The Plain.

Craving for a simple but delicious all-day breakfast? Then this post is just right for you!

The moment I set foot into this little establishment, I fell in love. There were sofas, small tables as well as huge communal tables for customers to pick from. Decor-wise, it was minimalistic, but extremely cosy. It made me feel like I had just entered my friend's home. The part I loved most was how unpretentious the entire place was. It didn't have flashy sign boards at the entrance to attract the attention of passers-by, and it was decorated in such a way that you'll feel at home. 

 

Another plus point was that the entire service crew was super friendly. Probably one of the friendliest bunch of people I've ever met. I was greeted with a "Hey! How are you?", which is a rather unorthodox greeting for a restaurant, but very refreshing. I also loved how most of the service crew had whacky hairstyles with unusual colours, because many restaurants discourage or forbid their staff from doing so. 

In the end, my friend and I decided to sit at a small communal 6-seater table near the entrance. 

The menu was mounted on the wall. The concept was pretty interesting; you could choose to order half or a full portion for most of the items. I really liked this, because it gives customers an opportunity to try more things on the menu without stuffing themselves silly. The breakfast items were really simple, mainly consisting of poached eggs with variations of toast or sandwiches, accompanied with different kinds of coffee, tea and juices.

After taking a long time looking through the extensive menu, we finally decided on half a portion of Darling's Eggs, half a portion of Dean's Breakfast, Ciabatta Pastrami & 2 Ice Chocolates! Despite the cafe being almost fully packed (on a Wednesday afternoon), we were pleasantly surprised when our food and drinks arrived after waiting for only about 3-7 minutes.


DARLING'S EGGS; Poached eggs with ham, cheese & Roma tomatoes on sourdough toast ($7.50 for half a portion)

Having said that I'm not a huge fan of eggs in my first post, I did not try the poached egg. However, my friend described it as near perfect, but would prefer it to be slightly
runnier. Unfortunately, the bread was a little on the hard side and required quite a bit of effort to cut through. The ham and cheese was alright, and the tomatoes were sweet and juicy. Overall, this did not blow us away, but it was decent.


DEAN'S BREAKFAST; Poached eggs with melted cheese & Vegemite on sourdough toast ($7 for half a portion)

The poached eggs for this were of the same high standards of the previous dish. Sadly, the bread was also equally as hard. I've never had Vegemite in my life, so this was a first for me. There wasn't much vegemite spread on the bread so the taste was rather mild, and the taste of the cheese overpowered the vegemite. Despite this, the combination of all the components went well together and this too, was a pretty alright dish.


ICED CHOCOLATE ($6)

I was really looking forward to this, especially since it was a hot day. To my dismay, it tasted exactly like Milo Dinosaur (Iced Milo with Milo powder) that you can get at coffee shops at a much lower price. Don't get me wrong, I really love a good Milo Dinosaur as much as the next Singaporean would, but I felt that this was extremely overpriced.


CIABATTA: PASTRAMI; Beef pastrami, semi-dried tomatoes, sweet chilli relish, cheese & rocket ($9.50)

Clearly, I've saved the best for last! I really LOVED this sandwich! The Ciabatta bread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, really giving that extra crunch. I'm not really fond of rocket, however, the rocket in this sandwich gave off a subtle nutty flavour which worked out magnificently, it did not have the raw vegetable taste at all. The beef was tender and the sweet chilli relish really brought the dish to a whole new level, playing with sweet and savoury flavours. Being a cheese lover, it was one of the most important components for me, and they really aced it! I had a foodgasm in every single bite! This is a MUST TRY!

All in all, I have to say that The Plain has become one of my favourite cafes and go-to places for all-day breakfasts. All the food I tried was between a range of decent to stellar, and the prices are also very reasonable, with no GST charge (YAY!). The service was also top-notch. Fast, efficient and friendly, I couldn't have asked for better service. I really enjoyed my lunch there.

With amazing service, simple but good food with reasonable prices, combined with a cosy ambience, it's really a pity that I've only tried it recently. Without a doubt, I'll be back for more of their delicious sandwiches, as well as to try their coffee, which is proclaimed to be incredible.

