Boufe: Boutique + Cafe

My tummy has been rather well-fed recently with lots of good food, and it's so satisfying! I've gotta try to lose some weight before Krabi though :P haha don't wanna be lugging a pet tummy over to the beach, yikes! It's been a series of cafe hopping over the weekends, which is something we haven't done in a long while! Gosh, how I've missed this. Paddy Hills a couple of weeks ago, and this time we checked out Boufe (: Seems like a trend to be visiting out-of-the-way cafes though. Maybe the next one would be somewhere in the far east...? Haha. 

The first thing I really liked about Boufe was its clean, white interior and natural lighting. It was such a gorgeous space! I love decor like this, and I'm so tempted to have it for my house, although I don't think I ever will because it's so difficult to keep clean! With my OCDness it'll probably drive me (and Sam) nuts. Hahaha. Anyway, below is a peak of how pretty and bright the cafe looks! The drinks here were rather decently priced, or perhaps it just seems this way in contrast to the $8.90 hot chocolate I drank at Awfully Chocolate the other day. Goodness! The iced chocolate ($6.50) piqued our interest by being served in a mason jar (love!!). Unfortunately, flavour-wise it was a letdown as it seemed to taste more like milo than chocolate. 

I didn't do the food justice with these photos (what's with my camera these days!), but they looked pretty darn good, and lived up to expectations taste-wise as well.

We started with Triple B ($21), which is Boufe's idea of a big breakfast. And I've got to say it's one of the most impressive ones I've had in awhile! It's one of my pet peeves to have to pay for a so-called big breakfast which is a letdown, but this was fantastic - milky scrambled eggs, caramelised bacon (which tasted like bak kwa!!), assorted sausages (we all liked the pork sausage more than the chicken), sautéed mushrooms and buttery mini croissant.

The Classic Croque Madame ($19) was a hearty dish with ham sandwiched between a thick fluffy brioche topped with gratin cheese and a sunny side up egg. 

I got such a poor shot of this Brioche French Toast ($14) but it was so delicious! The brioche was so fluffy, it tasted like a cake! The ultra moist bread absorbed the essence of the maple syrup and cream Chantilly and oozed with goodness. Special mention for the cream Chantilly that was super light and yummy.

My Truffle House Baked Baguette ($17) was one of the most novel items on the menu. Always looking out for dishes like these that reflect some creativity in the cafe's offerings, rather than simply serving the usual (read: boring) brunch items. The truffle mushroom ragout was very tasty, and had a distinctive aroma of truffle. The eating was a rather messy affair though, because baguette was a tad hard and difficult to cut through.

Overall, it was a good meal and ambience was fantastic. It's super difficult to get to this place, though if you're lucky, I've heard that you can get a ride out in the buggy xD

Boufe Boutique + Cafe
308 Tanglin Road, Phoenix Park #01-01
Tel.: +65 6734 7656
Tue-Fri 8am-10pm
Sat-Sun 10am-10pm

Wildfire Kitchen + Bar

Probably one of the hottest new food haunts on Instagram, I saw numerous photos of Wildfire's mouthwatering burgers which compelled me to try out the place even though it was located in a corner of the world.....at Evans Road. Honestly, not the kind of place I would travel to, but for a meal with the BurppleTastemakers, I couldn't say no ;) And it certainly was an experience! Possibly one of the eatups which I didn't feel like I was going to burst at the end, but I was satiated, nevertheless. 

For once I was early for an eatup, and I was absolutely starving when I got there! When our servers placed the Umami Fries ($6) in front of me, I couldn't resist digging into them immediately. A deviation from the ubiquitous truffle fries found in most cafes/restaurants nowadays, the umami fries had an interesting flavour that I couldn't quite pinpoint. I can't really decide whether I liked it or not, but it was strangely addictive. Or, I couldn't have just been hungry.

I most certainly enjoyed the Sriracha Glazed Chicken Pops ($13) though. Crispy chicken chunks slathered in a delicious hot sauce that was really flavourful. 

I found the Mozarella Stuffed Meatballs ($13) rather yummy too. What a brilliant idea to have melty cheese in the core of handmade meatballs. It was a wonderful surprise to bite into the meatballs and discover what was inside. More cheese please!

