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Food Reviews

CANTON PARADISE @ STAR VISTA: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Buona Vista, Singapore

December 10, 2013 / Buona Vista, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

I’ve been on a bit of a yum cha frenzy as of late. I hadn’t eaten it in years, then suddenly went mad with cravings over it. I’m not pregnant, so I have no idea why this is happening!

And so I’ve been dragging family and friends all over Singapore in my efforts to eat all the dim sum in the country.

We did a quickie at Canton Paradise, located at the Star Vista mall. It was relatively quiet when we rocked up at 11-ish in the morning, but quickly became packed to the brim by the time we were leaving towards 1PM. Guess I’m not the only one that’s a bit of a yum cha fiend!!

Service at this branch was impeccable. Extremely friendly and helpful, and food arrived swiftly. Exactly what you need when you have young children in tow!

Our iced coffee ($3.20) and iced tea/coffee mix ($3.60) was delicious. Well worth it.

The Roast Pork Belly with Crackling ($12.80) was outstanding. It works out to just over a buck per morsel, but it’s so good I’d order it again. The skin was as crisp as potato chips, and the pork wonderously tender. There was a thin layer of melty fat to bring all the textures together, but not too much to gross you out.

My Egg Noodles in Superior Soy Sauce ($8.00) was very tasty but also very oily. It came in a portion to be shared, I suspect.

The Prawn Dumpling Noodles ($7.80) was a hit with the kids, who slurped it all up. I liked the mild taste of the dish, which accentuated the freshness of the prawns.

And…. the best for the last…… the Custard Egg Yolk Buns ($5.20)!! I was fantasizing about this all through my meal, and insisted we ordered it.

The bun was fluffy and light, and the interior molten and yellow. There is a very strong taste of egg yolk, which can feel a bit heavy if you’re not into the high-calorie stuff. You also need to eat them (carefully) whilst they’re hot, because they go rather powdery and weird when they cool down.

Last Bite: Canton Paradise offers impeccable service and an array of lovely dim sum dishes. The Roast Pork Belly with Crackling is a must!

Highchairs: Yes
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: Yes (in the mall)
Kids’ menu: No

Canton Paradise
The Star Vista #B1-45/46
1 Vista Exchange Green
Singapore 138617
Phone: 66942915
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon – Fri: 11:00 – 22:00, Sat – Sun: 10:30 – 22:00, PH: 10:30 – 22:00

COLBAR (revisited): Kid-Friendly Cafes, Buona Vista, Singapore

December 8, 2013 / Buona Vista, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Our lovely guest reviewer Debra first wrote about Colbar, so I got excited and wanted to bring my kids there too! Mum pointed out that it’s actually a bonafide old school cafe, which has been around for decades. It’s changed locations down the road, but still preserves all its vintage charm.

It is REALLY fun for the kids.

The cafe isn’t air-conditioned, but that’s just fine at this time of year-end, when the weather is actually really cool and breezy. It’s very outdoorsy which makes if excellent for the kids to stretch their legs in before and after the food arrives.

Video of the kids around Colbar

The interior is full of old world vintage charm. You could poke around for ages looking at all the knick knacks and vintage posters and photos!

The food is a mix of Western and local dishes. It’s a pretty extensive menu, which left us debating over what to order for ages. In the end, we decided on the Chicken Merry Land ($15.50), simply because quite a few other tables had ordered it. You get pretty good bang for your buck here – the chicken cutlet was breaded well and really crispy, topped with a jaunty sunny side up egg. A scoop of baked beans, a grilled tomato and some potato wedges made for simple but tasty sides, and the dessert portion was a deep-fried battered banana. An excellent dish to get if you’re a big eater.