THE PLAIN

50 Craig Road, #01-01, Singapore 089688

Tel: +65 6225 4387

Operating Hours:

Open Daily    7.30am - 7.30pm

*They only take reservations for the 6-seater private area.

No reservations taken for weekends.

Arbite

Just the other day, my mum & I were craving for some good western food and decided to head down to Arbite. We've been there a couple of time before and knew that the food was pretty decent. With empty stomachs and minds full of cravings, we made a trip down to the Serangoon Gardens outlet.

Arbite is located on the second floor of shop houses, with its entrance beside Sushi Tei. While walking up the stairs, we noticed that there were colourful lego blocks stuck to the walls along the staircase. What a unique decoration! The restaurant itself was tiny; I doubt it could fit more than 30 people. However, the place was brightly lit and was decorated such that it gave off a very homey feel. The entire place felt very cosy. There were even jars filled with lego blocks on display for customers to play with while they wait for their food (mostly children). I really liked this concept, it was very special and unique. We visited the restaurant on a Wednesday afternoon, to find that the restaurant was 1/3 full, which made the ambience much better.

The waiter who served us was polite and friendly. I ordered the Pappardelle with Mushrooms and Parma Ham, while my mum ordered the set lunch which came with a soup of the day, a drink, salad and her main, the Pan-fried Sea bass with Sweet Potatoes & Vegetables. Our food arrived relatively quickly, to which our empty stomachs rejoiced.

SALAD W SAUTEED MUSHROOMS (Part of set lunch)

I'm not a big fan of salads as I don't fancy the taste of raw vegetables, but surprisingly, this salad suited my taste buds. The dressing was fantastic as it masked the rawness of the vegetables. The mushrooms were also flavourful and juicy.


PAPPARDELLE W MUSHROOMS & PARMA HAM; Button mushrooms, spinach, parma ham and cream sauce drizzled with truffle oil ($19.90)

Being a lover of cream based pastas and parma ham, ordering this was a no-brainer for me. I absolutely loved the parma ham. It was of good quality, and you definitely know you aren't getting short-changed for the price you are paying. The cream sauce was flavourful and rich, with just the right thickness. As for the pasta, I personally would have preferred it to be a little thinner, but that's just me. The button mushrooms were also as good as those in the salad. Overall, it was a decent pasta. However, I got a little sick of eating it after finishing about 2/3 of it as it was very rich.


PAN FRIED SEA BASS W SWEET POTATOES AND VEGETABLES (Part of set lunch)

Both my mum and I really enjoyed this. The sea bass was very fresh and was cooked perfectly. The flesh was soft and the seasoning went extremely well with the fish. The sweet potatoes had a slight crunch on the outside and was soft within, being both sweet and savoury at the same time. This too, went very well with the sea bass. Unfortunately, the vegetables were a little under cooked and also rather bitter.

We had a great lunch that day. The only down side is that their food and drinks are a bit pricey, but rest assured that for the quality of the food you're getting, its definitely worth the money. All Day Breakfast is also served for all those breakfast junkies out there (Hooray!).

Great ambience, friendly staff and decent food with fresh and good quality ingredients, Arbite is definitely a place that I will find myself returning to for a good meal.

ARBITE

66A Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555962.
Tel: 62870430

Operating Hours:

Tue – Fri, 11.30 am – 3.00 pm, 6.00pm - 10.30pm
Sat – Sun 11.00 am – 10.30 pm
Last Order at 2.30 pm & 9.30 pm
(Sun 9.00pm)
Closed on Mondays

Wafflelicious

For all you sweet-tooths out there, you're in for a treat! 

I've had a major waffle craving for the longest time and was finally satisfied when a dear friend recommended Wafflelicious to me. We headed down to the famous stretch of shop houses along Upper Thomson Road and practically sprinted towards the small waffle house.

The decor of the place was very simple, with the tables relatively spaced out, which provided customers with more privacy. I loved the fact that it wasn't cluttered with tables. It may look tiny at first, but fear not, because there's a second floor with more seats! 

I noticed that the place had a self-service policy, so we had to get our own menus & cutlery, as well as order at the counter. However, this also means NO GST (My wallet rejoices)! There were savoury waffles as well as sweet ones, along side other finger food like sausages. They also had an extensive drink menu (unfortunately I did not snap a shot of this).