On to the mains - while Wildfire is known for its burgers, I have to give a special mention to the Hanger Steak ($36). This was SO GOOD. I would choose it over the burgers, actually. Kobe cuisine, Queensland Australia Wagyu (400 day grain fed). The quality was evident in the beautiful marbling and perfect texture of the beef. Look at that gorgeous red centre! It was red, without being bloody, and it was incredibly tender with an amazing taste that was strong, without being overpowering. 

We also had the Wagyu Inside Skirt ($36) that was tasty as well, when eaten on its own, but unfortunately paled in comparison next to the Hanger. 

I'm not much of a fan of pork chop as I feel that it can be rather tough when not done well. The Pork Tomahawk ($28) was better than some pork chops I've tried, but didn't impress much. I was distracted by the side of maple and milk glazed carrots and sweet potato though! It was a really interesting accompaniment that was a surprisingly good complement to the flavour of the pork and was my favourite part of the dish. 

Then, it was BURGER TIME. 

From a single burger featured, we ended up with an army of burgers on the table!! Big thanks to Wildfire for their generosity - we practically tried every single burger on the menu! To be honest, I felt that the different flavours started to taste the same after awhile. But those that stood out for me in particular were The Works ($23) and Chilli Con Carne ($19). If you're the kind who can't ever decide what to eat, definitely go for The Works, which is everything you could ask for in a burger - beef patty with baby spinach, bacon weave, rosti, parmesan crisp, fried egg, sliced tomatoes, caramelized onions, guacamole and Wildfire's signature master sauce. I liked the Chilli for its slightly unique flavours - give me jalapeños anytime! I was a tad disappointed by the classic 001 ($16). Despite its fantastic Instagram-worthy appearance, it was nothing special. The downside of Wildfire's burgers was the lack of flavour of their patty. Perhaps it was to allow the rest of the ingredients to shine, but I felt it could have done better for the patty since that should really be the star of every burger. The buns were fluffy and sufficiently thick, which was a plus point! 

Wildfire Kitchen and Bar

26 Evans Road

Tel.: +65 6734 2080

Daily 11am-10.30pm

Paddy Hills

There is no lack of cafes popping up in every corner in Singapore, and rarely do I feel compelled to go back to one that I've visited more than once. Occasionally though, there are a few, and Paddy Hills is one of those that stole my heart. If only it wasn't so inaccessible!!!!! :"( I've got to come back though.

Barely a month old, but it was pretty crowded on a Saturday noon, packed with families and groups of friends who no doubt saw this cafe on social media and braved a trek to the far west to check it out. The breakfast menu is served throughout the day from 9.30am-5pm, while the lunch menu is served from 11.30am-5pm. We went during this period to get the best of both worlds ^^

If you've read other reviews about this cafe, you've probably heard of the long waiting time for the food. It's true. Possibly the only niggle about this cafe which they'll hopefully fix once they get their processes in place. Thankfully our drinks arrived fast enough to keep us somewhat occupied during the wait. Tea is from 1872 Cipper Tea & Co! :) I immediately perked up when I saw this, and while most of the selection seemed pretty typical, we ordered the Bed of Roses ($9) which was a really fragrant blend of pink rose buds. The perfume of the rose tea was infused into the flavour of the tea as well, and was definitely one of the strongest rose teas I've ever tried. Why wasn't the tea pink though??? I was hoping it would be. Haha.

The Iced Chocolate ($7.50) was fantastic. Nothing I've ever tasted before, it's made from artisanal chocolate from Chocolate Naïve, handcrafted in Lithuania. The flavour was robust, and the drink was thick without being overly creamy. It was, simply put, very chocolatey - exactly the way hot chocolate should be. And it came with a yummy piece of dark chocolate on top too. This was SO GOOD.

