Beverly Burgess

Beverly is a social media addict, having worked in the online space for 7 years at Microsoft and eBay, before popping out her 1 yr old and 2 yr old boys. She is all about Family, Food and Fashion. She blogs at http://beverlys.net/blog

EGGS & BERRIES: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Jurong, Singapore

May 30, 2014 / Food Reviews, Jurong East, Singapore / 0 comment

A girl friend first mentioned Eggs & Berries to me, so one day, I decided to pop in when I was in the area. The cafe is located within Westmall, but is quite open concept, so it’s great for people watching. It’s not too busy on weekday brunches, and so is a great place for a quiet and relaxed meal with your kid(s).

They also do an amazing 1-for-1 omelette deal during the day! It’s valid for any omelette dish on their menu.

I thought the Bacon, onion and wild mushroom omelette ($15.90) was delicious. The bacon added just the right amount of salt and taste, and the mushrooms a lovely accompaniment. The omelette was cooked well – still creamy and bouncy. I opted for extra cheese in mine, because, well… because I can!

The thick slice of bread was a good side to the omelette, and the salad greens a bit of an afterthought but still pretty welcome. They were out of rosti that day (so sad!!) and so substituted it for mashed potato and gravy. It was average.

The Corned beef omelette ($15.90) was presented exactly in the same manner, except the omelette had corned beef instead. It was small strips of corned beef, and I found myself wishing there was double the amount in there, as it was so little that I couldn’t quite taste it..

The generously sized Latte ($5.50) pleased me, and I thought the sugar cubes in little glass bottles were a nice touch. Their coffee definitely does not taste top-barista-made, but is passable.

There’s a giant life-size menu at their entrance, as well as a huge board detailing their specials.

Last Bite: Eggs & Berries @ Westgate offers decent food at excellent deals. You won’t find a western Brunch place in a mall much more affordable than this!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Eggs & Berries @ Westgate
#02-06, Westgate
3 Gateway Drive
Phone:
Prices: $$
Hours: Daily 10:00 – 22:00

DISTRICT 10 BAR TAPAS RESTAURANT: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Buona Vista, Singapore

May 27, 2014 / Buona Vista, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

The sunlit District 10 at Star Vista holds a special treat for young diners…. a bouncy castle! Available during weekend brunch, the brightly-coloured bounch castle turned the head of every kid that walked enviously past (I felt sorry for them that they weren’t dining there!). The bouncy castle is free for your kids to use, so you can sit back and relax with your brunch whilst they make full use of it.

The outdoor tables are seated right around the bouncy castle, so it’s easy to keep an eye on the kids. There are also fans dotted all over the ceiling to keep the shady area cool.

Me? I sat back and relaxed with my icy cold Lychee Mint Freeze ($10). It came in a startling shade of green, and was delicious. It had a distinct lychee flavour, with a subtle hint of mint. The PERFECT drink to sip on whilst sitting outside watching my kids bounce themselves silly 😉 (where do they get that energy from?!)

District 10 offer a very reasonably priced kids menu. But my kids don’t eat burgers, fish & chips, or pizza (their choice, not mine!)…. so we decided the regular adult menu would suit them better. I prefer that anyway, because we get to order more for the table, and the kids get to pick and choose to their liking!

The kids were kept occupied colouring in their kids menu with the crayons that our waitress provided.

A dragonfruit blend, an iced coffee, and an iced latte. I must note here that I’m really liking how District 10 serve their iced drinks in a large glass. It makes me want to cry when restaurants serve them in that skinny little glass (which is 80% ice), you know what I’m talking about!

The kids shared a pineapple juice, that was kindly divided up into two kiddy cups. Unfortunately they don’t do freshly squeezed juices, or I’d have ordered an orange juice for them.

Carter, looking a bit anxious, waiting for the food to arrive.

This is District 10’s version of the traditional big breakfast. Fried eggs on English muffins, bacon, roasted tomato, hash brown, and grilled mushrooms. It’s a sizeable platter with a lot of variety. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and I must give the bacon a special shout out – it was still meaty and tender, not overcooked or too crisp.

Hunter really liked the hash brown – evidently!

The Spanish omelette looked very similar to the previous dish, thanks to the identical side dishes (salad/hashbrown/tomato). The omelette is generously sized and I really enjoyed the sliced sausages in there, which gave the omelette that salty kick.