We also got the Chicken Curry Rice ($11) because it appeared on other tables (yes, I am one of THOSE nosy people that checks out what everyone else is ordering!). I’d definitely get this one again. It was a Japanese-style curry in the sense that it was creamy (made so with potatoes?). It was beautifully rich, and had just the right amount of spice for me. The chicken leg was meaty and tender, and the curry gravy was delicious with the plain white rice. Mmm…

The kids enjoyed the Fried Ho Fun ($8) which came in a decent portion and was studded with lots of chicken and prawn meat. Sadly, it also came with bean sprouts (must remember to ask them to omit these next time). It’s a tad on the oily side, but then again, all fried noodle dishes are.

Colbar do beer. A LOT of beer. A whole fridge stocked full of the stuff.. which you can just go up and select from. Excellent for sitting outside and sipping/chugging from.

The area outside is like catnip for kids. Something about the bits of pavement and drains seem to appeal to them… they had loads of fun pottering around there and getting busy with the grass and dirt.

Right across the road is the Temasek Club! Actually, Hunter spotted it cos he saw their epic playground from across the road at Colbar. He made a beeline in, and, I didn’t realise at first it was part of the club, and thought it was a public playground. I think you actually need to be a member of the club to use it, though! But, errmm… I didn’t know that until we were leaving (I got suspicious cos it seemed too nice to be a public thing).

Anyway, the kids got a couple of minutes of good fun in there!

Last Bite: Colbar is a retro lover’s delight, and the outdoor area is great fun for the kids! Except simple but tasty fare.

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

Colbar
9A Whitchurch Rd
Singapore 138839
Phone: 6779 4859
Prices: $$
Hours: Closed on Mon. Tue – Sun: 11:00am – 10:00pm

ROYAL CHINA @ RAFFLES HOTEL: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Bugis, Singapore

December 4, 2013 / Bugis, Food Reviews, Singapore / 4 Comments

We used to yum cha all the time in Australia. But, for some reason, we hardly do since we moved to Singapore two years ago. Partly due to the fact that I’m not very familiar with such places in Singapore, and partly because my girl friends and I tend to end up at Western brunch places instead. Frankly, I get sick to death of Eggs Benedict! I’ve eaten it ten too many times…

So I was simply gagging for some good ‘ol Chinese dim sum!!

Royal China at the Raffles Hotel came highly recommended by word-of-mouth of my friends, all assuring me “you’re gonna LOVE the turquoise interior!”. They were right. I give the place top marks based on their decor alone. Beautiful Tiffany-blue everywhere, down to the water’s uniforms. High ceilings give it an airy, refined ambience. It’s a real experience to step in…

Because we had two young kids with us, we ordered the for Fish Congee ($7.80) for them to share. As one of the most expensive dim sum items, it was pretty skimpy on the fish – 3 slices and that was it. The rest was just rice. We were rather woeful, as the kids slurped the dish up with gusto and could have easily eaten double the amount of fish.

The most expensive item we ordered was the Carrot Cake with XO Sauce ($8.80). This is not to be confused with the carrot cake dessert by the way. This Chinese dish uses turnips which are stir-fried, in this case with egg and *horrors* beansprouts. I don’t recall this being mentioned on the menu, and I have a massive aversion to nasty little beansprouts, so this dish made it to my no-go zone. That said, it was tasty (albeit spicy) so if you don’t mean beansprouts, you’ll probably enjoy this dish.

I was so pleased we ordered the Cheong Fun with Prawns ($5.80). The flat, wide strips of rice noodles were delicate and silky, balanced well with fresh prawns and a drizzle of light soy sauce. A simple but satisfying dish on the palate and I’d order this one again.

The Siew Mai with Goji Berries ($5.60) were delicious and steamed well. The goji berry was pretty redundant, apart from adding a cute pop of colour to this otherwise simple-looking dish.

The Yam Puff with Scallops ($5.60) will satisfy those deep-fried lovers out there. It’s so airy and crispy, with a soft interior filled with mince and mushrooms. The scallop on top was, again, redundant – it was pretty dry and did not lend a lot of flavour to the yam puff.

Boasting an ultra fluffy bun, the Steamed Pork Buns ($4.80) were a hit with both adults and kids. The savoury filling and gravy paired very well with the plain steamed bun, and we all wolfed this one down.

