Cafe review: Dewgather brings spectacular craft coffee and brunch to Buona Vista

If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, that’s enough reason to be equally serious about brunch. With a consistently strong café and brunch scene in Singapore, it’s easy to satisfy your toast and caffeine cravings in almost every neighbourhood. We journey to the west for a new cafe, Dewgather in Buona Vista to discover if it’s worth the trek.

Pronounced Together, the 120-seater Aussie-inspired café aims to be the new purveyor of good vibes and brunch bites in the sprawling Star Vista complex. The café design is conceptualised by award-winning retail designer Billy Ip who checks Funan in his portfolio.

Featuring a three-metre long coffee bar akin to an ocean wave, terracotta tiles, a glass canopy providing ample warm sunshine as well as views of lush greenery, the result is a welcoming and refreshing space, and this is also represented by the “dew” in its name.

Expertly brewed coffee is the heart of operations here. Led by coffee roaster champion Kang Yi Yang, who co-founded gastro-cafe The Populus Coffee & Food Co., the coffee program here includes beans freshly roasted in-house, including Dewgather’s own house blend, The Star (from $4++).

Sustainably sourced from Brazil, El Salvador, and Guatemala, the well-balanced coffee offers notes of caramel and chocolate with hints of fruitiness and is an ideal drink to begin the brunch experience. For the adventurous, the bar serves seasonal Single Origin Filter Coffee ($6++) from Columbia, Rwanda, and Ethiopia.

The beverage menu also consists of Dirty ($5++), which could do with a bolder and more intense espresso flavour to live up to its name, and the Espresso Tonic ($5++), a bubbly match made in heaven for our humid weather. Tea lovers are not neglected with Ajisai Matcha Latte ($8++) and Tsubaki Houjicha Latte ($8++), both mixed with carefully-sourced premium green tea from artisanal matcha brand, Niko Neko.

Complementing Kang’s brews is a thoughtful all-day curated menu by award-winning Melbourne-based Chef Joachim Lim, though the day-to-day kitchen operations is helmed by Chef Clarence Lim. Start with the humble cafe staple, Early Morning Toasties , available in five creative combinations such as triple cream brie, truffle honey, and vegemite ($8++).

The comprehensive mains boast both flavours and flair in plating, and there are some memorable signatures to return for. The Dew Harvest Bowl ($22++) features a hearty and healthy composition of cayenne roasted cauliflower, beetroot pickled cauliflower, Japanese pumpkin, kale, cranberries, sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Topped off with cashew nut pesto, white balsamic and olive oil, it’s tasty enough even without adding on house-cured salmon or grilled halloumi.

Those looking to indulge should certainly opt for the Waffle & Fried Chicken ($20++), a glorious sweet-savoury creation of juicy fried chicken thigh on a freshly baked buttermilk waffle. The accompanying pickled daikon and sliced kimchi for a tangy kick add a tangy kick and cuts through all that richness.

Enhancing the menu of Australian offerings is the light and summery Dew Swordfish Pasta ($24++), which showcases meaty yet delicate slices of seared swordfish amidst aromas of Thai basil, chilli lemon Parmesan cheese, and tarragon.

Dewgather’s contender for an original Insta-worthy dish, however, is none other than their French Toast ($18++). Tasting as good as it looks, the dessert dish is composed of thick slices of brioche toast layered with crunchy textures of brown sugar crumble, crushed pistachio, berry compote, and its star – lavender-hued candy floss.

Dewgather is located at The Star Vista, #01-46, 1 Vista Exchange Green, Singapore 138617, p. +65 8043 8398. Open daily, 8am-10pm.

ALSO READ: Bar review: Chuan by Nutmeg serves up premium tea-infused cocktails in the CBD

This article was first published in City Nomads.