Upper Thomson is known as one of the OG spots for brunch, with long-standing cafes such as Pacamara (now known as Knockhouse Cafe), One Man Coffee and Habitat Coffee. In recent years, we’ve seen additions like Columbus Coffee Co, Woodlands Sourdough and now, Gentle Roast.
Update: Gentle Roast has ceased operations and the space is now used by Japanese-inspired cafe, Hello Arigato.
New Cafe Along Upper Thomson Road
Gentle Roast is a new cafe in Upper Thomson located right below Thunder Rock School.
There are some outdoor seats that are perfect for anyone wanting to bring your pets. As for the indoor seating area, there are tables for groups of 2 and 4. There are also highchairs that are perfect for solo cafe hoppers.
Gentle Roast Menu
Their menu is split into 4, with items for Brunch, Burgers, Twirls and Large Plates.
- Brunch: Egg Benedict ($18), Burnt Toast ($18)
- Burger: Shroomy ($18), Chickies ($18)
- Twirls: Chilli Crab Spaghetti ($16), Chicken Pomodoro ($18)
- Large Plates: Golden Butterfly Chicken ($22), Sally Sally – a salmon dish ($20)
There are also sides such as Truffle Fries ($9), Mentaiko Mayo Fries ($9) and Portobello Bomb ($8).
As for beverages, you can expect to find the usual coffee menu in cafes, tea served in teapots, as well as a range of iced teas.
Sourdough
The Sourdough ($20) is a dish with slices of sourdough toast with honey cream cheese, toasted walnuts, mixed berries and berry sauce.
When served, we noticed slices of banana as well. Not sure if it was a mistake or they added it last minute. We loved that there were raspberries as well, instead of just blueberries and strawberries.
The thing that stood out was the texture of the bread, which was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. However, flavour-wise, it felt a little flat and that was when we realised, they forgot the berry sauce.
Perhaps it was due to opening jitters, but nevertheless, they served the berry sauce swiftly after we pointed it out.
The berry sauce did help to bring the ingredients together, with its light berry flavour that didn’t overpower the natural berries.
Flat White
As for the Flat White ($5), we felt that it was a little more towards the acidic side. It was served with a packet of lotus biscuits on the side, which went really well with the coffee.
On a totally unrelated note, the cup and plate were really aesthetic.
New Upper Thomson Cafe: Gentle Roast
While some mistakes were made, it was understandable as it was their first day. The staff were also really helpful and kind, which made our experience there a lot better.
The location makes it great for anyone who’s finishing their hike at the nearby MacRitchie. Upper Thomson has a plethora of cafes and with Gentle Roast’s addition to the neighbourhood, you’ll have more options for brunch.
They are also having a free cake promotion for the first 100 customers who spend $50 and above.
Gentle Roast
227 Upper Thomson Rd, Singapore 574359
Mon-Fri, 10am-10pm, Sat-Sun, 9am-10pm
*This is an independent review by MiddleClass.sg
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