I guess by the time you read this post, this place is no longer a secret. Mention a blue door at Niven Road with no signage, no website whatsoever, one will know of this place immediately. You have to follow their instagram account to be aware of their operating hours and with respect to that, the owner normally opens on Saturday from 9am – 4pm. It’s not that hard to find this place, just search for the back alley of Niven road until you see this door

Open! yay

It’s a very tiny place that can accommodate 12 pax at most so it’s definitely not advisable to go in large groups. The coffee beans are brought in from all over the world, from the owner’s travels and then depending on your luck, you will get to sample whichever brew that is on that day. That day, they had Blue Bottle beans from California, USA and I was very excited to try how the coffee tastes like. They serve coffee in either black (without milk) or white (with milk)

A collection of bearbricks toy filling the space

And fresh bakes of the day

Blue Bottle Coffee from USA (w a sample of old school cookies)

I’m not sure the exact name of the beans but I would say it is definitely special. You lift the lid and the aroma of the coffee rushed up immediately. The roast was so fragrant. When you drink, it may somewhat taste a little bland, then acidic and nutty. But the coffee gets nicer everytime you drink. I like the surprise element in the drink where you can appreciate the difference in each layer of the coffee. The difference between the black and white was the former had a more distinct contrast in acidity

Carrot Cake Loaf

I love the carrot cake. It was delicious. The cake was moist and nutty and the frosting was very light. I guess not many places serve carrot cake with light cream cheese frosting but this place had done it very well

Gula Melaka

The greediness in me wanted to order everything that was on the rack that day but after much contemplation, I stuck with Gula Melaka. You can taste the gula melaka in the cream and it was sweet and light. I like how balanced the cake is, which will not get you sick after eating

A set of coffee and cake goes for $12 which I think is comparable to Starbucks price. But I think what will keep me going back is the unique roast of their coffee beans and their delicious bakes. It is definitely not something you can find in Singapore often. This place is probably good for some ‘me’ time though the popularity of this cafe now might see you leaving as fast as you arrive. Well, when I left, there were a good 10 people in line waiting to enter.

Whale & Cloud

48 Niven Road S(228396)