Our Eggs benedict also looked very similar to the other mains! The kids really enjoyed the poached eggs, but I found them a bit too cooked for my liking – I prefer them runny and oozing. We did, however, enjoy the lusciously creamy hollandaise sauce drizzled over the eggs.

By special request, we managed to get two of their tapas menu (normally available on weekday lunch and dinner). This is Huevos Rotos, a dish we had when we were in Barcelona and we adored it. It is a heart-stopping concoction of fries, layered with jamon and a gooey fried egg. It is a KILLER combination!

And, my personal favourite when we were in Barcelona, Patatas Bravas. Soft potato chunks draped in a spicy tomato sauce and mayonnaise. How can you go wrong with this combination???? It was delicious and I gobbled my way through half this dish myself.

Dessert was green-coloured Pandan pancakes with gula melaka syrup. It sounds incredibly sweet, but the pancakes are actually very mildly flavoured, border-lining on bland. It meant we drenched it in syrup *ahem* to make it sweet, but for the kids, I was happy that the pancakes were not overly sweet because they ate the pancakes as-is and didn’t go into a sugar high.

The pancakes are hotcake-style, high and fluffy. They’re moist on the inside and I found myself wishing for some salted butter to go with that gula melaka syrup!

The French toast is very basic looking and in exactly the same presentation (ie. 3 raspberries as decor) as the previous pancakes. It would have been gorgeous dotted with strawberries and blueberries instead, and with a scoop of freshly whipped vanilla bean cream on the side.

The French toast was very well cooked, though. It wasn’t soggy, nor was it dry. It had the perfect amount of eggy batter, and was lightly pan fried til golden-brown. I would have liked the syrup in a little pot on the side, as it came with it already poured on top of the French toast.

There’s a TV in the corner out the outside area, which kept the boys occupied for awhile too.

Last Bite: District 10 @ Star Vista serves up simple brunch dishes in accompaniment with icy cold drinks, to keep you comfortable whilst your kids have a ball playing on their bouncy castle.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the mall)
Kids’ menu: Yes

District 10 Bar Tapas Restaurant @ Star Vista
1 Vista Exchange Green
The Star Vista #01-42/K3
Singapore 138617
Phone: 6694 2884
Prices: $$$
Hours: See here

GIVEAWAY: One four-session pass to Bodytec (worth $320!)

May 23, 2014 / Giveaways, Singapore / 1 Comment

I’ve crossed the three-month mark with Bodytec! (you can read my in-progress reports here and here).

All that’s required is once-a-week sessions, 20 mins each, and OH HELLO biceps! Hi there, newfound strength!

The whole premise of Bodytec is that they use EMS (Electro Muscular Training), one of the first studios in Singapore to do this. In short, it pulses electricity into your muscles to stimulate them as you’re training. It hails from Germany (the owner of Bodytec is German) and was originally used in hospital rehabilitation programmes for physical injuries, as well as training for athletes. It places ZERO impact to your joints, so it’s ideal for people with back or limb pain. Yet, it’s so effective that the recommendation is one 20-minute session per WEEK and that’s it!

The big bonus is that you “come as you are” – workout clothes, towels and toiletries are all provided, and you train barefoot. Really really good for office workers to pop by, and for individuals that can just pop into the gym, since you don’t need to drag a gym bag along.

So here I am all suited up in Bodytec’s EMS gear, ready to rock and roll. Doesn’t it all look like something out of Tron or any science fiction movie?

The cool thing is that Bodytec’s 20 min strength-training working is 18x more effective than ‘normal’ weight training. That is totally up my alley, because I simply don’t have the time to sit in the gym for an hour doing weights. And no, it doesn’t hurt at all. It feels satisfying, like you’re scratching an itch. It does require energy and concentration though, especially after a few sessions and they up the ante!

To let you try out what Bodytec is about, and for you to see and feel the results yourselves, Bodytec are giving away a pack of four sessions! These are personal training sessions, so expect excellent advice, hands-on help and super results.

Bodytec is giving away one four-session pass (worth $320!)

a BWMB giveaway

You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.

Giveaways will run from 23-29 May 2014 inclusive.
Winner may do their sessions at any Bodytec studio.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).

So you want to see results?

I’ve lost 1.5KG, but it’s not really weight loss that is the point of the strength training. It’s more to build your core, strengthen your muscles, and give you a leaner and stronger physique. It’s addictive because it’s a simple and quick workout, and it gives visible results in a relatively short time frame.

Here’s my bicep!! Don’t laugh, it was entirely non-existent before, and this photo was taken after about 5 or 6 Bodytec sessions. Not too shabby, eh?

