Wildseed Cafe & Bar

Spent the weekend visiting the very much hyped about Wheeler's Estate. To be exact, I only managed to eat there because the rain put a stop to our dry weather plans. I always thought Seletar Aerospace Park is located at the north of Singapore, imagine my surprise to find it near Sengkang/Punggol. I've heard a lot about Wheeler's Estate, the revamped area which was taken over by the folks of Wheeler's Yard. Apparently, you can cycle there, picnic there and eat in their multiple establishments. Too bad for me, I didn't have the luxury to explore the place today.

Thankfully, the trip wasn't in vain. Vain Pot and I still managed to brunch at Wildseed Cafe & Bar. This cafe is run by a chef named Florian Ridder. The owner comes with quite an impressive resume, having worked in 1 Star Michelin Piment and 3 Star Michelin La Belle Epoque in Germany as well as 1 Star Michelin Alma by Juan Amador locally. So despite the really unfamiliar menu, I told Vain Pot let's give it a go. One attractive aspect of Wildseed Cafe & Bar is their edible garden. Most of the ingredients are produced and prepared in-house, thus you don't really have to worry if the food isn't fresh.

To kick off our meal, we each picked one from the weekend brunch menu and one from the regular menu. Vain Pot's choice of Scrambled Avocado Roti ($18) made of Kranji mushrooms, creamy egg, chilli and grated parmesan was really unique but good. The egg is cooked till just right, runny when you cut through it. The elements despite its unique combination went well together. I particularly liked the chilli padi taste in my mouth and yet not taste the spiciness. A very healthy breakfast that adds variety to your week surely.

Not to be outdone, I was determined to order the Falafel Sourdough Burger ($14). Those who know me long enough will know how much I dislike trying really unique food with uncommon food combinations. Yes... fussy eater literally. I decided to be adventurous today, drawn to the ball-like ingredient which I initially mistook for meatballs (I love meatballs). The burger composite is actually feta cheese, cucumber, egg plant stew, fresh lemon coriander and yogurt sauce. I felt the spices reminded me of Indian cuisines and found the dish surprisingly appetizing. In fact, I felt the spices made the dish fairly addictive. A far less guilty indulgence from the usual.

For desserts, we picked Ginger Flower Banana Loaf ($7.50) and Citronella Passionfruit Cheesecake ($7.50) to share. The banana loaf is really awesome. I'll recommend you to try it too when you are there. I liked it that the edges are caramelized giving the loaf sufficient sweetness as a dessert but not overwhelming that you feel guilty eating it. I also liked the mild ginger flower taste that is embedded inside the loaf. Yummy!

The Cheesecake on the other hand is probably an acquired taste. The tart and the cheesecake has nothing to fault but I just fail to appreciate the taste. In the first place, I don't really like fruits in my food. Probably not my thing but it's definitely a decent tart for those who knows how to appreciate.

I'll definitely be back again at Wildseed Cafe & Bar. For starters, I still want to explore Wheeler's Estate so I'm coming back on a sunny day. The food here is very unique, very different from the mainstream brunch places I usually frequent. I was confident that Vain Pot would love the food here and she did. One more customer for them! Haha! If you have a strong love for healthy, fresh food with a refreshing break from city life, this is definitely the place to spend your weekend.

Wildseed Cafe & Bar
3 Park Lane, S793387
(Parking is free! Another incentive to visit this place!)

Wimbly Lu (2nd Visit this year)

This is a mid-week update after catching up with another friend there and trying more food. Keeping this entry short because of my limited time to sustain this hobby.

So the plan was to eat enough so that I can skip dinner. Been eating too much and I'm watching my weight. Anyway, the plan failed. I got hungry and ate horfun at night.

We ordered the molten lava cake ($6) to share along with the other food. I was surprised they served the cake on a plate instead of the cupcake holder they used to serve it in. In any case, the cake was crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. I like it that the molten lava chocolate was very rich in taste. Perfect for chocolate lovers.

For small bites, we settled for Sticky Honey Garlic Wings ($7). Its really good! The wings were fried till crispy, very richly coated with honey and garlic and chicken meat was tender. I couldn't find any fault with it. I especially like the sweet honey glazed taste when I munched on my wings.