After half an hour or so, our food finally arrived. And it was absolutely worth waiting for!!! I was so glad :') First up was the Asian Brick ($18). My first thought was, "Where's the french toast?" (at least that was what was mentioned in the description). Turns out the brûlée brioche french toast came in those yummy bite sized buns that were crispy and fluffy all at once. They went wonderfully with the yam ice cream (!!!) on the side, and so did the goreng pisang (fried banana). There was a rather random addition of purple sweet potato on the side, but it was roasted to perfection and I loved it. We used the buns to mop up every bit of the ice cream and butternut squash puree and I was almost purring with happiness at the end of this dish. 

Next up was the Hash Hash ($24) which as a stew of roasted baby potatoes, chorizo, sautéed mushrooms and beef shank. There was a decent portion of beef in it, which was tender and easy to eat. Our favourite part of it had to be the sous vide egg which we burst with delight and mixed into the stew to be mopped up by the toasted bread.

From the lunch menu, we ordered the Golden Man Tou Sliders ($23) and I really liked this dish!! A twist on the fried man tou with chilli crab that is typical Singaporean, this dish featured a beef patty and trio of cheese sandwiched between two halves of a crispy man tou. This surprising combination was divine! Dipped in the homemade bbq sauce, it is definitely an east-west fusion done right. And did I mention how incredible those purple sweet potato fries were??!! We couldn't get enough of them. Deliciously crisp with barely a hint of oiliness - can I order a whole bowl of this pleaseee?

And finally, the prettiest item on the menu - the Berry Ricotta Hotcake ($19). Nothing like McDonald's hotcake (though I actually quite like it), this brings pancakes to a whole new level. A single hotcake, thick and fluffy in the middle, crackly on the edges, dressed in a stunning bouquet of edible flowers and berries, with a dollop of ricotta cheese in the middle. The hotcake was lightly sweet, and the berries added a tangy acidity while the creamy ricotta pulled the contrasting tastes into a harmonious blend. 

I loved every single item we ordered, and there's more that I would like to try! Also liked how the cafe seemed spacious, despite the crowd and its obvious popularity. The vibe (and perhaps the location played a part here) gave me a fleeting feeling as though I was in a cafe in Melbourne, with a steady buzz that is reminiscent of aussie cafe culture. 

Paddy Hills

38 South Buona Vista Road

Tel.: +65 6479 0080

Daily 9.30am-10pm

Jewel Cafe & Bar

It's been awhile since I last went for a food tasting session, and boy, I'd forgotten how generous these restaurant owners can be :) Not that I'm complaining though. I'm perfectly happy to stretch my stomach in occasions like these to stuff myself with any food that is placed in front of me. I often surprise people with the amount of food I can ingest if I'm in the mood to do so, and tastings are usually the time where I just EAT, no holds barred. Anyways, big thanks to Wan Swen from Cafehoppingsg for inviting me along this time! (: 

The owner of Jewel Cafe, Adrian, was too kind, really! He had a menu planned for us, with a total of 3 appetisers, 4 mains and 3 desserts :O For three people. We were literally exploding by the end of it. Let's get on with the food, shall we? 

First up was the French Onion Soup ($8). It came topped with a crust of three cheeses - Swiss Cheese, Parmesan and Emmental - which I absolutely loved. I was evidently in the mood for cheese that night, and there were several dishes that were in place to satisfy my craving. The soup was a beef broth that was filled with a generous serving of croutons, which was flavourful, but perhaps not onion-y enough. 

Next two dishes were salads that impressed me thoroughly. Being a salad girl, I'm always looking for ways to spruce up my homemade salads. Not that I would typically put parma ham into my salad, but that's why I would have it in a cafe, I suppose ;) The Butter Poached Asparagus ($14) was one of the tastiest salads I've ever eaten. It had a base of asparagus and mesclun that was piled with a good portion of parma ham. The asparagus, having been poached in butter was tasty on its own, unlike its usual raw flavour, though that would be a healthier option. This was drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette, and I do mean drizzled...because I felt that the sauce was too little. Apparently Adrian got feedback previously that there was too much sauce though, which could be why the amount was reduced. Unfortunately for me, I like my salads DRENCHED in vinegar hahaha.

