Dough Review: Chio Glasshouse Bakery With Azuki Mochi Danish And More

Dough is a pretty glasshouse bakery and cafe at CHIJMES

Cafes come and go, but at CHIJMES, Dough has held its ground since 2021, a time when Korean-themed cafes were especially popular across Singapore. Our team left impressed on our last visit in 2023, so we returned to see if it still lives up to the buzz built up over the years.

The brunch cafe is still pretty popular today, which speaks to the quality they’ve maintained over the years. Founded by the same team behind Glyph Supply Co and Runes at Lau Pa Sat, you’ll find the same sleek, clean-lined aesthetic here, with a look that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Seoul cafe. According to their website, the breads, pastries, and even pastas are made in-house.

Food at Dough

A mainstay here is the Adzuki Mochi Danish ($5.50++), which we first tried during our 2023 visit. It features flaky, laminated pastry dusted with icing sugar, with a glossy blob of mochi peeking through. What’s interesting is that it’s still priced the same three years on, which stands out given how prices have risen elsewhere.

It’s not a mochi-anything without a proper mochi pull, and during our last visit, it delivered on that front after we broke through the crackling, flaky layers of pastry. This time round, however, we were slightly disappointed—the mochi was noticeably less, with no real pull to speak of, just more of a soft ooze instead.

That said, the rest of the pastry still holds up. The laminated layers remain crisp and flaky, and the overall texture still hits that same satisfying balance we remembered from before.

Mochi and azuki, AKA red bean, are a match made in heaven. This version is a shoo-in, with the red bean not too sweet, allowing its natural, earthy flavour to come through. Paired with the buttery, toasted notes of baked pastry, it’s an easy favourite to have at Dough.

When it comes to trendy croissant cubes, one of our favourite versions comes from Keong Saik Bakery, but Dough’s Pistachio Raspberry ($6.50++) stood its own pretty well too.

The croissant comes perfectly cubic, with a well-executed pastry that’s crisp on the outside and soft within. Inside this little croissant cube are two fillings: pistachio cream and raspberry jam. The raspberry jam adds a nice touch, and both fillings balance each other well—the tart berry notes cutting through the richer, more cloying nuttiness of the pistachio.

The Pistachio Raspberry is only one of several croissant cubes on offer; we also spied Mango Basil ($6++), which I thought might be an interesting blend of flavours.

Moving on to more savoury options, we went for the Shio Kombu Mascarpone Biscuit ($5++). This treat looked rather cute with its craggy, glossed finish, topped with a cap of mascarpone studded with cubes of cheddar, and finished with sprinkles of shio kombu and chives.

If you haven’t had it before, shio kombu is a salted kelp that packs a whole lot of umami. You’ll find bits of it throughout the rather dense biscuit, and I’d recommend warming it up. While I enjoyed the flavour, and how moist it was, I thought it could have been more crumbly and lighter in texture.

We spotted several tables also having the Mala Sausage Croissant ($6.50++), stuffed with a chonky whole sausage, and topped generously with Sichuan pepper dust.

Their breakfast menu features a selection of toasts, including the Hummus & Guacamole Toast ($14++).

Our toast arrived at the table looking properly splendid, with the striking contrast in colours—house-made guacamole, piped over with fuchsia dragonfruit hummus, drizzled with honey, crushed pistachio, and little knobs of ricotta.

This tasted as good as it looked, though I did wish they were more generous with the various toppings.

Signature drinks at Dough include Signature Matcha ($9++) and Cold Brew White ($7++), the former topped with a house-made cream cheese foam for extra creaminess and a touch of savouriness.

Ambience at Dough

Dough boasts an expansive space, with both indoor and al fresco seats. The main indoor dining area is minimalist in design, with a little alcove at the back that offers a slightly more cosy dining experience.

Behind the counter, you’ll find a small number of low marble tables with a long bench that lines the full-length windows of the cafe. These are best if you’re just having pastries and drinks; the low tables are not the most comfortable for eating heartier mains.

Then, there’s the outdoor dining area: it’s almost like someone’s backyard porch, with cushions, hanging lights, greenery and space that would make a great space for gatherings with kids.

Dough is located off the main square inside CHIJMES, a five-minute walk from City Hall MRT Station. It can be a little hard to spot as it’s well hidden by the lush greens which front its outdoor space. You’ll find their bakes in a glass display as you enter, and a window through which you can watch their bakers hard at work.

Dough – Eatbook review

It’s nice to see a cafe still maintaining its standards and prices after four years, and it’s easy to understand why they’ve become a go-to spot for croissant lovers. The wide variety of bakery items and mains also gives you more reason to make repeat visits. It was pretty quiet on a weekday morning too, which I’m sure many would appreciate.

In the meantime, check out Alice Boulangerie at Raffles City for fresh buns with matcha and pistachio cream. Otherwise, read our City Hall food guide for $2++ oysters, handmade pasta and more!

Address: 30 Victoria Street, #01-30, CHJIMES, Singapore 187996
Opening hours: Daily 8:30am to 9pm
Website
Dough is not halal-certified.

This article was originally written by Michelle Put in Aug 2023.
Photos taken by Paula Grace Formantes and Aldrich Tan.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg