Little Diner

This is one place I would have never known of, if I hadn't gotten a recommendation from Jiayee who lives in the neighbourhood ;) The bukit timah area does have many hidden gems which are almost impossible to uncover because the area is just too difficult to get to! Glad we ventured to this place though (: Haven't had a hearty brunch in awhile, and I liked how this place had items that stood out from the typical brunch selection. There were quite a number of chef's specials, and we ordered most of them to try :D

Jiayee was raving about the Delancey Red Velvet Pancakes ($13.50), and we were pretty excited about them!! Ended up being a tad let down though, because the portion was really tiny. The pancakes were rather flat and thin, rather unlike the fluffy version we like. The colour, while a beautiful velvet, didn't translate into much flavour, and couldn't stand alone without the maple syrup.

The Stuffed Super Cereal-Crusted French Toast ($16.50) was awesome though!!!! If I were to come back to this place for a dish, THIS would be it. I must have really grown out of eggs ben into french toast now, cos I'm absolutely in love with all versions of it ^^ Cranking up their average french toast by a few notches, this version was stuffed with nutella (could've had more!), topped with fried bananas and drizzled with chocolate sauce. Loved how fluffy the brioche toast was, and the fried bananas complemented it perfectly!

Because mummy wanted the french toast, I ordered the "Krusty Krab" Benedict ($19.50). It sounded really interesting - a twist on the ubiquitous eggs ben with the addition of a golden crabcake pillow. Loved the crab cake, couldn't find any fault with that! But it was kinda sad that there was only one egg!!!!! >:( I'm sorry, but I really think that eggs benedict that comes with only one egg deserves to be boycotted. Hmph. Just like Hatched (which I condemn for being overpriced and not very tasty). Okay, enough of that short bout of angst :P The flavour of the dish in general was good! Fluffy brioche (only half a slice whuttt...), perfectly flowy egg, crispy bacon, grilled asparagus, and the juice of a zesty lemon gave a zing to the dish which I liked.

Papa got the Steak & Eggs ($27), which was termed 'Breakfast of Champions'! We were impressed by the thick strip of chargrilled steak - a generous portion by most measures. It came with two eggs sunny side up, a really delish pile of potatoes, toast and baby green salad.

The last, but not least, was a really pleasant surprise to us! It was hilarious how papa was saying how he detested "deconstructed" dishes, and yet Zhen opted for the Croque Madame ($13.50) nonetheless. While deconstruction often seems to imply an inability of the chef to put the dish together properly, the description of this "gussied-up" ham and cheese sandwich was really apt in this case! An impressive tower of ham and cheese sat in a pool of truffle-scented béchamel sauce that absolutely irresistible!!! This is definitely one of the best truffle-flavoured dishes I've ever eaten, and I'm not sure whether it would be too rich after awhile, but I loved it. Topped with a beautiful fried egg, this was one hearty dish!

Special mention for the coffee although it was not made in-house. Toby's Estate hot chocolate ($4.90) was delightfully chocolate-y without being too rich. Yummy!!!

Little Diner

789 Bukit Timah Road

Tel.: +65 6466 4088

Lunch 11.30am-3pm (Tue-Fri)

Dinner 6pm-10pm (Tue-Thu, Sun)

6pm-10.30pm (Fri & Sat)

Brunch 11am-3pm (Sat, Sun & PH)

Rokeby

hiya! (: if you saw my previous post on Wimbly Lu, you'll have heard of this really ulu little street called Jalan Riang in a neighbourhood in Serangoon. well, guess what, i went there again! haha, but this time by car so it was way more convenient. and i'm so glad that we checked out this brunch gem, Rokeby! i read about the dinner served here previously, but not much about brunch, and we were all really impressed at what we found! (: this Australian diner takes pride in their breakfast as evident from thoughtful touches in each dish on the menu, and we enjoyed every single item we ordered.

there is always someone in need of a big breakfast - and the Rokeby Full Monty Brekkie ($18.90) would immediately quash any morning hunger pangs. a sumptuous spread which you see above, that was well balanced with eggs (done according to your choice!), meat, bread & hash and veggies.

everyone was drooling over my dish. hehe. see that thick slab on top? it's FOIE GRAS. two thumbs up for their extremely generous serving of the prized goose liver. my Foie Gras Benedict ($21.90) came at a comparatively hefty price tag, but with such ingredients in it, it's absolutely worth it, if you compare it to other places where even a normal eggs benny would cost you the same price. the foie gras was a delicious melt-in-your-mouth goodness, and whoever thought of this combination is a genius. 

