Singapore (singapore)
food
Last Updated: April 22, 2018
Wakey Wakey is the brainchild of the same folks behind Strangers’ Reunion and Curious Palette. Situated in The Concourse, along Beach Road, it’s hard to miss the cafe’s large glass panel windows and cosy Scandinavian interior from the outside.
Expect to see popular menu favourites from both dining concepts being served here, like the Buttermilk Waffles and the classic bottled coffees. Currently, the menu is still being refined, so there will definitely be more offerings to come in future.
Though it is a bit hard to get to (and by that I mean it’s a good 10 to 15-minute walk from either Bugis or Lavender MRT station), it’s a great place for casual business meetings in the afternoon, or if you want to park yourself there for a solid couple of hours to get some work done in a conducive environment.
The cafe’s floor-to-ceiling glass-panelled windows allow plenty of natural light in, as well as offer a view of the shophouses on the opposite side of the road, making for a nice spot to chill and do some people watching.
From left: Iced Matcha Latte, Magic and Iced Chocolate with Vanilla Ice Cream
Unfortunately for us on the day we visited, Wakey Wakey all the signature bottled cold brews were sold out, largely due to the drinks’ popularity amongst the nearby office crowd. Instead, we ordered the Iced Matcha Latte ($6) and the Iced Chocolate with Vanilla Ice Cream ($8), and fell in love with both drinks.
The latter tasted like an elevated glass of chocolate milk – with the creaminess coming from the melted ice cream, and the rich cocoa flavours coming from the syrup and cocoa powder. A sure favourite with the kids!
Iced Matcha Latte ($6)
I wished that the Iced Matcha Latte was a little more milky, however both my dining partners loved how well balanced it was, with the right amount of bitterness from the matcha powder, complemented by the natural sweetness from the milk.
We also had the Magic ($5.50), one of the signatures featuring a double ristretto with milk. Think of it as a stronger version of a regular flat white. The coffee was very smooth and had just the right amount of bitterness. It would make for a great pick-me-up in the afternoon.
We moved on to the food, and the Roasted Tomato Basil Soup ($7.90) hit the spot as far as comfort food goes. Treat yourself and add on a Cheese Toastie ($2.50) for an even heartier dish.
The soup itself was extremely flavourful and tasted homemade, with a strong tomato flavour and hints of basil and garlic peeking through the tartness of the broth. The flavours of the four-cheese toastie went perfectly with the thick, pulpy soup.
The Cheese Toastie was an absolute delight – made from a mix of cheeses including mozzarella and parmesan. It left us wishing that we had a couple more pieces for mopping up all that delicious soup.
Looking to try something different, we also had the Cauliflower ($12.50) which came in the form of fried niblets of cauliflower and Vadovia spice, atop lemon puree and dressed with a fish sauce caramel.
For its price point, I was surprised at how small the portion was when it arrived at our table. After our first bites, my dining partners and I couldn’t decide if we liked this dish or not.
The cauliflower nugget had a good crunch and texture overall, but the batter had a powdery aftertaste. We didn’t like the lemon puree because it tasted extremely bitter, and the dish overall just didn’t make sense to our palates. Stick to the tomato soup!
Lastly, we had the Buttermilk Waffle with Vanilla Ice Cream and Fruits ($13). Though it was visually pleasing, the waffle itself was unevenly cooked –a pity because the batter was very fragrant and it would have been better if the waffle had spent a longer time on the grill.
This dish missed the mark for me, mainly because it is one of the signature dishes across all of their sister restaurants and I had high hopes. I was unfortunately disappointed by the raw mushy bits of uncooked batter on the inside of the waffle.
I loved the vibe of this cafe, but the food here definitely has room for improvement moving forward from its current soft launch phase.
I would return to give the Buttermilk Waffles another chance, and fingers crossed that I’ll hopefully be able to try a bottle or two of the signature cold brew drinks on my next visit.
Expected Damage: $7 – $15 per pax