And a pic of me, about 8 sessions of Bodytec in. No, it hasn’t made me super skinny or anything, but a few people have mentioned that I look/feel tighter. I’m taking that as a compliment 😛

And, a couple that works out together….. can later eat together! Chris joined me for a session one evening. They amped it up for him so he was pretty sore for the next two days 😉

So what kind of person is Bodytec good for?

Thankfully, it’s actually VERY lazy-person-friendly. In fact, it’s fantastic for those of you that make 20504820 excuses as to why you can’t go to the gym. You don’t have to bring a single piece of gym gear, and you’re done in 20 minutes. And it’s highly effective. It’s the lazy person’s idea of exercise heaven.

Bodytec is also excellent for those that want to improve (or actually have SOME) muscle tone. It’s strength training, so results are visible in terms of muscle leanness and definition.

I’ve seen older folk in the studio, I’ve seen fit young lil things, I’ve seen fat people.. pretty much anyone can walk in and have a good workout session. And that’s what I like most about Bodytec – it’s not overwhelming or daunting at all!

Thanks Bodytec!

Bodytec – Singapore’s first dedicated and largest EMS studio

3 Pickering Street #01-01 Nankin Row Singapore 048660 (6822 8761)

6 Stanley Street #01-01 Singapore 068725 (6423 1306)

121 Upper East Coast Road #01-01 Singapore 455245 (6243 2497)

GIVEAWAY: One of three Gymnademics trial class passes (worth $58 each!)

May 15, 2014 / Giveaways, Singapore / 1 Comment

Carter just finished a full term at Gymnademics at ARC!

He (very obviously) loves it, and recognises the place the moment I turn into the carpark. He eagerly runs past the kiddy car rides (quite a feat in itself!) and straight for the Gymademics entrance. I guess it helps that his teachers are young, vibrant, and pretty 😉

Gymnademics prides itself in being an enrichment centre that adopts a holistic approach towards early childhood development. In short – your kid learns, whilst having a TON of fun. And I mean, a ton!! Carter views it as a playgym, and adores the stimulating environment (it is totally different to playschool, by the way).

Hunter, who did Gymnademics too a year ago, is always envious when he finds out I’m bringing Carter there, so we’ve had to be really surreptitious about it or the poor child pleads to come along too.

Gymnademics has a strong focus on music in combination with intellectual and physical activities. Carter is in the Pre-Fellow class (1-2 year olds) and it is perfectly suited for his high-activity personality.

You can see a rough class breakdown of what happens here.

Normally, you’d have to pay for a trial class. But Gymnademics are giving us a cool deal right here!

Gymnademics are giving away three Gymnademics trial class passes (worth $58 each!)

a BWMB giveaway

You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.

Giveaways will run from 16-22 May 2014 inclusive.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).

These are the kids running towards Gymnademics. Carter is going for their class, whilst Hunter was signed up for their Free Play deal (4 sessions for only $40! I thought it was such a bargain.)

What I personally find the cutest is the trapeze! Kids start off just holding (with assistance) onto the bar and swinging.. then progress to doing a full head-over-heels spin over the bar. It progresses gradually each week, so kids don’t end up overwhelmed.

Outlet Details
Address: Alexandra Retail Centre, 460 Alexandra Road #02-25, Singapore 119963
Telephone: +65 6271 7569
Email: arc@gymnademics.com
Opening Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 9am to 5pm

LES BOUCHONS: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Tanjong Pagar, Singapore

May 14, 2014 / Food Reviews, Singapore, Tanjong Pagar / 1 Comment

Come to think of it, I so rarely eat steak. A mean ‘ol slab of steak. I suppose it’s because I wouldn’t grill it myself at home (not convinced I can cook it properly and no way am I wasting it!), and if I’m out in a restaurant, I inevitably end up choosing something else off the menu.

But when one is at Les Bouchons, a restaurant specifically for steak, one orders STEAK.

I was recommended a Farnese Fantini red wine ($16) and it was smooth and delightful.

We were served a linen-lined basket of warm bread rolls. What a lovely touch!

The steaks all come with a garden salad, which is refreshing and a lovely accompaniment. It’s not drenched with dressing, which is a big plus.

There were 5 condiments to go with the steak. I preferred the grained mustard the most!

This is our Grilled rib eye steak with vigneron butter ($38.80). The steam was more medium-rare than the medium we ordered, so I found that it was a bit chewy and tendon-y. The meat was lovely and with a fantastic charred flavour, but was not meltingly soft.

