All Day Café

It does seem that quite a number of new cafes had been sprouting up around the Central Business District recently. Whilst we had written about the new Snap Cafe that had opened its doors at The Clift, One Raffles Place has also seen a recent addition named All Day Cafe at its ground level. Taking over the former premises of the now-defunct Grind Coffee and the outlet of Syohachi Wagyu Hamburg in the shopping gallery, All Day Cafe is by the same folks behind True Cost and Dirty Blonde — both being establishments which are located in Suntec City Mall. Putting the utterly uncreative name of the establishment aside, All Day Cafe occupies quite a large space — this is considering that they have occupied four shop spaces and the podium space in the middle of the mall; two shop units are dedicated for the kitchen, whilst two other shop units comprises of the pastry display and beverage counter as well as dine-in seating. For those who prefer dining under natural lighting that shines through from the glass roof of the shopping gallery, one could opt to dine at the dining space located at the podium instead. The dining spaces of the establishment are tastefully decorated, be it within the shop space or at the podium; there are some use of flora and fauna that compliments the wooden and rattan furniture and fittings that they have opted for, creating a very warm and inviting look without being too bare or basic. The menu at All Day Cafe is sectioned off into categories comprising of Breakfast available from 8am to 11am and Cold / Hot Appetisers, Soups Salads, Pasta and Mains which are available from 11am to 6pm. Beverages available at All Day Cafe includes espresso-style coffee, “Savoury Collections” comprising of RAF beverages, matcha / chai latte and drinking chocolate, tea, cold-pressed juices, kombucha and smoothies. Cakes and pastries available includes a variety of entremets and filled croissants — these are on display in the display fridge that is also stocked up with takeaway salads as well.

Having skimmed through the menu to check out what All Day Cafe has to offer before making our way down to the cafe, it was the Duck Bigoli which we found interest in — this item is being listed on the “Pasta” section of the menu. There is a lack of description in the menu; that being said, it is observed that the pasta does come with a pink sauce base and comes with chunks of duck meat as well as some shiitake mushrooms — all topped off with a bit of cilantro. Giving everything a good toss before digging in, we found that the Duck Bigoli came with a type of pasta that is shaped the same way as the spaghetti would; that being said, the Bigatoni is definitely way thicker. Whilst it is done al-dente, the Bigoli does come with quite a good bite considering the thickness of the noodles — a firm but chewy texture that we reckon some would actually like. Considering how the pasta does carry a heavier texture here, it is needless to say that the sauce pairing should go on the lighter side; here, the pink sauce base comes lightly buttery and savoury — also just a weeny bit garlicky. This cuts through the heaviness of the pasta as well as the savouriness of the chunks of duck meat which came with the dish aptly. We thought the texture of the duck meat was pretty decent — for one, we were expecting shreds of duck meat initially, so it was rather surprising to find rather chunky pieces of duck meat here; no doubt came with a firmer texture, though quite a bonus given its price point. Meanwhile, the mushrooms helped to an earthy note and a bouncy texture to the dish. While the addition of cilantro was perhaps to refresh the tastebuds from the inherent savouriness of the dish, it does seem to carry a flavour that has quite a dominance amongst the other elements in the same plate.

All Day Cafe does seem like that sort of spot that the Central Business District needs — a spot that serves up specialty coffee that is almost like a one-stop shop that also has a good variety of main courses and desserts to go for while at it. As uninventive as the name of the cafe sounds, it well describes what it is; a cafe seems to carry something that one can have at any point of the day, though it is noted that All Day Cafe does not operate during dinner service. Aside from their Duck Bigoli, we had also given their Raf Coffee and Lemon Yuzu Bomb a try; the former is essentially coffee that is served with the addition of cream and vanilla sugar and prepared with a steam heater for a foamed layer over the top. The entire concoction was a dense, creamy and mildly foamy cuppa that was almost identical to a latte, though sweetened. We were actually fairly impressed with how large of a cup of coffee the Raf Coffee was, considering how it was served in a mug that is bigger than the usual cups that one would get if they had ordered a latte. The Lemon Yuzu Bomb on the other hand is an entremet; one that comprises of Yuzu-infused pastry cream and lemon curd within the core — something which would intrigue those who love their sour-ish desserts. Prices of the main dishes (including items listed on the Breakfast section of the menu) are listed between $14 to $32; the dishes priced at the higher end of the spectrum being from the Mains section of the menu. With a centralised location that is easily accessible from the MRT station, All Day Cafe is likely to be a popular gathering spot especially during weekday lunch hours with the office crowds that are working in the vicinity of One Raffles Place — a convenient spot to catch up with friends and colleagues, or even have a casual business meeting over a cuppa and some pastries; definitely an establishment that is worth considering for the occasional splurge for a slightly better lunch than usual.