Sevens Café
Growing up at Paya Lebar/ Geylang, Joo Chiat naturally becomes one of my go-to places to hang out after school.
One of the more popular places my friends and I would choose to hang out more than a decade ago when I was still in JC was Awfully Chocolate. Their dark chocolate Hei ice cream is one to die for especially if you have sweet cravings at night since that place opens till 2am (there were very cafés open till wee hours of the morning back then).
Pre-covid, Joo Chiat used to be populated with Vietnamese night clubs. Walk down any lane in Joo Chiat, and you’d be able to spot a drinking place with karaoke facilities. Somehow, these night spots are usually hosted by Vietnamese. This explains the Vietnamese restaurants nearby that came into being to cater to these group of Vietnamese. If my memory does not fail me, the Vietnamese cuisine was not too bad. The night life back then was so vibrant that residents living there have long complained about the situation.
I visited Joo Chiat recently in the day and I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a different sight. Maybe because it’s daylight or maybe it’s a transformation brought about by covid, the sprawl of night spots were superseded by sprouting hippie cafes.
For one, there’s Tigerlily Patisserie that is renowned for their pastries and dessert. I visited this place twice – once where I takeaway some pastries for the kindred souls of my life without tasting any, and another time where I ended up at another cafe (Sevens Cafe) because of the long queue. I did not want to wait to be seated and not know if the dessert I wanted to try would still be available when it’s my turn to be seated.
God always has a way of working things out for us. The long queue at Tigerlily had Jeremy and I walking around Joo Chiat, hunting for cafés to have tea. We needed to dine in as Jeremy wanted to have his online baptism lesson at an air-conditioned place.
Strolling along the roads at Joo Chiat made me realise how much this place has changed over the years. So many new cafes/bakeries have emerged in recent years. This is probably a reflection of a change in Singaporean’s preference. As we progress as a society and as most youths of these days grow up without having to worry about bread and butter, naturally, they would be willing to pay a premium to dine at places for the ambience and much needed air con.
We decided to try our luck at Sevens Café, a newly opened cafe nearby. While we were queuing up to enter the cafe, a familiar figure came out in a rush and informed the receptionist to get a good table for me. I looked up and smiled. It’s so heartwarming to see a familiar face amongst all the strangers. Especially when this familiar face is family. My cousin happened to be the operations manager at this new cafe. So this particular cousin practically grew up with me. He’s only a year younger and it was so fascinating to see just how he has grown in stature, size and maturity. People really do change with time..
We were seated at a table very quickly and the crew there recommended me their cold brew as well as some dessert.
Dessert options were aplenty but I decided to go for the Kyoto and Grape Tart. I also ordered the highly recommended cold brew.
I am not a cake person but this Kyoto is really da bomb! Kyoto is a houjicha sponge cake filled with houjicha jelly and whipped cream. Fluffy and light, the sponge cake melts in your mouth with every bite. At $7.90, the price for this cake is on the high side especially since you can probably get a sponge cake for half the price elsewhere but.. I’d say that this sponge cake is worth every penny!
The cold brew was a little too sour for me but my cousin kindly corrected me that sour isn’t the right term to use (he’s the professional here since he’s been working in the f&b industry for more than 5 years). The more apt description would be fruity. Well, I guess if you like your coffee with a fruity taste to it, you can try it here.
The grape tart was in my opinion okay. I wouldn’t say it’s something I’d die to have but it’s good to have. It’s pretty similar to fruit tarts made in most other bakeries just that maybe the fruits are fresher.
This café is decked with marble-clad tables and has lights with hanging flowers. The walls are painted in neutral hues which gives the café a soothing, chill vibe. But I realise, cafes these days all kinda go for the same look I would think the aesthetics of the café is average.
If you’re looking for good sponge cakes and a chill place to hang in the East, you can try Sevens Café!
Location: 29 Joo Chiat Place Singapore 427753
Don’t have to worry about car park as there is a big open car park just right in front of the café! If not, there are parallel parking spaces all around Joo Chiat!
Food (Dessert) ♥♥♥♡♡
Service ♥♥♥♥♡
Ambience ♥♥♥♡♡
Value for money ♥♥♥♡♡
Till then,
Harmony Tee