Ahhhh.. the best for the last. I’ve recently discovered the joys and wonder of Egg Yolk Custard Buns. This makes me wonder what I’ve been doing in the past three decades of my life. Not much, clearly. BECAUSE THESE BUNS ARE AMAZING!!!!!! Royal China’s Egg Yolk Bun ($4.80) was a delight. Different to other restaurants, they inject some mango juice in theirs, which sounds weird but it works. The sweetness and freshness of mango somehow takes away from the heaviness of the egg yolk custard. And ohhhhh that ooze!! I could eat four of these at one go.

Last Bite: Royal China do quality dim sum in an elegant setting within Raffles Hotel. Their Egg Yolk Buns are a must for dessert!

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

Royal China
Raffles Hotel
#03-09
1 Beach Rd
Singapore 189673

Phone: 6338 3363
Prices: $$$
Hours: Mon – Sat: 12:00 – 15:00, Sun & PH: 11:00 – 15:00, Mon – Sun: 18:00 – 22:30

THE MARSHMALLOW TREE (by guest writer Delphine Tan): Kid-Friendly Cafes, Telok Blangah, Singapore

December 1, 2013 / Food Reviews, Guest Writers, Singapore, Telok Blangah / 1 Comment

Today, we have one of those super mums where you wonder how they can do it all yet look so put-together (ie. not a frantic mess). Delphine Tan of the popular blog Life In The Wee Hours has 2 kids, with a 3rd on the way, works, and still finds the time to go out brunching. Some people are just overachievers, you see.

She has taken the time to write us a fantastic review an adorable cafe. I am soooo going to check it out asap!

The following review is by guest reviewer Delphine Tan:

The Marshmallow Tree is a little café in the quiet housing estate of Telok Blangah, just a short distance away from the hustle and bustle Vivocity and Harbourfront.

The Marshmallow Tree is a whimsical place: a swing in one corner, cozy mismatched chairs, a chalkboard wall, street lamps, a ceiling painted like the sky and a huge Domokun plush. Anya made a beeline for the brown creature and harassed it (him?) for a bit before settling down to draw at the chalkboard wall.

We weren’t particularly hungry so we ordered a chicken pie and a domo cup. There’s no real hot meal on the menu and savoury items consist mainly of pies, wraps and sandwiches. As the name of the café indicates, the focus here is on marshmallow-based desserts. Every drink ordered also comes with a complimentary toasted marshmallow on a stick.

The café latte ($4.50) was very decent. Those who prefer a drink without caffeine may want to try the pretty pink rose latte which I saw quite a few diners ordering.

The chicken pie ($4.50) was quite ordinary but Anya enjoyed it. It makes a good snack for the kids.

The domo cup ($4.80) was a yummy and decadent dessert of toasted marshmallows, cream cheese, Mars bar with a biscuit base. Some people may find it a bit too sweet but Anya and I were quite happy to eat it all up.

Anya kept herself entertained by annoying giant Domokun, swinging on the swing and drawing on the chalkboard wall so I could enjoy my latte and dessert in relative peace. I am quite fond of toasted marshmallows so I wouldn’t mind dropping by again for coffee and dessert after I’ve had a proper meal somewhere else.

Last Bite: The Marshmallow Tree is great for those with a sweet-tooth but doesn’t offer much in the way of proper meals. Kids won’t be bored though!
Highchairs: No
Easy access: Yes
Change tables: No
Kids’ menu: No

The Marshmallow Tree
46 Telok Blangah Drive #01-82
Singapore 100046
Phone: 98521210
Prices: $$
Hours: Tue – Fri: 10:00 – 22:00, Sat, Sun & PH: 09:00 – 22:00

Delphine is married to Adrian and mother to Anya & Adam (with another kiddo on the way). She spends her free time reading and collecting matryoshka. Besides being addicted to caffeine, Delphine also suffers from the compulsive need to Instagram every single plate of food that she eats. Read her ramblings at: http://intheweehours.wordpress.com

SINPOPO BRAND: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Joo Chiat, Singapore

November 25, 2013 / Food Reviews, Joo Chiat, Singapore / 0 comment

I made the epic journey from one side of the country to the other…. to check out the Ni-Night End of Year Clearance Sale earlier this week. It was a multi-brand market with loads of bargains, so my girl friends and I snapped up quite a few pieces.

