal crust of a pie. The base was thin and crispy. On its own, it tasted delightfully of butter.
This dish was very umami (savoury) and even though it looked like a small portion, finishing it is highly likely to leave you full. This is definitely a dish I would return to Hoshino Coffee for.
We ended off our meal with Hoshino Coffee’s Seasonal Pancake ($14.50 for single, $17.80 for double). The cafe aims to keep their menu offerings exciting and fresh for customers by switching up their pancake dishes every 3 months to suit the seasons.
Honestly, the Seasonal Pancake was disappointing for me. I had expected to love it quite a bit because I am a huge fan of pancakes but it just didn’t do it for me.
While the Seasonal pancake was indeed airy and fluffy, I found that it tasted eerily like the pancakes I eat at Macdonald’s. I thought the dish didn’t match up to the price being paid for it.
Overall, I am highly impressed with the decor of Hoshino Coffee. It was all very luxurious and elegant; I’m sure that this would be the perfect hangout place for rich tai-tais or business men who would like a tea break in the middle of their day.
Expected Damage: $20-30 per pax
