Braving the weekend crowd at 195 Pearl’s Hill Terrace, I am glad to have checked out Paaru パール, both cafe and bakery (partly for the ‘gram and vibes). In agreement with most on the internet, the prices are steep for what you are essentially getting but the French Toast Shokupan ($12) was surprisingly good, well-executed and I would say better than your run-of-the-mill cafe brunch fare. The pillowy-soft house-baked Japanese milk bread had a great subtle chew and a lovely caramelised exterior. No soggy mess, I like that the bread wasn’t fully soaked with egg. The kuromitsu drizzle wasn’t overly sweet and the freshly whipped cream kept things light. The savoury sprinkle of sea salt, the crunchy bitter cocoa nibs, the slight char from crispy edges and the delicate eggy fragrance really sealed the deal.