Sunday Folks

Ever since I tried Creamier, I've been dying to visit it's sister cafe in the Holland Village neighbourhood. A more spacious setting compared to the hole-in-wall premises of Creamier, Sunday Folks is a great place for dates, albeit the fact that it gets pretty crowded. The electronic queue management system is pretty darn awesome though. I got a shock when my name popped up when I typed in my phone number :O Apparently I'd used it before and so my number was recorded in the system. Cool stuff! Thankfully we didn't have to wait too long for a table for two. I guess we came at the right time too! It was like a madhouse after 8pm.

We were ushered to our seats and we pored over the menu, trying to decide on what flavour to get for our ice cream. Unfortunately, as the ice cream here is soft-serve, testing of flavours is not allowed. Which means you have to sorta take a chance. The sea salt gula melaka sounded really interesting and begged for our attention, and we just had to get it! And of course, a waffle was in order as well, because I remembered how fabulous it was from my previous experience at Creamier. Prices are much steeper here though, at $11.80 for a waffle+ice cream, and we added on a Nama Green Tea topping for $1.90. I was soooo tempted to get an extra scoop of ice cream, but since it was going to be served in a cup rather than on top of the waffle, I decided to forgo it.

Disappointingly, the ice cream flavour we chose turned out to be rather strange. One bite into it, and we looked hesitantly at each other with pursed lips trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Conclusion: it tasted weird. Which was really unfortunate, because I tasted this flavour at Creamier (the normal ice cream, not soft serve) and it was great! The waffle was as fab as I remembered, and the Nama Green Tea was yummy, though perhaps not really value-for-money. Not too sure whether I would want to give the rest of the soft serves a chance now, or simply stick to the regular ice cream.

Sunday Folks
44 Jalan Merah Saga,
Chip Bee Gardens #01-52
Tel.: +65 6479 9166
Tue-Fri 4pm-9.30pm
Sat & Sun 12pm-10pm

Creamier

How could I have waited so long to try out this place??!! Granted, it's not really in my neighbourhood, but it's near enough! And it's such a gem. I'm glad that I finally, finally, went there for some indulgent me-time. The only problem was that the waffle stack with three scoops of ice cream looked so good but....

Well of course I couldn't finish all that on my own. So I reined my greedy self in, and chose just ONE flavour. I tried a couple of flavours - earl grey lavender, sea salt gula melaka and butterscotch almond. I really liked the first two! Super unique, and absolutely delicious. I thought the sea salt gula melaka would be a tad too rich for me to finish on my own though, so I opted for the former. Which was the perfect choice to go with my waffles because it was the quintessential balance between a deep, well-infused flavour and a lightness that allowed me to finish the entire waffle+ice cream combo without feeling overly jerlat. The waffles themselves were one of the best I've tasted. Though they seemed to have lost some of the crispness, perhaps because I spent the longest time taking photos of my food :P Also liked how the scoop of ice cream was so generous!!! It was more than enough for my stack of waffles. I can't image three scoops! There wouldn't be enough waffle to go around :P 

I thought that the cafe would have lost its hype after all this time, but apparently not. Despite the fact that it's located in the heartlands, it was PACKED during lunchtime. Plus the fact that it's a really cosy space, there was a queue extending all the way out when I was leaving the place. Waffles for lunch? Apparently I'm not the only one with that idea ;)  

Creamier

Blk 128, Toa Payoh Lorong 1, #01-835

Tel.: +65 6250 1476

Tue-Thu, Sun 12pm-10pm

Fri-Sat 12pm-11pm

Closed on Monday

Hatter Street

Get ready for your tastebuds to be whisked into the world of Alice in Wonderland in this whimsical cafe tucked away in a nondescript HDB estate in Hougang. honestly very ulu imo - it was an absolute chore for me to get there! and i went to three places in the serangoon/hougang area in that single week. talk about an overdose :p but i'll be blogging about all three real soon! guess they were definitely worth the journey there for at least a try ^^ (which reminds me! i still haven't gone to nakhon kitchen yet - a few doors down from this place!! if anyone has recommendations of what to eat there, please lemme know :) i've been hearing so much abt it!)

our favourite item that day was the Whoa-ffle ($8.90). the name itself it enough to catch your attention! a word play on 'waffles', the whoa-ffle comes in three flavours and we went for the most whacky sounding option of pandan ice cream with gula melaka sauce. as long as you're a fan of these oriental flavours, you'll definitely enjoy this choice! ^^ i was impressed how the pandan flavour came out really well, and it was a beautiful harmony between the different components of the dish - especially the generous drizzle of gula melaka!

we were fascinated by the two variations of the Yin-Yang ($5 each) on display at the counter. one was a blend of the failproof combination of matcha and azuki beans.