Here are some photos of the menu for your reference!

There was also an ice-cream counter where you can sample all their unique flavours like TWG Earl Grey, Apple-cinnamon, matcha kitkat etc. All the flavours of ice-cream were so interesting, I'll definitely be back to sample all of them! The best part is, they are all homemade!

Eventually, we decided on the Chocolate Frenzy & my own customised waffle (Original waffle with 'Cookies & Me' ice-cream, topped with Twin Chips* and finally drizzled with Hershey's Chocolate)!

*Twin chips are half milk chocolate & half white chocolate chips

The service staff who took my order was polite but was a little bit shy, in my opinion. When I asked what 'Twin chips' were, he immediately grabbed the tub filled with them and showed it to me. However, he was a little hesitant upon further probing of what they were made of. I am pleased to inform you that both our waffles were served very quickly, I couldn't wait to tuck in!


CHOCOLATE FRENZY; Chocolate waffle, Mud-tella gelato, twin chips & Hershey's ($8.20)

This is a chocolate lovers haven! So much chocolatey goodness in every single bite! The waffle itself was nice and crispy on the outside, while the inside was soft and fluffy. The chocolate taste in the waffle was not too intense or overpowering. The ice-cream was smooth, rich and creamy, with delicious hints of Nutella in every bite. Combined with the crunchiness of the twin chips, this was a masterpiece. However, I wouldn't recommend this to those who tend to feel sick after consuming overly sweet things, as the whole concoction was very sweet. As for all you chocolate maniacs out there, this is a MUST HAVE!


MY CUSTOMISED WAFFLE; Original waffle with 'Cookies & Me' ice-cream, topped with Twin Chips, drizzled with Hershey's Chocolate ($7.90)

I believe that you can never go wrong with original (it's usually the best!). Even though the chocolate waffle was delicious, I much preferred the original. This too, was perfectly crisp on the outside and fluffy within, and it had a very authentic waffle taste. I decided to pick the cookies & cream ice-cream instead of the other unique flavours as I wasn't really feeling that adventurous that day; I'm glad I made that decision! Creamy with a strong vanilla taste, paired with the sweet cookies infused into it, it was a match made in heaven. I have to say, I absolutely LOVE Twin chips! The crunch it provides brings a whole new dimension to the dish, combined with all the other different textures. The Hershey's chocolate was a nice touch as well. My satisfaction upon finishing this was at its maximum. 

My overall experience was great. I really enjoyed the waffles there, it definitely satisfied my craving! I also noticed that the prices are slightly cheaper than what normal waffle places would charge (>$10), which made both me and my wallet extremely happy. If you are ever craving for waffles, or even just some good ice-cream, head straight down to Wafflelicious! I assure you that you will leave with a smile on your face and a full belly. 

As for me, I'll be returning to try out their other interesting flavours of waffles and homemade ice-cream the moment my cravings decide to come flocking back!

Wafflelicious

215F Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574349

Tel: 6456 5834

Operating Hours:

Tue - Thu: 2:00 pm - 11:00 pm Fri: 2:00 pm - 1:00 am Sat: 10:30 am - 1:00 am Sun: 12:30 pm - 11:00 pm

Lola's Cafe

A couple of friends and I decided to finally meet for a meal. We were looking for a nice & cosy place to catch up over dinner and I suggested trying out the much raved about Lola's Cafe!

It was a small yet cosy cafe, furnished with not only the conventional tables and chairs, but also comfy and colourful couches. I loved how their furniture was not consistent, as if each table had its own theme. Very unique indeed. We arrived at about 7pm without a reservation. Fortunately, there was one empty table which could accommodate us and we were seated immediately. The items on the menu sounded very appetising and we were spoiled for choice. Finally, we decided on the Bacon & Mushroom Spaghetti in Truffle Cream Sauce and the Spicy Grilled Chicken Burger, with a side of Truffle Fries with Grated Parmesan to be shared.

The waiter who took our order was very polite, however, was rather tentative and seemed to lack confidence. He was rather hesitant when answering our questions. Other than this, he gave us fast and efficient service.

