Hello Arigato: New Cosy Japanese-Inspired Cafe at Upper Thomson
Upper Thomson may no longer be the it place for cafes anymore, but that’s not to say there aren’t any exciting options for brunch these days.
Moving into the neighbourhood is Hello Arigato, a new cosy cafe with a Japanese-inspired menu.
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Located at 227 Upper Thomson Road, it takes over the space that used to be occupied by Gentle Roast, which only opened this March.
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I couldn’t find much information about Gentle Roast anymore, other than the fact they’ve permanently closed according to Google Maps.
Pictures of the plates used for Hello Arigato’s pasta dishes look... familiar to say the least, and so does the cutlery actually.
How curious.
Currently in their soft launch phase, you’ll find appetisers, sandwiches (referred to here as Sandos), a selection of bakes, Japanese rice bowls, and pastas.
Hello Arigato’s touted specialty is their Sandos, so we ordered a couple to try.
We had the Teriyaki Sando (S$15), which featured fried and glazed chicken thigh in homemade teriyaki sauce and lettuce, in between slices of Japanese milk bread.
The bread had a nice crunch to it, and the chicken was not bad.
The Katsu Sando (S$16) is comprised of freshly breaded pork katsu, grilled pineapple, and tonkatsu sauce instead. The pork katsu was a little tougher in comparison to the tender chicken, and the sweetness of the grilled pineapple provided an interesting balance to the savoury flavours of the meat and sauce.
As we visited during dinner, hot coffee drinks were no longer available, thus I settled for an Iced Dirty Matcha cold brew instead at S$8 a pop.
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Overall, Hello Arigato is decent, and their sandwiches are relatively simple and straightforward.
Admittedly, not a place I’m fussed about rushing back to, but it might be worth checking out if you’re in the area!
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WHERE | 227 UPPER THOMSON RD, SINGAPORE 574359
