pretty darn good brunch food, which is not something to scoff at in this new wave of coffee joints. it’s rather hipsterly located in the cooler part of little india, with a beautiful porch and a rather pretty interior full of whites and wood and metal.
it’s a decent menu by any standard, large for a coffee joint, reasonably priced, and the flavors are more than decent. definitely worth a visit.
it almost seems like a cop-out to review this place – it’s a small cafe that’s located in nearly every mall possible, serving up local delicacies with no aplomb at all. it’s a cheap and varied menu that stretches from proper mains like mee siam and nasi lemak (my parents give these the thumbs up), to kaya-and-toast spread with butter shaped rather iconically into traditional high cones, to pretty little traditional bakes.
there are old-school items like banana loaf slices and paper sponge cakes, but my mother tends toward these squares of super-retro sponge cakes slathered with thick layers of buttercream and jam.
the concept of the place is simple – open, casual cafes with more than decent local food, at prices that make it a damn good deal in town (at only slightly more than what hawker centres are charging these days) – and it’s nostalgia-inducing too, which might be the best bit.
not gourmet, but it fits like an old sock (you know you’ve got them).
sigh, meh. it’s a friday and I’d hate to be depressing, but the food here falls right into the new-cafe-with-uninspiring-food category. it’s not the easiest cafe to get too, especially if you’re on public transport, impractical heels and under the (darn-it-still-blistering-) hot sun that so hates loves us in singapore. and at the end of the trip, to be smacked met with a lackluster brunch – well, it doesn’t make one cheery at having got up early, eh?
the best part of this meal was that they topped up my nutella without charging me anything, and service can be pretty friendly (when present).
I have to say, I was all prepared to give this place a rather meh sort of review and leave it at that, but bernie-the-hungry-bunny has just given it a thumbs up (after a first thumbs-down review), and so I’m willing to give it a more forgiving second-verdict-pending prognosis for now.
picture-perfect, beautifully plated brunch food at da paolo’s outpost in rochester park – it’s a little expensive, but the flavors are adequate; so this place escapes the bimbotic states of some places I’ve been to (by which I mean looks masking a lack of substance), and becomes a decent place for a relaxing meal away from the city.
surprisingly satisfying pancakes-and-all-that-flap(jack) at this malaysian chain outpost in the rather quiet sprawl of the city square mall. this place jumped right out of the radar because of my love for the eponymous breakfast food – but I resisted going for a while because it seemed rather too good to be true (and I got caught up in the new brunch places): my dream is for IHOP to set up in this tiny island, and this seemed a rather fortuitous manifestation of it.
but suffice to say that we were pleased when we finally came – the selection is huge, our dishes pretty much deftly executed diner-style, and we left with full bellies (and only-slightly lighter wallets).
surprisingly good brunch food at this hideaway near the cathay. we had just caught a screening of the hunger games (no. 2), and boy, have you guys watched it? it’s incredibly exciting – though I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to thrillers and action flicks – and it seemed a good spot for brunch.
the food was good, prices reasonable – a much better option than one caramel that was previously here, in my estimation. and, it’s not overrun by hipsters or noisy teenagers – which makes brunch here the relaxing meal it ought to be.
neighborhood hipster-type cafe with pretty food and mostly decent flavors – this I would rank amongst the middling ranks of hipster joints.
it had some lovely light streaming in though – gotta love that.
gorgeous space, beautiful-looking food – but a complete disappointment in the tasting.
the fabulous baker boy ain’t so fabulous, really.
perhaps one of the loveliest of the hipster cafes I’ve been to in singapore – it joins the lonely department of caffeine in that estimation – really good food, and friend-certified coffee near chinatown.
well worth a visit, and repeats at that.
it was packed on a saturday afternoon, as most these places are, but we scored a seat on the lovely wooden crate of a table outside – brilliant for photography, and a good way to escape the rather stuffy non-ventilation indoors.
this was part two of a brunch outing, after a rather disappointing experience (which I’ll tell you about soon), so we only had space for a bit of coffee and sweets – just to fill up the space in our stomachs (and hearts) left empty from the first place.
the caramel chocolate tart was a lovely yin-yang type confection of buttery crust and flowy filling, and my muesli parfait a small portion (with similarly small price) of lovely oats in thick, sour yogurt and a swirl of berry compote.
I loved that little cup of muesli.
I really don’t appreciate coffee much, but my javaholic friends gave this place the thumbs up – and so I pass on their recommendation.
it’s a lovely space, manned by lovely people – service is a tad slow on account of their crowdedness, but it’s sincere, and the food is both reasonably-priced and tasty.
a shiner in its class. and, it gave me beautiful photos – for which I say thank-you and a I’ll-see-you-again-soon.
have a great weekend you guys!
x
andmorefood 