the other was supposed to be a horlicks/ovaltine flavoured cake, but the taste of the traditional drink was indiscernible. it pretty much tasted like a normal chocolate cake. while the cakes had a lovely texture, we felt that there was nothing very 'mad hatter-ish' about them haha. 

overall a very pleasant experience at this cafe! :) love the pretty setting of the place. though it was pretty small, we were lucky to go during a non-peak weekday afternoon so we could enjoy a lovely teatime catchup ^^

Hatter Street - Bakehouse & Cafe

Blk 212 Hougang St 21 #01-333

Tue-Sun 1pm-10pm

Strangers' Reunion

Strangers' Reunion has been around for a pretty long time, and there was such a huge hype over its waffles that has kept me excited for reallyyyy long. no idea why i procrastinated so long before visiting this place, but i'm so glad i did! decided to check out the place for dinner after reading about it on a couple of blogs - it seemed that their dinner menu was more interesting than brunch ;) they do serve all-day breakfast though! and dinner starts from 6pm.

actually, there were several items on their menu which were highly raved about, and the truffle fries ($12.90) didn't disappoint. in fact, i was really impressed, and i conclude that it's one of the BEST truffle fries you can get in singapore, after PS Cafe!! the aroma of the fries wafted towards us and we could barely get a proper shot of the dish before we enthusiastically dug into it. the bowl was emptied in 5 minutes :P hahaha. really loved the generous amount of parmesan shavings and truffle salt scattered on top of the fries, and the garlic aioli that came with it was an interesting twist that was the perfect complement to the fries.

i'd heard a lot about the crispy pork belly ($24.90), but i think it was the only dish that kinda disappointed :( not that it was bad, but it just wasn't...good. it was pretty normal, and slightly tough in fact! nowhere close to the 'melt in your mouth' experience which i'd heard about. oh wells. i really liked the ginger beer, apple & date chutney that was on the side though! the tinge of spiced sweetness went really well with the pork belly ^^ the truffled mash was very interesting as well!

in a rare showcase.... the truffled wagyu burger ($26.90) deserves TWO photos because it looked so orgasmically good!!!! don't you agree?! that thick patty looks absolutely delish! #foodporn. i was surprised that the truffle flavour developed most significantly in (guess where?) the burger bun! haha rather fascinating infusion, but it tasted pretty good! topped with a beautifully-fried sunny side up egg, the thick beef patty tasted as good as it looked and the tomato relish rounded up the flavours wonderfully. the sweet potato chips that came on the side made us feel slightly healthier, and tasted really yummy.

i really wanted to try the sous vide salmon which i'd heard so much about, but it was no longer on the menu! :( sadddd. instead, we ordered the halibut & chips ($27.90) and i highly recommend this as well!!! it was fried very delicately - seemed like tempura-style - and it was light and hardly oily which was great! the meat was really fluffy as well, and it was soooo tasty ^^ i just realised that they didn't serve us the kaffir lime mayo that was stated on the menu though!! :O BOO :( remember to ask them for it when you're there! it sounds good! 

and finally, for the star of the day - the buttermilk waffles with homemade mixed berry compote and vanilla ice cream ($14.90)!!!!! SO GOOD. i loved how they gave such a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream! ;) generosity goes a long way :D it was the perfect combination of flavours with the tart berries that were deliciously juicy, the crisp & fluffy waffle and sweet, (icy) ice cream. and Strangers' Reunion recently opened a waffle bar next door as well! how awesome is that ;) definitely gonna try out the wider selection next door one of these days! 

Strangers' Reunion

37 Kampong Bahru Road 

Tel.: +65 6222 4869

Sun, Mon, Wed-Thu 9am-10pm

Fri & Sat 9am-12mn

Wimbly Lu

Wimbly Lu is a quaint little shop nestled in a neighbourhood in one of the estates in Serangoon. we took forever to get to this place on foot, but it was worth it! :) not a bad idea to look at pretty houses as we walked through the neighbourhood :) ...and suddenly as we stumbled into the clearing, we saw a row of shophouses. haha it is such a random place to have eateries! but i wish there was such a place in my neighbourhood too ^^ 

it was almost 10pm at night, but the queue for a table stretched all the way to the door of the cafe! not surprising i guess, since there was quite little seating space in there. perhaps capacity for around 20-30pax, arranged in a mish-mash manner. i literally had to get through a maze to reach my seat, which was squashed all the way in a corner. not the most comfortable i've gotta admit, but i'd like to come again someday when it is hopefully less crowded :) it was a lovely place to be in, just out of a fairytale with the pretty fairy lights hung on the ceiling, quaint furniture and cute plates. 

