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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

THREE HANDS COFFEE: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Bukit Timah, Singapore

April 26, 2014 / Bukit Timah, Food Reviews, Singapore / 1 Comment

Three Hands Coffee has just opened its doors at Binjai Park, in the Upper Bukit Timah Area!

I’m completely delighted because there aren’t that many coffee places in the West side of Singapore, so I always welcome a new one.

It shares premises with Taberna Wine Academy (which opens in the evening), and thus Three Hands Coffee is only open in the daytime. It’s not immediately obvious that this place exists (they’re still working on getting signage up), so you have to poke around for a bit!

The interior is spacious and very comfortable. Check out all those sofas! SO good for kids to chill out on.

Despite the incredible rows and rows of wine bottles all around the cafe, Carter didn’t knock or smash any (whew), and spent most of the time lounging around on the comfortable sofas like he owned the place.

This small counter area is where the magic happens. They brew their coffee here, and also heat up some pastries and savory dishes.

On the side wall is a few drawers crammed with pastries galore.

Their coffee, brewed from beans by Papa Palheta, is done very carefully. Each morning, the barista calibrates the machine just-so, because the beans vary.

The result is a balanced, rich cup of coffee. I know there’s zero bitterness, because I drank this with no sugar. I never drink coffee with no sugar.

They are still in the process of bringing in a proper savory menu.

For now, we were treated to a little off-the-menu goody – a toasted butter croissant with shaved ham, cheese and greens.

It was very fresh, and I loved the golden croissant, which wasn’t oily at all.

We also had their Almond croissant, which we thoroughly enjoyed because it wasn’t too sugary. It was flaky, yet moist inside, and the almonds were crunchy and fresh.

Last Bite: Three Hands Coffee is new on the block, and already wows with their carefully-brewed coffee and fresh pastries.

Highchairs: No (in the process of getting them)
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

Three Hands Coffee
17 Binjai Park
Singapore 589825
Phone: n/a
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon – Sun: 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

GIVEAWAY: Win one of five SunMoon goody bags (worth $30 each)!

April 24, 2014 / Giveaways, Singapore / 0 comment

I was a bit hesitant to try my kids out on SunMoon fruit products.

Let me be more specific.

I was a bit hesitant to try Hunter out on SunMoon fruit products.

You see, Carter (1.5 years old) is an eat-with-gusto kinda kid. He’s awesome with food. I can chuck anything vaguely edible in front of him, and he will gobble it up with SO much glee that he makes eating steamed carrots look like the most delicious chocolate on earth. No, I had no worries about Carter there.

But Hunter. Hunter (3 years old) is very good with fruit – that part is true. My kids are both pretty deprived of sugary snacks, so to Hunter, fruit is a total snack attack! BUT, he’s very picky and petulant. One day he’ll like kiwi, the next day he won’t. Ad infinitum with all other fruits. So I was very interested to see how a picky eater would fare with SunMoon fruit products.

But guess what we have here?

Eating fruit! With gusto! Self-feeding, even!! TRIPLE WHAMMY, WHAM BAM THANK YOU MAAM!!

I am very pleased, and you can read on below for detailed reviews of their products, as well as my tips on more exciting ways to eat their fruit cups.

But for now, we have some goody bags to giveaway!!

SunMoon are giving away five goody bags (worth $30 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 25 April – 1 May 2014 inclusive.
Winner’s entry(s) will be verified according to the entry criteria(s).
Winner may collect their goody bag at the SunMoon office in Singapore.

So, above, we have the boys tussling over one packet of SunMoon fruit crisps. Carter (obviously) loves them. But the weird thing is that Hunter loves them too. And I mean, LOVE. Why is this weird? It’s weird because Hunter doesn’t actually like dried fruit – I’ve never had any success introducing it to him.

But when I wave a packet of these babies around, he gets all excited and will pretty much do anything to get his hot lil hands on a packet. Inside consists of 100% fresh fruit that has been freeze dried. This means it preserves all the nutritional goodness of the fresh fruit without the use of any preservatives and flavorings. Basically, it’s feeding your kids whole fruit – inclusive of all the fibre goodness.

