2022 celebrates the 20th anniversary of Cinnamoroll (Japanese: シナモロール), a plump white floppy-eared, blue-eyed curly-tailed puppy who came down from the sky. And the Cinnamoroll pop-up café at Kumoya Orchard Central will be available for under two months in a collaboration in conjunction with this anniversary.
Resembling a small, fluffy cloud or a cinnamon roll (or more like a mantou!), Cinnamoroll, created by Japanese company Sanrio in 2001, is known for his colourful adventures with his friends Chiffon, Mocha, Espresso, Cappuccino, and Little Milk.
At the Cinnamoroll pop-up cafe at Kumoya Orchard, you can tuck into an inspired time-limited fusion Japanese-Western menu comprising six snacks, five mains, three cakes and waffles desserts and ten drinks.
Curated and styled by Shirley Wong (Little Miss Bento) in collaboration with kitchen team at Kumoya, Singapore’s longest-running, award-winning cafe specialising in themed pop-up cafes. Kumoya’s food philosophy is all about inclusiveness and fun for families and friend to enjoy new kawaii and special experiences.
Entering the café’s light pastel interior of pinks and blues gives rise to soothing and calm vibes, with hanging clouds and items from Cinamoroll Universe creating a rather charming ambience with airy harmonious hues that makes one feel like we are among the clouds.
There are Cinnamoroll and friends from Cinamoroll Universe prints on a main feature wall, on the dining tables, decorating the glass windows and on wide cylindrical lamps while fluffy, cuddly plushies accompany each table as in-house dining companions.
For a special celebratory event or gathering, there is a private room area offering a different Japanese tatami seating option. To complete the delectable experience, a small photoshoot corner near the entrance invites guests to pose and snap.
Cinnamoroll Pop-up Cafe at Kumoya Orchard Central Menu
Drinks
Floaty Cloud Vanilla Frappe ($13.90)
Milkshake lovers alert! Garnished with a rainbow marshmallow roll and given a tinsel-y festive feel of shiny blue balls and flakes atop a generous swirling cloud of whipped cream, this cold, rich and creamy drink with clouds of cream patterning its milky-blue sky column has vanilla notes which makes for a deliciously cool and pretty treat for hot and sunny days. Caffeine-free with a light touch of sweetness, another flavour, Floaty Cloud Strawberry Frappe ($13.90), is also available for a fruitier pink alternative.
Cinnamoroll Hot Chocolate ($11.90+)
Creamier and a more cocoa-like flavour, this is a foamy milky warm cuppa with a chocolatey aroma topped with a latte art image of two tiny characters, Cinnamoroll and Mocha floating among the clouds, which begs the quote from the former whenever he is happy, “It tastes like my favourite Cinnamon Roll!”
Cutie Fluffy Cinnamoroll Yuzu Soda ($16.90+)
At least three other tables were having fun with this instagrammable clear, bright blue concoction topped with a large cloud of white cotton candy, in the form of Cinnamoroll’s head. What we did not try this, for fans of the fizzy, aromatic, sweet and sour citrusy, sparkling beverage, this looks like a popular Yuzu and Soda combination plus cute and magical factor when the cotton candy dissolves into a wisp.
Snacks
Karaage Chicken With Soy Garlic Glaze ($15.90+)
Among the selection of seafood, cheese and potato snack boxes, we picked the ultra-crispy and exceptionally flavourful karaage chicken served with honey soy garlic sauce for dipping. The deep-fried golden brown bite-size pieces of tender and juicy goodness resting on crisp lettuce leaves and sprinkled with seaweed shreds, pack a punch! While the dip was a yummy complement, some Japanese mayonnaise and a squeeze of lemon juice would have added another oomph to this delicious muncher!
Mains
Let’s Fly Cinnamoroll Japanese Salmon Croquette Cream Rice ($26.90+)
The plating was designed to please with a fluffy Japanese rice Cinnamoroll figure seated on a round cake of crisp Japanese salmon croquette, surrounded by a pool of butterfly pea flower cream. Served with fresh side salad, really kawaii cloud-shaped kamaboko Japanese fish cake slices and punched out cheddar cheese and carrot hearts, the entire arrangement was the lovely part of the experience.
Fried and breaded, the flaked salmon, sweet corn and chives. croquette is a tasty bite. Lightly crisp on the outside yet firm in shape for each piece to be coated with the creamy sauce with its hint of mushroomy flavour and went very well with rice, the salmon patty without strong fishiness in it would be popular with kids and adults.
The short grain Japanese rice shaped into a small Cinnamoroll was so adorable that we were reluctant to tuck in but when we finally cut into the ball of cuteness it was so good with its sweetness, shininess, and pleasant fragrance that defines quality rice.
The dish was altogether a visual treat assembled together to add an accent of flavour and colours to taste.
Fun with Friends Cold Udon with Sesame Sauce and Assorted Tempura ($26.90+)
We went for the vegetarian version – enoki, shitake mushroom and orange sweet potato slices paired with sweet creamy nutty Goma Dare Japanese sesame dip with a slight spicy kick.
The bowl of boiled and chilled thin Japanese udon topped with Japanese kelp, shredded carrot spirals, naruto maki and kawaii blue kamaboko fish cake clouds, was served with a small dish of citrusy light dipping sauce.
Chunky crunchy pieces of assorted tempura vegetables attractively arrayed in a little basket were tooth-picked with small prints of Chiffon and Espresso, two puppy character-friends of Cinnamoroll. With each hot mouthful, the fried batter-coated mushrooms were chewy crisp shards of flavourful mushroom-meat and the diagonally-sliced sweet potato has that nice pumpkin-like sweet flavor and beautifully soft texture inside. All mains have vegetarian options.
Other mains in the repertoire are Fluffy Dreamland Japanese Seafood Curry Rice ($28.90+), Flying Clouds Cinnamoroll Cheese Burger ($25.90+) and Hippie Happy Cinnamoroll Carbonara Smoked Duck Pasta ($24.90+)
The desserts were unavailable during our visit but the waffles and cakes offerings look attractive for us to make another date with Cinnamoroll!
Visiting the Cinnamoroll Pop-up Cafe at Kumoya Orchard
This latest character theme will particularly resonate with fans of the Sanrio characters to pop in for a fun food experience.
We left with lovely takeaways such as free special edition Cinnamoroll paper drink coasters to accompany drink orders and checked out the merchandise corner for additional purchases by guests who can’t get enough of Cinnamoroll!
Where: Kumoya @ Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road, #04-08, Singapore 238896
Daily Opening Hours: 11 am to 9.30 pm (last order at 8.30 pm) (Online reservations available and walk-in welcome.)
Price range: $11.90 to $28.90 with a minimum order of 1 food item per person.
Not Halal certified, Muslim friendly – No pork, No lard and No Alcohol.
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