O Cha Cha

Green tea has been an obsession of Singaporeans since the introduction of it being a product for health began some years ago. How good it really is? Nobody really knows, it can be a myth, such as milk being really a by product which was overstocked and hence the "Got Milk?" campaign or maybe it does have wonderful healing properties. The bottom line is, nobody lives long enough to really understand it, do we? Anyhow, sorry for rambling, i met up with LIC one night for his first ever food outing which he organized. And the following is what we had.

Location: 252 North Bridge Road #B1-44F Raffles City

Contact : 6333 5886

Price Range: $17.50 per head (arranged by LIC)

First off, thank you LIC for organizing the event. Though there is still room for improvement, the general idea was a success. Good stuff.

O Cha Cha

Interior

O Cha cha is a green tea concept cafe located in the basement of Raffles City shopping center. Given its prime location, the cafe itself is rather small with a definite emphasis on space maximization. Tables and chairs were the generic plastic version with a clean overall look, there were cushion seats as well but as usual, its in short supply.

Complimentary chips

Seaweed crackers, always a welcome sight. I suspect they are Calbee potato chips but i may be wrong.

Matcha Rocks ($4.95)

Chilled green tea with sugar will sum this up. Its light and too sweet for my tastes. Can't imagine paying a premium price for this actually.

Ochacha Rocks ($4.95)

Chilled green tea with sugar and milk. Now why didn't i think of this item myself? Anyway, it has a heavier taste compared to its prior cousin and is also too sweet as well.

Shiitake Mushroom soup

The shittake mushroom soup reminds me of renditions in Eden cafe with the exception that there's cream thrown into the mix. The result is a soup reminiscent of campbells but with more mushroom bits thrown in. To its merit, the soup was filled with mushroom bits however, to its detriment, it was too salty.

Sakura Egg Sandwich ($4.80)

The size of this sandwich is rather consoling given the price. In fact, i'd gladly pay the money for it. The egg was done nicely and had a slight sweetness given off by the egg. Light and easily likable. Who can resist a simple egg sandwich? Not I says me.

Azuki Freezie ($6.90)

When i saw the drink, i was thinking: " oh my, another green tea?" But thankfully, this one was pretty good. Green tea with sugar/milk and crushed ice. Creativity never fails to amaze me. Either way, the drink was freezing cold and hit the spot for my sugar tooth this time around.

Salad With Orange Dressing

Something the boss added as a last minute item to the menu. Going for the same price, i'd normally rake in the praises for something free and healthy but would have to refrain from it this time. The salad itself is no contest, after all, how bad can salad be? The dressing is another story. Sour, saltish and totally unapalatable, it made me miss how normal salads should taste like. This is something no one should order....period.

Wasabi Tuna Sandwich ($5,90)

Furikake Salmon Sandwich ($5.90)

More sandwiches! The bread is the same, lightly toasted and buttered on the inside and soft on the outside. The only difference is in the stuffings which are basically wasabi laced tuna and smoked salmon. For what its worth, i liked them both. The wasabi with tuna is a no brainer winner because i simply love sniffing from the wasabi. The salmon was salty and smoked enough to leave a distinctive aftertaste which was enjoyable.

Macha Financier ($2.90)

The financier is simply a fancy name given to a simple dessert. It tastes like green tea tutu kueh with a crispy crust. There's a thin layer of sugar coated atop each financier to add to the taste but i didn't find anything noteworthy.

Macha Azuki ($4.90)

This dessert is significantly better then the Financier. Of particular mention is the red bean paste layer which made the otherwise green tea overloaded dessert bearable. Somehow, the red bean managed to contrast enough and add texture to the dessert for a more satisfying mouthful.

Macha Cotton ($2.90)

Another green tea cake dessert with an additional layer of whipped cream given. Nothing much else i can say apart from the cake being exceptionally fluffy and soft.

Macha Panna Cotta ($4.90)

By this dessert, i've had enough green tea to swear off it forever but still soldiered on to finish it. Smooth, soft and creamy with a balanced green tea taste, this turned out to be rather pleasant.

Macha Latte ($4.80)

Finally, the last item is a macha latte. Hot green tea with sugar and milk which surprisingly, turned out to be the best item i had that night simply because, its hot and served to wash everything down that came before it.

Final Score: 6/10 (not an average)

Last word:
Too much of a good thing really does ruin the taste. Green tea taken by itself is decent but add all te additional stuff and it loses its purpose. The true green tea experience is one that borders on the art of serving and drinking. This version is more towards the younger fast food and Starbucks generation which probably likes the sugar in it. The sandwiches weren't half bad though.