Hygge Café – A Picturesque Danish-inspired Space to Relax in

Nathanael Chan
Nathanael Chan
July 25, 2017

Hygge_Cafe_Shopfront

Hygge(pronounced as “hue guh”) is a Danish word that encapsulates the warmth we get from people or even things – laughter, a hot cuppa on a cold rainy night, hugs. Inspired by the Scandinavian culture and the catchword “hygge”, husband-and-wife bosses, Tony and Kellie, decided to start this quaint and humble café in hopes of creating a space for patrons to achieve hygge. Often mistaken for a feeling, hygge is actually a state of mind. Tony and Kellie hope that their café will help patrons step back, relax and appreciate the more important things in life – our friends and families.

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Step into the café and you’ll be greeted by a clean and well decorated interior. There is a small dedicated section where ladies can shop. They sell accessories like ear rings, bags and even clothes on the second level. Alas, they have yet to create a men’s department.

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Even though I’m not a café type of guy, I have to admit that this café is really pretty so you better bring your camera along for a couple of shots. First launched on 7 June 2017, Hygge Café prides itself on using quality ingredients. They make almost everything from scratch here. Kellie bashfully shares that the recipes are all her own. Despite their lack of culinary experience, the energetic duo’s love for food spurs them to experiment with different ingredients, and you can certainly see their passion in the food and drinks served here.

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We tried the Mushroom & Ham Aglio Olio ($14) that comprises spaghetti, shimeji mushrooms, small chunks of ham, garlic and oil. The pasta is done al dente and wasn’t too oily. I also welcomed the addition of shimeji mushrooms which were sweet and crunchy. The portion of ham was beyond generous – you’re bound to get ham in every bite, and who doesn’t like ham? This dish reminded me of home-cooked food because of its simple ingredients and great flavor. Overall, I thought it was done well and well-worth every penny!

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We also shared the chicken ham sandwich ($10). I liked the clever use of croissant because of its buttery flavor which complemented the cheese and ham. Because veggies are good for you, they’ve also included a small refreshing salad garnished with nuts for an extra crunch. If you like regular ham sandwiches, then you’ll definitely love this version too.

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To balance out the savory food, we ordered their Matcha Latte ($6.50 for hot and $7.50 for cold) and their beloved Thai Milk Tea cake ($8.50). For the green tea aficionados, you’ll be delighted to know that the matcha latte is made using Uji matcha which is directly imported from Japan. I found that it was the right combination of sweet and bitter, neither of which overpowered the smooth beverage. The deep green drink has a familiar sweet vegetal smell that just makes me feel, for lack of a better word, zen. Although they also serve an iced version, I went for the hot matcha latte because it seemed more fitting to the hygge theme of the café. Armed with a cup of hot matcha latte, and a copy of kinfolk, you’ll be golden.

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The dark horse of the entire meal was, surprisingly, the Thai Milk Tea cake. Unassuming and unpretentious in appearance, the thai milk tea cake tastes nothing like what it looks. Generally, thai milk tea cakes tend to be overly sweet which unfortunately subdues the actual fragrance of the thai milk tea. Despite my sweet tooth, I liked that the cake was only very subtly sweet which allowed the flavor of the thai milk tea to shine through. Sea salt is added to balance out the sweetness of the butter cream so that it doesn’t get too sweet. The cake offered a fresh and firm bite which I liked. I loved the balance of the flavors and the deep fragrance of the thai milk tea. Tony tells me this is his favourite out of all the cakes hand-made by Kellie and I can see why. Besides thai milk tea, they also offer red velvet, earl grey lavender and an interesting matcha berries flavor. I also hear that a roasted lychee flavor is in the making. 😉

In the end, I think hygge is not something we can buy ourselves into but rather something that we have to embrace by slowing down – switch off your phone, kickback with a book and enjoy your favorite cuppa. 

Hygge Café

Address: 37 Haji Lane, Singapore 189230

Opening Hours: 10am to 6pm daily. Closed on Sundays.

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

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