zhen got the Portobello Benedict ($13.90) - the number of egg items on their menu is mind-blowing - and it was great too! the brioche toast by the way, is absolutely lovely. just lightly crisp and super fluffy inside, it goes so well with the oozy goodness from the egg.

and for some sweets, we had a tough time choosing between the Fruits & Nutella ($11.90) vs Peanut Butter & Banana ($11.90). we opted for the former, though the latter sounds SO GOOD (and sinful too) that i might just come back for it next time. except that i'm not a big fan of bananas. argh. anyway, the waffle was wonderfully done, with a great texture.

besides the first two items, the rest of the brunch items are actually really affordable! i'll definitely come by again next time....when someone drives again ;)

Rokeby Bistro Cafe

15 Jalan Riang

Tel.: +65 9106 0437

Tue-Sun 9am-10pm

The Missing Pan

hihi! :) i've been wanting to blog about The Missing Pan for really long. this is so overdue! but i've really gotta get down to it because IT'S AWESOME. one of the newest places for brunch (i think it's only a few months old), it serves up quite a comprehensive plethora that leaves you spoilt for choice. in fact, we had a huge dilemma trying to decide what to order when we were here. their dishes aren't just the typical brunch items you find in most other cafes. you can see that they've put in effort to make it just that bit more special :)

i really wanted to stay away from eggs benedict. i've been eating it too much. and i really tried my best. but....

62 Degree Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon ($22)

who could resist this?????? 

i succumbed :P WHOOPS. and no regrets at all haha. check out my instagram for the drama unfolding over that perfectly flowy yolk. ahh ^^ it's making my stomach growl at this strange hour. 

Zhen ordered the Rosemary Rosti Stack ($16) which came with lots of bacon (maple-glazed if i rmb correctly! ^^), two huge sunny side up eggs, tomato and grilled zucchini salad. i apologise because this was awhile ago so (again) i can't really remember how the food tastes. but it was YUMS :D

we thoroughly enjoyed the Pulled Pork Burger ($19). though i believe most recommendations would tell you to try the steak burger (which we didn't), i consider this a worthy contender! :) we loved every bit of it, from the pulled pork that was marinated in a lovely sauce, gooey cheese and that bun! one thing i've gotta mention is that The Missing Pan comes in two "parts" - the bakery and the brasserie. brunch is served at the brasserie which is upstairs, and they use artisanal breads from the bakery downstairs. so good :') the dining space is really small though! so reservations are highly recommended.

mummy's French Toast Salpicon ($19) was one huge fascinating, and confusing dish. haha. a humongous slab of bread (the BIGGEST i've even seen!!) topped with banana nuggets (so delicious - like goreng pisang!), mixed berries and strawberry-smoked syrup. lift up the bread and voila! we found that the interior of the bread had actually been removed, and replaced with chicken, spinach and mushroom. like i said - fascinating, but confusing for the tastebuds with the blend of sweet and savoury flavours. it was pretty nice, but i would still have preferred the whole thing to be sweet. the thought of all that fluffy bread inside wasted....sigh. it was still delicious though :) 

oh yes, and just a warning, their portions here are pretty massive btw. hahaha. take their chicken schnitzel is probably bigger than the size of my face #notkidding. we were stuffed by the end of our meal! plus...we were greedy and decided to order MILKSHAKES. overkill ttm. hahahaa.

but these were SO GOOD. i would totally order them again xD 

YOU HAVE GOT TO ORDER THE NUTELLA MILKSHAKE ($9). it was a orgasmically good!!!!! it practically feels like you're eating nutella out of the tub. icy cold and soooo luscious. absolutely sinful, but #yolo okay. it is totally worth your calories. the chocolate milkshake ($9) was good too! but if you have to choose one, NUTELLA FTW.

i've added this to my list of favourite brunch places!! :) it is too awesome. i love every single thing about it. 

