Boyutei is probably one of the most anticipated openings in the cafe scene of the late — taking over the former premises of The Coconut Club at Ann Siang House before its eventual move to Beach Road, Boyutei is a contemporary French-Japanese cafe concept by the folks behind Whitegrass at CHIJMES and matcha specialists, Hvala, which runs various outlets including one at CHIJMES, 111Somerset and Beach Road. The space is pretty much left in the same format as when The Coconut Club moved out the premises; the kitchen at Boyutei is that of an open-concept style, while the dining area features two wings that adopts different decor styles — one that features a brighter design with white walls and wooden elements, while the other featuring black walls that carry a slightly raw look. Serving up their very own interpretations of French-Japanese fusion brunch fare, the menu is being split into several sections — this includes sections dedicated to salad & soup, rice & noodles, Sando and crepes. Plated desserts are being featured in their dessert section of the menu here, while Boyutei also offers a tea set that features savoury items, pastries / sweets and a choice of tea in a single platter at $69 for two pax. Being a concept that Hvala is involved in, expect a wide variety of Japanese green tea and black tea available at Boyutei; other tea options include straight Matcha, tea lattes, cold brew teas and Chinese teas. Coffee lovers can also opt for either the Gaiwan Coffee, as well as the Cold Brew Coffee on the menu here.

Perhaps one of the items that really showcases the French-Japanese influence on brunch fare at Boyutei will be their crepe lineup — the Prawn & Chicken Okonomiyaki being just one of the few items with a strong French-Japanese fusion amongst the crepes that they serve up here. Featuring elements such as dashi poached chicken, prawn, cabbage, pickled red cabbage, spring onion, mayonnaise, tonkatsu sauce and bonito flakes, this is essentially an item where the Japanese Okonomiyaki meets the French crepe — using the crepe as a base, the crepe is done pretty thin here; despite its thinness, it does carry a sort of Prata-like consistency when one pulls it apart, all that whilst being still somewhat lightly eggy yet not being especially jelak. The mix of ingredients within the crepe is what one would usually find in a Japanese Okonomiyaki; the prawns here are especially fresh, while the dashi poached chicken is considerably tender and comes with a light hint of sweetness from the dashi used in its preparation — the red cabbage being especially fresh and gives the Prawn & Chicken Okonomiyaki Crepe a crunch factor that is also refreshing against all that meat and sauce going on in here. Given how this is an Okonomiyaki, it cannot do without the classic combination of the mayonnaise and Tonkatsu drizzle, and the sprinkle of bonito flakes for that slightly creamy, savoury and umami flavour combination. All in all, a well-made fusion dish that is made delicious especially with the use of fresh ingredients.

Having also tried the Matcha Goma Garden plated dessert, it seems that Boyutei is a spot with plenty of potential — hearty French-Japanese cuisine that is done with slight touch of finesse; a little less formal than what one would call fine dining, but certainly something that is a competitive offering to that of casual dining establishments around. Prices are reasonable here considering the quality of food and the sort of produce that they seem to be using — the rice & noodles, Sandy’s and savoury crepes being priced in the range of $18 to $26. Sure, Boyutei might not be the spot that would make for a weekly hangout, but it does certainly seem like a spot to visit for a once-in-a-while splurge, as well as a decent spot for dates that calls for slightly more upscale brunch fare.