i'd heard so much about the waffles with ice cream ($8.50 for one scoop of ice cream + $3 for an additional scoop) at Wimbly Lu and i was really excited to try it! though i can't really make a judgement on it because i haven't eaten waffles in quite awhile, so i don't really have anything to benchmark it against. the waffle was really fluffy which was nice though! (: but not that 'wow' imo. (my opinion might have been slightly clouded by the events of that day though. so it might have been better than i thought). the ice cream serving was really small! which is why i ordered another one. LOVED the salted caramel flavour which we polished off really speedily. the honey cinnamon on the other hand, is possibly an acquired taste. mind you, i love cinnamon, but i felt that it was a tad too strong in this ice cream flavour. 

since we'd made such an arduous journey all the way to this place, we decided to make the travelling worth it by ordering another dessert! ^^ i was spoilt for choice (which is why i want to come back again), and finally decided on the nutella chocolate pie ($6) after changing my mind about 3 times :P this is rich, sinful goodness. just look at that layer of chocolate! :O luscious hazelnut chocolate packed densely into a pie. this was a punchy dessert which was absolutely delicious. 

there was an adorable beetle outside the shop which totally complemented my attire for the day!! haha too cute ^^ and i realised it was a permanent fixture there rather belatedly haha. take a picture with it for me when you go there! ;) 

Top: Bkk //

Shorts: H&M //

Shoes: H&M //

Bracelet: Thomas Sabo

The Brunch Edition

hi everyone! (: so you've probably noticed that i'm a hugeee fan of brunch, and why not! singapore's full of these places popping up ALL the time and sunday mornings are simply perfect for this in-between meal that allows for late risers to get some good grub ;) since i've been doing so many posts on brunch since i started blogging (58 and counting!!), i decided to compile a list of my favourites and i hope it's useful for you! i will try to keep it updated, so do check back! (p.s. sorry for some of them i think the pictures got deleted :( i hope the food descriptions help anyway!)

For a chill brunch by the river

Toby's Estate

With a generous serving of its big breakfast set, this will satisfy anyone's hungry tummy.

For a unique Middle Eastern brunch

Artichoke

As far as I know, you can only find a fully middle-eastern brunch at two places in Singapore, and Artichoke is one of them. Plus they have awesome desserts! What's not to love? 

Common Man Coffee Roasters

Delicious-sounding menu and hearty brunch dishes. And a collaboration with Harry Grover, the barista of Forty Hands to boot. 

For simple, but well-executed fare

Drury Lane

With little choice on the menu, this place looked set to disappoint. But I was wrong. Here, I discovered simplicity in perfection. (psst, and they have pay-as-you-wish cupcakes too!)

For the best hot chocolate 

SPRMRKT

Not just their hot chocolate, most of the food on the menu was great as well! 

For the most extensive menu

Open Door Policy

Okay, i cheated. Their interesting menu is actually the lunch menu, but it's served during brunch too! So many things to order, and the desserts are wonderful too!

For an alfresco brunch in the park

Canopy

Enjoy the fresh morning breeze amongst lush greenery with this brunch place set in Bishan Park!

For the prettiest cakes

Antoinette

Don't tell me you aren't tempted! Love the Victorian-ambience as well.

 Fabulous Baker Boy

Huge slices of moist cakes, oh-so-divineeee.

For some dim-sum!

Taste Paradise

One of the best places for dim sum in Singapore ;)

Red Star

Old is gold. There's a reason why this place has been around forever.

For some cosy couple time

The Book Cafe
Littered with shelves of books and an entire sofa area, this is the perfect place for you to cuddle with your other half or a group of friends and immerse yourself in a sanctuary of stories.

No reason, just one of my favourites

The Missing Pan
For artisan breads and modern cuisine with a spark of imagination.

Five & Dime

For an out-of-singapore experience (: 

PS Cafe 

Two words: Truffle Fries.

Arbite 

For some cosy time in the Serangoon Gardens enclave!

Symmetry
for not-so-typical brunch dishes. and their lunch/dinner menu looks great too!

If you're looking for any other brunch places, you can check them out here. I'm always on the lookout for new places for brunch, so if you have any suggestions, please do share them with me! (: 

Symmetry

finally finally FINALLY blogging about Symmetry! i think this post can win an award for being the most overdue blog post already >.< and i've been wanting to blog about this the moment i tried it, but because it was so good, and there was so much to write, i ended up p-r-o-c-r-a-s-t-i-n-a-t-i-n-g till about half a year later. see the conflict going on inside my head? whoops :p anyway, for those out there who hasn't tried Symmetry, YOU'VE GOT TO!! it's a bit on the higher end of brunch places, but i assure you it's worth your every buck ;)

starting with the drinks, i was really glad to see a super extensive menu - and there was green tea latte! i've really not seen this drink much anywhere, and i ordered it in a heartbeat (actually after cancelling my usual hot chocolate order, cos i didn't see this option before that :p). it was delicious, creamy without being too overwhelming and just right for me! 