The Red Mullet ($15) was a mesclun salad topped with fresh mullet fillets, which was a really interesting dish! I hesitate preparing salads with fish because I wonder whether it would give my salads a fishy flavour. This dish proved me wrong though, as it was well executed! The mullet fillets were lightly grilled, I believe, and paired with an egg vinaigrette dressing. I liked how the chef incorporated oranges into the dish (really sweet ones too!) with a tanginess that helped to liven up the fish.

And that was just the appetisers. Whoa. I was probably 30% full by then? Still going strong haha, but wait till the mains came. First up were the tacos - Fish Taco with Sour Cream and Beef Taco. I've been a fan of spaghetti bolognese since I was a kid, and I'm someone who can never resist a hearty beef bolognese, especially when it comes with some gooey cheese on top. The beef tacos hit the spot with me easily, and I polished it off promptly. What came as a surprise was how tasty the fish tacos were!!! I was quite sceptical about it because the combination sounded a tad strange to me. But this dish was executed fabulously and is something that I would return for, because of how uniquely awesome it is. The golden fried fish was light and fluffy, dressed with sour cream and given a zing with a squeeze of lemon juice and jalepeno shallots. LOVED the jalepeno - it immediately took away any heaviness of the dish, and was the perfect match to the crunchy tacos.

Following that, we had the dish that tipped the scales towards the point of fullness. The Foie Gras Mushrooms Medley Risotto ($23) sounds unimaginably filling, simply by looking at its name. It's creamy, it's sinful, it's for someone who wants a huge, heavy meal. I thoroughly enjoyed it in a tasting portion, but I wouldn't be able to get past a quarter of that dish by myself. Fresh mushrooms blended to a smooth puree, in which the risotto was cooked to a lovely creaminess. It was thick and gooey, and came with a slab of pan seared foie gras to increase the level of decadence.

The OMG! ($21) is a whopping burger that has graced many instagram feeds due to its appearance. Taste wise, I found it lacking, though guys would probably enjoy guzzling the meat. Bacon, luncheon meat and a beef patty, with cheddar, lettuce, tomato and a beautiful sunny side up on top. I felt the beef patty was a tad dry and didn't have much flavour to it, but it could have been to balance the other processed meats, otherwise the dish would be too salty. Overall, I found it average though. The fries that came with it, on the other hand, were one of the best fries I've eaten!!! According to Adrian, these fries are one of the best available, and they didn't disappoint! Crisp on the outside thanks to a sprinkling of potato powder, and delectably fluffy inside - and this incredible texture was sustained even after they'd turned cold after half an hour!

It's ironic that I found I liked the cafe's crowd favourites the least. The Chilli Crab Pasta ($20) was an interesting twist on our local dish, with linguine tossed in a homemade spicy chilli crab sauce. Adrian placed a strong emphasis on having ginger in the sauce, as this is apparently a key ingredient in chilli crab. I found the ginger too overwhelming though, such that it took away the "chilli" in the chilli crab, flavour-wise, despite the fact that it was really spicy. I liked the crispy mantou that came with it though! But sadly the sauce wasn't something that I wanted to mop up.

Pardon the really long write-up :P But when the time came for desserts, I was already 99% full!!!! OMG. I couldn't resist though. I'm so greedy like that. Jewel's Homemade Apple Crumble ($12) is one of the best I've ever tasted! And I've got to caution you on the portions of the desserts, because they are almost the size of a main course :O Save a large space in your stomach for it if you're interested. You have been warned....Haha. And you should! Because it was really great. The cafe does a deconstructed version of apple crumble, with crumbles and piping hot caramelised apples mixed together as a base, and topped with a massive scoop of New Zealand premium vanilla ice cream. The pairing is impeccable, and the flavours came together beautifully.

I can't comment much on the Orange Chocolate Creme Brûlée ($10) because I'm not a fan of it. But it was a nice idea having the orange within it to balance out the heaviness of the cream. Would have been even better if the flavour of the orange was infused into the dessert, rather than just having orange slices though. Also, the texture of the cream was rather watery, which is a kink they are still trying to work out.

And finally, the most indulgent dessert was the Chocolate Brownie ($12), which was so super duper moist it was almost unbelievable!!!! Not sure whether I'm allowed to share the secret here, but you just wouldn't want to know the amount of sugar that went into that. I didn't even dare to think :P It was so rich, and incredibly tasty, and again, loved the combination with the vanilla ice cream.

