Dean and Deluca @ Orchard Central

Many people have walked around Orchard Central and it would be almost impossible to miss Dean and Deluca, which took up the space left vacant by Gelare Cafe. The cafe space is ever-changing due to accommodate the retail section of Dean and Deluca, but for the better as the seating spaces have increased. I like to be nearer to the counter rather than at the far end nearer to their delicatessen. The place is usually noisy and full of people around brunch time, and it only really frees up around 2pm. This is in spite of the 37% user review reflected on hungrygowhere. Given it's location, I would say it's a nice place for friends to meet as the high (or lack of) an immediate ceiling means that the place feels spacious. The seats are also adequately spaced so that one can have his or her own private conversations. I like to drop by to just get a few muffins for breakfast the next day as they are cheap and good ($3.50 for a very filling and wholesome muffin). Their regular mains are good, but not extremely so. Their drinks are rather underwhelming as well,  and perhaps this is why they've garnered such low ratings. This is because their prices aren't exactly for the budget-conscious. Therefore, I don't usually go for their mains but I usually like to custom my meals ala carte as I get what I want at a slightly cheaper price.

Pan-seared Salmon steak, Herb Mixed Vegetables

Normal-tasting salmon that is a little on the dry side. Needed much more of the lemon butter sauce but couldn't get more. The more fatty parts of the salmon tasted good though, and they're pretty stingy with the greens. I ordered mixed herb vegetables which included beetroot, pumpkin and potatoes to accompany this dish so I managed to get this combination for under $15.

Angus Beef Bulgogi Aglio Olio Linguine

Extremely tasty and it only costs $13.50. You're unlikely to get this deal at the moment, but one can always hope. I got this under the "Pasta of the Week" promotion, which recently increased their price to $14 for the week's pasta. Not sure if this promotion is still ungoing though, but it was certainly good over the weeks when it lasted. The linguine was adequately tasty and not too oily, which I enjoyed. The angus beef was also very flavourful and slightly spicy. The portion was also enough to satisfy me, and it's certainly a steal for the price.

Spicy Marinara with Soft Shell Crab

Another one of my catches during the promotion! The pasta here is definitely more moist due to the tomato base sauce. I liked the taste of the herbs they used to season the pasta, and the mashed tomatoes were good. There was a decent portion of soft shell crab, which was nicely battered. However, the crab was a little cold by the time I ate it, but it was still tasty nonetheless. It tastes better on its own and just perhaps with a dash of the tomato or tabasco sauce. Otherwise, the batter will turn soggy and the crab won't be as pleasant-tasting.

Boston Shrimp and Avocado Sandwich

Another budget alternative, one can always try the Chef Special that is slightly cheaper than their all-day breakfast mains. However, the quality of the chef's special changes and it really depends on the individual if you want to go for it. Here, the sweet taste of the shrimp bathed in a light mayo sauce tasted great. The avocado was fresh and sweet too, and hence it provided a nice texture to the sandwich on a whole. There is a sizable portion of a side salad, and potato chips that go well with the BBQ sauce that they provide. Or you could be like me and have chips drizzled with Tabasco sauce. Not the most orthodox way of eating it but oh well.

Portobello Cheese Burger

Angus beef steak, with porotbello mushrooms (obviously, lol!), gouda cheese, tomato and lettuce. The bread patties simply cannot contain the burger, which is almost certain to fall apart when you try to eat it. The beef patty is good, definitely very tasty and juicy. Only eat this if you do like beef, as the taste can be a bit strong. The lettuce and tomatoes are normal, but sufficiently fresh. The gouda cheese is a good alternative and goes well with the burger on a whole, and having just the portobello mushrooms with the gouda cheese is pretty heavenly. Their serving of fries is quite large, so it might take a while for you to finish it. That being said, the burger isn't that filling on its own. Have this with the BBQ sauce that they provide at the counter. However, it was slightly expensive in my opinion for a burger.

Chicken bacon and Apricot Roll

Another one of my budget selections! This is pretty filling on its own, and it wasn't as dry as I had expected it to be. The chicken bacon is extremely tasty, and goes well with the flaky pastry of the roll. The apricot flavour is nice too, and the sesame seeds help to make the roll more fragrant overall.

