Kickstarting my recess week earlier, I decided to try out Hvala, an aesthetic cafe that many have been raving about. This Japanese teahouse was absolutely as aesthetic as what everyone says. The glass windows with the sunlight shining in, paired with wooden furniture offers the Zen vibe that everyone expects out of teahouse. This was coupled with the stone steps which is the main highlight of Hvala (aka the most instagrammable area). Everything looks so clean.

I was there about 4:30 pm on a Friday afternoon, and there was already a queue which took us 15 minutes to get a seat. I have to say, Hvala was not what I had expected it to be.

ATMOSTPHERE

Contrary to my expectations of Hvala, I find that it was more of a coffeehouse than a teahouse. The place was not as quiet as what I had expected it to be. There were many people chitchatting which made it difficult for us to even hold a conversation. In the meantime, the staff were busy juggling with customer orders. So if you intend to go there to study, you may want to think twice.

One thing great is that while seated at the counter, we got to see the process of them preparing the drinks on the spot.

FOOD

Despite this, the food and drinks that were offered are great. One thing that I liked about Hvala is that even though their niche is in matcha, they offer many other selections which do not involve matcha.

We decided to try out their Brownie served with Hokkaido Milk Ice-cream which is drizzled with caramel sauce. It DID NOT disappoint.

The nice and warm brownie was fudge-like which melts the minute it enters your mouth. A great blend of cake and fudge. While the ice cream has a subtle taste to it which is a nice complement to the brownie.

They also have a unique selection of ice cream too!

DRINKS

It is hard to say that I’ve been to a teahouse without tasting some tea. We each ordered a tea to try out their tea series.

I got the Aged Shou Mei White Tea which had this floral scent and taste to it, making it just nice for someone who would prefer it over the more bitter green tea.

The other tea we decided to get was the Fukamushicha which was brewed with tea leaves that undergone the fukamushi (deep steam) process. This tea was much more bitter than the white tea so it is a good choice for those who prefer tea with a stronger taste.

VERDICT

Overall, I think that this is a great place to try out if you like matcha. Or even as a non-matcha fan, to try out their other selections. The food was good and I would definitely visit it again at a non-peaked timing.

Address:

Hvala – TripleOne Somerset

111 Somerset Road, Singapore 238164

Opening Hours: 11am – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)