Lastly, I wanted some tart so picked the Shirley's Apple Pie ($7) on the waiter's recommendation. This one is truly a winner. I'm not a fan of fruit in my food. However, this one has triggered a apple tart craze in me. The apple is glazed just right, not too sweet, thankfully not sour. The tart is of the right thickness, with a cookie crumps texture, both apple and tart goes perfectly well together. Awesome stuff. I'll order this again when I come back!

It's without a doubt that Wimbly Lu is my recommended dessert pick whenever anyone ask me for dessert recommendations when they are in Serangoon. They have two outlets but I always prefer the Jalan Riang Branch.

Wimbly Lu
15-2 Jalan Riang

Sumo Big Prawn

This is a throwback post because I've been overwhelmed with commitments this week, never go out and play. If there's any new food I tried, I ate a lot of the less commonly ordered food at Ding Tai Fung and also found delicious Taiwan Railway Bento at Jurong Point.

I went to Sumo Big Prawn sometime in February but never got round to sharing it here. I did share it on my instagram (sobriquet07) though. My brother has been pestering me to try it and deep down I was kinda reluctant because this is probably the most expensive hawker centre prawn noodles I've ever eaten! Anyway, I caved in to his persistent asking so all the way to Ang Mo Kio we went to try it.

When we arrived, it's not hard to locate the place. The queue was the first clue that there are a lot of other Singaporeans who don't mind paying for expensive prawn mee. Lobster prawn noodles there cost $24.80, $24 bucks in a hawker centre (the without air-con kind) for ONE bowl of noodles?! Thankfully, the queue despite the length moves really quickly. Waiting time is about 10-15mins. Not too bad. Whew!

I ordered the Sumo Prawn Noodles ($8) for both of us. In a way, they made it value for money. The ingredients were very generous. I recalled wondering if I'll ever finish eating the clams. One of the standout of this prawn noodles is the broth. It has no external preservatives and the tastiness of the soup is purely brought out by simmering loads of prawn shells in the soup for long hours. Yummy!

I felt very full after the meal. I didn't feel like I wasted 8 bucks. In fact, I'm tempted to eat there again! It's definitely a different way to indulge in good food. Considering the cost I'd shell out when I hang out at cafes, $8-$24 bucks isn't that expensive for really really satisfying hawker food. Try it!

Sumo Big Prawn
Blk 628 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 

Crackerjack

Over the radio on 88.3FM, I heard the DJs discussing what to do over weekends and how the typical choice for most people would be movies and eating out. I belong to the camp where I believe there's a lot more to do in Singapore than simply movies. Please don't get me wrong, I love the occasional indulgence in cinemas but I also feel hanging out at cinemas generally has close to no interaction and little creativity. I spent my weekend at Gardens by the Bay with dinosaurs and cherry blossoms. Yes, a little bit holiday deprived but I enjoyed the calm and serenity the flowers gave me.

I had to settle my 2FA at Tanjong Pagar so that I can use my Singpass to pay my taxes, check my CPF and renew my passport. Hence, the trip to Crackerjack! Crackerjack is a new establishment in Tanjong Pagar boasting a wide selection of brunch, lunch, dinner and bar food depending on what time of the day you visit. I was a little disappointed that the weekend brunch menu was different from the weekday lunch menu because I wanted to try the highly raved about Lentil Mushrooms Scotch Eggs. Nevertheless, the brunch menu still provided an appetizing selection to choose from.

I had my mind on the Funnel Cake ($14) even before I stepped foot  into Crackerjack, largely tempted by the drool worthy photos I see online. The funnel cake is basically fried pancake topped with bananas, candied bacon, caramel sauce and amaretto cream. The pancake on its own tasted like fried fritters (youtiao). Being someone who has a penchant for sweet food, I particularly enjoyed the combination of sweet and savoury through the fried pancake with caramel sauce. I felt that the caramelized bananas, bacon blended well with the amaretto cream and pancake, making this dish a generally safe dessert for anyone who loves sweet stuff. While there's no stand-out factor in this dish, I felt that this dish brings comfort for anyone who needs a break from the everyday cooked food and it's an added plus that it looks so camera friendly.