Also, he particularly adores the packets with strawberries in it. Weird again, because he hates fresh strawberries! But he will eagerly pick out allllll the strawberries in the packet and stuff them into his mouth with a happy grin. I’m actually very pleased about this fact, because we all know how berries are really good for young kids (and adults), so it’s my sneaky way of making sure he eats his berries.

Then there’s the SunMoon fruit cups. With no articial preservatives, flavouring, or colourings, and ZERO sugar added, these are a fab little healthy snack of juicy goodness. They come in convenient little grab-and-go disposable cups with spoons attached.

Sold in a twin-pack at SG$1.90. Flavours include Peach, Seasonal Mixed Fruits, Mandarin Orange.

I tried to take a shot of the SunMoon fruit cup, but by now, Hunter and Carter were privvy to the goodness of this brand (they’d already had the fruit crisps), and were climbing over my back (!!!) to grab these.

So this photo was the best one I got.

They’re pretty kid-proof when sealed, so Hunter couldn’t open it up by himself. Just as well because the fruit chunks come floating in 100% apple juice, which I didn’t want spilling everywhere.

The fruit is juicy, sweet, and refreshing. I always imagined pre-packaged fruit to be mushy and have a weird taste or aftertaste, but this has none. The cute individual cup packaging kinda tricks my kids into thinking they’re awesome snacks, so they gobble up their fruit oh-so-merrily.

Here’s what I like to do with our SunMoon fruit cups:

Eat them as-is – well, duh!
Mix in yogurt – I mix with plain greek yogurt because the fruit adds a lovely sweetness to it, and it’s a super healthy breakfast.
Sprinkle on top of cereal – fruit on cornflakes, mixed with a bit of milk. Yummy power breakfast!
Sprinkle on top of vanilla ice cream – for a real decadent after-dinner treat.
Make a fruity milkshake – simply pop it in the blender with some milk or yogurt, and a squeeze of honey.

And guess what? From 18 April to 9 May, you can Buy 2 and Get 1 FREE at all Sheng Shiong & NTUC Fair Price outlets.

The SunMoon fruit cups and fruit crisps range is available at Sheng Siong, NTUC Fairprice, selected SPC & Caltex stations, SunMoon retail and online stores.

Thanks SunMoon!

THE FRENCH LADLE: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Bukit Timah, Singapore

April 22, 2014 / Bukit Timah, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

I have such a soft spot for The French Ladle. It’s pretty close to where we live, and is what I consider to be a kickass French restaurant in a neighbourhood area. The service is good. Always good. And their food? It never fails to impress us, and I’ve been there almost ten times!

The inside feels really homely, and seats just a few tables. It’s busy on weekday lunches and weekends, but is quieter on weekday evenings. Specials are written up on the blackboard.

Look! Hunter was presented with some paper and a set of coloured pencils to draw with. He loved scribbling away, and I was delighted that he was kept amused during the meal.

Complimentary warm baguette with salted butter. There is much to be said about a restaurant that serves complimentary chilled water AND a bread basket. It is SO appreciated, especially because we all know about kids and their insane obsession with carbs….. Hunter self-buttered each slice and… errr…. ate the whole basket.

Their Mushroom soup comes thick with mushrooms, and is served piping hot.

I was initially disinterested with the Mushroom risotto when it arrived. It’s a vegetarian dish – not my cup of tea 😉 But…. I LOVED it when I had a bite, and proceeded to scoop more onto my plate 😉 The dish was laden with fat chunky mushrooms (of various varieties), draped with creamy risotto rice and perked up with shaved Parmesan. Oooo… it was delicious! The sweetness of the mushrooms really came through, contrasting with the softness of the buttery risotto.

We were so impressed with their Steak frites. The shoestring fries were a hit with Hunter (no surprise there), but it was the steak that I loved. It was meaty, and a great bite, and was served with just a small dollop of herbed butter so the beef flavour really came through. It was cooked to perfection. Served at a sizeable portion, this is great if you’re into red meat.