The vigneron butter was luscious, though! I wished it came in a large pot on the side, to slather on as much as we please 😉

The Extra tender beef filet ($42) was, yes, more tender than the rib-eye. I’ve had more tender steaks, but this was still pretty good. It was a very small chunk, smaller than the palm of my hand, but had less tendons and fat than the rib-eye.

Special mention to their hand-cut fries, which are cooked fresh and absolutely DIVINE. They are tender on the inside, crisp on the outside, and retain the most gorgeous flavour that frozen fries cannot achieve.

They are FREE FLOW!!!!

That said, there is a very generous portion served with each plate, so we felt no need to request for more.

Last Bite: Les Bouchons specialises in steak, but it’s their hand-cut fries that truly impress. They’re free flow to boot!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Les Bouchons
7 Ann Siang Rd
Singapore 069689
Phone: 6423 0737
Prices: $$$$
Hours:
Mon – Fri: 12:00 – 14:00
Mon – Fri: 19:00 – 22:00
Sat: 19:00 – 22:00

BREW MAISON: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Bukit Timah, Singapore

May 13, 2014 / Bukit Timah, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Brew Maison is a Japanese and Korean-inspired Western cafe that quietly opened very recently. Tucked away in a housing estate along Bukit Timah Road, it’s not very noticeable from outside and so has not yet attracted the hordes of cafe goers.

But they’re good. Oh, they’re really good!

I will admit that their decor and crisp turquoise-and-white colour scheme completely delighted and captivated me. They are my dream colours, and exactly what I want (and do) our home to be like. Everything in the cafe is so clean, airy and beautiful.. not to mention the large amount of space it occupies – absolutely perfect for young kids!

We were there for brunch, and this is their menu (below). It’s small, but I LOVE the photos!

The food didn’t take long to arrive, but we amused ourselves by pottering around (it wasn’t busy on a weekend morning) and checking out their decor.

The Cafe Latte was served in a big mug for $4. That is a bargain! It was milky and well balanced. My only complaint was that Brew Maison is famous (or rather, they crow on about this in their Facebook) for foam art on their coffee. It’s gorgeous, from what I’ve seen in photos. But both our coffees had ZERO foam art, not even a miserable little heart.

The Hamago Crossanwich ($5.20) is, dare I say, the cheapest you will find in any cafe in this country. And it was good! It’s a simple dish, and served simply with zero sides, but the ingredients were fresh and the croissant was flaky and buttery.

The Shibuya ($6.50) looked both unappetizing and unexciting when it arrived. But it was AMAZING. My favourite dish and I’d order it again in an instant.

It consisted of a very special bagel at the bottom. Normally bagels are tough and chewy. This was soft and I could bite through it easily.. it was more of a bagel-soft bun? Big slices of shitake mushrooms sat on top of it, followed by a generous layer of soft sweet cooked onions (oh man these were good), followed by a big dollop of creamy scrambled eggs, and topped with a sprinkle of seaweed.

It sounds (and looks) odd, doesn’t it?? But it was excellent!! The flavours went together in perfect harmony and I would consider this to be their signature dish.

The Tamago Sandwich ($4.30) was also very reasonably priced, and was a solid, good dish. We really enjoyed the fluffy and light brioche-style bread, with chilled egg and very fresh shredded lettuce inbetween. Yes, again, it’s a simple meal… but Brew Maison somehow manage to execute it very well.

Carter was very, very pleased with the food!

The L’experience chocolate cake ($4) had me REELING. It is beyond good. I wouldn’t consider it a cake. Think more of a chocolate mousse/rich cream.. sitting on top of a crispy base. It quite literally melts in your mouth, is full of rich chocolate flavour, yet doesn’t give the ‘heaviness’ of a dense chocolate cake.

It was amazing.

A definite must-order and I hope they never remove this from the menu!

Chris and Carter, food coma’d out from that luscious chocolate cake……

Is Brew Maison Carter-approved? Oh YES it is!

Last Bite: Brew Maison can serve up a main + dessert at under $10, which is no mean feat! The food is simple but well-executed, and we were delighted with the lovely ambiance and service.

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Brew Maison
383 Bukit Timah Rd,
#01-9B Alocassia Apartments
Singapore 259727
Prices: $$
Hours:
Mon – Fri: 7:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sat – Sun: 8:00 am – 10:00 pm

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY 2014!

May 10, 2014 / News, Singapore / 0 comment

Happy Mother’s Day, dear friends!

