best pancakes I’ve had in singapore – and I’ve had many – and otherwise decent brunch food at this hard-to-find cafe near newton circus. that first part of the sentence needs to be put into context: I’m still waiting for the likes of IHOP to open in singapore, and have since given up on having proper flapjacks – but these ones are pretty darn good, though a rather fancy ricotta version.
I take brunch very seriously – you should, too – and this place does it well. a large open space with lots of sunlight from the floor-to-ceiling windows, just the right hum from boisterous kids and brunching ladies – reasonably priced and portioned – if only it were a little more public-transport friendly.
that’s just being fussy though, as this place isn’t so hard to find nearly as much as the weather is too hot to walk in these days. we did a scatterbrained turn around the compound trying to locate the place, only to realise we would have saved a lot of trouble if we’d turned left, at the entrance instead of right. we were justifiably hot and bothered (not that way) by the time we entered – and on a “boy-the-food-better-be-worth-it” bender. or at least I was.
we started off with the sous vide eggs benedict, plopped atop an english muffin and plate laden with bacon, mushrooms and sweet corn kernels. I’m not really sure what the sous-viding does for poached eggs – feels a little gimmicky, and in any case, aren’t traditionally cooked poached eggs already meant to be soft and yielding inside? but it made for a decent – and rather large spread – and I liked the mushrooms and corn (which you don’t often get with your bennie).
our pancakes arrived midway – seemed a little miserly with two almomd-flake-sprinkled circles alongside sliced bananas and a tiny ramekin of syrup – like a revelation. these were fluffy, but densely substantial – with brown griddled sides and a lovely richness from the cheese – meshed well with the syrup. so simple – and really good.
a different animal to my otherwise-favourite pancakes at barracks, which is in-your-face indulgent and so over-the-top it’s likely fallen off, these are elegant and surprisingly filling. those two rounds are pretty much enough.
we finished with the bowl of granola, essentially a cut-pour-and-layer operation of granola clusters beneath some yogurt. this was the weakest dish by far – and such a pity, because it’s let down by unexceptional ingredients. there was a good portion of tender dried apricots and fresh strawberry pieces strewn throughout, but the granola was too-sweet (feels like a low-cost generic variant rather than artisanal sort – you know what I mean) and worst, the yogurt was the sweetened watery fake-vanilla sort! the sort you have as kids and then realise when eating it as adults that it’s a bare fascimile of what yogurt could and should be, and is more pudding-like than anything.
and there was too little of that (I don’t know if you can have too little of a bad thing, actually) – so we had to ask for more to moisten the dry granola. such a pity – it was a good portion.
it’s a beautiful space – the sort you imagine ladies-who-lunch would love, and all that light streaming in is lovely at brunchtime. there’s a mild sense of chaos in there – but the good sort, from kids running about and being noisy – but it adds to the enjoyment. mostly good food (unless we got very lucky), and good portions at reasonable prices – those ricotta pancakes are particularly worthy of investigation.
Skyve Wine Bistro
10 Winstedt Road
Singapore 227977
tel +65 6225 6690
$$: fifteen to twenty a person
We take brunch very seriously too! Our favourite meal of the day :D
me too! though really, breakfast at any time of the day works too :D
lovely again – ricotta pancakes sound divine and I love your statement ” I take brunch seriously and so should you!” – I’ve only must managed to get the porridge sorted out, and now you suggest brunch – not sure I can handle it :)
I am the breakfast evangelist :D
that is some excellent photography :)
that’s such a huge compliment coming from you, thank you!