The Pastry Lab: Interview with To-Gather Cafe (Part 1)

We had the opportunity to do a short interview with To-Gather Cafe last week which opened its doors last year.

1. Can you tell us more about To-Gather Cafe?

"The more we get together, the happier we'll be"

Created with Togetherness in mind, To-gather is a home away from home for the young and the young-at-heart (except the fridge is never empty here). Borne out of a family's love for food and a sudden brainwave over cups of kopi o siew-tai, we decided to take the dishes we love most and serve them to you. But it doesn’t stop there; featuring a carefully curated menu where comfort food meets artisanal coffee, we’re bringing you our favourites, without hurting your wallets. Now imagine a sinful plate of (insert most popular dish here) in front of you, followed by a beautiful chocolate lava cake and finished with a damn good cuppa coffee - we bet home never tasted so good.

As they are in the midst of their expansion, the 2nd part of the interview is scheduled in mid-June. However, attached is the feature in 8 days in February if you have missed that issue.

TO-GATHER CAFE (8 DAYS FEATURE) - 20 FEB 2014

"If youth entrepreneurship needs a poster girl, bubbly Hong Wei Ting, 21, fits the bill nicely. The Business Studies diploma holder from Ngee Ann Poly co-owns four-month-old To-Gather Cafe in Bedok, with sister Wei Ling, 24, (an architectural associate who designed the homey white brick-walled cafe) and cousin Crystal Yeo, 24, a recruitment consultant. They invested a six-figure sum with the help of their family. Despite their youth, the girls are hawker veterans. They grew up rolling popiah after school at their family's Fortune Food Popiah hawker stall before moving onto management roles when it expanded to a central kitchen with several outlets island-wide."

"To-gather is their first western food concept." Their uncle, a chef who specialises in western nosh, created the cafe's recipes. They chose a Bedok address as that's where the three grew up and also 'cos "it's nice for eastsiders here to not have to go all the way to Siglap or Katong to visit a western-style cafe." Its moniker is inspired by their favourite childhood ditty, 'The More We Get Together (the happier we'll be). The line is also emblazoned on the wall and its spirit embodied in the mix of cosy tables for two, a long 'family' communal table, and booths for friends to eat together."

"On the menu: Desserts come from a supplier, but the mod western savouries are all prepared in-house. The Japanese Seafood Salad ($6.90) features greens heaped with fleshy prawns, grilled salmon chunks, Japanese seaweed and fragrant homemade Sesame dressing.

"Order this: The Grilled Pandan Chicken Chop ($8.90) sounds odd on paper, but it's a surprisingly enjoyable fusion dish. Tender meat is marinated in fragrant pandan and doused with a lightly creamy coconut sauce perked with pineapple salsa."

"Bottom Line: Simply but flavourful mod western dishes at reasonable prices."

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One interesting feature in this cafe is the KID'S CORNER. Being a family oriented cafe, you can bring your kid along and dine together too!

We love their interior design tremendously. Cosy to get together with our friends and family without bursting our pockets. It's one of our highly recommended place to-gather here.