Set your alarms. Here are three new cafés worth ponying up some pocket change for this month.
The ‘’hood: Robertson Quay
Who’s behind it: Former banker and trained barista Melanie Ng has paired up with her sister, Severine, to launch this combo bistro- boulangerie -café.
What they’re dishing: Baked goods a’ plenty. Breads – which come in pumpkin seed, dark rye, ciabatta, croissants, you name it – can be ordered with preserves, hummus and eggs or to sandwiched up with pan-seared tuna and avocado salsa (the latter, $18). Pastries and cakes, like melty lemon profiteroles, vanilla raspberry Charlottes and macaroons, are priced between from $4.50 to $6.90, though you’ll need to ante cough up a bit more for the Fuji apple ice soufflé ($14). We’re hearing good things about the mini breakfast mini-burgers with poached eggs and smoked salmon served on spinach Parmesan brioche buns ($16).
What they’re drinking: Hand-blended organic tea, a custom blend of coffee beans from Brazil, Guatemala and Sumatra and craft beer like Delirium Tremens, voted the best beer in the world at the Chicago’s World Beer Championships.
86 Robertson Quay, #01-01 Robertson Blue, 6737 9873
The ‘hood: River Valley
Who’s behind it: Australian specialist coffee roaster Harry Grover of 40 Hands Café and the Spa Esprit Group.
What they’re dishing: All-day breakfasts – that start at 8am, –hurray! – and bistro lunches. Favourites include the wonderfully unique Turkish Common Man breakfast ($25) – a crispy nest of filo pastry encompassing soft-boiled organic eggs that ooze golden goodness, crispy feta balls of feta, pita bread and salad. There’s an unusualcommon organic eggs Benedict served with braised ox cheeks and sourdough toast ($24) and a good fry-up, the Common Man full breakfast ($26). Lunch is a mix of healthy vs. hearty with quinoa salad ($18), pulled pork brioche burgers ($24) and the Common Man burger ($28), made from hand ground rib -eye.
What they’re drinking: Their latte art is pretty cool, but it’s all about the speciality coffee which they roast in-house (though there’s Pipsqueak cider, Little Creatures ale and wine on the menu, too). When you overhear baristas describing the coffee’s “notes of pear and apple”, you know these guys are serious about their beans.
22 Martin Road, #01-00, 6836 4695
The ’hood: Kallang/Geylang
Who’s behind it: Partners Gwen and Xavier own this cute little café in the industrial-style Old Badminton Hall building, which also houses a rock-climbing centre.
What they’re dishing: Gwen bakes her best-selling Earl Grey cake every day in their tiny on-site oven, plus one other cake which could be banana, grapefruit and yoghurt;, blueberry, lavender and rum;, or lemon, cream cheese and yoghurt ($1.90 to $4 per slice). Three types of sandwiches ($4.50 to $4.90) are available and these change every couple of weeks. They’re hoping to add paninis to the menu shortly. Weekend specials ($7) are available from 10.30am.
What they’re drinking: Two selections of coffee beans, such as organic single-origin Brazilian or a blend of Colombian Supremo and Sumatra Lintong ($2.50 to $4), organic English Tea Shop teas ($3.80) and Thorncroft pink ginger, elderflower, and cranberry and hibiscus drinks ($4.50). They recently installed a Toper coffee bean roaster, so expect you’ll soon find Xavier roasting the to find beans roasted in-house by Xavier in the near future.
100 Guillemard Road, #01-07, 9771 1610
