One of my favourite activities is eating. I spend my free time hunting for the best restaurants in Singapore & London. This blog exist after my friends often ask me for places to eat in Singapore & London and I thought this is an easier way to share!
Showing posts with label weekend brunch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weekend brunch. Show all posts
Sunday, 5 May 2019
Earlybird Cafe - Fairly New Cafe with Decadent Pancakes
I'm kinda a late bird to this Earlybird Cafe. They opened in mid 2018 and I'm only visiting them now. They caught my eye when they first launched because I'm a sucker for pancakes. Their buttermilk fried chicken pancake looks sinfully delicious. Ironically, I skipped it this visit because my stomach was too small and I wanted to try another pancake.
The side effects of dieting is that your stomach shrinks along with your waistline. So my companion and I decided to share a main then head straight for the dessert. For a main, we decided to try the Tom Yum Prawn ($20) which tastes really satisfying. The Tom Yum carries a tangy sourish flavour which hits all the right notes for me. There's an excessive use of onions which didn't appeal to my picky companion but apart from that personal preference, it's really good! Portion is pretty generous too so I feel pretty thankful that I didn't order the buttermilk fried chicken pancakes.
We picked the Hotcake Bling ($18) as our dessert of choice. It's basically vanilla ice cream on top of a hotcake with lots of candy floss on the side to provide the aesthetics. Blue berries, strawberry slices and walnuts provide the balance to the sweetness. The dessert surprisingly wasn't very sweet. In fact, the ice cream went excellently with the hotcake and candy floss. Having a soft spot for hotcakes, I like this version as it's adequately crispy on the outside and sufficiently fluffy inside. It's not an understatement to say that the brunch meal brightened up my day.
I'd most definitely come back again because I paid with FavePay and now have a $3.80 cashback which I can use at the cafe. The food is awesome and I'm looking forward to the buttermilk fried chicken pancakes on my next visit.
Earlybird Cafe
17 Jalan Pinang, S199149
Saturday, 20 April 2019
Cottontail Creamery - Hidden Gem in Serangoon
Cottontail Creamery has been on my radar since early last year. Back then, I've tried their crepes with ice cream and even left feedback on my instagram commenting on how easily their ice cream melted. They caught my attention because they acknowledged my comment and my second visit actually saw an improved effort to cool the crepe before putting the ice cream on it. For some reason, I associated them as an ice cream parlour and didn't take their mains seriously. It's only after one of my friends commented that they serve nice brunch that I made this third visit to check it out.
The Cottontail Big Breakfast ($18.50) came in hearty portion. The menu comprises of home-made Toulouse sausage patty, sunny side-up organic eggs, smashed potato, roasted portebello mushrooms, vine tomato and tomato relish. They got the seasoning and flavours surprisingly on-point. Definitely worth a try.
Next up was this Tuscan Wild Pig Stew with Rigatoni Pasta ($16.50) which also won approval points really quickly. The pig stew is soft, tender and very balanced in their flavours. Eating it will whet your appetite however if you don't have a very big stomach, it might become 'jelat' over time.
The Pulled Pork Quesadilla ($17.50) wins in both appearance and in taste. It caught my attention mainly because of the toasted mozzarella that has crispy edges. Every bite is bursting with flavour and it'll definitely appeal to cheese lovers.
If you are a meatball lover but you don't take beef, you'll know how hard it is to find good meatballs in Singapore to satisfy your cravings. The Swiss Meatballs ($17.50) at Cottontail Creamery might be your solution. It's beef free. The creamy brown mushroom sauce that comes with the dish is richly flavoured and it goes excellently with the meatballs. I find that the mix of fatty and lean meat can be further improved. Nevertheless I was still left pretty much blown away.
For desserts, the crepe with nutella sauce coupled with smoked salted caramel ice cream and Tahitian vanilla is another winner. Granted that their ice cream in general melts pretty quickly, the quality of the ice cream are quite premium. If you like good ice cream with crepe, this is probably your go-to place. If you don't like rushing through your food, you probably will avoid their ice creams.
