TheAugBunnies

Cafebene is a famous cafe chain in South Korea and I had the opportunity to visit when I was in Seoul. Their delicious Pat Bing Soo captivated me with the smooth shaved ice and their relaxing and quiet atmosphere makes it a perfect dating place for couples. How does the Singapore branch fare?

Patbingsoo is the korean version of our Ice Kachang and are usually served in nice cafes. We visited the Vivocity branch which was packed like sardines and did not have the intimate atmosphere I was hoping for.

The cafe is wildly popular and it can be difficult to get a seat. We had to hunt for our own table which is not really a pleasant experience. It might be better if they have a maitre d or hostess and a queue system for customers to be led to the table.

After making several rounds and waiting for customer to finish their desserts, we finally got ourselves a table. It was like waiting for people to finish at a hawker center or food court. There seem to be a lack of service crew as it took a bit of time before someone comes to clear the leftovers from the previous customer.

Okay, enough grumbling, to make your order, proceed to the counter to make your order and you will be given an electronic pager to alert you to go collect your food.


There is a water dispenser which you can help yourselves with water.


We arrived around 3pm and due to the popularity of the place, there were only left with the Cookies and Cream Bingsoo and Patbingsoo.

The cookies and cream bingsoo tasted like macflurry with the added shaved ice. The shaved ice was smooth and not coarse like our Ice Kachang. It was enjoyable and a great way to cool down from the hustle and bustle of city life.


Our Patbingsoo was eqaully lovely with red beans, some tteok(korean rice cake) among others. It is topped with peanut shavings and does look like an upscale peanut ice kachang with its familiar ingredients.


Apart from Bingsoo, the cafe also served other desserts like waffle, thick toasts and affogatos.


On the whole, it did not live up to its counterparts in Korean and for the price paid, it is not that cheap as well. Service is sorely lacking and the experience was quite disappointing. Dessert wise, they were all right but did not justify the premium paid in your humble opinion.



Service 3/10
Location: