Singapore cafe Paaru serves breakfast from timeless, ultra-minimal interiors

Photography: Paaru

Modelled after a traditional Japanese teahouse, this Singapore breakfast spot describes itself as ‘a portal to an unhurried time-space’.

Located in the city-state’s Chinatown district, Paaru sits behind an unassuming wooden frontage that leads to a minimal and low-lit set of interiors. The focus is on the materials used, with dark wood and granite playing a starring role in the machiya-style interiors.

The back of the space is punctuated by a single picture window that looks onto Paaru’s moss- and stone-covered courtyard, which often hosts local bird life in its pomelo trees.

On the menu is a range of all-day breakfast options, although the Singapore cafe is perhaps best known for its shokupan – Japanese-style milk bread served with eggs on top. Those who want to soak up the zen a bit longer can join one of Paaru’s workshops, with the most recent being a session on copper craft led by a 19th-generation craftsperson.

195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace, #01-61, Singapore 168976