I was full to bursting at the end of the meal! But it was satisfying, and such great fun (: Check out cafehoppingsg for a second opinion if you're interested ^^

Jewel Cafe & Bar
129 Rangoon Road
Tel.: +65 6298 9216
Tue-Thu & Sun 9am-10pm
Fri-Sat 9am-11pm

Next Door Deli

Aptly named since this cafe was set up right next to its parent company, Pine Garden Bakery, I can't believe I took such a long time to check out this hidden gem. I actually wondered whether it'd closed down because I couldn't believe that a cafe could survive for such a long time in the heartlands. I was proved wrong. Next Door Deli serves up a mix of local nosh at wallet-friendly prices, and the food is really quite decent! The menu isn't extensive, but there were a number of items that caught my attention.

I was wavering between the Wok-fried Mee Siam and Wok-fried Laksa ($6.50) and opted for the latter in the end, since it's something I've never heard of before. For the price, the portion was really generous (I couldn't finish the noodles!!) with a bunch of prawns, a whole fishcake and a fried chicken wing on the side. The laksa had a spicy kick to it, but could have been more flavourful. It's a pity that the cafe didn't have green chilli! But the samba chilli did the trick for me as well, adding the final touch to this dish.

Sam ordered the healthiest item on the menu. I feel so ashamed when I eat with him now :P Haha. The Tomato Basil Fish Fillet ($7.90) was really tasty though!! The sauce was lightly tangy, which made the fish appetising, and together with the potatoes and vegetables on the side, made for a rather filling combination. 

The great thing about being located next to the bakery is that you can just get desserts from next door! (: We were greedy after dinner and popped over to get a couple of slices of the highly raved-about alcoholic cakes. We tried the Lychee Martini and Moscato Soursop. Pine Garden is really the place to go for affordable, yummy cakes. While they weren't the decadent, dense cakes that we're used to, but they're delicious in their simplicity. Much lighter, and wonderfully fluffy, the flavour is more like a wisp, rather than in-your-face-tasty. I wished the alcohol aroma could have been stronger, but while it was barely perceptible in the cake, I was pleasantly surprised to find the flavour lingering long after I'd finished the cake. 

Decent food, and very reasonable prices :) Now that I've discovered this place, I'm definitely coming back.

Next Door Deli

Blk 529 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 #01-2369

Tel.: +65 6458 6180

Mon-Sun 11am-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

N.O.M. No Other Meaning

Rainbows make me happy, when skies are grey ~

Haha wheeee I finally tried an awesome rainbow cake! This craze has been going on in Singapore for the longest time but I'm really quite deprived of these pretty eye-candies! The only other rainbow cake I've bought so far is the one from The Coffee Daily, which really didn't bring out the rainbow-ness with its colours more geared towards pastel tones. I was so happy with the Rainbow Cake ($7.90) at NOM though!! :) It was gorgeous ^^ Just look at that!!! It comes in three flavours for the "cream" (or whatever you call it) - salted caramel, oreo and chocolate. Perfect excuse to go back for more, because I want to try the other flavours! We tried the oreo, and it was soooo yummy! The cake was perfectly moist, with just the right amount of cream, and it was so so tasty. We also had the Peanut Chocolate Cake ($5.90) which was really decadent. Loved this as well.

To balance out the sweetness, we ordered a serving of Sweet Potato Fries ($5.90). Hmm okay, maybe "balancing" is not really the right word to use xP hahaha. But it was still a savoury dish! Really liked it!!! The fries came piping hot, nice and crisp on the outside, and soft inside. They were addictive. And knowing how I actually like savoury food more than sweets, I couldn't help reaching for this in between mouths of rainbow cake. Hehe.

