I love reading. It’s a form of escape for me, a path into a world where nothing was ever insurmountable.
One of my dreams is to have a room just for books
In my youth, I remember spending hours snuggled up under the covers, reading book after book while it rained outside. My mother, who loves reading as well, often told me that “It’s a luxury to be able to do this!” So it came to pass that I grew up surrounded by hundreds of books of my own choosing, from every genre I could muster. There, in my room, I crossed deserts and ran with the wolves. Sometimes, I went to outer space. I learnt that life is more amazing when you live outside it. All those hours hiding away probably explains why I’m always on the look out for places to hide away- I’m still seeking my moments of lost magic.
The Reading Room’s Bukit Pasoh Home is hip without feeling too exclusionary
So, I was pleasantly surprised when I walked into The Reading Room Cafe to meet Carrie, because the place almost immediately felt that exact sense of escape I cultivated in my childhood.
Great to see people just chilling out
I sat down, and while we were snapping photos, learning about the place from its owner Jake Folkoff, and talking about life, I sort of sank into this feeling of familiar comfort the place was giving me. All around me were just tables of people sipping coffee, eating and reading books, silently lost in whatever worlds were crafted in those pages open in front of them. It’s also a great place to sit and have a coffee.
Don’t mind me, I’m just taking a quick respite from the day
Jake had mentioned that The Reading Room started out as a Book Cafe, its evolved into a more F&B focused concept. I must say, the execution of this F&B was something special.
Brunch Munch!
I munched mostly on the beautiful Pan Seared Hokkaido Scallops while I took it all in. Surprisingly, even after our long session of photo taking, the lotus chips on top were rather crispy. Great for a nice munch along while mentally devouring whatever book was on hand, I reckon.
Pan Seared Jumbo Hokkaido Scallops – Loved the beet root!
I also quite liked the Norwegian Royale. It’s a powerful brunch combi of smoked Salmon with eggs on french toast. I think this one’s great for a munch with a friend, while the both of you are lost in your own little worlds for a while. Just take a wee bit of salmon and egg off the top, then make sure you have a bit of bread with whatever is on your fork, and you’re good.
The Norwegian Royale is classic brunch food. Eggs & smoked salmon for a hale & hearty meal
Now, I’ve said it on Instagram before, and I’ll say it again: Their Latte was so smooth. I really love their coffee, and if I were in the neighbourhood on a weekday, I’d definitely walk over for a sip of it. Of course, don’t tell my boss.
Just as I parked myself in the corner of my room as a child, I especially loved parking myself in the corner of The Reading Room. I guess maybe it’s the smell of books, the sense of gentleness of the place, and the respect it pays toward the written word.
I was looking at the gigantic bookshelves, okay?
What’s amazing is that they’ve created a space for people to just hide away, to be themselves, maybe to reclaim a bit of sanity. For me, The Reading Room Cafe has helped relive a piece of my childhood, and that’s as good a reason as any to go back for more.
After all, who finds a piece of lost magic everyday, right?
The Reading Room is located at 19 Bukit Pasoh Road. A big thanks to Carrie for asking me to come along (and snapping such good photos!). You can check out her impressions here. Finally, a huge thank you to The Reading Room’s Jake Folkoff for the great food and lovely coffee!