The Missing Pan

619D Bukit Timah Road

Tel.: +65 6466 4377

Tue-Sun 9am-10pm

Common Man Coffee Roasters

why, hello there! (: 

Common Man Coffee Roasters has got to be one of the hottest brunch spots since it opened a couple of months back, and i'm glad to have snagged a seat here. perks of being an early bird - this cafe opens its doors from 8am daily, so there's a good reason for you to get up early for a hearty breakfast! the prices, as you may have heard, are probably beyond what you'd think a "common man" should pay, but being a collaboration between 40 hands' owner/barista, Australia's Five Senses Coffee and under the Spa Esprit Group's management, you can be sure of the quality of food, and of course, top-notch coffee. okay, i have to concede that i'm not a coffee drinker (i do feel it's a pity sometimes, with all these fantastic coffee joints popping up all over the place, but i still prefer my sleep more :p), but i can guarantee that i felt the food was awesome. and it's not everywhere that you can get a Middle-Eastern brunch (the other would be Artichoke, and i apologise that this post will only be posted in a couple of months time! :X but good things are worth waiting for right?), so i would say the premium you pay is well worth your buck.

there are several must-tries at CMCR, and the Turkish Common Man Breakfast ($25) is one of them. a hearty serving of goodness on a plate, and i hardly know where to start! the pyllo-wrapped soft boiled organic egg was the pièce de résistance with its crisp bird's nest structured art encasing a delectable egg, which spilled a gorgeous runny yolk. the fresh cucumber and tomatoes lived up to their claim perfectly, with the tomatoes absolutely reminding me of those i had in italy! mind you, i've hadn't had such wonderful tomatoes since i got back to singapore (i wonder where they bought these tomatoes from!! i want them too!!). the crispy feta had a sharp savoury flavour, and it came perched atop a lovely bed of hummus. with fluffy pita bread to seal the deal, this was a dish to-die-for. 

now, i'd come here not wanting to eat eggs benedict initially, because i'd been having consecutively for quite a few sundays (i'm a big fan). but when i saw the description "tender braised ox cheeks", i just had to order it. *shrugs* i'm just greedy like that :p haha. and i was rewarded with this delicious goodness of Organic Eggs Benedict, which is no doubt more pricey than many other places at a whopping $24, but so absolutely worth it :D look at that flowy yolk!!! i have a thing for flowy yolks. in eggs benedict, in ramen, in custard buns (kinda). you name it, i love it ;) the chive hollandaise was an interesting twist on the sauce, and i liked how it lent an extra herb-y aroma to this dish. i sank my teeth into the incredibly tender ox cheeks that sat on artisanal sourdough toast and...my life is complete :) haha. you must order this too!!

the Common Man Full Veggie Breakfast ($24) in no way pales in comparison to the rest. despite the lack of meat, this is a suitably substantial dish that will satisfy you immensely. two free-range eggs in any style you like, halloumi, spinach (beautifully done, i was so amazed at how they made it so tasty!), mushrooms sauteed with garlic that were super fragrant, avocados and artisanal sourdough bread. 

the Common Man Full Breakfast ($26) is for any greedy soul who wants everything on the menu! or for someone who can't make up their mind. basically it's everything on the previous dish, with chorizo hash browns (i found this to be a very interesting update of the hashbrowns one might be accustomed to), pork canneillini beans (also very tasty with the various spices infused in it), crisp bacon and sausage.

so..i don't drink coffee, but i felt their hot chocolate ($6) was very well done! with its full body and rich aroma, this is definitely one of the better chocolates i've had! (:

in conclusion, other than the prices that are slightly steeper than normal, this place is awesome for brunch!

Common Man Coffee Roasters
22 Martin Road
 Tel.: +65 6836 4695
Daily 8am-7pm

Arbite

I can’t believe I waited so long to write this!! I’ve actually got quite a few food posts that I haven’t managed to write till now xP

Really glad that I had the chance to try Arbite finally!! And it’s in one of the prettiest neighbourhoods that are quite near my house ^^ I love serangoon gardens! It’s like a little town of its own.

 

Starting with the drinks, they had such an interesting selection that I had a hard time choosing! I ordered the green tea and vanilla milkshake ($6) which was absolutely yummy!!! It was not too thick, but had enough creaminess and substance, which is why I loved it.

 

zhen ordered the iced chocolate ($5.50) which was delicious too! Super thick and chocolate-y yummmz :D

Arbite doesn’t have truffle fries on its menu, but you can request for it! can’t remember what was the price though. It was pretty good! Thick cut fries that were seasoned with the truffle essence. I still think PS café has the best truffle fries though! The seasoning is un-matchable haha.

