One of my good friends recently suggested that we go to a cafe that we haven't gone to before, with the only condition that it had to be near the Orchard area has he had errands to run later on in the day. I'll admit that it was rather challenging for me. The Orchard district and cheap and good cafes are hardly synonymous with each other, owing to the higher rental costs of the area. Hence, to stumble upon a place such as Cups N Canvas gives one a good feeling. A short walk off the corner of School of the Arts Singapore, Cups N Canvas blends in well with its surrounding shops and eateries, and you would easily miss it if you're not looking for it. I had read positive reviews on its food and coffee here, and therefore I had fairly high expectations for this place. Imagine my delight when I found out that there happened to be a lunch special ongoing at the time. Since we were all pretty hungry, we decided to place our faith in the reviews and not even look at the menu before entering the premises.
The interior of the cafe is partitioned into two, with one side being the main cafe area for the consumption of food and beverages, and the other being the place for art classes and activities. During days when classes are being conducted, the seating in the cafe will be restricted to the main area, and this could lead to insufficient seating space when this happens. However, on the day that I went, we pretty much had the luxury to choose which seat we wanted. We settled on the art area as the higher tables made it more suitable for the consumption of food. The smell of paint was faint, but pleasant, something I'd not felt since I used to take Art classes in my Secondary school days. The lunch specials were written with markers on drawing block, which I found practical and in line with the theme of the cafe. As you can see, art pieces adorn most of the free spaces on the walls, making it an art lover's abode.
The three of us decided to try the lunch specials, despite having her good things about their bacon pasta, Blanc Bacon. Maybe on a future visit (: We had the BBQ Quesadillas, Crispy Chicken with Mango Mayo and Pan Seared Dory with tomato salsa. We were surprised to receive a beverage that looked like orange juice, and it was to our delight that it was a complimentary drink due to the Chinese New Year period. Kudos to them for really going the extra mile to making the customer happy.
Crispy Chicken with Mango Mayonnaise
Probably the safest item on the lunch specials, how do you go wrong with fried chicken cutlet :D The cutlet was tasty but could have done better with more meat as the chicken was dry overall. The mango mayonnaise was nice, especially since mango has always gone well with chicken. The fries were nicely done, with them not being too salty. The salad dressing was strange though (not in a bad way), and tasted like grapefruit dressing. It left a strong bitter aftertaste though.
BBQ Chicken Quesadillas
I don't really eat Quesadillas often, and hence I can only judge it based on its overall taste, as I have only tried quesadillas on another occasion at T.G.I.F. The skin was nice and soft, but did not taste that flaky. Also, the dish was definitely on the healthy side as it didn't really taste salty at all. The BBQ Chicken also could have done with more seasoning before preparation, as it comes out flat overall. Same grapefruit-like salad served here.
Pan Seared Dory with Tomato Salsa
I enjoyed this the most (perhaps because I'm partial to seafood). The fish fillet was very succulent, and was good enough to be eaten on its own without the salsa. The fish was also well seasoned with herbs and did not have any fishy smell at all. The salsa was good though, being a bit on the spicy side. The portions are also much more reasonable, though I wouldn't say it would be more filling than the fried chicken option.
The above-mentioned orange juice-tea drink.
Having heard good things about the coffee, we ordered a ristretto latte and a soy latte. The soy milk in the soy latte overpowered the coffee and the result was not being able to taste the caffeine. The soy milk choice might have been questionable because it wasn't a very smooth combination. I had higher hopes for the ristretto latte, as I had been promised that it would be much stronger. The result? Yes, it was stronger, but lacked the aroma that I was expecting. It was certainly better than the soy latte but still ended up tasting quite normal as the coffee was a bit too weak-bodied to be expressed in a latte.
Menus for your viewing pleasure and reference. Updated as of 27/01/14
Overall it was a pleasant experience here! Was glad to be away from the daily grind, and also to enjoy such cafe comforts a short walk away from the Orchard district. The food is good enough, and I would say it is better than average, especially for its price. I enjoyed the complimentary orangejuice-tea drink more than the coffee though, but it's a passable standard for most people. The price for the drinks might be on the higher side for its quality. Would definitely consider meeting up with friends here because of the quiet ambiance.
Expect to pay: $10-20
Cups N Canvas
139 Selegie Road
No comments:
Post a Comment