It was 2002 and I picked up a copy of this strange bilingual Japanese magazine which does not seem to have a genre…but what drew me to it was the cafés that were featured in it – small, cosy little establishments – where you can go grab a cuppa and read and feel like you’re in someone else’s apartment – in unexpected places like under the train tracks and away from the commercial areas. I fell in love with the concept of these small businesses and have ever since.

Continuing my obsession with nicely designed cafés (I have posted a few on here previously)…we finally have a contender in our shores (to rival our Singaporean neighbours).

Finally. I haven’t personally checked it out yet, but I am stealing some photos off Chelle’s post.

Newly opened in Empire Shopping Gallery (yes, that nice glass building adorned with the hideously huge signage that probably can be viewed from the skies) in Subang, the café is called Whisk –

More pics on Chelle’s blog here.

Now, I have been meaning to post this other café I came across some few months back last year (before Monocle featured them in their Singapore Survey). Love the simplicity.

Kith, Singapore (identity designed by Hjgher) –

pics of Kith taken from Hjgher’s blog.