You know the mood you get when you are watching a poignant art house film?
The ones where you are left with hopefulness and longing for something but you do not know what – I know it sounds dramatic.
You may just get that classification of feelings at Ceres Haus, a new café located at Circular Road (near Boat Quay)
Go to Ceres Haus and you may probably not have a mere café visit, but a multi-sensorial session.
You walk up a non-descript staircase marked outside by a ‘Ceres’ cup and bottle hanging from a string.
Peep into the first door on the left, and a round window will have you looking into the dimly-lit cafe.
For the uninitiated, you might think you are walking into someone’s private space as you get past the unassuming wooden door.
The air of mystery dissipates a bit once you step into the shop, much like a speakeasy.
There are a few communal areas for sitting, some being along the windows, and others with tables for ease of dining.
There were some creatives also working on their laptops by the candle light.
With shifts in the morning and night (except Wednesdays and Thursdays), it is a possible spot for breakfast, brunch or to escape the bustle of the CBD crowd.
The two owners, Sarah and Aloysius, told me they operate in coffee, wine and design disciplines.
When they have client meetings, they hold meetings in their ‘meeting room’ that looks like, again, a very indie alternative art exhibition.
They look like those that require the viewer to emote about life. The toilets also were particularly aesthetic.
The day time menu at Ceres Haus is simple, with coffee options of Espresso ($4), Black ($4.50), White ($5.5), and Mocha ($6).
Non-coffee options are the Chocolate ($6). Make it Iced, or use Oat or Soy milk instead at an additional $1 each.
They serve breakfast and brunch plates like the Sweet ($14), Savoury ($18), Avo ($12), bakes like the Madeleine ($6) and Marble Cake ($5).
Their evening menu consists of small bites being the Sourdough ($8), Madeleine ($6) and Tempeh Chips ($5).
For drinks, they serve alcoholic ferments, but also serve coffee.
I tried the Sweet ($14), which was whipped butter, sliced cheese, plum jam, marmalade and four slices of sourdough. Looking at the plate of simplicity,
The sourdough was artisanally made by a friend baker of the owners, was not too overly sour nor chewy to the point of gnawing your jaw.
The jams are homemade here, and paired with the cheese really well. The plum jam was rich in fragrance, and bounced off with a kick of sourness.
The pulp of the sweet oranges used for the marmalade was embedded in the glistening marmalade.
What really shone in many of their dishes is their homemade whipped butter which had my dining partner asking, “What’s this, butter or sour cream?”.
It was rich and buttery yet airy.
Their Madeleines ($6) were prepared à la minute, so do be prepared to wait.
Sarah explained that a lot of the dishes are very simple, so they want to put more effort into preparing the little details like baking upon order, and making their jams.
Dusted with icing powder, the madeleines were crispy or caramelised on the edge, dense and rich on the inside.
The Avo ($8) caught me by surprise because it was pretty much half an avocado, with whipped butter, salt, pepper and two sourdough pieces.
Spreading the avocado on the toast and taking a bite, I understood why it made its mark on Ceres Haus’ menu.
The avocado was ripe, and again with that whipped butter, and ground pepper and salt, it was really good, with that butter being the star.
Their White ($5.50) coffee was nutty and a tinge acidic. Their beans, the owners shared, are from Ethiopia and Brazil.
It was a comforting cup of coffee on that day during the rainy period.
Staring at the flickering candle flame, my dining partner whispered, “So romantic”.
Ceres Haus
18A Circular Road, Singapore 049374
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 5pm (Mon, Wed), 8:30am – 3pm (Thurs – Sun), Closed Tues
Other Related Entries
Arc-en-ciel Pâtisserie (Neil Road)
FiftyFive Coffee Bar (Neil Road)
Dome Bakery (South Bridge Road)
Cloud (Duxton)
afterwords Café (Pagoda Street)
* Written by Laura Wong @llua. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