GIVEAWAY: Win one of two Aleva Naturals skincare hampers (worth $125 each)!

May 9, 2014 / Giveaways, Singapore / 7 Comments

Aleva Naturals has launched in Singapore (stocked in Mothercare stores), boasting a big range of pure, natural, and vegan products for babies and kids.

Hailing from Canada, the products are natural plant-based and devoid of any hidden chemicals. A HUGE plus when it comes to dealing with baby’s sensitive skin.

Here’s what the product range looks like, and almost all of them will appear in the two winner’s hampers if you win this giveaway!

Aleva Naturals are giving away two hampers, worth over $125 each!

a BWMB giveaway

You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.

Giveaways will run from 9-15 2014 inclusive.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).
Winners may collect their hamper from the office (address will be provided).

Most impressive of all are their divine bamboo wipes. ALL OF THEM!!! There are 5 kinds, and you’ll see that all the packaging comes with a plastic clip lid. These are INVALUABLE. I don’t even know why there are wipes out there that have a sticker lid – they are completely useless. I love these Aleva Naturals wipes packaging!

On top of that, the wipes are made of ultra-soft extra strong bamboo cloth, and it makes a noticeable difference. They are very very strong, and so gentle. All-organic, I don’t worry about unecessary chemicals lurking around on the skin afterwards. It’s also eco-friendly, as they’re 100% biodegradable in 21 days (impressive).

The Aleva Naturals moisturizers and balms are free of fragrances, so either have no smell, or a very subtle one from the organic ingredients. My kids are slathered in Aleva Naturals Sleep Easy Calming Lotion before bed every night – and I like how it absorbs quickly and easily instead of ‘sitting’ on their skin for ages.

And the Daily Soothing Moisturizer?

I’ve… errr… stolen it for my own use 😉

The Aleva Naturals Breathe Easy Chest Rub is one of my go-to products right now – it’s excellent for when one of the kids have the sniffles or is feeling under the weather. It’s a natural alternative to those menthol rubs and superb for young children’s skin. It’s not as greasy as Vicks rubs, so I particularly like how it doesn’t soak into their clothes.

This is Hunter’s hand, rubbing some of it into Carter’s leg! I think it’s supposed to go on his chest though… 😉

Aleva Naturals also have a range of body wash, shampoos and bubble bath products. The downside is that they don’t foam up like mad, but that’s because the range is devoid of harsh chemicals (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is the chemical that is used in almost all hair/body products out there, as it’s what makes products foam, but is known to be a skin irritant). The upside is that they feel really really soft and kind to the skin. I’ve snuck the products to use on myself, so I know!

Aleva Naturals is stocked at Mothercare stores in Singapore.

GIVEAWAY: Win one of two $50 vouchers at BabyAtt (+15% off for everyone)!

May 1, 2014 / Giveaways, Singapore / 2 Comments

It’s rare to find a clothing brand that offers quality materials AND a lot of fine detail in their clothing. So I was squealing with pleasure when I saw the stuff BabyAtt stocks in real life!

BabyAtt are all about childrens apparel with a quirky twist. Inspired by stories, fueled by imagination.

Basically, they are REALLY. FREAKIN’ CUTE.

Check out the BabyAtt dress shirts for boys below! (psstttt… they also have the girls versions. Prepare to have your mind blown with cuteness overload).

The materials used in BabyAtt clothing are eco-friendly and pure organic. The details are all hand-sewn. The clothing is incredibly durable, due to a stringent 4-stitch sewing technique instead of the usual 2-or 3-stitch.

In real life, the quality and attention to detail is top notch.

For kids, the clothes are a real magnet because the details and bits and bobs on the clothing means the kids are excited putting on the tees – it’s very novel for them. When they’re in the shirts, other kids will go up to them to have a look, and other parents have also asked where we got the shirts from.

BabyAtt are giving away two $50 vouchers!

a BWMB giveaway

You can submit some of the entries more than once a day, so come back tomorrow to get more entries in the draw.

Giveaways will run from 2-8 May 2014 inclusive.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).

Use code BWMB to receive 15% off storewide at BabyAtt!

Code valid from 2 May – 2 June.

Just to point out, both my kids are wearing the 24M size. They are 20 months old and 3 years old, both weighing 14KG.

Here’s a closeup of the BabyAtt ‘cloudy apple’ shirt that Carter is wearing. Made with 100% organic cotton, it looks really different because of the slanted row of wooden buttons. I love this detail! 3 clouds are also tightly sewn on and provide cuteness and texture to the shirt.