Since we were in the area, we decided to pop by Sinpopo Brand, which was a 10 minute walk away, down Joo Chiat Road which incidentally is such a fun road to poke around in!

Decked out like an old-school eatery, it’s kitchy but super cute. Everything is vintage inspired – from the cutlery and mugs, to the decor from Singapore’s yesteryear. We had a bit of fun having a look around! They even had vintage posters of….. ‘hot guys’? Famous celebrities from decades ago?

The staff there, especially our guy waiter, were SUPER friendly and helpful. We couldn’t understand half the menu!!! I consider myself pretty savvy with local Singaporean food.. but I couldn’t decipher a whole bunch of items there. So either I’m not as “down with it” as I thought, or they’ve cryptically named their dishes..

At least there’s photos of some of their more popular items, which is a huge help!

My unpronounceable Sng muay pop ($3.90) was explained to be “lime juice with sour plum in it”. It initially turned me off as the thought of sour plum in there didn’t sound appetizing. But I was pleasantly surprised – it was a very refreshing drink, like a sprite + lime concoction. I could barely taste the sour plum in it (though there were pieces lurking in the drink), so I was happy.

I will do a disclaimer here that the food photos look horrible. I’m sorry. We sat waaay at the back in the corner, and I didn’t realise that they had horrid neon lighting that cast strange hues on the dishes and made it look.. awful. I should’ve sat near the front, where there was lots of natural light! Oh well.

So, yes, the Zi Pao Kai with bee hoon ($8.90) looks TERRIBLE in the photo below. It was tasty though, promise! The dish was described to me as “paper wrapped chicken, and true to their words, the chunks of boneless chicken meat came wrapped in parchment paper. The chicken was fragrant and went well with the plain bee hoon noodles, but there was copious amount of oil inside each little package, which I had to drain off.

I thought the Black carrot cake ($6.90) was pretty superb. A carboholic’s delight. The squares of… errrmmm.. what ARE those things?? Something like radish and something else. I guess almost like a rice cake in taste and texture. They are cooked beautifully – soft and slightly chewy. I love the topping – which included scrambled eggs and… something else. I apologise. I know I should be more informative in a food review and all, but I honestly have no idea what’s in this dish, apart from the fact that it tastes yummy.

This would be a re-order for me!

We weren’t impressed with the John eh roti ($6.90). Large slices of baguette fried, french-toast style, with a small scattering of onions and mince beef. It was basically like filling yourself up with heavy-feeling bread.. with minimal taste, apart from the lashings of chilli sauce on top. The dish was more-ish and left us disinterested after a few bites.

Big thumbs up, however for their Gula melaka soft jelly ($4.90). Silky smooth sweet jelly, with a rich caramel taste, smothered in coconut cream. This was light and a fun dessert to have. Hunter loved it!

The Ais bor ($3.90) is basically a hard ball of crushed ice, covered in coloured syrups and housing atap seeds, and bits and bobs inside (I couldn’t really identify them!). It’s an excellent dessert to have on a hot day. Open it up gently with your spoon – you don’t want to send the ice ball flying off to the next table!

I loved the Cendol ($3.90). Served in a bowl, the green jelly ‘worms’ and red beans are smothered with lashings of shaved ice, and drenched with syrup and coconut cream. It’s DELICIOUS. So refreshing and tasty, this was my favourite dessert. I’d definitely get this again!

Last Bite: Sinpopo Brand is all kitschy-cute retro in decor, serving up local Singaporean dishes. The main meals are decent though, but it was their desserts that were the most enticing.