 

Since it was brunch, so we chose stuff from the lunch menu as well :P the grilled Moroccan chicken ($15.90) was a rather interesting dish. It’s a chicken thigh marinated in Moroccan spices, giving it a lovely flavour, and is served with pilaf rice, side salad and tomato olive salsa.

 

Zhen ordered the frittata ($14.90) which is an Italian style open face omelette filled with lots of ingredients! Bacon, asparagus, onions, potato, fresh tomatoes, olives, mushrooms and parmesan cheese. It was really a smorgasbord of flavours!

The sea salt caramel banana pancakes ($14.90) was alright…I felt it was not spectacular or anything but was pretty decent. The pancakes were fluffy with caramelized bananas layered in between them and drizzled with maple syrup.

And I have to say that I LOVED my eggs benedict ($11.90)!!! haha. no #1 fan of this dish and when I have a good version of it, I definitely have to rave about it :D they use brioche at Arbite for the bread and I loved how soft and fluffy it was!! Perfect for soaking up the hollandaise sauce, which was provided in abundance which was another plus point :) yummy!

We wanted to try their desserts as well, but unfortunately it was too much for us xP I heard the wife’s chocolate cake is damn awesome though!!! Someone try it and tell me please! I wanna go back someday for it.

Arbite 

66A Serangoon Garden Way

Tel.: +65 6287 0430

Tue – Fri 11.30am-3pm, 6pm-10.30pm

Sat – Sun 11.00am-10.30pm

Closed on Monday

Five & Dime

when i stepped into five & dime, it was as if i was transported to another realm, outside of singapore. it felt like i was in a cafe in melbourne or america, and i immediately relaxed int0 the atmosphere. the aroma of freshly brewed coffee held a tinge of that holiday scent (when you're on holiday, places smell different!), the view, and the little reindeer at the door. so cute! :)

my attempt at taking a tumblr-worthy photo haha. not bad, dont you think? ;) the five & dime chocolate ($6) was really interesting! this has to be one of the most unique hot chocolates i've ever tried. there was a subtle hint of hazelnut in it that give it a whole new dimension. it was a pretty small cup though!

we ordered the calamari ($8) for our starter. yup we had a starter for brunch haha! it was covered with a thin layer of flour and fried to a crisp that shattered in your mouth to reveal fresh springy calamari within.

papa ordered the big brekkie ($22), which, true to its name, was huge. it consisted of your choice of sunny side up or scrambled eggs, pork bacon, chicken chipolata sausages, baked beans, sauteed mushrooms and thick toast. this is your safe go-to order if you want to try everything. i loved how the sunny side ups looked! :D they were done so neatly and purely :) the baked beans were really interesting, with a slightly spicy mexican-like sauce. slightly awkward was the thick toast though. it didnt come with any spread, and nothing on the plate seemed appropriate to go with it.

the buttermilk pancakes ($15) have got to be one of the best pancakes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!! maybe that's the secret - buttermilk! i should totally try this out sometime. the pancakes were super fluffy, yet dense enough that it didnt feel airy. it comes with a choice of chipolata sausage or pork bacon. i felt that the sausages were slightly on the bland side, but at least that made them feel healthier.

the corn beef hash ($16) was something different that you rarely find at other cafes! the corn beef was pretty fragrant, quite interesting! it came with two beautiful sunny side up eggs and breakfast potatoes. the potatoes were super yummy! they were beautifully seasoned, slightly mashed and just simple comfort food.

the eggs benny ($16) were balanced atop a slice of brioche toast that was so incredibly fluffy and crispy at the same time, i loved it! it came with mesclun greens, which balanced the dish wonderfully, the breakfast potatoes (yay score!) and fruit salad - a quirky combination of fruits including kiwis, grapes, strawberries and bananas.

finally, the french toast ($15) came with a choice of pork bacon or chipolata sausage and fruit salad as well! i loved the texture of the thick toast that was fluffy, with a good amount of chewiness. i felt the flavour of the french toast could be further enhanced though. but with the maple syrup that came with it, it was pretty alright :)

for an out-of-singapore escape from reality, this is the perfect brunch location!

Five & Dime

297 River Valley Road

Tel.: +65 9236 5002

Mon–Fri: 12pm – 12am

Sat: 10am – 12am

Sun: 10am – 10pm

Closed on Tue