Truffle Fries with Grated Parmesan ($11)

The fries arrived first. To our dismay, it tasted just like normal fries with a slight hint to truffle oil. We could not taste the parmesan cheese at all, and the truffle taste was so weak it was negligible. It was a great disappointment, especially since it was not cheap


Bacon & Mushroom Spaghetti in Truffle Cream Sauce; Spaghetti with sauteed onions, mushroom & bacon, tossed in truffle-infused cream sauce and parmesan cheese ($14)

This was definitely a hit. I could taste the sweetness of the onions and the fragrance of truffles, combined with the saltiness of the bacon in the cream sauce. The thickness of the cream sauce was just right and the portion served was just enough to satisfy me without overwhelming me (as many cream-based pastas do). My friends enjoyed this dish as well, swearing that we will definitely return to eat this again.


Spicy Grilled Chicken Burger; A generous slab of succulent & spicy grilled chicken leg topped with spicy aoili and thick-cut fries ($14)

It was quite surprising that the burgers we ordered took the longest to come (around 25 minutes), as burgers are usually the easiest to prepare. There were mixed reviews for this. One of my friends thought that it was pretty good, while the other thought it was just average and probably a bit too spicy. In my opinion, I found the chicken to be rather juicy and succulent (as promised), but was a little on the spicy side. Overall, it was a decent burger. The fries, on the other hand, were brilliant. They were crispy and not too oily, the thickness was very appropriate. These fries beat the truffle fries, hands down. 

To sum up my whole experience at this quaint cafe, I would say it was a pleasant one. The cosy and warm atmosphere provided us with a very comfortable dining experience. Not to mention, the pricing of mains was extremely reasonably (No GST; A plus point!). So, if you're on a tight budget, but yearning to dine at a nice cosy cafe, Lola's is the place for you! It was a pity that we were too full to order dessert as I've heard many good things about it. 

I will definitely head back to sample some of their mouth-watering desserts, as well as their chicken wings (many people ordered this)! 

Lola's Cafe

5 Simon Rd, Singapore 545893
Tel: 6284 0349

   
Opening Hours:

Monday: Closed

Tuesday - Thursday & Sunday: 10:00 am – 11:30 pm

Friday & Saturday: 10:00 am – 12:00 am

Till next time! :)

Hey there fellow Picky Eaters! 

To kick off this food blog covering my foodie adventures around this tiny red dot we call Singapore, I've decided to review one of Singapore's most talked about cafes - Strangers' Reunion! 

I paid a visit to Strangers' Reunion with 3 friends after hearing so many good things about it. We arrived at about 1.30pm on a Sunday afternoon only to find the quaint restaurant fully packed. We had to wait about 10 minutes before we could get a table. A young and friendly waiter handed us a menu and ushered us to the benches outside the restaurant to wait while our table was being prepared for us. 

Upon being seated at our table, we were pretty impressed by how well the place was decorated. The restaurant was furnished with rustic wooden tables and chairs, giving it a very cosy feel. It felt like we were dining in a modern day cottage. 

I was slightly disappointed with the choices on the menu as they only served "All Day Breakfast" until 5pm. Despite the breakfast menu being quite extensive, I was hoping for proper mains such as Pasta. Being a picky eater who doesn't eat eggs, the choices were rather limited for me as 90% of the breakfast items contained eggs. However, I was spoilt for choice while looking at their drink menu, especially at the coffee section. If you aren't an egg-lover like me, I would suggest paying them a visit after 6pm as they have a different menu.

The young waiter who took our order was very pleasant and polite. He answered all our enquiries with great confidence and accuracy. We ordered the Fluffy Savoury Crepe, 2 Florentines, Eggs on Toast & Buttermilk Waffle, with some Spam Fries to be shared. I was rather impressed when the waiter came back after a minute to make sure we knew that the spam fries was actually luncheon meat (it's understandable that some customers may not exactly know what it is). For the drinks, we ordered Magic, a Cafe Latte, as well as a Mocha. Our drinks arrived within 4 minutes of ordering.

MAGIC; Double Ristretto + Milk - Said to be a magical ratio of coffee to milk ($5.50)

CAFE LATTE ($4.90)

MOCHA ($5.50)

Being a barista-in-training, I must say that I was thoroughly impressed with their latte art, especially the amazingly detailed Rosetta on my Mocha. The coffee was very fragrant, and wasn't too bitter. It was just right. The aroma was the best part, I couldn't stop inhaling the beautiful scent of the freshly ground coffee beans. We really enjoyed the coffee, and it wasn't surprising as Strangers' Reunion is known for their amazing coffee & latte art.