The New Yorker

One of Dean and Deluca's signatures, I had high hopes for this, especially since I was paying $25 for it. Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon in a sesame-seed bagel accompanied by a vine-ripened tomato. Although I wasn't disappointed by the dish's taste and appearance, the price was rather high. For the same price, I would have gotten much larger servings and better service at Wild Honey. The smoked salmon had a strong smoked flavour which was enjoyable, but the slices were bordering on stingy. The scrambled eggs were good, and so was the freshly-baked bagel. However, this dish is certainly not filling because of it's small size. I would have liked another vine-ripened tomato too because mine was a little small for me. 

The verdict for Dean and Deluca? I would say that it's a nice place to start your day for brunch, and perhaps for their stack of pancakes which look delicious. I wouldn't come here specifically for their drinks or for their food though. Definitely a bit overpriced for its quality. If you don't mind experimenting with their ala carte dishes, you probably can come up with something nice and value-for-money. This is because I find their normal menu much nicer than that of their all-day breakfast. However, with it's location at Orchard and the relative ease of getting a seat, it's definitely a good place (for larger groups especially) to meet up. I would recommend, however, their baked goods such as muffins and cakes, especially for a takeaway.

Expect to pay: $20-30

#04-23/24

Orchard Central

181 Orchard Road

UPDATE: Chye Seng Huat @ Tyrwhitt Road

Went back to Chye Seng Huat on a weekend and boy was the crowd crazy. Hard to find even a place for two, and 15 minutes of frustration later, finally got a comfy seat with backrest (yay). Decided not to go for their filtered coffee but rather their pressured coffee this time. After all, I always prefer pressured coffee. Had the almond croissant again which I love, but the chocolate brownie which I had the other time was gone. Probably a seasonal offering ):

Decided not to go for their Nuts + Bolts Espresso, and instead went for their Throwback, which was a blend of Brazilian and Sumatran coffee beans. I loved it as it was much stronger than the Nuts + Bolts, as I compared the taste between single shots for both the blends. I myself had a double shot Throwback Espresso (pictured below) which is a nice upgrade if you love coffee (it costs just $0.50 for one additional shot). The Throwback was also more bitter and heavy, and it made the Nuts + Bolts taste much milder in comparison. However, the Throwback isn't a permanent brew so I would catch it while you can! 

View the full post on Chye Seng Huat Hardware here:

http://eatwheresia.blogspot.sg/2013/12/chye-seng-huat-hardware-tyrwhitt-road.html

The Humble Loaf @ Katong Shopping Centre

Many people have the misconception that Penny University is the only cafe worth going to in the East. However, I've recently found a gem in one of the most unexpected places ever. Katong Shopping Centre primarily caters to people who are looking for domestic helpers as a large portion of the shops here are maid employment agencies. On a trip to try the famous Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice in the food court, I stumbled upon this modest-looking cafe. It's name? The Humble Loaf. There are only 3 tables for 2 inside this little shop, apart from the counter seats, and hence I felt abit paiseh to whip out my camera and take photos due to the intimate setting. Therefore, I'm using these pictures available on The Humble Loaf's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/thehumbleloaf?fref=ts) 

Picture taken from The Humble Loaf's Facebook Page

The Humble Loaf is best known for their baked goods, and they often sell out way before their closing hours. Despite being a small cafe in a rather ulu place, The Humble Loaf has a steady stream of regulars, or people coming into the store to enquire about their goods as well as to place orders. The cafe serves coffee from Highlander, which is decent enough. My personal favourite is the shoyu caramel latte, which has a distinct flavour of shoyu which makes it a quirky cuppa for me. They also serve tea as well, but their coffees are evidently more popular when I was observing the other guests. They also serve sandwiches and eggs, which are freshly made on the spot upon order. The pastries were also fairly cheap (I remember brownies going for the price of approximately $2.50) and change on a daily basis, depending on what the cafe decides to bake. 

Picture taken from The Humble Loaf's Facebook Page

Picture taken from The Humble Loaf's Facebook Page

Do pay them a visit while they're in the area, or do what many people do and take away their freshly baked loaves of brioche and other baked goodies. However, the place definitely cannot accommodate large groups of people so that's certainly a drawback, but it's always good to start small and be sustainable. 