Summing up my visit, Cottontail Creamery has just achieved top spot in my Serangoon cafe listing. Their mains succeeded in achieving a certain level of food standard that I approve. Desserts carry a certain degree of quality too. While I still gripe about their ice cream because I don't fancy rushing through my food, this is probably the only ice cream on crepe place I'm willing to part my dollars with. It's almost a certainty I'm coming back here again.
Cottontail Creamery
Blk 326, Serangoon Avenue 3, #01-378, S550326
Sunday, 10 March 2019
Belle Ville - Popular Wobbly Pancakes from Osaka
The excessive growth in overseas establishments taking root in Singapore has frankly dampened my enthusiasm rather than have me looking forward for more. In a way, I'm considered late in checking out Belle Ville considering they set up shop here mid last year. Hailing from Osaka, the pancakes gained a reputation in Singapore for its wobbly nature.
The Matcha with Rice Ball and Red Bean pancake ($12.20) has a rich matcha azuki taste to it. It's rather overwhelming for my taste buds but it can be due to me not being a matcha fan to begin with. Apart from that, the matcha pancake is rather dry which resulted in my dining companion feeling rather 'jelat' and couldn't finish the pancake despite her best effort trying.
I was rather intrigued by the instagram-worthy wobbly Chocolate and Grilled Banana Pancake ($12.20). It was sufficiently fluffy however the wobbliness seems to be a result of semi-cooking the pancake batter. While the entire pancake was light and very easy to finish, there seems to be a missing satisfaction at the end of the entire meal.
As a whole, I didn't feel very impressed with my overall experience. While I was decently satisfied with my chocolate banana pancake, I have a feeling that this overseas branch is a watered down version of the real deal. I guess, for its price point, we can be more forgiving.
Belle Ville
230 Victoria Street, #01-01B, Bugis Junction, S188024
Sunday, 20 May 2018
Columbus Coffee Co - Newly opened cafe at Upper Thomson
Columbus Coffee Co is the third establishment opened by the owners of Atlas Coffeehouse and Lunar Brewer Coffee. They are the latest to join the bustling cafe scene at Upper Thomson. The cafe is located opposite Sin Ming Plaza Condo and has a very spacious interior.
Given that the cafe is only a month old, the food blogosphere is buzzing with activity and there's been numerous reviews of the wide selection that Columbus Coffee Co offer. It got me quite excited to try out this place given all the positive hype. My dining companion opted to try their fresh bakes and ordered the almond croissant ($5). She paired her pastry with a piccolo latte ($4.50). As I just got back from London, the benchmark for fresh bakes is still set pretty high. In London, the almond croissant even had almond cream oozing out of the bread but that'll be a story for another day. We both found the croissant to be over toasted and a little on the dry side. According to my dining companion, when a bread is over toasted, moisture collects onto the bread surface quickly thus making the bread less crispy and more towards the soggy side when you take too long to finish the food.
You can't go too wrong with lattes or I'll really judge them. I found the latte to be nicely done. I made a mental note that this is probably an ideal place to read with a cuppa coffee if I'm ever around the Thomson area again. (haven't been to Thomson area in ages because I dread the parking there)
I always have a soft spot for hotcakes and I really like the one at Atlas Coffeehouse. The Butterscotch Banana Pancake ($18.50) looks exactly the same so I simply had to have it. Sad to say, my impression of the dish is totally different this time. To be fair, the pancakes are really soft and fluffy (just like the description on their menu) to the point you feel like you are having an awesome sponge cake. The maple syrup still goes really well with the ice cream, bananas and the honey coated cornflakes. The trouble was my ideal version is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. This one skipped the crispiness. The dish tastes cakey after a while and despite the ice cream, I struggled finishing half.
The sun was scorching outside so I had the Milky Way ($7) which is pretty much white cold brew. Again the coffee passed with flying colours and it's probably the saving grace for my overall experience.
I noted that the food took a while to be served probably due to the high traffic flow. The food on our table, the next table and the next next table were all plated in delicious fashion. It really left my companion and I scratching our heads if we ordered the wrong dishes. We weren't impressed by the food at Columbus Coffee Co and really should I return it'll be for the coffee and no food.
Columbus Coffee Co
220 Upper Thomson Road, S574352
Sunday, 31 December 2017
Breakfast and Brunch in London
It's the last day of 2017! I'm still writing content on my last London trip. Technically in a couple of hours, I'm heading out for high tea with Fat Fat. After which, I might be thinking of buying a water gun to wash my new carriage. Breakfast and brunch in London is really a food blogger's heaven. The selection is so plentiful and this is just a little bit of my long list of must trys.