zhen gave the hot chocolate a thumbs up as well, and i couldn't decide which drink i liked more ^^ luscious, tasty chocolate, topped with marshmallow sprinkles (:

i absolutely LOVED my Symmetry Eggs Sur Le Plat ($22). it has got to be one of the best brunch dishes invented!! beautifully baked eggs atop a scrumptious piquillo puree, paprika, pork sausage, duck confit, creamed spinach, cheese and basil base, that burst with flavour in every bite. it was a cacophony of savoury, spicy notes that went together perfectly, especially when mopped up with the crisp, yet fluffy toast.

the Flan ($23) was really interesting! it was a thin, crepe-like pastry that held an amazing amount of ingredients! the pork cheek melted in our mouths and tasted great with the sautéed wild mushroom, poached egg and mustard. 

the truffle egg mushroom ($21) was one of the most flavourful truffle-laced dishes i've ever tried! the aroma was wafting towards me from zhen's plate and its taste didn't disappoint :) the sautéed wild mushrooms were one of the best i've tried as well! 

and these waffles ($16) are my absolute favourite so far!!! (i've got to concede that i haven't tried those from strangers reunion/cremier yet, which i've heard are the best. and those from DOC are awesome as well) with all my favourite toppings like peanut butter, nutella (gosh whoever thought of having both spreads in a same dish is a genius!), berries, maple syrup and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. *slurpsssss* you can imagine this dessert was polished off in a jiffy ;)

so there you go! one of my favourite brunch spots which impressed with every dish. i would totally come back here to try their lunch/dinner some day too (:

Symmetry

9 Jalan Kubor

Tel.: +65 6291 9901 

Mon 10.30am-9pm

Tue-Thu 10.30am-11pm

Fri 10.30am-12mn

Sat 9am-12mn

Sun 9am-9pm

Department of Caffeine

i'm such a sucker for brunch ^^ waking up naturally as a sliver of sunlight peeks through my curtains, without the jarring bells of my alarm clock; lazing in bed for a few minutes or more, till i decide it's time to tumble out of bed; plodding to the bathroom to wash up, and then comes my favourite activity - FOOD. yummers :D i can never resist good food, and brunch is such the perfect meal to wake up to.

now where do i even start? browsing through D.O.C.'s foodie pics on facebook months ago already got my mouth watering. i was so excited to try out this place, and it sure lived up to my excitement!

at DOC, try their waffles. savoury or sweet, it's up to you! but they're so so good, you absolutely cannot miss out on them. mummy prefers savoury, so we got the sundried tomato and herb waffles ($17). the waffle itself was so darn good, i could have eaten it just on its own! super fluffy on the inside, while crisp on the outside, it delivered a subtle savoury flavour of the sundried tomato which was so delicious. the slightly runny scrambled eggs (just the way i like it!), with maple glazed bacon was the icing on the cake to top it all off just perfectly! there was barely a need for the maple bacon jam, but we couldn't refuse more goodness ;)

while i'm not a huge fan of shepherd's pie ($16), i have to say that i quite enjoyed DOC's version of it! with the unique flavour of chili con carne, this was definitely something i preferred over the typical peppery versions of the dish. it was given a lively boost with spiced butter, sour cream and lime, topped with mashed garlic and chive russet potatoes. really yummy, and i would recommend this dish, which has possibly changed my opinion about shepherd's pie ;)

for fans of french toast, you wouldn't be disappointed by DOC's rendition ($16), which was two thick slices of artisanal brioche, which were wonderfully fluffy and had just the right amount of denseness, stuffed with maple syrup bananas which made it extra moist! add a dollop of smooth vanilla yogurt, a generous portion of crisp toasted almonds and some blueberries, and you have this simple dish-turned-spectacular.

being the greedy one, i called for the B.O.E. ($20), which stands for 'bit of everything'. what an apt name for this dish with yummy variety. i have to concede that my heart sank slightly when i saw the portion though :( it looked pretty small. but the quantity was just right in the end, which is a good thing. two herb & parmesan english muffins: on one side, a gorgeously wobbly onsen egg was perched in a nest of premium spanish serrano cured ham - the satisfaction from bursting the yolk and watching it drizzle over my muffin was indescribable -, on the other, a dill dressed smoked salmon with citrus dressing helped to balance out the savory ham with its refreshing tangy notes.

the goodies at the counter were too pretty to resist, and we gave in to a honey & lavender teacake ($5) which tempted with its flowery perfume. the teacake was infused with a light honey flavour, while the thick icing on top lent a stronger lavender essence. a great combination in my opinion!

i can't wait to come back for DOC's lunch because it looks really good too! and perhaps the sweet waffle. and....yup everything else on the menu looks good too. (i mean it!)

Department of Caffeine
15 Duxton Road
Tel.: +65 6223 3426
Mon-Tue, Thu-Fri 10.30am-7.30pm
Sat-Sun 9.30am-7.30pm
Closed on Wednesday