Expect to pay: $5-10

#B1-92
Katong Shopping Centre
865 Mountbatten Road

UPDATE: Read my second post on the Humble Loaf here! With pictures too!
http://eatwheresia.blogspot.sg/2014/01/update-humble-loaf-katong-shopping.html

Tiong Bahru Bakery @ Raffles City Shopping Centre

Tiong Bahru Bakery by Gontran Cherrier is one of my favourite cafes in town at the moment given its location at Raffles City Shopping Centre, which is like connected to 3 of Singapore's MRT rail lines. Despite patronising them on a few occasions, I usually "tar-pow" or take away my food from there as I usually like to have it for teatime or for the next day's breakfast. What I like about this outlet of Tiong Bahru Bakery is that it has ample seating and the water feature gives it an open-ness that I find to be calming. This is especially since the water feature cuts through the middle of the cafe, giving each quite a bit of personal space to each table. The concept is simple: You go up to the counter and choose which pastries you want, then you choose which drinks you would like to go with your pastries, and then proceed to pay up and then you may sit wherever you wish. Plain water is provided, as is a free flow of packaged butter and jam. In a few words, I would say that Tiong Bahru serves excellent pastries, and although prices are slightly high at the moment, it's certainly a good alternative to commercialised coffee joints such as Starbucks or The Coffee Bean.

Tiong Bahru Bakery also serves excellent coffee of the "40 hands brew", a similar one to the one you will find at Common Man Coffee Roasters. I've had the latte on 2 occasions and the taste has been consistent, which I'm pleased with. Pictured below is a layman's guide to ordering coffee, showing the amount of coffee, milk and water in each drink, which I found extremely helpful. 

Their croissants, which are not pictured here, are definitely one of the better croissants in Singapore, trumping those made by Maison Kaiser, San Moulin, Paul's and DONQ. They are extremely flaky and crisp (even on the second day) and it tastes extremely good even on its own without any condiments. Its variants include chocolate, almond and orange croissants, which all have their own distinct flavours, but I prefer the original one personally as I feel that it is the most crispy. 

Large Latte ($7.50)

Like I mentioned earlier, a little bit pricey for the size of the cup, but the quality of the coffee and the luxury of space makes it worth it to come here. I would also say that their coffee is one of the stronger and better pressured coffees in Singapore. Their latte art is very ordinary though. I would have liked more variation instead of getting hearts all the time but ohwell -shrug-.

Kouigh Amann ($4)

One of Tiong Bahru Bakery's signature pastries apart from their Croissants. This pastry is extremely sweet on its own, which is why I like to take it with salted butter to balanced out the taste. It also happens to be one of the victims of the price increase (it used to cost $3.50) so sales for this have definitely dropped since then. There is also a chocolate variation of this ($4.20) but I prefer the original. MUST TRY if you are here for the first time.

Apple and Raisin Brioche (4.20)

I'll be the first to admit that I love things that are value-for-money, and hence when I realised that the Apple Crumble cost a whopping $6.80 for a 10cm by 5cm size with a thickness of about 0.6cm, I immediately went to source for an alternative. My answer? The Apple and raisin brioche. The filling is pretty much the same, and I find the brioche a much more crispy and pleasant on its own than the crumble which looks a bit on the dry side.

Expect to pay:  $10-15

#B1-11/12
Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road

Penny University @ East Coast Road

Penny University is one of the cafes that has been in my neighbourhood for quite some time, but I haven't visited them until a few months ago when I decided to meet up with a friend there. In brief, it's a quaint cafe that serves fairly affordable mains and drinks, and I suppose the ambiance is decent too. More on this as we go along.

When you enter the cafe, you are greeted by a friendly group of staff that really makes you feel welcome. The decor in the cafe is nondescript - an assortment of old tables and chairs, and the usualsmatterings of couches, but I found their shelves and cue balls classy and gave the place a very homely touch. On certain days, you can choose the type of espresso beans you want in your coffee-related drinks, which was great for me because I always like to shake things up and try new flavours.