I went to Cereal Killer Cafe on my own when Vain Pot went to work. I know, the common perception is what's so great about cereals you have to travel to somewhere just to eat it. Cereal Killer Cafe carries an international spread of cereals and the selection is abundant. It's a cozy and interesting place with beds in the cafe where almost everyone rush to sit on.
One reason why I'm fascinated with this is because I don't enjoy eating cereals that much when I prepare it myself. However, the cereal advertisements on TV tend to bring out a more delicious appeal on cereals and I'm curious to know if the pros can give me a different experience. Visitors can either mix and match their own cereals or select from their cereal cocktails. I selected the Feckin Nut Case which is made up of crunchy nut clusters, crunchy nut cornflakes, honey nut cheerios, hazelnuts and almond milk. I got to say it's awesome! Greedy me ordered the medium size bowl and I couldn't finish but I tried my best because it's really good. There's adequate sweetness yet you don't feel diabetic and the nutty crunchiness was really an excellent balance of flavours. Cereals can really taste awesome if you know how to prepare it! If I bring guest to London, I'm definitely bringing them here.
Cereal Killer Cafe
Mezz 2, Camden Stable Market, Chalk Farm Road, London, N16 7UY
Vain Pot took me to Darwin Brasserie for an early birthday celebration. It's unfortunate that it's semi-raining semi snowing that day because the highlight of the place is dining at the Sky Garden. Yes, awesome views, perfect Christmassy environment and cozy interior. There's a semi-buffet (continental breakfast) menu and an ala carte (hot breakfast) menu. I'll strongly suggest the Hot Breakfast menu because the Continental Breakfast looks too ordinary.
Vain Pot selected the Pain Perdu which is made up of crisp bacon, crushed pecans and maple syrup. It's the first time we are trying such a dish and it's surprisingly agreeable with our palettes. The bacon goes excellently with the bread and maple syrup, you don't get sick of eating it and in fact, you want to have more! I settled for traditional English breakfast and all the individual ingredients were executed perfectly. No complains! I especially enjoyed the bread with butter. I'd like to come back here when it's sunny and experience the full ambiance of the beautiful sky garden with awesome food and company.
Darwin Brasserie
Sky Garden, 1 Sky Garden Walk, London, EC3M 8AF
We woke up too early for Duck and Waffle even though it's 24 hours. To successfully book Duck and Waffle is a challenge. Our time slot was 6:15am breakfast so it was too early for me to be sufficiently awake to remember to take photos of the venue. Duck and Waffle is located on the 40th floor. The awesome view of the London skyline and it's affordable menu makes it a highly popular venue for tourist and locals alike. Trying the signature duck and waffle justifies that this place isn't just gimmicky. The waffle was fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. The duck was tender with the skin fried till crispy. I'm not much of a savoury waffle person but I found the meal easy to finish. I don't mind coming back here to watch the sunrise and enjoy some simple breakfast.
Duck and Waffle
Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY
Granger and Co is actually my very first meal in London. I found them while searching for the best pancakes in London. The place is really popular, there's a snaking queue just to be seated. Granger and Co specialises in Australian food and having eaten there, I'm now tempted to visit the Down Under.
I went to Cereal Killer Cafe on my own when Vain Pot went to work. I know, the common perception is what's so great about cereals you have to travel to somewhere just to eat it. Cereal Killer Cafe carries an international spread of cereals and the selection is abundant. It's a cozy and interesting place with beds in the cafe where almost everyone rush to sit on.
One reason why I'm fascinated with this is because I don't enjoy eating cereals that much when I prepare it myself. However, the cereal advertisements on TV tend to bring out a more delicious appeal on cereals and I'm curious to know if the pros can give me a different experience. Visitors can either mix and match their own cereals or select from their cereal cocktails. I selected the Feckin Nut Case which is made up of crunchy nut clusters, crunchy nut cornflakes, honey nut cheerios, hazelnuts and almond milk. I got to say it's awesome! Greedy me ordered the medium size bowl and I couldn't finish but I tried my best because it's really good. There's adequate sweetness yet you don't feel diabetic and the nutty crunchiness was really an excellent balance of flavours. Cereals can really taste awesome if you know how to prepare it! If I bring guest to London, I'm definitely bringing them here.