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

Sinpopo Brand
458 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427671
Phone: 6345 5034
Prices: $$
Hours: Sun – Thu: 12:00 – 22:00, Fri – Sat: 12:00 – 00:00, Eve of PH: 12:00 – 00:00

MORGANFIELD’S: Kid-Friendly Restaurants, Buona Vista, Singapore

November 20, 2013 / Buona Vista, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Just a quick little Hump Day post… hope your week is going well so far!

My girl friend and I (with kids in tow) popped into Morganfield’s at Star Vista last week. I’m just gonna say here, straight up, that Morganfield’s do one of THE BEST RIBS in Singapore. And they’re consistently good – I’ve visited this joint maybe 4 or 5 times, and it never fails to delight me.

I like the large glass-paneled windows, which allows natural light to stream into the restaurant. It gets busy just after noon (office lunchtime crowd, I presume), but I always go early so I have no issues.

Their ribs, called Sticky Bones, are the star dish, and IMHO the only dish that you should order. Why bother with other dishes, when this one is perfect?

$26.90 (the lunch set) gets you half-slab of pork ribs, a soup/appetizer of the day, and a bottomless glass of soda or iced tea. Its’ good value, because it will fill you right up!! I was initially scared off at the “half slab” description… it sounded more like “you’ll go hungry” to me. But the ribs are pretty gigantic and very meaty, plus they give you a tumble of fries and a pot of coleslaw just to make sure you’re sufficiently fed.

The ribs? Blimmin’ SUPERB. We didn’t bother using a knife – it wasn’t necessary. We just used a fork and poked away at the meat, which fell easily off the bones. It is oh-so-tender, and the sauce is not overpowering. Talk about a meat eater’s dream meal!!

To give you an idea as to how delicious and tender the pork is – Carter (currently 15 months and with only 3 barely-there jutting out teeth), can easily chomp and chew his way through a rib or two.

Drop in if you’re a meat lover. I reckon you won’t be disappointed.

Last Bite: Morganfield’s is a meat lover’s delight, with their outstanding baby back ribs (dubbed Sticky Bones). Think ultra-tender, tasty pork ribs… perfect downed with an iced lemon tea or cold beer!

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

Morganfield’s
The Star Vista, #02-23
1 Vista Exchange Green
Singapore 138617
Phone: 6694 3635
Prices: $$$
Hours: 11am – 11pm (Sun – Thu, PH) / 11am – 12am (Fri, Sat, PH Eve)

HUBER’S BUTCHERY & BISTRO: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Dempsey Hill, Singapore

November 19, 2013 / Dempsey, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Trying not to sound stingy here…. but almost all the eateries around Demsey Hill are pretty pricey. You can easily spend $50 per person on a simple brunch! We do like our nice dining brunches, but sometimes, all we want is something cheap and cheerful.

Huber’s Butchery and Bistro is, dare I say it THE best place for brunch at Dempsey Hill, if you want to spend less than $20 per person (for a meal + coffee).

The tables are all outside their butchery shop (which is huge, by the way), so come dressed appropriately. Eating outside is excellent when you have kids around – you’re not as frantic about mess or fuss. Which was perfect for us, because for this particular meal, Carter decided to be Hell Baby and fuss and cry……. the entire time. (we realised later it was because we completely FORGOT it was his nap time, and so just thought he was being annoying!! Oops.)

Anyway, we kicked off with an Iced coffee ($4.40). Actually, I wanted the Iced latte but must’ve said “iced coffee”, and it’s a different drink here. So we got a brewed coffee, with ice, and sugar syrup and a pot of milk to pour in. To be frank, considering their Iced coffee is a few dollars cheaper, it’s actually way better to order this!

One of my favourite foods is the simple sausage. I think it’s partly due to the fact that my parents are super against any sort of unhealthy/processed food, so sausages were completely off the table in our family until I was a full grown adult. Guess I’m making up for lost time, cos I LOVE it now! Huber’s offer 4 variations on their menu, and I selected the Pair of Nurnberger sausages with sauerkraut and sliced rye bread ($9.90).