As you can see above, their table placards have changed over 2 visits. My first visit was on 30 November 2012 and that was when they still had the wooden numbers, and individual sugar containers per table. On 18 June 2013, they were replaced with quaint looking hand-made placards and the sugar containers are now on a common table.

PennyU is reputed for their Muddy Espresso in Cold Milk, which I found to be one of the best for cold coffee drinks in Singapore. The milk brought out the flavour of the coffee rather than suppressing it. The hot version, Espresso with 5 oz milk also reflected a similar, but somehow slightly differing flavour from its cold counterpart. Both are pictured below, with the Muddy Espresso on top.

Turkish Eggs with Sourdough Toast.

The picture on top is from my visit last year and the one below is the one from this year.

This is my personal favourite for a main as there is greek yogurt in the dish as well which tastes awesome when you dip the sourdough bread into the spices, eggs and yogurt. Slightly spicy, although not so much on my subsequent trip here. As you can see, the amount of chili oil varies from time to time.

Pictured below are 2 variants from my 2 trips to PennyU. The one on the left is marmite toast with tomatoes, but it is no longer on the menu. In its place is its successor - Eggs on toast (Maasdam Cheese and Marmite). Both are really good (which is why I posted the picture of the old marmite toast), but it was certainly a step in the right direction by pairing it with poached eggs and maasdam cheese. That being said, the cheese made the dish pretty salty overall, but it works out well when consumed with the eggs and salad.

Salmon and Cream Cheese on Sourdough Bread. 

This tasted good, although I was definitely disappointed that I did not get it with the bagel (they ran out of bagel so sourdough bread was the substitute bread). The bread was toasted to perfection and the bread was not too salty overall, despite the fact that both salmon and cheese can make a dish too salty.

Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon.

This was quite similar to my modified choice of salmon and cream cheese on sourdough bread, except that the hollandaise sauce replaced capers and black pepper. Also, this dish came with 2 poached eggs. It actually boils down to personal preference, as you could have easily ordered poached eggs at the side to enjoy with the salmon and cream cheese bagel (sourdough bread). I like the hollandaise sauce here more than some others due to the fact that the lemon taste is stronger.

Savoury

Pictured here is another dish that was given the axe. It's basically brioche toast accompanied with butter and maple syrup, and a side of strawberries and blueberries. As you can see, the portion of fruits and syrup is much less than desired, so it's probably one of the reasons that it got taken out of the menu. However, while it was in the menu I saw quite a few people ordering it. Personally, I would prefer pancakes to brioche toast as that's something still lacking in PennyU's present menu.

Hot Chocolate

A staple anywhere you go, good old-fashioned hot chocolate. I wouldn't go so far as to say that this hot chocolate was exceptional, but i would give it a 7 out of 10. I would have preferred the hot chocolate to be thicker and more bitter. Definitely this falls behind compared to the Wild Mocha Dolce served at Wild Honey, when comparing the price.

In summary, I would still go to PennyU if I happen to be in the area, especially if prices remain as they are. They have good food and decent strong coffee. If you are a fan of pressured coffee and espressos, this is definitely one of the places to go. Their menu could use a little more diversity, but given that its just a humble coffee joint, I feel that they're doing just enough at the moment. Will be coming back here for sure!

Expect to pay: $15-20 per person

402 East Coast Road

Tue - Thu: 08:30 - 18:00

Fri - Sat: 08:30 - 00:00

Sun: 08:30 - 21:00

Closed: Mon

Joe & Dough @ Milennia Walk

Run out of places to meet up in town but don't want to burn a hole in your wallet? One of the good places to go to is Joe & Dough. The last time I checked, they have a lunch tea set where you can get any sliced cake or pastry paired with any drink for $8. It used to be $6.80 but prices have gone up since then. I used to patronize the outlet outside Carrefour in Suntec City, but the area is now closed and undergoing renovations. Instead I now go to their outlet on the 2nd floor of Milennia Walk. Love the ambiance there due to it being quiet and you can really have a good conversation here. Even if you come at hours where you are unable to enjoy the promotion, their drinks and pastries are still reasonably priced. Furthermore, their coffee is much nicer than other commericalised cafes such as Starbucks and Coffee Bean.