Cereal Killer Cafe
Mezz 2, Camden Stable Market, Chalk Farm Road, London, N16 7UY
Vain Pot took me to Darwin Brasserie for an early birthday celebration. It's unfortunate that it's semi-raining semi snowing that day because the highlight of the place is dining at the Sky Garden. Yes, awesome views, perfect Christmassy environment and cozy interior. There's a semi-buffet (continental breakfast) menu and an ala carte (hot breakfast) menu. I'll strongly suggest the Hot Breakfast menu because the Continental Breakfast looks too ordinary.
Vain Pot selected the Pain Perdu which is made up of crisp bacon, crushed pecans and maple syrup. It's the first time we are trying such a dish and it's surprisingly agreeable with our palettes. The bacon goes excellently with the bread and maple syrup, you don't get sick of eating it and in fact, you want to have more! I settled for traditional English breakfast and all the individual ingredients were executed perfectly. No complains! I especially enjoyed the bread with butter. I'd like to come back here when it's sunny and experience the full ambiance of the beautiful sky garden with awesome food and company.
Darwin Brasserie
Sky Garden, 1 Sky Garden Walk, London, EC3M 8AF
We woke up too early for Duck and Waffle even though it's 24 hours. To successfully book Duck and Waffle is a challenge. Our time slot was 6:15am breakfast so it was too early for me to be sufficiently awake to remember to take photos of the venue. Duck and Waffle is located on the 40th floor. The awesome view of the London skyline and it's affordable menu makes it a highly popular venue for tourist and locals alike. Trying the signature duck and waffle justifies that this place isn't just gimmicky. The waffle was fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. The duck was tender with the skin fried till crispy. I'm not much of a savoury waffle person but I found the meal easy to finish. I don't mind coming back here to watch the sunrise and enjoy some simple breakfast.
Duck and Waffle
Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY
Granger and Co is actually my very first meal in London. I found them while searching for the best pancakes in London. The place is really popular, there's a snaking queue just to be seated. Granger and Co specialises in Australian food and having eaten there, I'm now tempted to visit the Down Under.
Vain Pot and I ordered two dishes to share. While the serving is huge, they are surprisingly very easy to finish. In fact we fought over the food because we can't get enough of it. The first dish we had was the Fresh Aussie which is jasmine tea hot smoked salmon, poached eggs, greens, furikake, avocado and cherry tomatoes. The smoked salmon is by far the best smoked salmon I've ever eaten! I wanted the entire piece to myself. It's light, with a little tea flavour and you can taste the absolute freshness of the fish.
We also had to try the signature ricotta hotcakes with banana and honeycomb butter. This is the fluffiest, lightest, hotcakes I've eaten. It's so light, you don't feel like you are eating flour. The honeycomb butter and maple syrup goes so well with the banana and hotcakes it can double up as a dessert.
I strongly recommend Granger and Co for its ricotta hotcakes. You won't know what good hotcakes are before trying this.
Granger and Co
237 Pavilion Road, London, SW1X 0BP
Sunday, 12 November 2017
The Playground Coffee
This is a throwback post. I've been on budget for the past half a month to try out a save money challenge so couldn't afford luxuries like restaurants. In any case, my conclusion remains that earning more still works best for me as compared to trying to cut down on expenses which felt really miserable. Incidentally, today I fulfilled my desire to try the Pablo tart in house and also indulged in very satisfying Prawn Aglio Olio and Chicken wings at D'Good Cafe. I also bought a new book - Made to Stick, to resume my reading habit.
I went to The Playground Coffee a couple of weeks back when work took me to Pioneer. Given that I would never have travelled to Jurong West on my own even if it's for the food, I decided to indulge in some instagrammable brunch food before I left this ulu corner of the west. The Playground Coffee is a new cafe that fits the bill for the typical cafe hopping culture in Singapore. Located in Nanyang Community Centre, it serves a very niche community who probably have a long travel every time they leave home.
