Home Cafe

Yet another one of those cafes that we had not visited during its opening phase would be home — home is a cafe that had opened its doors in 2021, being located a short distance away from Kaki Bukit MRT Station along the Downtown Line at Blk 150 Bedok Reservoir Road; the location of where the cafe is being situated at can be said to be a rather peculiar one considering how the area is not one that is particularly notable in the local cafe scene. Nonetheless, it does seem that home had really found home in the location for how it has been serving the community around it for around two years since. With a name like this, home does attempt to make themselves a homely hideout for those whom visit their premises – a little bit of a “home away from home” for some. The cafe attempts to maintain simplicity in its decor by using an mix of white and wooden elements throughout the entire space; the dine-in seating being cushioned with two seats being sofa seats to give it that sort of “living room” vibe that can also be described as cozy and warm. Occupying a well-sized shop unit, home is that sort of neighbourhood-ly cafe that not only serves up desserts such as cakes and ice-cream, but also does serve up a decent variety of hot food for those looking for a light bite or a well-sized meal alike. The hot food menu comprises of options such as pasta and baked rice, though those looking for something to share can opt for the drumlets; for patrons wanting something light, home does offer croissant sandwiches, pies and quiches as well. Otherwise, home is probably better known for their different flavours of basque cheesecake that they have to offer — all being prominently displayed in the display chiller right beside the counter. For beverages, home offers a variety of espresso-based specialty coffee and bottled cold brews that are brewed using beans roasted by Dutch Colony Coffee Co., as well as a variety of teas, drinking chocolate and even a Black Sugar Milk as well.

We were visiting home on an early weekend afternoon looking for something sweet since we already had lunch at a separate location beforehand; in fact, the item that had made us really intrigued to head down to home was their variety of basque cheesecake which we have been seeing for quite a while on social media. Skimming through the selection of the various basque cheesecakes which they have in stock in the display chiller beside the counter, the Earl Grey Basque Cheesecake stood out to us the most — perhaps due to our love for most things Earl Grey Lavender. Coming with hard plastic cover that also avoids the cake from touching the wooden plate that it gets served on, the Earl Grey Basque Cheesecake comes with a layer of Earl Grey-infused buttercream of the cheesecake — this is a consistent theme with all of the various flavours of basque cheesecakes which are being served here. Digging into the Earl Grey Basque Cheesecake itself, one would go through the alluring notes of Earl Grey and that light floral note of lavender perfuming through the buttercream layer, giving the Earl Grey Basque Cheesecake that flavour that is being suggested in its namesake. As one goes all the way down to the basque cheesecake itself, we did feel that the texture of the cake here leant closer towards a New York-style cheesecake; a little dense, with it being a slight crumbly. That being said, the savoury note of the cheesecake is paired with an infusion of Earl Grey into the cheesecake layer itself as well; enhancing the aroma of the tea in the cake even further. In retrospect, the Spanish Latte turned out to be just ok — the sweetness from the addition of condensed milk wasn’t quite as profound as what we expected. With the main courses being priced from $11.90 to $14.90, the prices do seem rather reasonable on first impression; wouldn’t be able to comment on the quality of the main courses against the buck since we did not have any of their hot food. Still, a cosy hideout that residents around the area do seem pretty glad to have.