Vain Pot who is always complaining she's fat, chose the Sweet Potato Hash ($14). Basically its made up of breakfast sausage, kale, sweet potato and baked egg. I felt the dish was aromatic and very rich in flavour and taste. Totally my kind of thing. Vain Pot felt that the dish was so-so because she can cook the exact same dish at home. Haha, I need to vet the outcome of her cooking to agree with her. While the dish looks plain and ordinary, and like how some people might feel that brunch food is overpriced, I feel that there's merit in good execution... that's why I bother to pay a premium to dine out.

I tried to be a little more arty farty by giving a new take to the coffee photos. Crackerjack is also known for their coffees. The above coffee is called Breakfast of Champions ($6) which is Espresso with cereal milk. It's definitely a good blend and I like it that I don't need to add additional sugar. I enjoyed the thickness of the cereal milk going well with the bitterness of the espresso. Thumbs up.

I pretty much enjoyed my dining experience at Crackerjack. My biggest gripe is the different menus on weekdays and weekends. I feel this limits the experience for most working adults who don't work around the CBD area, you pretty much will never get to try some stuff. Crackerjack serves some affordable and well executed dishes, albeit the ordinary appearance and ingredients used. I also like that the Tanjong Pagar area is generally not crowded on weekends giving our hectic lives more breathing space to properly relax.

Crackerjack
43 Tanjong Pagar Road  

Bucktile St Cafe

I spent this week journeying to the West literally! Going for a work activity later today at Big Box and was there to try Lab Made, a nitrogen ice cream originating from Hong Kong on a weekday too! I must say that there are more and more interesting food establishments springing up in the West and it's quite refreshing on the occasional visit.

I picked Bucktile St Cafe to visit this weekend because I like the idea of 'eating the Monday blues away'. Located deep inside a landed estate, Bucktile St Cafe is one of those cafes in Singapore you would describe as very ulu. The main highlight of the cafe is their instagrammable blue food that ranges from Blue Cheese Burger, Blue Velvet Cake and their Waffles with Ice cream with Blueberry Syrup.

We kicked off our meal by sharing the Morrisa Blue Cheese Burger ($15.90) which is basically a tandoori chicken burger with slices of yellow cheese topped with blue cheese sauce. The blue cheese sauce is said to have some blue cheese taste albeit a milder version. The meal is accompanied by mini hashbrowns. I found the burger to be really addictive. Taking a bite into the burger, it tasted flavourful, especially liked the good mix of spices on the tandoori burger and the slightly sweet cheesy taste that gave the burger its added oomph. Because I'm trying to lose weight, I agreed to share my burger with Vain Pot but the next time, I'll have the whole burger to myself. The mini hashbrowns on the side tasted really good too. It's fried till crispy and marinated with some spices which agrees with my palette. I almost wanted to order a plate of hashbrowns to eat separately.

After mains, we shared a slice of Blue Velvet Cake ($6). The cake was expected soft and fluffy but a little to the sweet side. I'm someone with a very sweet tooth so I enjoyed the cake. Vain Pot was a little less enthusiastic about the sweetness but she complimented the cake for its light texture.

We didn't order the blue waffles this time round because we forgot to bring our DBS card and we didn't want to pay for something we could have gotten for free otherwise. It should be noted that if you spend $30 on a DBS card, you will be given the waffles for free. I would like to gripe a little about the service. I felt the staff lacked initiative considering the cafe's low traffic. They work with very little enthusiasm, a very different feeling from many other cafes I've been to. We had to help ourselves to the seats and menu even though we had to walk past all of them to enter the cafe. I found the entire experience very queer particularly when they watch in absolute muted fashion when we walked in. I've seen other blog entries related to service experience here and perhaps this explains why the cafe was almost empty when we arrived.

I'll probably come back once more to try the waffles and have the blue cheese chicken tandoori all to myself. I also enjoy the fact that the carpark is near empty on a weekend and that the cafe isn't very crowded.

Bucktile St Cafe
104 Faber Drive
(Parking is free here)