As for the Hearty Breakfast, my colleague's comment was that it tasted like how a typical big breakfast dish should. Average was his comment. I took particular pleasure in the plating, liked the vibrant colours that stood out of the bowl.
I didn't feel like drinking anymore caffiene or soda given my pretty intense consumption over the past couple of days so gave the set lunch a pass. Instead, I ordered a separate dessert called Death's Nectar ($8) which is basically brownie with warm hot fudge and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This is really good! As someone who loves all things chocolate besides chocolate itself, I took particular pleasure in the richness of the chocolate fudge sauce. The brownies were soft and warm which goes exceedingly well with the cold vanilla ice cream. Awesome dessert!
My colleague went along with the set lunch and got a red velvet cake as his dessert. The cake was pretty delicious. The cake was coated with a cream cheese icing while the red velvet sponge is layered with milk chocolate. Taste is awesome but a little too rich that it's pretty difficult to finish solo. I think most of the cakes are pre-made so the cake is a little on the hard side given that it is frozen for hours. I like hard cakes but if you like your cake soft and fluffy, this isn't the cake for you.
In the past, there was a shortage of cafes in the West and The Playground Coffee would definitely cater to the Westies well. Given that, there's a rise in cafes springing up in the West, The Playground Coffee would have a challenging time trying to get a slice of the market share. That said, their food is very decent. I did note that their pricing is tilted a little to the high side considering its location. Whether this backfires on them remains to be seen. I won't specially travel to Jurong West to eat this again but if I'm around the area, I'll treat myself to Death's Nectar one more time!
The Playground Coffee
60 Jurong West Street 91, #01-04, Nanyang Community Club, S649040
I went to The Playground Coffee a couple of weeks back when work took me to Pioneer. Given that I would never have travelled to Jurong West on my own even if it's for the food, I decided to indulge in some instagrammable brunch food before I left this ulu corner of the west. The Playground Coffee is a new cafe that fits the bill for the typical cafe hopping culture in Singapore. Located in Nanyang Community Centre, it serves a very niche community who probably have a long travel every time they leave home.
As it was a weekday, they had some attractive lunch sets where you pay for the main and add $7 for an additional drink and cake. I made this trip with a colleague of mine and settled for the Salmon Grain Bowl ($16) while he picked the Hearty Breakfast ($16). I found the food to be very competent for a neighbourhood cafe and was pretty thankful for the healthy meal. I enjoyed the quinoa in the bowl but would have preferred if the Barley was excluded the next time. I guess while everything was competently prepared, I didn't find any standout factor in my meal.
As for the Hearty Breakfast, my colleague's comment was that it tasted like how a typical big breakfast dish should. Average was his comment. I took particular pleasure in the plating, liked the vibrant colours that stood out of the bowl.
I didn't feel like drinking anymore caffiene or soda given my pretty intense consumption over the past couple of days so gave the set lunch a pass. Instead, I ordered a separate dessert called Death's Nectar ($8) which is basically brownie with warm hot fudge and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This is really good! As someone who loves all things chocolate besides chocolate itself, I took particular pleasure in the richness of the chocolate fudge sauce. The brownies were soft and warm which goes exceedingly well with the cold vanilla ice cream. Awesome dessert!
My colleague went along with the set lunch and got a red velvet cake as his dessert. The cake was pretty delicious. The cake was coated with a cream cheese icing while the red velvet sponge is layered with milk chocolate. Taste is awesome but a little too rich that it's pretty difficult to finish solo. I think most of the cakes are pre-made so the cake is a little on the hard side given that it is frozen for hours. I like hard cakes but if you like your cake soft and fluffy, this isn't the cake for you.
In the past, there was a shortage of cafes in the West and The Playground Coffee would definitely cater to the Westies well. Given that, there's a rise in cafes springing up in the West, The Playground Coffee would have a challenging time trying to get a slice of the market share. That said, their food is very decent. I did note that their pricing is tilted a little to the high side considering its location. Whether this backfires on them remains to be seen. I won't specially travel to Jurong West to eat this again but if I'm around the area, I'll treat myself to Death's Nectar one more time!
