Vanilla Bar & Café

Step inside this café/bar hideaway on the backstreets of Shenton Way and you are fittingly enveloped in the subtle scent of the vanilla pod. Opened back in December, Vanilla serves modern Japanese favourites forged with a European edge.

Sizzling yakitori skewers of bacon with enoki mushrooms or quail’s eggs are nothing new, but make for a solid appetiser; the pulled pork sandwich – served between home-made olive focaccia – or the tender, thinly sliced ribeye brushed with a fiery wasabi glaze stand out from the overplayed haunts down the street.

Dessert comes in the shape of a flowerpot of chocolate dirt cake: crumbled Oreo cookies between layers of cream cheese, though watch out for the worm! The outdoor patio provides a great venue for a middle- of-the-day coffee break or after-work drink. Tip: take advantage of the daily one-for-one happy hour deals (4-8pm). Simple yet different fare is the essence of Vanilla. MC