The sausages were not too salty and tasted fresh and juicy. They were a hearty portion, and paired so well with the generous portion of sauerkraut. I’m normally not into rye bread, but the slices I had were soft and moist, a great accompaniment of plain taste to balance the rest of the dish.

It was a superb dish. I’m craving for it now!

I was impressed with the size of the Warm roast beef sandwich ($12.80). It’s enough to make a guy and/or big eater smile with pleasure 🙂 Normally, I’m suspicious of “roast beef” on the menu. It’s often really dry, tough, and like chewing a piece of leather. Euuurggghhh.

So I was pretty delighted to find that the copious slices of roast beef in this sandwich were beautifully tender, and was devoid of any marinade to mask that delightful, true beef taste. It was served atop fresh lettuce, and with slices of parmesan as well as a drizzle of sauce. The bun was soft and fluffy (think gourmet hotdog bun).

But…. the FRIES!!!! The shoe string fries were obviously cooked in fresh oil, and for the exact amount of time. They came out hot and fresh, and were addictive.

We were fortunate that, last weekend when we were there, the Artisan UpMarket Fair was being held at 22 Dempsey. We got to poke around, and I came away with a jar of Almond butter, and Cashew butter. Yum.

One of my favourite things to do on weekends is to check out fairs and markets around Singapore – preferably outdoors. The kids have fun whizzing around, and I love poking around the little crafts and interesting bits and bobs being sold. You get some really gorgeous finds here as well! A lot more fun than shopping in a mall..

Last Bite: Huber’s Butchery & Bistro is one of the best-value brunches you can find in the Dempsey area. The food is top notch, and seating is outdoors – great for families!

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

Huber’s Butchery & Bistro
18A Dempsey Road
Singapore 249677
Phone: 6737 1588
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9.30am to 8pm, Sat, Sun & Public Holiday: 9.30am to 7pm

SYMMETRY: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Bugis, Singapore

November 18, 2013 / Bugis, Cheese, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

So here’s the funny thing: I actually never considered Symmetry to be “kid-friendly”. The cafe is extremely cramped, with chairs with skinny metal splayed-out legs, tables with sharp corners, little vintage ornaments perfectly at kid-grabbing distance, near impossible to get a stroller into (steps and not enough space)…. and the fact that there are always ZERO kids there. Except mine. And my friends.

Yet, despite that, I’ve been there perhaps 10 times in the past few months. Always dragging one or two kids in tow… and just praying that my kids will sit obediently and quietly in their high chairs whilst I have a leisurely lunch and lovely chat with my girl friend(s) for two hours.

Obviously THAT never happens.

I invariably end up dealing with one or both kids that end up getting bored, wanting to run around, bumping their heads on sharp corners, crying, YOU NAME IT!!!!

So….. why do my friends and I go, with kids in tow?

Because of THIS below. This is an Iced Peppermint Mocha. And Symmetry do a perfect rendition. Served in a thick-walled glass and with a metal straw (awesomeness!) jutting out, this concoction is like coffee on steroids. Yes, real coffee connoisseurs will sneer and say it’s not a “proper coffee” but it’s so fun to drink and delicious that I don’t care. This weighs in at a hefty $7.20 (!!!!!) for glass, but it’s my little treat because I do love it so.

Obviously, their food is also pretty good. We didn’t order any appetizers during this particular lunch, but normally we do. Every single appetizer is excellent.. from their bacon & cheese rissoles, to their fried mushrooms, to their crispy white bait, to their breaded prawns. Seriously, just order any appetizer from the menu and you won’t be disappointed. Just to point out, though, almost all the appetizers are deep fried.

This particular Smoked salmon croque monsieur was a bit of a giant! The bread was thick and fluffy, and a hit with my kids. It was drenched with sour cream and chives, and topped off with melted cheese. Served with chunky fries, this was a bit of a heart-attach dish 😉

I almost always order the Smoked salmon carbonara ($23) here (though I always get mine without the rocket leaves, as I can’t stand them). This time, however, we found the smoked salmon a bit too salty. I wish they would use fresh salmon instead, so we can order this dish for our kids.