So far we were really satisfied with everything we'd ordered. And I've heard that the mains at NOM are pretty good too! Tried a bit of Linwei's NOM Orange Duck Salad ($7.90), and I'm so inspired to come up with something like this for my own salads too! It was a scrumptious salad with mixed greens, smoked duck, orange slices and a really tasty goma sauce. No idea what that means but it was delicious! (: 

This cafe is situated in MacPherson Community Centre, which is a really random place to have a cafe. Lucky easties!! It was really hard to get to though - a zig-zag 15min walk from the train station through an HDB estate. But I'm already thinking of my second visit for my fill of rainbow cake... ;) Oh yes, and prices are nett!!! Which makes this cafe really affordable :) 

N.O.M. Cafe

MacPherson Community Club Level 1 

400 Paya Lebar Way

Tel.: +65 6747 3839

Mon-Sun 11am-11pm

Sunday Market

I've been having a dearth of suggestions when it comes to dinner places. My list of cafes is never-ending, but most of them hardly seem suitable for dinner considering the recommended items are usually brunch-type foods or dessert. While I adore brunch, I can never have it as a replacement for dinner, and it's been pretty hard trying to uncover good dinner venues that are wallet-friendly. Which is why I was so excited when I found out that Sunday Market was known for its main dishes, on top of the Bangkok Toast that has been flooding my instagram feed. Haha.

I'm so proud of ourselves for ordering all the cafe's signature items without even knowing it at that point in time. There were really quite a number of dishes that caught my eye and I spent the longest time poring over the menu. Went with the Roasted Duck with Hoisin ($12.90), which was an interesting twist on pancakes! Somewhat like an east-meets-west dish, which seems quite the theme of this restaurant. Think peking duck, but housed inside a fluffy pancake, with the sweet-savoury garlic hoisin sauce drizzled over it. I wished there could have been more of the yummy sauce, but the dish was pretty tasty on its own anyway. 

I sorta convinced Sam to get the Sirloin Rendang Toast ($15.90) and yay, he did! ^^ The rendang came as a luscious bowl of tasty gravy that was the perfect dipping condiment to the buttery brioche. The both of us exclaimed with pleasure when we bit into the brioche, which was fluffy and had a beautifully creamy flavour. However, we felt that the rendang was a tad too sweet! We would have preferred if it was a bit more savoury to provide a better balance. The beef was stewed till it was almost melt-in-the-mouth tender, which is incredible by cafe standards! 

While the portions of the main dishes we had didn't look remotely big, they were surprisingly VERY filling!! Perhaps it was all the carbs that expanded in our tummies. Still, I couldn't resist ordering the Bangkok Toast ($10.90) because it looked soooooo good. And it didn't disappoint! Three elements to it, that complemented each other to great satisfaction. The toast was generously-sized, crisp on the outside and deliciously soft within. It came topped with slightly tart berries that helped to cut through the sweetness - much appreciated for a decadent dessert like this! The matcha green tea custard was creamy and light, but had an unmistakably distinct flavour, and the Thai milk tea ice cream was simply perfect!! Though I was worried about the whole dessert being too overwhelming with the cacophony of flavours, they all came together in a beautiful harmony that was pleasant to the palate. 

Overall, I was really satisfied from this meal, and despite it's rather obscure location, this is one cafe I would come back to if I've run out of ideas for dinner! 

Sunday Market

22 Lim Tua Tow Road

Tel.: +65 6287 8880

Mon-Fri 1pm-10pm

Sat-Sun 11am-11pm

One Man Coffee

The newest kid on the block along Upper Thomson Road, this cafe cleverly shares the space of Crust Pizzeria, which only operates for dinner. Word spread about this hidden gem of a place, and suddenly everyone was flocking there! I'm glad that we managed to come here right before the crowd on a Sunday morning though! :) Hehe, we were lucky to take the last available table :P Whoops! And I've gotta say that I'm so happy to have this new cafe in my neighbourhood! :) Love the food and vibe of this place.

The menu is really simple, with less than 10 items on it. What you really need to order though (at least on your first visit) are the Brioche french toast ($10) pictured above, and the gashouse egg ($10) pictured below. All items on the menu are very affordable for brunch, considering how some cafes charge increasingly exorbitant prices, and I can see myself coming back for numerous visits for my favourite dishes here! OMC's french toast is one of the best I've eaten (especially at that price), for its fluffy brioche (I just love this bread) that comes with a homemade berry compote which had the perfect balance of tangy and sweet. The candied walnuts added a crunchy dimension to the dish, and the final flourish came in the form of the fresh cream atop the french toast which was so delicious!

