51 Tras

The newest and hottest cafe on social media recently, and I had to check it out. Came by around 5pm on a Sunday and the place was still packed. I was fortunate enough to get a seat as there was one available however. The place is new and I was told it was only about a year old. The menu is simple and they currently seem to focus more on cakes, pasties and coffee. I guess their selling point really is the ambience; cosy, minimalistic, dim, natural sunlight, back lit lights. This coupled with very cool sounding desserts and it also looks very cool. I had the pacific rim as the moon walker was sold out. The cakes are made by this dude called Francis Wong and I believe they will rotate the cake after some time. For the coffee, I was super pleased with the latte art. I must commend them for their consistency as this is also what I see on photos. Taste wise, it’s a very balanced coffee, not too acidic, not too bitter. Only issue is I really think they can serve it in nicer looking cups instead of an ikea looking one. All in all, a highly recommend!

51 Tras is a collaborative concept by three Singapore chefs. Among the standouts are the aburi chee cheong fun, laksa quiche and muachee mochi blondie. The industrial-style cafe also serves a selection of sake, shochu and easy-drinking cocktails. [What it’s good for] You can’t go wrong with the laksa quiche (S$8) where the buttery pastry is packed with fragrant spicy coconut custard. The extra-flaky pastry and morsels of prawns and fishcake stood out. The flavours and textures work brilliantly. The muachee mochi blondie (S$8) is another tasty choice, stuffed with mochi and tucked in a crumbly layer of powdered peanuts. There was crunch, sweetness and chewiness — with the added fudginess and denseness of a blondie. The aburi chee cheong fun (S$14.50) is slippery-smooth and comes torched with an underlying smokiness, and luxed up with onsen egg, crispy shallots and robust sambal chilli and smoky sweet sauce. The Pacific Rim (S$9) comes as a small orange cake that opens to reveal mandarin yuzu mousse and milk chocolate curd, with bits of coconut flakes for added crunch. The einspanner (S$8.50 for black or S$9 for white), which comes iced, is topped with cool whipped cream that’s been soda-charged to give it a fizzy mouthfeel. The black version had fruity notes and balanced acidity. 51 Tras offers a few beers and ciders, as well as a particularly impressive collection of sake, shochu and umeshu (from S$16 a glass or S$98 a bottle). The 03 Vodka (S$20), a feisty concoction of vodka, ripe mango juice, lime, Angostura bitters, and chilli padi, is a tropical flavour bomb that’s sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy. [What it could improve on] The haebi hiam brioche feuillete (S$8) — like a bready kouign-amann with a caramelised sugary top — didn’t quite appeal with its intense, savoury shrimp sambal flavour. The gula melaka coconut babka (S$8) was less fluffy and soft, and tasted closer to plain coconut bread. The Blood Moon (S$16.50) consists of a planet-esque chocolate shell, and juxtaposes milk chocolate hazelnut gelato with blood orange espuma foam. We expected more espuma, which would have cut the richness of the gelato for a more refreshing experience. [Our quick takes] Is it conducive to conversation? — Like in a lot of minimalist industrial-style spaces, it can get slightly echoey. The music is loud enough to be present but not overbearing. Is a reservation necessary? — Walk-ins only! Avoid going for brunch for a higher chance of scoring a seat. How to get there? — Make your way to Tras Street, a three-minute walk from Exit A of Tanjong Pagar MRT station. [Things to note] Service can be slow on weekends, but when you manage to get the attention of the staff, they are quick to recommend dishes to suit your tastes. Cakes and dessert usually sell out early, before 3pm, so head there early if you can. Read more at HungryGoWhere for the full review

Super duper friendly and helpful staff! The atmosphere was really a vibe (wish i could sit on near the small tree but it was taken) The pastries were quite interesting and the taste was above average. Coffee wise I think is acceptable! Visiting this place is really more for the experience and ambience so nothing mind blowing in terms of flavour. Would 11/10 recommend you to visit!

It was a nice cool spot in the middle of the hustle of Tanjong Pagar. We enjoyed the drinks. We had honey orange chocolate ($7) and would have ordered the Einspanner if we were there for earlier. I feel that the food selection needs to improve. The chee cheong fun may not be the most value for money item at that price. Personally, I prefer the Moon Walker ($9) more than the blood moon.

Black coffee was good. Aburi CCF was just average, not worth the price. Haebihiam brioche somehow tasted and textured more like a kouignamman. Ambience was good.

Nice aesthetics. Plain but with decorative elements. Quite spacious. Came here for a second breakfast (although they are not really a breakfast place). Double espresso and the Nesotu cake with kumquat. Felt that the cake was too creamy, couldn’t taste the zest of the kumquat. It impressed more with the look than the taste. Espresso was a bit thin.