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2013-12-18
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The Tiong Bahru enclave welcomes a new quirky tenant which effortlessly blends the new and the old by reviving an abandoned Chinese medical hall and turning it into a Western cafe/bakery. All cakes and cupcakes are baked in-house with prices starting at $3 for the latter and $6 for a slice of cake.The Dispensary, located along Tiong Bahru road catches the eye with its bold Chinese characters, monochrome colors and oriental touches in architecture which the owners have insisted on preserving, to
The Dispensary, located along Tiong Bahru road catches the eye with its bold Chinese characters, monochrome colors and oriental touches in architecture which the owners have insisted on preserving, to retain its authenticity. Medicine cabinets and a traditional Chinese weighing scale are some of the antique tools still used in the cafe and many, especially the older folk can relate and reminisce about the old times while enjoying a cup of house blend from Spinelli.
12 flavors of cupcakes are available every day with the usual favorites of Death by Oreo, Lil' Red (Red Velvet) and Lemon Meringue while new ones such as Kaya Cup, Lychee Indulgence and Violet Dream sure piqued our interests. While $3 may appear affordable for a cupcake, it is also worth noting that cupcakes here at The Dispensary are sized smaller than the regular ones from say Plain Vanilla.
Savory offerings are limited with Bagels and Sandwiches. Our Smoked Salmon Bagel was hearty with generous portions of salmon slices while the bagel itself was chewy and yeasty- honestly not too bad. But taste aside, we had to admit that $8.50 for this might be a tad on the high side.
For cakes, we tried their Ol' Fashioned Carrot Cake and was pleasantly surprised with how every bite was so moist and packed full with carrot bits. The cream cheese frosting too was not too heavy and evenly distributed. Rich and very satisfying. Other options include The New York Cheese and The Chocolate Banana.Overall, while novelty is The Dispensary's main attraction, it seems that it is the only attraction. With neighbours such as 40 Hands, Plain Vanilla Bakery and Tiong Bahru Bakery all around the corner, The Dispensary does need to step up and offer something more to cafe hoppers in order to stay in the game.
Our bill for 2 came up to $31.80 with no service charge and GST.
For full review and photos: http://gninethree.com/2013/11/03/the-dispensary
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