I enjoyed my Pork collar croissant ($19), which came with a generous portion of tender pork and served in a fluffy croissant. I swapped my rocket leaves for some avocado and they obliged – so bonus points for that! My kids basically ate this whole dish by themselves. Not the fries though. Both scoffed at the fries and wouldn’t have any (what gives?!)

I thought their Waffles and ice cream ($14) was a winner. The waffles were buttery and fluffy, with a golden crisp edge. I don’t like fruit on my waffles, but the kids obviously did because they gobbled it all up. Just as well, because I got to gobble up the waffles and ice cream!!

Last Bite: Symmetry may not be the most kid-friendly place, but their killer Iced peppermint mocha makes up for it. Don’t miss their appetizers – any one of them!

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

Symmetry
9 Jalan Kubor
Singapore 199206
Phone: 9626 7911
Prices: $$
Hours:
Mon: 10:30 am – 9:00 pm, Tue – Thu: 10:30 am – 11:00 pm, Fri: 10:30 am – 12:00 am, Sat: 9:00 am – 12:00 am, Sun: 9:00 am – 9:00 pm

CRAFT BAKERY CAFE: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Holland Village, Singapore

November 17, 2013 / Food Reviews, Holland Village, Singapore / 0 comment

My girl friend and I did a quick pop into Craft Bakery Cafe one morning, as they are one of the (very few) cafes that are open on a Monday. What is it with so many cafes being closed on Mondays? Not good for us mummies who brunch…. grrrrr!

So top marks to Craft Bakery Cafe for being open on a Monday! But the downside to dropping in early in the morning when there are very few diners around? A heavy shortage of staff. Or maybe their (one) chef in the kitchen is just incredibly, incredibly s-l-o-w. We waited 45 minutes (!!!!) for two sandwiches to be made, and the scrambled eggs I’d ordered for Carter also took 45 minutes, so he was a total nervous wreck by then from hunger and tiredness. Sigh.

You can choose between a medium or large beverage, so I went for the Large latte ($6.50) as I needed a pick-me-up at 9:30AM in the morning. It was a lovely brew and well made, but was completely stone-cold by the time my food arrived (I drink my coffee with or after my meal), so it didn’t taste as good.

Since the scrambled eggs (a side dish order) arrived 45 minutes after ordering, Carter was a bit of a mess by then. He was starving and polished the whole dish off by himself, in maybe 5 minutes flat.

I was very interested in the sandwich my girl friend ordered, dubbed The Craft ($11.50) – maple candied bacon and apple slaw on waffle grids. It sounded so interesting and is their signature sandwich, so I was eager to see it. It did look odd! But, my girl friend claimed the sweet-and-salty combination worked, and at least it’s unusual and not the same-old-same-old food every other cafe has.

The waffles are not fresh made-to-order though, which is a shame. This means they are slightly on the dry side, though the apple slaw sauce does help to make up for it.

I thoroughly enjoyed my Crispy prawns with herb mayo ($13.90). It is kind of like a po’boy. The bun was fluffy and large, studded with lots of superbly crisp prawns and fresh lettuce. It hit the spot and was sufficient to fill me up for brunch. I would have loved for this to be served with fries as well, though.

The glass display cabinet was looking a little bare, but I assume that’s because we were there early in the morning. Suspiciously, it had some cakes that had just a few slices remaining… which led me to wonder if they were leftovers from the day before (since we were there so early that morning). For that reason, I didn’t order any cakes for dessert, as I was worried the cakes would be dry from being stored overnight.

Last Bite: Craft Bakery Cafe is open on Mondays, which is a real plus. The Crispy prawns sandwich was a hit, and they serve a very decent cuppa. Just brace yourselves for a very long wait for your food if you’re there in the morning!

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

Craft Bakery Cafe
Holland Village
24A Lorong Mambong
Singapore 277183
Phone: 6467 7710
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon – Sun: 9:00 am – 11:00 pm

W39 BISTRO & BAKERY: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Clementi, Singapore

November 11, 2013 / Clementi, Food Reviews, Singapore / 0 comment

Talk about sunshine happy! Just stepping into the cafe will probably lift your spirits. W39 Bistro & Bakery is delightfully decked out in shades of sunshine yellow, bright turquoise and white, and makes for a very whimsical andcheerful cafe experience.

Located in a quiet estate in the west-side, the cafe’s calling card is their sunshine happy staff, and delectable food. The interior is an eclectic and interesting mix of odds-and-ends, and vintage candies and toys.

Being a part bakery, they have a bright turquoise cabinet (gorgeous!) that showcases their golden baked goods. Everything looks so good, I wanted to buy one of each. I settled for the Brioche and was delighted – the fat round disc of bread was soft and fluffy, and had a swirl of custard baked into the top to offer a slight sweetness. It’s delicious toasted slightly, topped with a smear of butter.

It was a hit with the kids too, simply torn and eaten fresh out of the bag!

The dining menu is limited but enticing. There is also a Kid’s Menu available, but our kids were satisfied just munching on the bread, so we left it at that.

My Latte ($4.50) was served in a petite cup, and I wished for it to be double the size, because it was rich and very well made. The Iced lemon tea ($3.50) came in a larger cup and is an excellent thirst quencher for hot afternoons.

We ordered the Seared tuna, avocado salsa, soy glaze wasabi mayo ($12.50) after spotting it on another table, and realising that every single other table had also ordered it. Being nosy, we had to have it too!

And… it was the runaway winner of the whole meal. Reasonably priced, the dish boasted 6 long and thick chunks of perfectly-seared tuna, a dollop of creamy fresh avocado and caviar, and a drizzle of tasty balsamic glaze. It was beautifully presented on a slate, and looked like it should’ve been served in a fine dining restaurant. GET THIS DISH…. you won’t regret it.

The Parma ham and mozzarella panini looked pretty enticing when it arrived, though I can’t comment on the taste as I didn’t have any. My girl friend, however, noted that the staff did not drain the mozzarella properly, so the water was oozing out of the sandwich as she was eating, and had also soaked into the bread, making it soggy. An effective draining technique would have made this dish much better.

My Sake mussels with fries ($20) was a delight, and a dish I’d order again for sure. The mussels were the small kind, but were cooked to juicy and tender perfection! The sake gravy was paired beautifully and gave the dish the right amount of salty taste, and the substantial bowl of fries was sufficient to fill me right up.

An impressive dish. A must-order!

Their cakes are tantalizingly displayed in a glass cabinet, and it was difficult to select one each. So much so that I bought two more to takeaway 😉

My Mister Chocolate ($6.80) was indulgent. A soft chocolate sponge cake, draped in rich chocolate ganache. You’ll love this if you’re a chocolate lover.

The small slice of Crispy Hazelnut cake looked like something out of a French patisserie. It left us wondering if the cafe bakes their own cakes, or purchases them from somewhere else?

The cake was light and I thoroughly enjoyed the gentle crispiness of the layers. I wanted more 🙂

The kids spent ages playing around in the cafe. Fortunately, it wasn’t too crowded on a weekday, and they had a grand ‘ol time pottering around playing with their toys, and playing peekaboo around the large table.

At least it gave us adults a bit of time to relax!

There is also a sweet cat on premises, that hangs around and is as gentle as can be! Even with two toddlers terrorizing it and trying to pat it, it tolerated all that attention like a boss. It means that kids are kept occupied outside the cafe too, and Carter was in much wonder at seeing a real cat up close 😉

Last Bite: W39 Bistro & Bakery is whimsical and cheery, offering a limited but well-executed menu. The food is beautifully presented and delicious! Kids will have a great time ferreting around the old school candies and toys, as well as playing with the gentle cat outside.

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

W39 Bistro & Bakery
39 Jalan Mas Puteh
Singapore 128637
Phone: 9646 5372
Prices: $$
Hours: Tue – Fri: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm, Sat – Sun: 9:00 am – 10:30 pm