roosevelt’s diner & bar, outram park

pretty good brunch place – with enough classics and twists to be interesting in its class – and rather conveniently located next to the mrt, which is a lovely characteristic that must not be overlooked (in a market full of eating establishments that pride themselves on inaccessibility).

so I came here when there were barely any reviews out there on this place (not that that matters, as by the time I publish this – there are bound to be many, many more) – and in singapore, that in itself is a feat – on a leap of faith, really; so it was rather a pleasant surprise that we enjoyed our meal.

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I love the interior of the place, for it’s cool without feeling like it’s trying too hard, and I possibly love its surroundings even more: the bukit pasoh street is quintessential refurbished chinatown, with the quaintness of old buildings but the awesomeness of hipster establishments doing business there.

the breakfast menu is small. more than half of it is populated by drinks (which explains the bar in its name), and the food side is a mix of egg dishes, sandwiches, burgers and a melange of snacks. it looks a menu as any other – but at least what comes out of the kitchen is a mix of average and better.

I get cereal wherever I can – and this isn’t a bad bowl. it looks pretty gourmet at least – unlike some post-looking types I’ve had before – with crunchy, toasted, fruited granola sitting atop proper greek yogurt. I do wish the portion were a little heartier though – this was one pretty small ramekin.

the eggs roosevelt was a pretty interesting take on the traditional poached egg with hollandaise, with a base of smashed new potatoes and sliced chorizo. it was an interesting idea – but I think a little dry, even with the yolks trying their best. perhaps the chorizo could have been made into a spicy tomato sauce that was layered with the potatoes and eggs – I think that could work.

we couldn’t miss up on the most diner-style part of the menu: the burgers and sandwiches. the lemongrass prawn burger was a nice asian take, with a prawn patty and loads of mayo and sauce between the bun – no diet food here.

but we were divided over the pork belly cubano, which sounded (and was) fantastic what with molasses-marinated pork belly – but imperfect from being sandwiched between too-thick, too-sturdy bread when what it really needed was fluffy, soft, medium-height bun to sop up pork juices and not detract from the goodness of the meat.

the side of calamari was undeniably moreish though, with a crispy golden batter around squid rings. decently seasoned too, and a reasonable portion (though still pretty expensive at eleven dollars).

one must have dessert, of course, so we finished with waffles and a berry compote. not particularly good waffles – though at least browned sufficiently – but definitely edible with added interest from the berries and ice cream (truly greater than the sum of their rather metaphorically average parts).

makes for great photos, regardless.

in fact, the whole place makes for great photos – and good dining. the floor-to-ceiling windows really flood the small space with natural light, the tables are well-spaced, which is lovely and considerate given the lack of space (they could jolly well have tried to fit more seating in), and service is pretty average-going (I didn’t mind too much since they were pretty new when I visited).

the food makes not for a compelling MUST-GO, but it’s a good enough stop if you’re constantly on the brunch holy grail as I am (this isn’t it, though). worth a visit, if only to see the space and enjoy the comfort of a convenient brunch spot.

Roosevelt’s Diner & Bar
331 New Bridge Road
#01-02 Dorsett Residences
Singapore 088764
tel +65 6538 3518
$$: 20-30 per person

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