The Playground Coffee
60 Jurong West Street 91, #01-04, Nanyang Community Club, S649040
Saturday, 14 October 2017
Brawn & Brains
It's Saturyay again! Okay, I spent my Saturday working. Yayy because I managed to be home in time to watch Liverpool face off with Manchester United. Man Utd kept their streak of zero losses so yayy to that as well. This week is pretty much a throwback post where I pampered my stomach with brunch after a really long time. For a period of time when I went missing from this blog, I had a hard time finding food that convinced me they are worth visiting. So I dallied for really long with no real craving. Despite the hiatus, I grew fatter. Can't explain why...
I visited Brawn & Brains while on my way to purchase my Surface Pro Core M3 Model. Yes, I'm typing this out with my Surface Pro at the moment. Located in a very much run-down former Singapore Badminton Hall, Brawn & Brains is known for fresh bakes, coffee and awesome brunch selections. When we visited over that weekend, it was packed till the staff had to tell us the waiting time for food was 45mins.
For those who are familiar with my style, I typically do my research on food before making my way down. Coincidentally, the stuff I wanted to eat was exactly the same as Vain Pot so we shared. The food that enthralled us were Bacon with Open Face Toast ($15.90) and Oven Baked Molten Eggs ($16.80).
The Bacon with Open Face Toast came with loads of generous grilled bacon strips on sourdough bread with slow cooked egg on the side, along with cherry tomatoes and greens. I felt this was one of those dishes which starts off really well but becomes overly 'jelat' and difficult to finish. If I were to break it down in parts, the bacon strips were grilled well, perhaps leaning towards the salty side. The slow cooked egg was perfect, the yolk runny if you break it. The toast was great too. Portions are big so maybe it's me but I couldn't finish my meal.
The Oven Baked Molten Eggs with a side of smoked salmon, avocado and melted cheese (full name), was a more balanced dish. I found the eggs very delicious, the melted cheese on it definitely gave it the added oomph! Avocado and smoked salmon taste exactly as it should but it lightens up the richly baked eggs and it makes the meal a lot easier to finish.

Another highlight of the place was said to be good coffee so we definitely had to order. Vain Pot ordered the iced version of caffe latte while mine was hot. Iced latte cost 50 cents more. In any case, her feedback was the ice version tasted a bit too diluted. I had no complains with my coffee so perhaps you might want to stick with the hot drinks when you visit. Coffee tasted like what it should but nothing out of this world.
Would I return for another go at the food? I probably won't make a special trip down but I would pop in for breakfast if I'm nearby. I was pretty attracted to the fresh bakes I saw during my research and they were sold out by the time I arrived. That says something about the quality of the buns there, so I would like to try. I found the brunch menu to be above average and the food wins on the eggs. If you love eggs a lot, you probably would wish to try here at least once!
Brawn & Brains
100 Guillemard Road, #01-02 Guillemard Village, 399718
I visited Brawn & Brains while on my way to purchase my Surface Pro Core M3 Model. Yes, I'm typing this out with my Surface Pro at the moment. Located in a very much run-down former Singapore Badminton Hall, Brawn & Brains is known for fresh bakes, coffee and awesome brunch selections. When we visited over that weekend, it was packed till the staff had to tell us the waiting time for food was 45mins.
For those who are familiar with my style, I typically do my research on food before making my way down. Coincidentally, the stuff I wanted to eat was exactly the same as Vain Pot so we shared. The food that enthralled us were Bacon with Open Face Toast ($15.90) and Oven Baked Molten Eggs ($16.80).
The Bacon with Open Face Toast came with loads of generous grilled bacon strips on sourdough bread with slow cooked egg on the side, along with cherry tomatoes and greens. I felt this was one of those dishes which starts off really well but becomes overly 'jelat' and difficult to finish. If I were to break it down in parts, the bacon strips were grilled well, perhaps leaning towards the salty side. The slow cooked egg was perfect, the yolk runny if you break it. The toast was great too. Portions are big so maybe it's me but I couldn't finish my meal.
The Oven Baked Molten Eggs with a side of smoked salmon, avocado and melted cheese (full name), was a more balanced dish. I found the eggs very delicious, the melted cheese on it definitely gave it the added oomph! Avocado and smoked salmon taste exactly as it should but it lightens up the richly baked eggs and it makes the meal a lot easier to finish.

