DAWN – Quaint Cafe Serving Specialty Coffee & Rustic Bakes!

Not far from Clarke Quay lies DAWN, a quaint little roadside cafe serving coffee and rustic bakes, all made with love and care. The warm lighting coupled with the raw unfinished walls make the space a cozy one. However, seating is rather limited, so be prepared to wait, especially during peak hours.

Jane, one of the 2 baristas, worked at popular cafes Ronin and Maxi Coffee Bar, before starting her very own cafe. As their main focus is their specialty coffees, I had to give their Iced White a try ($6.50). Brewed from an El Salvador blend, the espresso here is strong, and is perfect for those who love a good caffeine kick. The Iced White was quite acidic. DAWN also has a selection of pour over coffees.

I also had a go at their unique Summer Soda ($7) that’s a non-caffeinated (but still coffee related) drink. Made using Cascara, which is the dried skin of coffee cherries, the soda has a subtle plum and prune flavour. Unlike regular sodas, this was very light and not overly sweet, which I found quite enjoyable and refreshing.

The rustic bakes served at DAWN are from what was previously known as WABI bakes, a passion project by Jane. If they look familiar, that’s because they were served at Maxi Coffee Bar! I had the Black Sesame Friand ($4.50), which had a strong sesame fragrance. It was something like a financier, and was dense and buttery in all the right ways.

The Plum Cake ($6) is a dense cake topped with pieces of plum. We had to fight over the crust on this one. It was sugary and crunchy, and very delicious. I also liked how the plum provided a slight tartness without being too overpowering.

Shaped like the Plum Cake, the Apple Crumb ($6) was another fruity goodness. The three-layered crumble was light, buttery, and had a nice hint of cinnamon. I like that there was a generous amount of crumble topping on top.

Unfortunately, the Hazelnut Brown Sugar Loaf ($6) just didn’t hit the spot for me. The crumbly loaf’s flavours were not as prominent, I couldn’t really taste the hazelnut.

Overall, the bakes at DAWN aren’t on the sweet side, which is great for those who don’t have a sweet tooth. If you’re a coffee fanatic, swing by and “transport” yourself to a cafes in Kyoto. Get a bake or two to go with your cuppa, they won’t disappoint.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.