Carter’s wearing it with denim jeans, but I reckon it’d also look fab with crisp white shorts for a smart-casual summertime look!

Here’s Hunter in the BabyAtt ‘fly me to the moon’ shirt, also featuring 100% organic cotton. This one looks a tad more formal to me, because of the white base colour. It’s like a cute version of Daddy’s work shirt, so Hunter finds this quite amusing!

Check out those BALLOONS!! I can’t stand how cute they are. Various fabric cutouts form the balloons, with strings dangling from them (don’t worry, they are very securely fastened down).

I’m really happy with these BabyAtt shirts because both kids are comfortable in them. They are roomy enough to move around in, yet not overly baggy. And, I’m delighted with how the one size can fit a 20 month old and a 3 year old – it means I”ll get HEAPS of wear out of them!

Thanks BabyAtt!

DEPARTMENT OF CAFFEINE: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Tanjong Pagar, Singapore

May 1, 2014 / Food Reviews, Singapore, Tanjong Pagar / 1 Comment

Department Of Caffeine is lies behind an innocuous door along Duxton Road, so much so that it’s pretty easy to walk straight past without realising that there’s a cafe there.

I wasn’t impressed with their service. This makes or breaks an F&B joint, in my book.

My girl friend and I arrived just after 10AM, and they open at 10:30AM. Fair enough. They were setting up, and since she’s pregnant and can’t stand for long, I poked my head in and asked if they would mind if we sneak a chair and sit down until they open.

The young man there was having none of it. Zero smile, zero apologetic note in his voice. He abruptly just said “No. We open at 10:30” and turned his back on us. That’s a real shame, because it gave me a very bad opinion of the cafe almost immediately. Normally, I’d have told him off for his rude behaviour and never return, but I didn’t want to drag my pregnant gf around to hunt for another place, so we actually did wait until they opened.

Some of the pre-made food is on display in the glass counter near the cashier. It’s a great idea because I love being able to see what I’m about to order.

I decided on a Soy latte ($5.60) and regretted that decision when it arrived. It looked miserable, with no coffee art (I know this is not a necessity, but it is nice and shows pride in a barista’s work). Perhaps it’s because it was soy milk, which can’t make coffee art? It was my first time ordering soy milk, so I can’t be sure if that was the reason, or if the barista was just lazy.

The Orange, fresh mint, elderflower ($5.50) drink fared much better. It was bang on AWESOME! Refreshing and fizzy, this really hit the spot on a hot day.

The Crispy chicken fingers with house made tangy spiced mayo ($7.50) were recommended by my cousin, and I’m glad we got this. The chicken was tender and moist, encased in a crunchy batter. The dipping sauce was the perfect accompaniment. Only downside was the pool of oil at the bottom of the bowl, as the chicken was not drained well.

Their Breakfast quiche comes in a pleasingly large portion, served with a scattering of salad greens.I didn’t try this, so I can’t comment on how good it was.

The Poached salmon with dill and mint sauce with two side salads ($15) is precooked, yet is absolute PERFECTION. The salmon isn’t fishy, but meltingly tender and creamy. It was delicious with the sauce, and was an exquisite, healthy meal.

Special shout out for their roasted butternut squash, which is one of the side salad choices. The squash was cut in thick fingers, and they were sweet as well as beautifully tender.

I was SO eager to try the Sundried tomato & herb waffles with streaky bacon, scrambled eggs and maple bacon jam ($17), which sounded amazing. But, I was horrified when I realised the scrambled eggs were BADLY over-salted. So bad that the eggs were completely inedible, and left behind on the plate (no one asked how the food was, or why the eggs were uneaten).

The bacon was okay – I cannot think of any other descriptive word here.

The waffles were delicious though, cooked well and with a lovely savory flavour.

The bacon jam we were promised on the menu was either invisible, or omitted. Instead, we got a pot of syrup. And no explanation as to why the bacon jam was missing.

Last Bite: Department Of Caffeine has some hit and miss dishes, but offers a cozy and relaxed atmosphere. Just don’t expect excellent service here!

Highchairs: No
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Department Of Caffeine
15 Duxton Road
Singapore 089481
Phone: 6223 3426
Prices: $$
Hours:
Mon – Tue: 10:30 am – 7:30 pm
Thu – Fri: 10:30 am – 10:30 pm
Sat – Sun: 9:30 am – 7:30 pm