Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters - Top Notch Cafe

When I first heard that Oz Coffee was closing their doors at Thomson V, I was visibly disappointed as it was one of my favourite coffee joints near my place.

Fortunately, it was because they are resurfacing as Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters just a few minutes away at Upper Thomson, where Liquid Kitchen used to be.

Occupying a much larger area and fully air conditioned this time, Pacamara retains the similar white toned decor of its previous incarnation.

Boasting of a more fully equipped kitchen, the environment looks spacious and comfortable. It is certainly one of the more cosy cafes that I have come across recently.

The menu has also extended to a larger selection of breakfast classics and lunch/dinner bistro staples. But let's start with the coffee.

Excellent Coffee

The coffee is rumoured to be sourced from Thailand as the owner has a great affection for that country. The couple of times that I have visited Pacamara, I have always gotten brilliantly brewed cups of caffeine there.

It is never too acidic, yet there is just enough sharpness to give you the necessary kick and the coffee aroma is also intense enough to swoon you over. The steamed milk foam is also just about right for those who prefer their lattes and cappuccinos.

Salmon Royale

As for the food, it is the breakfast plates that impressed me most. Their benedicts tend to use toasted brioche instead of muffins and I for one is happier for that. Muffins can be either too hard and stringy in this climate whereas well executed, crisp brioche tends to hold the dish much better.

The hollandaise was nicely done when I had my Salmon Royale and the poached eggs were equally well executed. Overall, a nice plate of breakfast.

Truffle Eggs Benedict

The Truffle Eggs Benedict fared even better. Although I am not a big fan of truffle oil, but a few drops of the notorious perfumed oil (or was it actual grated truffle I saw inside the sauce) did actually make a distinctive difference to the hollandise. Not too overpowering it its truffle undertones, it added just enough scent to add a different dimension to the whole dish.

Seafood Risotto

What was somewhat lacklustre was their lunch mains. The seafood risotto, in particular, was way overcooked but was redeemed by the generous amount of fresh prawns and mussels.

Waygu Burger

Their burgers were also pretty average and failed to stand out, and the stringy fries left a very negative impression on this blogger. Despite this, I think most diners here will be more than satisfied with the breakfast fare. I just wish they can extend it to a whole day affair.

In summary, Pacamara has great coffee and some excellent breakfast food. Some fine tuning needs to be done on the mains but other than that, it is already off to a good start.

A top notch cafe? You bet.

Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters
185 Upper Thomson Road