Our food arrived relatively quickly, which was a pleasant surprise given that the restaurant was so busy. However, the portions were rather small, which was upsetting as the food was not cheap (with GST charges).


FLUFFY SAVOURY CREPE; With mozzarella, sour cream, beet root relish & mixed greens ($12.50)

You could pick ingredients to add on to your crepe, with additional cost. Their recommended add-ons were Sauteed Mushrooms, Bacon, Parma Ham & Smoked Salmon. As for me, I picked the Honey-baked Ham (+$4.50). The crepe itself tasted pleasant, but it did not wow me. There wasn't enough filling, thus my tummy was not filled after eating it. However, the crepe was indeed, fluffy and had a very nice texture. It's not hard to notice that they were very generous with the sour cream, but I felt that they were a bit too generous, resulting in an over-kill. I had to remove some of the sour cream to make my meal more satisfying. But hey, if you're a sour cream addict, then this dish is just right for you! The Beet root relish was yummy, it had just the right amount of sweetness and really complimented the crepe. My friend even tried it with some toast and it worked our magnificently. I would say that it was an interesting spin on jam. The mixed greens were fresh and had balsamic vinegar as the dressing. 


FLORENTINE; With smoked salmon, spinach, hollandaise sauce, poached eggs & a side of mixed greens ($17.90)

Having said that I'm not a huge fan of eggs, I did not try this, however, my 2 friends who did, gobbled it up so quickly. They really enjoyed this dish, but complained that the portion was too small and was not filling enough. The poached eggs were cooked perfectly and all the elements from the saltiness of the smoked salmon to the crunchy vegetables, to the runny poached eggs, as well as the crispy bread base all complimented each other well. This was definitely a hit.


EGGS ON TOAST; Scrambled (with tomato relish) or poached (with hollandaise sauce) + Ciabatta, english muffins, focaccia or olive bread ($10.50)

Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to take a picture of it.This dish was very average and, like the other dishes, was not enough to fill one's belly (especially for an army boy)


SPAM FRIES; With Kaffir Lime Mayo ($10.90)

This was my first time sampling Spam fries, and we had to order it because it was something unusual. Honestly, the combination of the lime mayo with the luncheon meat fries was an interesting one; a new sensation to my taste buds. Unfortunately, it didn't blow me away. It tasted rather average. I don't think that I will be eating it again anytime soon, but if you have not tried it before, it's worth a try. 


BUTTERMILK WAFFLES; With strawberry maceration & vanilla ice-cream ($13.90)

One word: WOW.
This was amazing. This was the only thing (apart from the coffee) which I would willingly pay its price for. The waffles were simply perfection. It was crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy on the inside. It had just the right amount of crunch and sweetness. The vanilla ice-cream was delicious and was of great quality; you could even see the little vanilla beans in the ice-cream. Creamy and not too sweet, it worked magically with the waffles. The strawberries were not sour at all, adding a whole new dimension to the dessert. What a beautiful pairing, eh? I was devastated when I finished the last bite. I'll definitely be back for more. I give this an A+.

The service was not consistent as some staff were very polite and efficient, but others gave sub-standard service. We had to ask for the bill twice before we actually got it (we asked 2 different waitresses).

Overall, the whole experience did not blow me away, it was merely okay. The cafe was rather noisy and cramped, which is not really a suitable environment to have a relaxing lunch. Perhaps the atmosphere would be better if you went during the non-peak hours. The portions of food was small, and it was a little over-priced. However, the quality of food was good. If you're looking for good quality food and have a loaded wallet, then Strangers Reunion is the place for you! If you haven't been here, it's definitely worth a shot.

Despite all this, I will definitely be back during non-peak hours to be reunited with their buttermilk waffles which sent my taste buds to heaven. 

Strangers’ Reunion

33/35/37 Kampong Bahru Rd
Singapore 169356
T: 6222 4869

 

Opening hours:
Mon: 09:00 – 22:00
Wed – Sun: 09:00 – 22:00

That's all for now! Till my next adventure! :)