This might not look like much, but boy, it was good!

Now you see why? Another name for this dish, as aptly described on the menu was egg-in-the-bread-with-the-hole-in-the-midde. We cut open the bread and out came this oozy egg goodness. An alternative to eggs benedict for those who are getting bored of it. And that bacon jam that came with it was spectacular. Who's ever heard of a savoury jam like this? I certainly hadn't. And while the bread had been seasoned with a light hand, the bacon jam was enough to jazz up the taste of the bread significantly.

The Big Brekkie ($12) was pretty decent and beautifully plated, but if I had to choose, I'd pick the two above anytime.

I also tried the Baby Spinach Salad ($10) that was drizzled generously with olive oil and tossed with prosciutto, feta, dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts. Though it was not very filling because of the lack of (real) meat and the rather small portion, it was one of the tastiest, healthy salads I've had! :)

One Man Coffee
215R Upper Thomson Road (look out for the Crust banner)
Daily 9am-5pm

Becasse

It's been awhile since i had brunch. as in a good ol' western brunch on a sunday morning. With all the travelling that i was doing in the past two months, I really missed Singapore food and actually gravitated to Asian food with the family quite a bit. And haven't been cafe-hopping with Sam since work started. So i was really excited when papa suggested brunch at Bécasse last Sunday! Bécasse is one of the latest concepts at the Dempsey area, having expanded from its casual takeaway outlet in ION. 

I didn't manage to capture a picture of the restaurant, but I really loved how spacious and airy it was. Definitely a welcome change from the small, cosy cafes - which we do love, but are sometimes a tad claustrophobic when they get crowded on weekends. 

The first item that caught our eye on the menu was the Sticky Date Pancakes ($13). Pancakes are such a common brunch item, and it's nice when restaurants do a twist on this ubiquitous dish. They came in a stack of three, with a huge scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top, which was a wonderful touch. I loved how the pancakes lived up to their name, with the syrupy essence of sticky date infused within it. The butterscotch sauce drizzled onto it was the perfect finisher to this dish, which would satisfy any sweet tooth. Perhaps a little too sweet for some, but I enjoyed it immensely.

Zhen ordered the Pulled Chicken Crepe ($16), which was filled with roast chicken slices, oyster mushrooms, spinach and gruyere cheese. It was decent, but nothing fantastic.

It's been awhile since I had Eggs Benedict ($18), but I didn't order this by the way! Papa did. It was pretty standard too.

The following two dishes we had were interesting, because they seemed to be the savoury and sweet twin of each other!

I ordered the Croque Madame ($16), which was brioche sandwiched with smoked leg ham and gruyere cheese, with a truffle baked egg on the side. Kopitiam breakfast, anyone? It sure looked like it, haha! The truffled baked eggs impressed with their fragrant aroma though. I certainly can't bear to compare it to the the half-boiled eggs we eat. The generous amount of truffle oil used was evident in each mouth we took as well. Definitely go for this option, even though there is an option of a Croque Monsieur ($14) without the egg. I am so in love with brioche - it has got to be my favourite bread ever! It can never go wrong with its fluffy texture, and I honestly think I could eat it plain. While the cheese got a bit too much after awhile, I still enjoyed this dish quite a lot (:

The Berry French Toast ($15) was the sweet twin of my dish. Lightly fried in a batter and topped with   some mixed berries, poached pear and ricotta, this was quite a nice dish. The thing is, it was missing maple syrup. Plus, the limited amount of toppings resulted in it having a lack of flavour. While the texture of the brioche was a saving grace for the dish, I felt this was one of the more disappointing french toasts I've had. 

Overall, I felt that the food was decent, but apart from a couple of dishes, nothing to shout about. I will be back though, for the spacious ambience (hopefully it doesn't start getting too crowded), and affordable prices. Honestly, it is rare to see such reasonable prices in the Dempsey area. Consider yourself warned. ;) 

Bécasse

Blk 10, Dempsey Hill #01-21

Tel.: +65 6479 8119

Daily 8am-11pm

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