And… what I thought was the best dish.. the Duck confit pasta. I think this is one of the best pastas I’ve eaten – ever. The spaghetti was cooled el dente, enveloped in a light cream sauce (that was not too thick or overpowering), and scattered with Parmesan. But it was the duck confit that had us reeling – it was astonishingly tender and moist, and in FAT chunks! In fact, I ended up with lots of duck left over, and not much noodles to go around 😉

An absolute must-order!

Last Bite: The French Ladle offers home-style French food that is absolutely delicious. We never fail to leave impressed. Their Duck confit pasta is a winner in our book!

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

The French Ladle
2 Pandan Valley
Pandan Valley Condominium #01-206
Singapore 597626
Phone: 6467 7505
Prices: $$$
Hours:
Tue – Fri: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sat: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sun: 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

THE LIVING CAFE (re-visited): Kid-Friendly Cafes, Bukit Timah, Singapore

April 21, 2014 / Bukit Timah, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Remember I visited The Living Cafe a couple of weeks ago? Back then, all I had was a Soy latte, which is a pretty poor effort for a food review 😉

Well, I went back! With Chris in tow! He was both horrified and interested at The Living Cafe, after learning that they do no red meat, no cow dairy, no white sugar, no preservatives, no additives, no artificial colorings and include gluten free alternatives on the menu. The specialise in raw food, or raw-fusion food. And that sort of spiel is enough to make a grown man shudder 😉

And it was surprisingly packed out on a weekend brunch. Almost every table consisted of at least one foreigner, so I suppose it’s pretty hot with the expat community. I don’t think your typical ‘ol local Singaporean auntie or uncle is going to be able to stomach this kind of food.

I didn’t realise the last time I went, but the cafe provides colouring paper and crayons for kids, which is popped on a small stool near the front entrance. It’s actually the kids menu (which looks good), but Carter had a grand ol time scribbling all over it with gusto.

I had a Flat white with hazelnut milk ($5.50) and, I gotta say, it’s way better than soy milk. It basically tasted like it was made with regular milk! Sadly though, no nice foam art so the coffee looked pretty basic, and it was served in a tiny cup.

The 6th Avenue rosti ($20) Sweet potato rosti, smoked salmon, avocado, poached egg, wasabi mayo was outstanding. TRULY AMAZING. I personally thought it was one of the best brunch rostis I’ve had. The sweet potato used is a winner (as compared to the regular potato version), and the egg was poached to perfection. The avocado (it was originally asparagus but I swapped it to avocado) was perfectly ripened, and the whole dish was a luscious explosion of sweet and salty, crisp and creamy.

The portion size is very small, and would be best made 50% larger, but at least it is kick-ass amazing.

Chris opted for the Hormone free chicken, onions, goats cheese, cashew cheese pizza ($20), and it actually did come out looking like a pizza! The base, however, didn’t taste like a regular pizza base. It has more of a pita texture and floppiness (it’s very thin), and very grainy because of all the wholemeal flour used. I’m not saying this is bad, but it was just very different to regular pizza dough. If you’re aware of this and embrace the fact, you’ll like it 🙂

The toppings were delicious – the chicken was tender and chunky, and the cheese gave it the necessary kick of flavour. The pesto was a little on the skimpy side, so the edges became a tad dry (because, again, the wholemeal flour is different to regular pizza dough).

Still, a very impressive effort to recreate a healthy wholemeal pizza, and it was pretty good!

Oh boy, their Raw chocolate ganache tart ($8.90) is fabulous. Ask for it to arrive with your food, and set it aside to come to room temperature by the time you finish your mains. It’s not chocolate, it’s cacao, but it damn near tastes just like chocolate! Very rich, very creamy chocolate, in fact.

The base is a mix of nuts and coconut oil, so it does give off a strong coconut flavour. I normally don’t like coconut, but this sat well with me. It’s a bit chewy, a bit crumbly, and very good paired with the rich creamy chocolate.

Last Bite: The Living Cafe’s brunch menu truly impressed us with it’s thoughtfully cooked and delicious food. Their 6th Avenue Rosti is a mustorder!

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

The Living Cafe
779 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 268759
Phone: 6762 8029
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm, Tue – Fri: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm, Sat: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm, Sun: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm