La Ristrettos, Singapore

Posted on July 5, 2014 by nicjorach

this cafe is the epitome of a hidden gem in singapore. tucked away where nobody would expect to find a cafe, la ristrettos is nestled among medical clinics and practices on the 8th floor of novena medical centre. you wouldn’t know its there unless you’ve seen stuff about it or heard about it through word-of-mouth, or you randomly chance upon it while on your way to a medical appointment.

we were looking for somewhere in the newton/novena area to have brunch on a saturday morning, and it was la ristrettos that we decided to head to. arrived around 1030am and had to wait about 5 minutes for a table – it is a small cosy place with a large communal table, a long window seat and another small standalone table. if you’re willing to brave the heat (or rain), they open out into the rooftop garden of the medical centre so you can dine there too.

my first thought when i entered this little cafe was that they take their coffee very seriously. not only because the words “coffee boutique” are proudly declared on the big brick wall you see when you enter, but also because they have a few impressive coffee machines hard at work. the interesting thing about the machines is that they are laid out on an open counter and not behind a counter; its almost like you can walk right up and make yourself a coffee:

snazzy coffee machine/monstrosity

for such a cosy little set-up with a small kitchen, i was impressed by the range of food and drinks they had on offer.

pastas are served from noon onwards only, so we focused on the all-day breakfast menu which had a nice range of food, that was quite different from regular eggs benny/eggs florentine/french toast fare (a good change!):

you place your orders and pay at the counter, and the food will be served to you when ready. for the 3 of us, we ordered a grande with scrambled eggs, a toasted sourdough topped with chicken and a poached egg, and a mushroom frittata:

grande – choice of eggs, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, spicy italian sausage, sourdough ($14)
i didn’t have much of this but my friend who ordered it (a boy who wanted something more substantial; big breakfasts like that are always popular among hungry growing boys) seemed pleased enough with it! tried the scrambled eggs and they were pretty well done, fluffy and moist. the sausage was good too; it wasn’t the kind of poor quality processed sausages you get in cheap supermarkets. this is great if variety on a plate excites you. at $14, i would say this is really reasonably priced too!

tostino e arrosto – toasted sourdough with garlic olive oil, spinach, roast chicken breast, tomato and poached egg ($11)
i loved this open-faced sandwich! it looks quite small in the picture but it filled nearly the whole centre of the plate and the plate was quite big, so it was actually bigger than it appears here. the combination of chicken, spinach, tomatoes and a perfectly poached egg was super yummy! i think my favourite part and the star of the sandwich was the super tasty and tender chicken slivers. the seemed more grilled than roasted actually, but however it was done, it was done to perfection and topped the sandwich in generous portions. the egg was wonderfully runny and taken with the honey mustard-type sauce drizzled around the plate, this made for a light but satisfying meal.

RUNNY EGG YOLK my love

we wanted to get the bircher muesli because i had seen pics of this wonderfully-plated gloriously poached pear sitting atop some muesli (everybody loves pretty food) while reading about the place, but they had no pears that day! so we ended up going for the mushroom frittata:mushroom frittata – italian mushroom omelette with ham, mushroom, tomato & cheese served with sourdough ($12)
the frittata was served in a little personal pan and accompanied by some buttered sourdough bread. a frittata is like an omelette but with everything randomly mixed in as opposed to folded in (you can probably tell from the picture). they were generous with the toppings, and this made for a really tasty dish! my only qualm was that i felt it was a little dry because there wasn’t really any “wet” element in it. perhaps the frittata could have been done a little wetter? would have tasted yummier with the sourdough that way. nevertheless, i loved how it was simply done and presented; this dish exuded a very homely feel for me 🙂

not forgetting the drinks we tried – i had a chai latte while my friend had an iced caffe.
iced caffe (espresso with gelato and milk) – $6.50
the coffee was good, and the gelato added a nice thickness and sweetness to the coffee. quite a generous serving, i would say!
as for the chai latte which i don’t have an individual pic of (but you’ll see it sitting pretty in some of the pics later), it was very yummy and definitely one of the better chai lattes i’ve had in singapore. the chai flavour was very fragrant and they had the proportions of milk just right, such that the chai taste wasn’t drowned out by milkiness and vice versa. i just love how chai lattes make you feel warmed from inside out; they are perfect for rainy days (or any day for that matter).

besides being tucked away from the crowds in its exciting nondescript location, i love how the prices at la ristrettos are nett. what you see on the menu is what you pay; they do not charge the extra 10 + 7 which is great! for the quality of the food, the prices are definitely reasonable and the dishes were simple but well-executed.

one negative is that they seemed to have run out of quite a few things on the menu – we were looking forward to having the pear tart or any other dessert that they had available, but they had run out of all desserts!!! i thought that was quite surprising given that it was a saturday morning when they should expect a healthy crowd. i guess they hadn’t restocked for the following week (they close on sundays)…

la ristrettos is a great place to grab a bite and relax with a coffee and book. the atmosphere is really nice and relaxed; it exudes a friendly neighbourhood joint-type cosiness and warmth. definitely check it out if you’re in the area and looking for a good cuppa or a satisfying meal!

La Ristrettos
10 Sinaran Drive, #08-37 Novena Medical Centre
Singapore 307506

spotted: chai latte ($6) lurking in the back

nothing better than fab food and fave friends

we settled for mr bean ice cream and taking stupid selfies for dessert (a firm favourite)

PS. tip on how to find the place – take the escalators up for square 2 all the way to the 8th floor and you’ll see the roof garden. if you park in square 2, the escalators from the carpark are the ones to take!

PPS. gotta love the new s5 camera!!!

The Living Cafe, Singapore

Posted on June 25, 2014 by nicjorach

i cannot believe how long it took me to discover this hidden gem located right in my hood!!! located at the row of shops along bukit timah road just before you turn left onto 6th avenue is the lovely living cafe that serves an exciting range of really healthy food. i used to think it was just a healthy eating/organic food shop but my sister discovered that it was also a cafe a while back, and recommended that i check it out.

i love how bright, open, clean and tastefully decorated it is. there is ample seating space in the cafe on the first floor, and a little loft towards the back of the shop where they have a shop selling healthy foods. they pride themselves on serving a range of not just raw and vegan foods but also regular foods which are done using quality ingredients and cooked healthily. you might be wondering what on earth raw food is and how one eats food raw – i took this excerpt from their website:
“Raw food generally refers to a vegan diet that goes beyond just steering clear of animal products. There’s no cooking in the traditional sense (in that nothing is heated above approximately 118 degrees Fahrenheit), and ingredients are not chemically processed, pasteurized, homogenized, genetically modified, hybridized, or otherwise compromised. The basic premise behind a raw food diet is that cooking and processing foods generally decreases their digestibility and vitamin and mineral density, as well as their overall health-promoting qualities.”
(more info about raw food can be found here!)

here is their lunch menu (they have a separate dinner menu, and a brunch menu on weekends):

besides food, their menu also features a range of freshly-squeezed juices and freshly-made smoothies. all of them sound delicious and the best part is that they are not only completely guilt-free, but also very good for you!

for those who would rather stick to water (in order to save some space for dessert ;)), you can help yourself to some reverse osmosis water:
not sure if it was all in my mind but i really thought the water tasted better than regular water! this might sound quite silly because it is just water after all, but i swear it tasted more pure and refreshing than tap water/regular ice water! its what i imagine water drunk straight out from a bubbling stream to taste like.

given that it isn’t often that you come across places serving raw food in singapore (hawker food galore!!!), i decided that i had to pick something raw from the menu:

raw “cheese” burger: onions/beet/carrot/tomato/sprouts/raw “cheese” sauce/raw pattie (dehydrated – nuts/seeds/oats/onions/flaxseed)/guacamole – $18
i absolutely loved this!!! one of the responses i got to posting a picture of this on instagram was a correction of my caption of “raw “cheese” burger” to “raw “cheese” “burger”” which i was rather amused by. healthiest “burger” ever? the carrots, beet, onion and alfafa came together wonderfully to make this yummy crunchy salad that was moist despite not being doused in dressing. the moisture must have come from the natural juiciness of the fresh veggies i think, because the “cheese” sauce was mostly contained to the top of the pattie, and was added in far from copious amounts at all. having the pile of veggies with the pattie was the best thing ever – the sauce tied everything together, and i enjoyed every bit of that pattie. the nuts, seeds and oats created a really nice bite and even though it was dehydrated, it still retained sufficient moisture to not be too dry. it reminded me a little of falafel (gotta love falafel) in pattie form, but denser and with more bite.

deconstructed so you get a better look of the pattie:despite it being completely veggie, it was actually rather filling (but not overly so) and left me feeling really satisfied. not sure if you can tell from the pictures, but it was a really huge “burger” and was piled very generously with super fresh greens. i liked it so much that i have a feeling i’ll find it difficult to order something different when i return to the living cafe…

my sister opted for the vegan tofu burger:vegan tofu burger with wedges and coleslaw: sesame crusted tofu bun, eggplant, mushrooms, raw dijon mustard dressing – $15
all their homemade burgers come with a serving of sweet potato wedges and coleslaw. though not raw and not entirely vegan (there are fish & meat options), they are prepared in as healthy a way as possible with the best possible ingredients. the sweet potato wedges were baked and lightly flavoured with some kind of herbs; they were of a great texture (just the right amount of bite) and the natural sweetness of the potato really shone through. as for the coleslaw, it was light, fresh and very refreshing – none of that commercial stuff drowning in mayo. i personally really liked the sesame-crusted tofu bun because i love everything tofu and everything sesame; this was right up my alley and such a cute idea to substitute bread with! the mushrooms and onions were tasty and added flavour to the tofu; the sister was really happy with her choice too.

the aftermath:

our plates were wiped clean (spick and span!!!) but the best part about eating such foods is that you never feel too stuffed or uncomfortably full even though you’ve had a filling and satisfying meal. perfect for checking out their array of raw desserts:
the only thing better than having dessert is having dessert that is healthy yet yummy. these desserts are really amazing, considering that they are raw!!! the living cafe has an array for you to pick from, ranging from truffles to cookies to cheesecakes to chocolate-mint slices to chocolate ganache cakes.

we opted for the lemon cranberry tart which the counter staff recommended:
lemon cranberry tart – $8.90
though quite steeply-priced at $8.90, my sister and i both agreed that this was totally worth it. it was so enjoyable that i’d have this over a regular (non-raw) lemon tart any day!!! the lemon filling was of just the right tartness and the consistency was dense yet not too heavy. the cranberries and pistachio bits that topped it added texture to the tart, as did the crust, which was probably my favourite part! after taking a bite of the crust, i decided a close-up shot of it needed to be taken so it could be appreciated in its full glory:just look at that amazing crust – if my taste buds didn’t fail me, it contained fig, pistachio, cranberries, dates, other nuts? so so so good. it was moist and dense but still provided sufficient bite that a tart base requires. it was also naturally sweet which balanced the sourness of the lemon filling. this is another thing i’d find hard to resist ordering the next time i return!

seriously, eating clean has never been so appealing! i left the living cafe feeling really satisfied and happy after having such healthy yet yummy food. given the quality of what you’re eating, i also feel that the prices are very reasonable; everything stated in the menu is nett so you pay exactly what you see with no hidden costs. another plus point is that its open every day of the week!

as i paid at the cashier, the (very friendly) staff member asked if i was “eating healthy” and my response was “not really, but this makes it a whole lot easier!”. i’ll definitely be back here when i’m in need of a detox; in fact, i think i will be back even if i’m not!

The Living Cafe and Deli
779 Bukit Timah Rd
Singapore 269758

The Joint, Brixton

Posted on March 27, 2014 by nicjorach

am very glad we seized the opportunity to check brixton village out before kodaline’s show at o2 brixton (which was beyond amazing; they are SO incredible live!!!) last friday night; the amazing pulled pork that we had at the joint was perfect fuel for the long night we had ahead of us!

nestled happily among other hidden food gems in the very interesting brixton village market is where you will find the joint. it occupies a tiny shop space which is solely for its kitchen, while its patrons occupy tables which are spread out along the walkways in the shop’s vicinity:

this picture was taken when we first arrived around 6pm so it hadn’t gotten crowded yet; the tables filled up really quickly after a while! the menu at the joint is simple but very satisfying; they have a great range of sides to accompany a smaller range of mains, and everything is reasonably-priced!

we initially only ordered just 1 side – the hush puppies, because it sounded exciting and was unique to the joint. but the food was so good that we ended up adding on another side order of hot wings (recommended by the waiter)! the sides come served in bags tied with twine and labelled with a note – A+ for the adorable idea!

hush puppies – £3.50

we thoroughly enjoyed the hush puppies! the (friendly) waiter described them as savoury donuts fried with sweet corn, and they ended up far exceeding my expectations! they came wonderfully warm and drizzled in a barbeque sauce, perfectly golden-brown and crisp on the outside while fluffy and light inside:

they were a little denser, firmer and less pillow-y than a regular sweet donut which i thought was the right consistency to go with the savoury taste of it. (for those who know what indian rojak is, they were like the delicious fried dough fritters you get with that!!! almost a taste of home right there 🙂 ) i absolutely loved how they were crunchy on the outside but soft inside, and also how they were not very greasy at all despite being freshly-fried. a very tasty and unique side dish that i will not hesitate to order again when i return!

as mentioned earlier, we were so pleased with the food that we decided to order a serving of hot wings midway through the meal:

hot wings – £3.50

i thought these wings were very similar to those they have (and that i adore) at patty & bun! the sauce was very asian-inspired, barbeque sauce-based and topped with a healthy sprinkling of spring onions and chillies. we were quite surprised that the wings did actually pack some spice, unlike many places which dub their food “spicy” when it isn’t actually (at least not for our spice-accustomed asian tongues, that is)…

the wings were delicious – they were thoroughly seasoned and cooked to perfection, and the meat fell off the bone and was extremely tender and moist! given that there were only 2 wings and 2 drumsticks, they were polished off in no time.

now on to the mains, we ordered 1 regular pulled pork bun, and 1 asian pulled pork bun. the buns were very impressively huge:
20140321_182750 when i saw them being brought towards us standing extremely tall and proud in all their glory right in the centre of the plates, i was slightly daunted by the prospect of (1) having to attempt to eat it glamorously and (2) having to finish all of it. turns out the former was warranted (no cutlery provided, its all about getting down and dirty!) but the latter wasn’t (it was so good i finished every single bit).

evidence of getting down and dirty (#glamforever):
boy (man?) vs bun

check out how huge it is in comparison to the size of my mouth…

i ordered the asian 16 hour bbq pulled pork bun, which differed from the regular one in terms of its toppings – the base of bun and salad and coleslaw was the same, but the asian version has pickled ginger, chilli and spring onion instead of apple candied bacon in the original! it was delicious and i thoroughly enjoyed it. after trying a bit of each other’s, we agreed that the asian version packed a greater punch and was the more memorable of the two! the original version was lighter though; the barbeque taste in the asian version came out a lot more strongly which made the former leave a much “cleaner” aftertaste.

the pulled pork, which was heaped very generously in the bun, was sweet and juicy – the kind of juicy that results in liquid trails racing down your hands. but i didn’t mind one bit because it was certainly worth the mess! the pork was delicious, but my favourite part of the whole thing had to be the bread – sourdough infused with vanilla and fig (which explains its interesting yellow colour!). i honestly could not make out the flavours of vanilla and fig very distinctly at all, but there was something very special about the texture and taste of the bread. it has a wonderfully browned “skin” and a brioche-like consistency – absolutely loved it!!! needless to say, the bun, pork, salad, coleslaw etc all came together wonderfully to make for one very good pulled pork bun, and what made it even better was how reasonably priced it was – £7 for something so big!!! we left extremely satisfied, despite our sticky hands and the smell of sauce that lingered on them (despite multiple washes) for the night.

20140321_190327
done and dusted

i was very pleased with our choice of dinner venue before the concert, and it set the tone right for what promised to be a fab night out 🙂 so if you’re planning on going to brixton village and don’t know what to eat, i assure you that this will not disappoint (it certainly didn’t let me down)! i need to make another trip back soon to check out all the other exciting things they have on offer; its a place that deserves to be visited whether you’re going for a concert in the vicinity or not!

The Joint

87 Brixton Village Market
Coldharbour Lane
London SW9 8PS

PS. be sure to wear a little more because it can get a little cold and drafty along the alleys of brixton market in winter. once the food comes and you tuck in though, you’ll be warmed up in no time 😉

Foxcroft and Ginger, London

Posted on March 8, 2014 by nicjorach

started hearing lots about this cafe in soho recently, and after doing a bit of stalking of their instagram location tag (tip: best way to get yourself excited about imminent meals), i decided that i had to make a trip there pronto.

foxcroft & ginger is probably somewhere you’d walk right past if you weren’t looking for it; it has a rather narrow storefront at the very start of a stretch in soho that isn’t full of food outlets (berwick street) like the rest of the streets of soho are. people definitely do know of its existence though, given the healthy crowd that was there at 11am on a weekday morning. it is a simply but stylishly decorated space, and gives off a really chill/laid-back vibe, perfect for putting you in the mood to have a cup of tea and slice of cake (actually do you even need a mood for that? that’s basically my permanent mood.).

downstairs seating area

the menu had a great range of what we thought were very reasonably-priced breakfast/brunch options:nothing excites me more than an extensive brunch menu; what’s there not to love about breakfast food? get in ma belly!!!

they also serve pizzas and some very enticing-sounding buns when brunch is over; the menu can be found at their website!

you place your order at the counter, where you’ll probably be drawn to some (or several) of their sweet treats on display:

the french toast with ham, cheese & honey mustard came highly recommended and seemed to be a very popular choice with their patrons, so that’s what i opted for! as for my friend, he couldn’t resist a good plate of eggs benny with smoked salmon. and we couldn’t resist the scones on display that were calling out to us, so we got a scone with butter and jam as well, to share between us.

food was promptly served, and soon i had some of the most delicious-looking (and tasting too, i subsequently learnt) toast sitting happily before me:

french toast with ham, mature cheddar & honey mustard – £6.20

craving more of this right now as i type this post. just look at it!!! -drool alert- this was like a ham and cheese toastie on serious steroids. my favourite part of it was the honey mustard; it added a light sweetness which made what would have already been yummy ham & cheese toast even better. the honey also prevented the toast from being too dry as regular toasties can sometimes be. the bread was drenched in sweet (but not overly so) syrupy goodness which made it moist, but it was added in just the right amount so that it did not become soggy. the ham was delicious as was the cheddar, and the bread was warm and wonderful. also, check out that amazing melty gooey cheese:
what’s there not to love?

my friend had the eggs benny with smoked salmon:
eggs benedict with smoked salmon – £8.25

i didn’t have much of it (was too preoccupied with stuffing my face with french toast), but had enough to know that this was good eggs benny (though not particularly outstanding)! the muffins were nice and fluffy while the hollandaise sauce was light and yummy. the eggs were also perfectly poached. my friend enjoyed it and was satisfied!

as mentioned earlier, the scones on display at the counter where we placed our orders were begging to be eaten, so we ordered a plain one to share. it was served with jam and butter:

luckily the scone was rather large, because it was yummy and we might have been a little sad if it was any smaller and resulted it in us getting through it any more quickly hahaha. my favourite part of it was the crusty edges on the outside while the inside (ahh i should have taken a picture) remained soft and moist. it was dense, and i really liked the jam that accompanied it (i wonder if they make it themselves…). my only regret is that i didn’t have it sooner because scones are always that bit yummier when eaten all warm and toasty!

i really enjoyed foxcroft and ginger 🙂 i hear their pancakes (irresistible combination of berries, bacon, mascaporne and syrup) are amazing, and i will definitely be heading back to try them!

Foxcroft and Ginger

3 Berwick Street
London W1F 0DR

PS. if you haven’t had enough dessert there, or even if you have but are just greedy like me, snog is very conveniently located just a 1 minute stroll away:

the only thing better than a snog special – a snog special in the sun!!! HELLO SPRING 🙂

Bibimbap, London

Posted on February 27, 2014 by nicjorach

i’m glad we accepted the invitation to dinner at bibimbap along charlotte street (thank you jeremy!), because it is now somewhere we see ourselves returning to when craving a big bowl of piping hot rice on a cold night.

we visited on a thursday night and it was surprisingly (and impressively) busy for a weeknight! despite the healthy crowd, service remained good and efficient which is always a huge plus point. the space bibimbap occupies is big and spacious, but still has a warm and cosy atmosphere with cute and colourful decorations in the form of polaroids stuck on the walls:
besides the main dining area, they have 2 other seating areas spread across 2 floors in the back, which seem ideal for private parties or large groups looking for a quiet corner to themselves.

didn’t manage to snap a pic of the menu, but you can find it on their website here. though quite simple, the menu is wide enough to include an array of korean favourites and of course as the restaurant’s name suggests, many variations of bibimbap! we started with a seafood pancake, and a serving of chilli squid.

mixed seafood pancake with garlic and sesame soy sauce – £5.45

the pancake was a nice start to the meal that left us in anticipation of good things to come. we liked how the pancake was of just the right thickness – any thinner and it would probably have been too crispy, and any thicker and it would probably have been too dense! it was tasty and not too oily, and the serving size was decent for its price. however, we felt it could have done with a little more seafood in it; a lot of the time we felt like we were just having a plain pancake with some veg and the odd bit of small prawns.

deep-fried chilli squid seasoned with chilli and sea salt, served with a spicy garlic & chilli dipping sauce – £5.45

the chilli squid was a hot favourite for us. the seasoning was delicious and the squid was deep-fried to perfection, without being too oily. the batter was clearly fried in fresh oil, and was wonderfully crispy without being dry and crumbly. the squid itself was juicy and naturally sweet, and size-wise the serving was more than enough for two. it was so tasty on its own that we didn’t touch the dipping sauce at all! would definitely recommend this as a side.

for our mains, we opted for a mixed mushroom bibimbap topped with a fried egg, and a beef bool-go-gi bibimbap topped with a raw egg.

beef bulgogi bibimbap with raw egg – £6.95 + £1

i (rach) thoroughly enjoyed the beef bibimbap which i got! the beef was very well-seasoned and tender, the other ingredients were fresh, and both were very generously provided! also loved the slightly charred bits of rice at the bottom (though i did feel that there could have been more charring) that were the result of serving the bibimbap in a stone bowl, as i feel it always should be!!!

after mixing everything together:topped with a healthy dose of sauce, it made for an extremely delicious and satisfying bowl of bibimbap, definitely one of the better ones i’ve had in london! i loved how the ingredients were added so generously that there was more than enough to be eaten with the rice. nothing is worse than having to eat plain rice because there just aren’t enough condiments to go around.

we also ordered the mushroom bibimbap and it was delicious:
mixed mushroom (shitake, oyster, white & black) bibimbap with fried egg – £7.95 + £1

nic had this, and as with the beef one rach had, the bibimbap was served in a stone bowl which provided the slightly charred taste that gives bibimbap its supposed authenticity. the portion of mushrooms on top was extremely generous and hearty. after all, there can never be too much-room for mush-room in a dish. the mushrooms were extremely fresh and consisted of a good variety. there were shitakes and also what i (nic) reckon were white and cremini mushrooms. this gave not just a nice variation in taste but texture as well. i also loved the doneness of the carrots and other veggies served in the bibimbap. their crunch made the meal feel far more healthful (yes, healthful and not healthy: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/2009/01/healthy_vs_healthful.html) than it probably was. however one tiny regret that we (rach in particular) had was that the charring was not intense enough. what we should have done was perhaps left the rice to ‘cook’ a little while before greedily tucking in!

to accompany our rice bowls, we also ordered a tofu soup & kimchi soup.tofu soup with mixed seafood – £6.95

this was supposed to be tofu soup, but turned out to be more like a stew. it tasted really good at first, like something that you would crave when the weather outside is wet and cold (as is London most of the year). however, rather disappointingly, after a few sips, the oiliness (yes, that entire top layer is oil) crept in and it became a bit overwhelming. it would make a nice taster dish, however, if you were to take a trip down to the restaurant with a large group. A couple of spoonfuls is enough; an entire bowl for one person is probably a little of an overkill (in the context of a meal but for the heart as well).

the kimchi soup, on the other hand, was perfect! it was a wonderful rendition of a classic korean favourite:
kimchi soup with pork – £6.95

light but tasty, it was not overly sour, which was good as the taste of the kimchi and associated ingredients came out far more prominently. this was my (nic’s) favourite dish that night. and just look at how, again, the serving of ingredients is so generous. it literally filled up the entire surface of the bowl. also, contrary to what other restaurants serve, this bowl of Kimchi soup was divine in that it wasn’t oily at all. i could have 10 bowls of this and still feel fit enough to run a marathon!

all in all, we left bibimbap as extremely satisfied customers! we thought the bibimbaps especially, were some of the best we’ve tried in london (both in terms of taste and serving size) especially given their reasonable price! the restaurant is perfect for a casual night out with good food and friends, and is an affordable option along charlotte street for some yummy asian food. we will certainly be returning for more!

Bibimbap (Charlotte Street)

10 Charlotte Street
London W1T 2LT

http://www.bibimbapcharlottestreet.co.uk/

Honest Burgers, London

Posted on February 13, 2014 by nicjorach

and the search for london’s best burgers continues, this time with my visit to honest burgers in soho to give their much-raved about burgers a try. arrived around 630pm on a thursday night to get my burger fix, just in time to snag one of two outdoor tables to have our meal at. we were told that we would have to wait for about half an hour to get a table inside, so our protesting empty stomachs got the better of us and made us opt for the alfresco dining (in winter?!) option. it was nice anyway, because honest burgers is located in a cosy shop along a short residential side street that hardly sees any cars going down it.

the menu at honest burgers is simple; they have on offer a chicken burger, 3 types of beef burgers (each with more toppings than the one before), a vegetarian option, and a special that changes quite often from what i can see on their facebook page:

thank goodness for the menu’s simplicity, because i would probably have been super indecisive and taken ten times the time i took to decide what to order if it was any more extensive. it was hard enough deciding between the honest and the special, but i eventually settled on the honest since i decided i had to try the house special before moving on to other things that might have too many distractions from the basic burger!

service was rather slow but we (kindly?) attributed it to the crowd, and the fact that we were seated outside so it was more difficult to get their attention. luckily we got our food when we did, because we were starting to feel the effects of sitting outside ie our hands were getting cold and we needed to get them busy stuffing our faces with food!
honest burger: beef, red onion relish, smoked bacon, mature cheddar, pickled cucumber & lettuce – £9.50 (comes with a side of rosemary fries)

we were pleasantly surprised and very pleased that all the burgers (at the prices stated on the menu) come with a side of fries! because i was nursing a bad throat that day, i requested for the beetroot and apple coleslaw instead, a request that they very gladly acceded to. extra points for that!
picture of topless burger so you can see the red onion relish!

the burger was decently-sized, and they were generous with their portions of sides. i’ll start with the beef patty – it was meaty, chunky, very tasty and cooked to moist and juicy pink perfection. all their meat is supplied from the ginger pig, none of that processed patty meat here; this was some high quality meat and you could definitely taste it! what made it even better was the generous amount of cheddar melted on the top – mmmmmmm… my only qualm was that i felt the beef patty could have been a tad bigger. the smoked bacon was delicious and very tasty, but it wasn’t fried till it was crispy so if you’re a fan of crispy bacon, you’d probably be a little disappointed. veggies at the bottom of the burger were fresh, and i liked the addition of large chunky pickle slices. the red onion relish was also a lovely addition, adding sweetness and moistness to a burger that might otherwise have bordered dangerously on being dry due to the lack of sauce.

i was disappointed by the burger bun, though. it was rather dry and i was hoping for something more glazed and brioche-like. maybe that’s not what they were intending to go for though? at least it was served freshly toasted so it was nice and warm.

think you can tell that the bun was rather dry from this pic:

it was otherwise a very satisfying burger. was generally quite a clean eat (ie no sauce dribbling unglamorously down our forearms) and not heavy because of its focus on simple but high quality ingredients.

moving on to the sides, the rosemary chips were quite possibly some of the best chips i have had. they are a must-have!!! i was having a sore throat, but i simply could not resist having more after having one chip. the rosemary flavour is strong but not overpowering, and my friend and i felt that the chips were of just the right size and thickness. they were crispy on the outside but thick enough to have a nice soft potato-ey bite hidden within that crispiness. finger-lickin’ good! they also weren’t too oily, which always makes the chips-eating experience more guilt-free (deceivingly so!!!). we happily lapped up every single chip that the burger was accompanied by.

as for the beetroot and apple coleslaw, it was a very refreshing change from the burgers and chips; a great option if you’re looking for something healthier! it was light, fresh and tasty. general taste was like normal coleslaw though i thought it was definitely less tart than coleslaw can sometimes be when made with raw cabbage. it also had less of a thick mayonnaise-y kind of consistency and a lovely sweetness that came from the apple and beetroot combination.

additional sides can be ordered at £2.50 per serving.

honest burgers conquered:

honestly (pun completely intended 😉 ), i still prefer the burgers at patty & bun, though i also must say that they’re just different types of burgers. the honest burger is more of a classic burger with very good traditional toppings while the patty & bun burgers have more interesting recipes with exciting sauces and combinations. so it really depends on what kind of burger you’re looking for… honest is probably worth going to for their amazing rosemary chips, but patty & bun has their amazing wings too! i definitely feel that the patty & bun burger bun is better though!

Honest Burgers

4A Meard St, Soho
London W1F 0EF

Daisy Green, London

Posted on February 4, 2014 by nicjorach

it was a 3-course brunch deal which i spotted on timeout that prompted me to check this quaint little well-kept secret out; i wouldn’t have known about it otherwise! i guess you could say its slightly off the beaten track given that its not part of the soho congregation of food places, tucked away from the hustle and bustle but still a stone’s throw away from marble arch.

occupying a corner shop along seymour street, i knew i’d like this Aussie cafe one i saw the neon window decor and cute/quirky things they had placed just outside their shop:

me t(h)ree?

the first floor consists of a counter (probably busy with takeaway orders during lunch hour on weekdays, i would imagine!) where they prepare their “cold” foods – wraps, frozen yoghurt, sweet treats (cakes, brownies etc) – and drinks, and a few window seats:first floor of daisy green

head down the stairs and you will find yourself in a larger dining area that is split into 2 sections. i loved the whimsical decor down in the basement – it was full of bright, happy colours and really reminded me of the alice in wonderland tea party! if their intended effect was to get people excited and in the mood for good food, then they definitely succeeded (at least for me)!

here’s the menu (they pride themselves on preparing healthy & quality aussie-style food!):
our amazing timeout voucher allowed us to pay just £25 for £50 worth of food, so we had a lot of eating to be done between the 2 of us. thank goodness the menu had a great range – we were spoilt for choice and didn’t have problems planning our exciting feast 😉

beginning with drinks, i opted for the detox juice (which i thought sounded pretty interesting) while my friend went for the avocado smoothie.

L: green detox juice – cucumber, celery, spinach, green apple & mint – £3.50
R: avocado smoothie with lemon, yoghurt and agave syrup – £5

we both really liked our drinks! the freshly-squeezed green detox juice (odd and off-putting as it may sound) was extremely refreshing. i normally detest celery (yes, there are things i actually do not particularly enjoy eating heh) but the combination of ingredients in this was such a good mix that the taste of raw celery was almost completely masked! everything tasted so fresh and light and it was something very different from regular juice that you get off the shelves in supermarkets – i know it probably looks a little too green to be appetising for the veggie-averse folks out there, but trust me, this was really good and not to mention super healthy!
as for the avocado smoothie, it was really a taste of home for us because in singapore they do similar avocado juice/milkshake things at hawker centres! we were very pleased – the smoothie was super thick and creamy, and the lemon added a nice twist/lift to avocado that otherwise has the tendency to be quite heavy.

service was really slow that day and our food took quite a while to arrive. i’d like to believe the best and attribute it to the fact that they were very busy and it isn’t normally like that! nevertheless, it was worth the wait! i had the shakshouka while my friend had the bondi.

shakshouka: baked eggs with tomatoes and spices with a chunk of wholewheat bread + frenched lamb cutlet – £9 + £5

i cannot resist good baked eggs and i was not disappointed with daisy green’s shakshouka rendition! the tomatoes used were fresh and naturally sweet, while the spices added a nice, tasty tunisian lift to the dish. together with the huge chunk of sourdough (which i really enjoyed), this was really satisfying but managed to remain light because of the pure tomato base of the shakshouka. i think i would’ve preferred it to have some kind of meat in it though, because the taste (albeit really good) was pretty much the same throughout the entire pot; adding some meat to the mix would probably have made it even more delicious! (i clearly have not forgotten about the amazing lamb shakshouka i had at artichoke in singapore) it was thus good that i ordered an extra frenched lamb cutlet to go along with my shakshouka. i actually expected it to be bigger since it was an additional £5 but serving-size aside, it was tender, well-seasoned and perfectly grilled – juicy and not dry. the strong taste of lamb that many fear was also absent here!

the bondi: 2 poached eggs, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, six hour tomatoes & avocado on sourdough + spicy chorizo beans – £12 + £3

this is basically daisy green’s take on the big breakfast. my friend had most of this but i did try components of it – the sausage in particular i remember to be very tasty, crisp skin on the outside, with a really flavourful inside! i also remember the avocado being perfectly ripe and it was a very nice and refreshing addition to the plate amidst all the cooked food. i would order the bondi for the variety it presents on a single plate, but taste-wise i wouldn’t say it was anything exceptional.

the spicy chorizo beans that we added on as a side however, were super yummy:

chunks of chorizo nestled among beans in a spicy tomato-based sauce made for a perfect addition to our brunch! i really loved these beans which were something different from the regular beans you get at breakfast. they were extremely tasty and went absolutely perfectly with the toast provided! i’ll definitely order this the next time i eat there, as an accompaniment to whatever i’m having!

the servings were pretty big and we were rather full by the time we finished our mains, but i had been eyeing the croissant bread and butter pudding from the moment i spotted it on the menu and so some space just had to be made for it in our stomachs. we were not disappointed at all:

croissant bread & butter pudding with double cream – £5

one of the best bread and butter puddings ever!!! we LOVED the idea of a croissant bread & butter pudding – it was extremely buttery (as croissants are) and hence more moist than a regular bread & butter pudding. the raisins in it and the crusty top also had parts to play in its deliciousness, and not forgetting the warm double cream that we drenched the whole pudding in. surprisingly it wasn’t too sweet and though dense, it was not heavy; probably because of the fluffiness that the bits of undrenched croissant retained! you can’t really see this from the picture, but it was a very generous serving; we ended up not being able to finish it! i recommend this as a must-order when you’re at daisy green – worth every penny and calorie 😉

we also decided to try their frozen yoghurt after seeing a daisy green mobile froyo van parked outside their shop. the recommended toppings were berries and brownies so that’s what we opted for!
the yoghurt was thick, creamy and smooth so if you like your frozen yoghurt icy then you probably won’t fancy this. i personally really liked it though, because that’s exactly the way i like my froyo! if i’m not wrong they only have natural flavour (which is what we had). i loved how it wasn’t tampered with by artificial flavours; there was a subtle sourness that many yoghurts tend to lose when in fancy flavoured forms. toppings were added generously and the berries were super fresh and sweet while the brownie was very yummy too!

the brownies, along with a few other treats are baked in-store. i know this because we were given a small door gift with a mix of all the treats they had available that day to take home with us:
we got a mix of their mars bar, brownie, coated banana and a flapjack-type thing if i remember correctly! all were pretty good (though i wouldn’t really rave about them) and the best part is, if the sticker that sealed the box was stating the truth, so guilt-free (or at least more so than their equivalents elsewhere) too!

all in all, our experience at daisy green was a lovely one. great food and drinks, great dessert and decor to boot, tucked away in a great location that is central yet quiet, and everything at reasonable prices! what more could one ask for? its been added to my list of places to go for brunch in london; i’d have a meal here over any of the bigger chains anytime.

PS. i hear their coffee is great, as are the wraps. oh and the banana bread! will definitely be back to give them a try!

Daisy Green

20 Seymour St
London W1H 7HX

Benito’s Hat, London

Posted on January 29, 2014 by nicjorach

it was an impromptu decision to check this little mexican place out, when our original plans to eat at nearby lantana were foiled because we arrived at the awkward time between 1130am and noon when the cafe was no longer serving breakfast and had yet to start serving lunch.

located along goodge street, benito’s hat is hugely popular with the lunchtime crowd as evidenced by the snaking queue which had formed outside the shop when we were leaving. their menu is simple – burritos, tacos, salads (naked burritos – basically a burrito without the wrap) and soups. service is efficient and food is made to order at the counter:

in action

all of us opted for burritos that day – we could choose from chicken, pork and a beef special as the meat filling (grilled veggies are also available for vegetarians), and for the toppings you have the choice of adding cheese/sourcream/lettuce/beans (choose from 2 types!)/rice. choose a sauce from the range that varies in spiciness, add some guacamole if you want, and you have your meal all ready to go! here’s the menu on the blackboards:

most people seemed to be getting takeaway, but they do have seats in the shop if you prefer to enjoy your food in-store. the burritos are pretty huge, and they’re all served with a side of nachos:

the nachos were a nice addition but were missing some sauce or cheese slathered on top. as for the burritos, they were literally bursting with ingredients and their weight was testament to that fact – i was surprised at how heavy mine was when i lifted it to remove the foil! needless to say, it was extremely filling. in fact, i would say that its possible to share one between two small eaters!

braised pork burrito with guacamole – £5.90 + 70p

i had my burrito with braised pork, and added guacamole for an additional 70p. i actually felt that 70p for the rather small amount of guacamole they added was quite pricey, but what is mexican food without guacamole! avo is always too good to pass on…
the burrito was VERY satisfying. the greens added were fresh, toppings were added generously (besides the guacamole as mentioned above), the braised pork was juicy and tasty, and the refried beans (you can choose between these and black beans) were delicious. it was a wrap that was bursting with flavour and was made even more yummy by the fact that it was freshly-made and warm! trust me, you’ll definitely get your mexican craving satisfied with this hearty goodness.

i imagined a serious carb overload if i added rice to the mix, so i asked not to have any added, but here’s my friend’s burrito which had rice in it: (sorry not a very appetising picture i know!)

we were completely stuffed by the time we had made our way through the burritos, but there’s always room for dessert right? 😉 and thankfully we all embraced the idea of desserts going into a separate stomach and decided to order some sweet treats to share, because the desserts were the highlight of our quick lunch there!
bunuelos: crispy strips of tortilla with cinnamon, sugar and real vanilla ice cream – £3.25

we were really excited when we saw this arrive at our table because we weren’t really sure what to expect and this looked like nothing we had tried before! the strips of tortilla were thin and crispy (just as they were described) and coated in just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar to give them a light sweetness that went perfectly with the vanilla ice cream which was thick and smooth. the oil used to fry the tortillas was fresh and because of how thin the strips were, they made for a lighter and seemingly less oily treat than churros would have been. it actually reminded me of a sweet dessert prata (for the uninformed, this is a delicious singaporean-indian flatbread/pancake-esque thing)!

tres leches cake – £3.75

we actually wanted to order the flan but it wasn’t available that day, so this is what we ended up getting and boy, were we glad we did! definitely worthy of first-pick status instead of the second choice status we relegated it to. the cake was amazingly dense and moist while not being too heavy, while the fresh cream that accompanied it was super duper light. the milky sauce that the cake was drenched in was sweet (maybe too sweet for some people), but not cloyingly so. this was really the highlight of our lunch that day, and this tres leches cake was still referred to with great enthusiasm when it came up in conversation recently, so that’s definitely a sign of deliciousness 😉 it was a pretty generous slice too, so the price you pay for it is rather reasonable.

benito’s hat was a pretty random find on a random friday afternoon, but it probably isn’t going to be random to me very much longer because i’ll be back when i’m looking for a simple, fuss-free mexican meal! they also have a happy hour from 5pm-7pm daily, where cocktails (watermelon/pomegranate/strawberry margarita, anyone?) are 2-for-1 – a pretty good deal worth checking out 🙂

Benito’s Hat

56 Goodge Street
London W1T 4NB

The Exhibit, Balham

Posted on January 19, 2014 by nicjorach

an invitation to check out the revamped menu of a happening joint in the heart of balham was too good to turn down, so it was on a rainy thursday night that the 2 of us made the trek into zone 3 to pay the exhibit a visit! we were afraid we would be unable to locate the restaurant but thankfully it was just a stone’s (more like a grain of sand, actually) throw away from the tube station – so not to fret; even in zone 3, the exhibit is extremely accessible!

we got out of the tube station, and 2 minutes later, we were here:

rach was thrilled by the old-school diner sign and the classic movie timings display, so it was with high hopes that we stepped through the doors and into the exhibit. we headed right up to the 1st floor (making a mental note to check out the bar after) where the diner was. immediately we were struck by how american the layout of the diner was.

as we were ushered to our seats we were informed that there was a thursday night deal where shakes went for £1 (for a soft shake) or £2 (for a hard, ie with alcohol) each. they have different deals every night which keeps things exciting and people coming back for more (and more). we were particularly taken in by the “movie nights” deal where you get 2 courses and a movie ticket (to catch a film in their boutique cinema on the 2nd floor) for just £15.90 – a real steal, in our opinion! check out the blackboard for the full range of offers:

for a thursday night, the place was pretty crowded but service was still efficient which was great! here’s the all-american artery-clogging (but totally worth the reduction in lifespan) menu: OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

while deliberating what to get (ordering is always a life-changing decision), we decided to start with 2 shakes – a cookie monster soft shake (on the left) and a tiramisu hard shake.

cookie monster – £4 (£1 with a main on thursdays), tiramisu – £7 (£2 with a main on thursdays)

i (rach) had the cookie monster and loved every drop of it. it was thick, creamy and full of cookie goodness, though i think what could have made it even better would be the addition of some chunky cookie bits. it was also surprisingly not cloyingly sweet, which allowed me to make my way steadily through the entire glass instead of having to leave half of it, as milkshakes often make you do. very satisfying for this cookies and cream fan over here! nic ordered the tiramisu shake which was what jumped out at him from the menu once we were seated but he was, unfortunately, kept in his seat. we both found it a little too diluted and icy; we tasted more alcohol than anything else and even after mixing the cream in, it lacked the thick creaminess that one would expect from a shake.

and now on to the food, we decided to try as wide a variety of food from the menu and settled on the ribs and a burger. we were told the signature was a firm favourite with both the staff and customers. we were also keen on the wild boar and chorizo burger but popular opinion swayed us towards the purist’s beef burger. to accompany those 2 mains, we had a 5 inch stack of onion rings (and promptly regretted not going for a taller tower of that finger-lickin’ goodness) and the interesting-sounding skins with mushrooms.

food glorious food!

the signature burger is a hand-made ground steak beef patty enclosed in a seeded brioche bun, topped with red lettuce, onion, relish, dill pickle and mustard mayo. we built on that by adding jalapeños, guacamole, cheddar and a fried egg (they have an impressively huge range of toppings to choose from, that can be added to any burger on the menu). when it arrived, nic had the chance to show off his superior photography skills (or so he thinks) by snapping this pic:

signature burger – £7.25 + toppings (prices as stated on menu)

cross-section:

the burger was very decently-sized and because of what we had packed into it, it was extremely hearty and satisfying! since most people are most concerned with the patties in their burgers, patties first – they were extremely meaty, chunky, and we could really taste the meat, though we would have preferred it to be a bit more medium-rare (though i’m sure you can make a request for that). it was clearly not factory-made and was quite a thick slab such that it wasn’t lost in all the other ingredients that we had added. together with everything else we had picked, it made for a delicious burger. especially the fried egg because, as rach always says, she is a complete sucker for wet egg yolks, and this was one such amazing egg. given how amazing the fillings were, the brioche bun was a bit of a let down. it wasn’t as buttered as we would have liked and was a tad too thick. nonetheless as a whole the burger was delectable.

we also ordered a full rack of ribs to share:

full rack of ribs (original flavour) – £11

the ribs were generously slathered with a thick gooey layer of barbeque sauce. nic appreciated that the ribs were slightly charred and rach liked that they were meaty. the meat was soft and tender, though we felt they could have been even better if the sauce soaked right through the meat and the insides were more thoroughly marinated. they were good enough to leave us licking the bones though; that’s always a positive sign of good food! OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

and now for the sides, the onion rings exceeded our expectations, not just in terms of serving size (aka height) but also in taste.

5-inch onion ring stack – £3.50

we absolutely loved the batter which was crisp and left no aftertaste of stale oil but what nic loved even more was the juiciness of the fresh onions which is clearly evidenced here:

evidently pleased. which is longer – his hair or the onion???!!

and finally, what was probably our favourite dish of the night that left us yearning for a second serving after we had finished the first one:

skins with mushrooms – £4.20

this amazingly simple dish was simply amazing – it consisted of a fried potato skin filled and baked with mushrooms and cheddar. rach’s favourite part of the dish was the skin which remained crispy even after we had left it for a while – who knows why we did as it should have been gulped down immediately. nic felt that the pureness of the taste was so good that the sour cream (pictured in the middle) was rendered redundant. the sweetness of the fresh mushrooms complemented superbly with the saltiness provided by the melted cheese. it’s a wonder why this dish hasn’t been propagated on to some other american diners’ menus yet. as mentioned earlier, we liked it so much that we had a second serving.
the star of the night

despite all that we had eaten, there was space for dessert (there always is)!!! we went for the sundae:

the exhibit sundae – £3.90 ft. nic and his tongue

a typical american diner dessert, the exhibit sundae consists of vanilla and chocolate ice cream, peanut butter, toffee sauce, crushed brownies and whipped cream. our favourite part of the sundae was the addition of chunky peanut butter, it added a very nice and welcome bite to the otherwise slushiness (not in a bad way) of a sundae. the brownies also added texture to the dessert which we enjoyed.

after dinner, we were kindly shown around by luke. we checked out the top floor which has a big room with a bar and a balcony that can be used for private gatherings or parties. the top floor is also where the boutique 28-seater cinema is located, and they show films twice a week (check out the movie schedule on their website and advance booking is recommended). for popular films, additional screenings may be added, as happened on the day we were there, when about time was being screened for the third time. unfortunately, we were oblivious to this fact 😦 if we had known that they were showing it that night, we would have made haste with our food and headed up to one of the cushy sofas to enjoy the movie.

besides the diner, the first floor has another function room that plays host to a range of events, including a speed-dating one that was going on that night.

and finally on the ground floor, there is a lovely bar which charmed us with its stylishly modern yet cosy interior. it also helped that they have live acoustic music on thursday nights and there was a healthy crowd that had the place buzzing and alive.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

overall we were thankful to have been invited to the exhibit as it would not have otherwise crossed our minds to venture out this far. the trip, however, was thoroughly worth it and it would be a waste to let the (slight) distance deter you from paying the exhibit a visit. the concept of having a diner together with a cinema and a bar is fresh and unique; in our humble opinion, this hangout has all the makings of a great venue for an all-in-one night out. be it a night for a nice meal before a movie or just a night for drinks after work the exhibit is a perfect place to get together with mates for a jolly good (and food) time.

thanks for having us, greg; and luke too for showing us around. we’d love to return to check out the brunch menu soon!

The Exhibit

12 Balham Station Rd
London SW12 9SG
http://www.theexhibit.co.uk/

PS. finally writing together again!!!
(excuse the unimpressive attire – this is us on a school night in rach’s kitchen)

The Missing Pan, Singapore

Posted on January 14, 2014 by nicjorach

tried this new kid on the block a few days ago, and my friends and i were very pleasantly surprised by it! adding to the small mix of eateries around the coronation plaza area, the missing pan now provides an alternative to choupinette (which is just a few doors down) and little diner (further down the road) if you’re looking for a spot to have some brunch/cafe-style food.

it looks like a pretty small space from the road looking in, but there’s actually a second storey which has a good number of tables and if you’re lucky enough, you can get one by the large window on one end which is perfect for watching the world go by below you. there’s a very casual and laidback vibe and we were one of just four tables when we visited, so it made for a really nice, bright and airy environment to have a good catch-up over good food.

they call themselves a bakery and brasserie, and serve a range of cold and hot cafe foods, along with breads and cakes displayed at the counter on the first floor. here’s the menu:

the over hangover and french toast salpicon were not available when we went 😦 i was quite disappointed because i thought the french toast sounded pretty special and would have liked to see if this unusual combination of french toast toppings was a hit or miss! nevertheless, we were happy with our 3 options – the eggs benny with smoked salmon, croque madame, and the rosemary rosti stack.

service was pretty efficient and we were soon presented with these goodies:

first thing that struck us was the rather generous servings – clearly meant to be a hearty meal rather than a dainty pick-at-your-food type of cafe, which i liked!

i think my favourite of the lot/the one i was most pleasantly surprised by was the croque madame:

croque madame: gammon ham, gruyere, parmesan, egg (croque monsieur has no egg) grape foccacia – $14

i thought it didn’t look as appetising as the rest (especially in the picture above, i realise… oh dear), but it tasted so good!!! here’s what i think is a better picture, after we flipped the top half over to form one big tasty sandwich:

the gruyere was delicious and my only regret is that i didn’t have more of it more when it was freshly made and brought to the table because after a while, it was naturally less melty than before. the gammon ham was yummy (not the processed sort), and topped with an egg and parmesan, everything came together deliciously. the bread was possibly my favourite part of the croque madame – the foccacia was so wonderfully soft and fluffy, and it was (rather unusually) topped with grapes, which added a very nice mildly sweet touch to the general savouriness of the whole thing. it wasn’t as heavy as i thought it would be; i really enjoyed their rendition of the croque madame and will be back for more!

next up, the eggs benny:

62 degree eggs benedict with smoked salmon: avocado, seaweed crumbs on sourdough with in-house hollandaise – $22

they were out of avocados when we visited, so they replaced them with spinach which was alright, but i think i would have preferred avo. i can imagine the texture and bite it would have added to the mix, particularly if it was chunky avocado! also, who can resist avo on toast??? the eggs were perfectly poached as you can probably tell from the picture, but here’s another one for the yolk to have its chance to shine:
exactly the way i like them in all their runny yolk glory – sooo gooood!
as for the salmon, it wasn’t really raw smoked salmon which i was expecting; the salmon was actually almost like tataki, lightly seared on the outside and more raw on the inside. the hollandaise sauce was also tasty and satisfying without overdoing the creaminess. however i felt that the sourdough left much to be desired! it seemed like it wasn’t properly toasted when it arrived at our table – it wasn’t warm at all and the crusts were thus a little chewy, almost making me feel like i was eating old/stale bread. we ended up picking the toppings off the sourdough and leaving the 2 slices more or less untouched. what a difference from the amazing foccacia in the croque madame! this dish would have been good if the bread were better toasted.

last but certainly not least, we had the rosemary rosti stack:

rosemary rosti stack: bacon, sunny-side egg, tomato, grilled zucchini salad – $16

this was yummy! even the side of grilled zucchini salad was really good and was gone in no time. the zucchini was naturally sweet and perfectly grilled – charred in all the right places, giving it a nice subtle smokey taste but not a burnt taste at all. the rosti was very well done, crisp on the outside but cooked perfectly through. and though you can’t see it from the picture, it had bacon hidden within! topped with an impossibly perfect sunny side-up, we were pleasantly surprised that this dish wasn’t as heavy as we thought it would be. it wasn’t too oily, and was something different from the regular brunch options you get elsewhere.

finally, we ordered a dessert to share. these were the desserts that were available that day, besides what was listed on the menu:
we needed to put name to face (cake) before making a decision, so headed downstairs to check the display out:

settled on the brownie cheesecake which came recommended by the staff.

don’t think there is really any form of scale in the picture, but the slice was rather big! a generous serving, just like their mains. the cake was good, though i wouldn’t rave about it or consider it something i would return for. the combination of brownie and cheesecake was interesting, and it was surprisingly not overly sweet or heavy. taste-wise the cheesecake layer was like light japanese cheesecakes, though texture-wise it was denser than that. as for the brownie layer, it was moist and chocolate-y just as it should be. worth noting that from 2pm-5pm, they offer a free drink with every cake order!

all in all, missing pan is a nice little addition to the neighbourhood that i wouldn’t mind returning to if i’m looking for some good and reasonably-price cafe food. oh and there’s a 15% student discount, so its a great spot for students of schools in the area to have a nice meal. they also sell breads at the counter on the first floor!

The Missing Pan

619D Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 269724

rock a bite, baby

Category Archives: Cafe