Their Signature Valrhona Chocolate Cake. Goes well with anything (since I love chocolate anyway), although it might be a tad bit dry, depending on when you actually go there and how fresh the stock is. 

Prune Cheesecake. Moist cheesecake that does not feel too rich or heavy, and the prunes accentuate the flavour of the cake.  

Cafe Latte. Your daily cuppa, made from coffee beans that are ground upon order. You don't have to wait long for this, as the barista usually does a swift yet good job when making your order. 

Didn't get any pictures of their cold drinks here, but their iced coffees are generally good, with my personal favourite being the iced mocha. Do note the opening hours of the various outlets before you pay them a visit as they do close quite early for some outlets. 

Exepct to pay: $5-10 a person, depending on how much you order.

#02-31
Milennia Walk
9 Raffles Boulevard

Chye Seng Huat Hardware @ Tyrwhitt Road

Been reading alot of good reviews regarding the food served at Chye Seng Huat Hardware (CSHH) Coffee Bar, and so I decided to head down to give it a try since I was in the area. Currently also on my quest to find good coffee places to meet up with friends instead of patronizing the over-commercialised ones like Starbucks. It is located relatively near Jalan Besar Stadium, in a rather unassuming street. In fact, I even saw Bangladeshi workers sleeping nearby. 

The cafe exudes a nostalgic charm, being true to its namesake, as you can see in the picture below. It occupies the first floor of the shophouse, whilst there is what I believe to be an Arts company on the second level. Seating in the cafe is mainly for a party of one or two people, with larger groups needing to head to the open air spaces outside. However if you are inside, you might want to bring a jacket as the temperatures are relatively low.

The picture below shows the alternate entrance to the one above, and you can see a long queue forming within the cafe even at 2pm.

Not the best image quality, but each of their placards has a phrase "Huat ah" which I found to my quite quaint. Also pictured here is the alternate entrance, which is not sheltered. However, the open air seating space boasts a canopy so you'll not get wet. However, winds do blow a little bit of rain splatter onto your legs, but personally I found it nice, if not a bit romantic.

Water here is free flow! And sugar comes in a common sugar jar as opposed to sachets.

View of the interior and some of the internal seating/retail space

Regular Espresso with Milk ($5.50) NO SERVICE CHARGE!! The staff referred to this as the "latte" and I found the milk to be semi-rich. The texture of the coffee was smooth, but I felt that the milk overpowered the taste just slightly (I like my coffee strong). 

Chocolate Brownie with Cranberries and White Chocolate Chips ($5.50). This was heavenly. I believe they used Valrhona Chocolate for this, which made it extremely rich and it had just the right level of sweetness. Delicious pairing with my coffee, which I took without milk and sugar. Reasonably priced given the size and quality of the brownie.

Almond Croissant ($3.50) This was another good selection, with the price being all right as well. Definitely cheaper than the overpriced Tiong Bahru Bakery. The icing and almonds made the croissant especially fragrant, and it was definitely comparable with the quality of the former.

La Cupula, or the Balanced Brew from Guatemala ($6). The description did not say much except that it was a origins brew. Hence I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was hand-brewed, and made through the filtration method. Waited 15 minutes for this to arrive, and I found the presentation of the coffee interesting. Personally I'm more of a "pressured-coffee" person, but I found this decent. The coffee was rather acidic but at the same time light on the palate. It was extremely smooth without the bitter aftertaste. 

La Minita, or the Bold Brew from Costa Rice. ($6). Prepared in a similar way to the coffee above, but I found this much stronger, which I liked. However, the coffee tasted more common when you compare how exquisite the taste is. 

More of the offerings in CSHH. 

An extremely good find tucked away in a quiet street, definitely a place I would bring my friends to. Probably the most charming cafe I've been to yet. They do serve a breakfast menu but I would probably stick with the drinks and pastries.

Expect to pay: $5-10 per person, depending on what you order. NO SERVICE CHARGE. and GST is included in the prices already. So they're literally charging you NETT.

150 Tyrwhitt Rd, 207563

63960609

Read about my second visit here!
http://eatwheresia.blogspot.sg/2014/01/update-chye-seng-huat-tyrwhitt-road.html