Another highlight of the place was said to be good coffee so we definitely had to order. Vain Pot ordered the iced version of caffe latte while mine was hot. Iced latte cost 50 cents more. In any case, her feedback was the ice version tasted a bit too diluted. I had no complains with my coffee so perhaps you might want to stick with the hot drinks when you visit. Coffee tasted like what it should but nothing out of this world.
Would I return for another go at the food? I probably won't make a special trip down but I would pop in for breakfast if I'm nearby. I was pretty attracted to the fresh bakes I saw during my research and they were sold out by the time I arrived. That says something about the quality of the buns there, so I would like to try. I found the brunch menu to be above average and the food wins on the eggs. If you love eggs a lot, you probably would wish to try here at least once!
Brawn & Brains
100 Guillemard Road, #01-02 Guillemard Village, 399718
Sunday, 23 July 2017
Boufe Boutique Cafe
Pretty happy I managed to enjoy Saturyay! yesterday. Lately my weekends are pretty much packed with activities. Been very occupied working, pursuing other hobbies and trying to spend time with friends. In fact, this week I met the most number of people for food. I'm also pleased to share that unlike most other weeks where I indulge heavily in cafe and restaurants, I spent my week enjoying simple hawker and fast food. I foresee myself travelling a lot next year, so better cut down on the expenses.
This week I made my third visit to Boufe Boutique Cafe in 2 years. Very often, even if the cafe is tip top I rarely have the opportunity to return because of the wide variety of food available in Singapore. Boufe is one of the most consistent cafes I've tried and I'm pleased to vouch that over 2 years, the quality of food remains. In fact, they even introduced some instagram worthy desserts to their menu. Perfect for the 'camera first' client like me.
Brunch food is a must at brunch cafes and the Triple B ($20) and Eggs Benedict ($16) were both winners in their own right. To be honest, nowadays I don't order big breakfast meals because I find it too ordinary and plain. I give the Triple B due credit for their creamy scrambled eggs, sauteed mushrooms and richly flavoured sausages and bacon. The choice of croissant to go with the dish is also a smart choice because their sourdough bread seems a tad hard.
The Eggs Benedict is another awesome brunch dish done excellently. The eggs were fat and runny, meeting the requirements for a good poach egg. I liked it that the hollandaise sauce was generous and their bread choice was brioche. Brioche bread when properly toasted is very fluffy, a joy to eat!
For lunch mains, we tried Truffle House Breakfast ($16) and Tomato Crab Pasta ($19). The truffle house breakfast is a combination of truffle mushroom ragout on top of homemade sourdough. There's a corn on the side with butter and salt. The truffle mushroom ragout is very well cooked but I found the sourdough to be on the tougher side. The corn cob which is a gigantic corn can make it more difficult to eat with utensils.
I enjoyed the tomato crab pasta. At the point of ordering, I was quite hesitant because I feel pastas are such boring choices. Still, I ordered and don't mind the bland appearance, they ran out of rocket leaves. The pasta was GOOD! I enjoyed the generous chunks of crab meat well mixed with tomato and chunks of chilli padi that made the dish aromatic, spicy and flavourful. No buyer remorse! It definitely ranks amongst the al dente, delicious pastas found in cafes. Not many cafe pastas make the grade.
I had to try their new dessert menu and we settled for the Milky Way ($8.50) and The Rock ($8). Be warned, both desserts are very tiny and meant for a single stomach. The Milky Way is Boufe's version of a galaxy cake. It is made of white chocolate, yogurt mousse, honey genoise, chocolate sable and calamansi jelly. It's a good blend of chocolate with soft yogurt and a tinge of sour from the jelly. I enjoyed it.
The Rock is made of 64% chocolate mousse, rum syrup, chocolate genoise, salted caramel, chocolate feullitine and grey milk glaze. I liked it more than the galaxy cake because I got a soft spot for all things chocolate that isn't chocolate itself. The Rock is an excellent choice for chocolate lovers especially if you like the mix of chocolate with a sweet biscuit base like how I like my cakes.
Boufe is still my all time favourite brunch cafe. For its ambiance, the food quality and the free parking, I can't imagine another brunch place that ranks above it. If you love brunch food like me, you should at least try it once! Maybe you might become a regular...
Boufe Boutique Cafe
308 Tanglin Road, #01-01, S247974
Sunday, 18 June 2017
South Union Park
This is another throwback post because I've been overwhelmed with work this week. Been so occupied, I'm reaching a point where I'm running out of food to write about or share. Oh well, a hobby is a hobby, work comes first...
I went to South Union Park in late April just before my Rome trip. Been wanting to write about this but week after week there're other food to share about. South Union Park loves experimenting with food and their menu changes often. I'm not even sure if the food shared is relevant anymore! What I love about this place is the lack of GST and service charge, ease to find parking and well the decently executed food up for grabs. I'm not sure about most of you, but I'm the sort who doesn't like a constant change in menu. You don't know what's the latest change and it might end up a wasted trip if the new menu doesn't suit your palette.
In any case, I kick started my meal with the Gnocchi ($20). This should be a favourite with vegetarian lovers. It's a form of doughy pasta cooked with herbs and mushroom which offers a unique taste that I find a little too saltish. Vain Pot loves it though. She kinda ignored her food and lord over mine.
Vain Pot settled for the ever popular Duck Confit Tagliatelle ($22) which survived the cull when they changed the menu. It's another very unique dish because I've never eaten anything like that. They cook the pasta with hazelnut sauce which offers a very different twist to the duck confit dishes I'm familiar with. It's nonetheless a decent meal but as a pasta lover, it's not gonna be my first choice elsewhere.
We shared the Passionfruit Carrot Fonda ($14) because we were feeling adventurous. I was heading to Rome that week hence decided I've got to be more open to trying new food. In any case, the dessert looks impressive but we both got difficulty appreciating the dish after the first bite. The dessert is made up of a white chocolate lava carrot cake with carrot sauce topped with a gigantic lump of yogurt. Honestly, it would be great if they did away with the yogurt or replace it with vanilla ice cream. The sourness of the yogurt tainted the good mix of carrot cake with white chocolate in my opinion. Very very weird dish.
Would I come back to South Union Park? I might give them another shot since they change their menu often. I do agree that this is a cafe of adventure that challenges your taste buds. Coupled with the fact that its easy to find parking and no gst or service charge, why not right? Visit this cafe with an open mind :)
South Union Park
101 Jalan Kembangan S419139
I went to South Union Park in late April just before my Rome trip. Been wanting to write about this but week after week there're other food to share about. South Union Park loves experimenting with food and their menu changes often. I'm not even sure if the food shared is relevant anymore! What I love about this place is the lack of GST and service charge, ease to find parking and well the decently executed food up for grabs. I'm not sure about most of you, but I'm the sort who doesn't like a constant change in menu. You don't know what's the latest change and it might end up a wasted trip if the new menu doesn't suit your palette.
In any case, I kick started my meal with the Gnocchi ($20). This should be a favourite with vegetarian lovers. It's a form of doughy pasta cooked with herbs and mushroom which offers a unique taste that I find a little too saltish. Vain Pot loves it though. She kinda ignored her food and lord over mine.
Vain Pot settled for the ever popular Duck Confit Tagliatelle ($22) which survived the cull when they changed the menu. It's another very unique dish because I've never eaten anything like that. They cook the pasta with hazelnut sauce which offers a very different twist to the duck confit dishes I'm familiar with. It's nonetheless a decent meal but as a pasta lover, it's not gonna be my first choice elsewhere.
We shared the Passionfruit Carrot Fonda ($14) because we were feeling adventurous. I was heading to Rome that week hence decided I've got to be more open to trying new food. In any case, the dessert looks impressive but we both got difficulty appreciating the dish after the first bite. The dessert is made up of a white chocolate lava carrot cake with carrot sauce topped with a gigantic lump of yogurt. Honestly, it would be great if they did away with the yogurt or replace it with vanilla ice cream. The sourness of the yogurt tainted the good mix of carrot cake with white chocolate in my opinion. Very very weird dish.
Would I come back to South Union Park? I might give them another shot since they change their menu often. I do agree that this is a cafe of adventure that challenges your taste buds. Coupled with the fact that its easy to find parking and no gst or service charge, why not right? Visit this cafe with an open mind :)
South Union Park
101 Jalan Kembangan S419139
Saturday, 25 March 2017
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!)
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!)
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