The Orange Thimble, Eng Hoon Street

The Orange Thimble stands as one of the many cafes located around Thiong Bahru. Known for its coffee and some of their desserts, the cafe is simplistic with a no frills menu at affordable prices.  

 



Long Black

The English $11.50

The English ($11.50), comprises of 2 eggs (sunny side up), pork sausage,streaky bacon, sauteed mushrooms, roasted tomatoes and home-made baked beans served with 2 slices of toast. A very basic big breakfast dish, and we liked the decent portion.



The Orange Thimble Egg Mayo (Veg)
$8.50

 The Orange Thimble Egg Mayo (Veg), was Egg mayo mixed in a special spice blend, crunchy watercress and tomato served with wholemeal bread ($8.50). The sandwich was rather large in portion, and shaped in a adorable heart-shaped fashion. The egg mayo was well seasoned and I liked the concept of including wholemeal bread on the menu.



Miss Portobella (Veg)
$7.50

Miss Portobella (Veg), was Portobello mushroom baked in honey and balsamic vinegar sauce, topped with melted cheese and caramelized onions and garlic served with wholemeal roll ($7.50). The mushroom was well marinated and lusciously topped with melted cheese. Simple, but satisfying.

I wouldn't be back specially for the food. Despite the limited menu, the simple and affordable breakfast dishes that makes The Orange Thimble a good place to hang out for brunch.

The Orange Thimble

56 Eng Hoon Street

#01-68

The Mayor of Tiny Town, Cantonment Road

The Mayor of Tiny Town is a cosy cafe located along Cantonment Road. It was pouring heavily in the afternoon when we were there and we were glad to seek relief from the rain in the warm cafe.

 



Teriyaki Chicken with Mashed Potato
$14.90 with drink

The weekend special was the Teriyaki Chicken with Mashed Potato. We loved the dish. The teriyaki chicken was flavoursome and tender, presented on a creamy bed of mashed potato.


Blue Salmon
$15.90

The Blue Salmon was Seared salmon fillet with Bols blue curacao infused lemon ginger mint tea butter on baked eggplant puree with mixed greens. The dish particularly outstanding despite the interesting description and intriguing flavored butter. The baked eggplant puree was rather tasteless and tasted rather odd with the salmon. The portion could have been bigger and the flavours, stronger.



Iced Latte



Long Black

Still, nothing beats a warm cup of coffee on a rainy afternoon.

The Mayor of Tiny Town

61 Cantonment Road

Tel: 62227089

 

Group Therapy Cafe, Duxton Hill

 

My second time at the cosy cafe, Group Therapy remains a comfortable place for a casual brunch. They changed some of the items on the menu, which was a pity because I wanted to have a go at the Beef stew, only to realise that it has been taken off the menu.

 

They have four all day Breakfast dishes, namely Organic granola & museli bowl with yoghurt and fruits ($11), Poached eggs on Thick toast with salmon  ($15), Sunny side up on thick toast with parma ham ($16), and Belgian style waffle with Maple syrup ($9).



Poached eggs
Thick toast with smoked salmon, gruyere, hollandaise
$15

The Poached eggs on thick toast was accompanied with smoked salmon, gruyere, and hollandaise sauce. The slab of thick toast was generously slabbed with a huge dollop of hollandaise sauce that completely covered the poached eggs, creating a mess of oozing egg yolks, soft egg whites, and sauce. The bread was well soaked with the goodness and I thought it was pretty awesome.



Chicken and Mushroom pie
$14

The Chicken and Mushroom pie was stuffed with chicken chunks and white button mushrooms in gravy sauce, and baked in shortcrut butter pastry. I did not get to try this but it was reportedly good.

 

Baked Chilli Crab Pie
$16

The Baked Chilli Crab Pie comprises of chunks of crab claw meat cooked in Chilli crab sauce, baked in a sweet shortcrust butter pastry. I loved the how the chilli crab complemented the buttery pastry and the dish remains my favorite on the list.

The menu is rather limited but decent enough for a casual brunch date.

Group Therapy Cafe

49 Duxton Hill

#02-01

Tel: 62222554

 

Kith Cafe, Park Mall

With its second outlet conveniently located at Park Mall, you don't have to grapple with the hassle of getting to its first outlet at Rodyk Street. It was fairly crowded on a Saturday morning when we arrived, so do make reservations if you do not want to wait.

 

Indoor seating



Outdoor seating



Iced Latte

No better way to start the meal with a glass of Iced Latte in a hot Saturday afternoon.



Grilled Chicken Salad
$14

The Grilled Chicken Salad comrpises of grilled chicken, wild rocket, green apple, chery tomato, pinenuts and topped with vinaigrette dressing. I had requested for the dressing to be served at the side. The chicken was left over chicken and was tough to chew. I thought the pinenuts were too sparse and the salad components were not assembled in the correct proportions to deliver a balanced flavor- there was too much wild rocket and too little of everything else.




Spaghetti, King Prawn, garlic, chilli, cherry tomato
$19

A daily special on the menu, the King Prawn Spaghetti was flavorsome with its al dente pasta and juicy king prawns. Not the best that we've had, but still satisfying.

I think I still like their breakfast dishes better. It's a fabulous place to chill if you are waiting for your movie to start and you have time to spare.

Kith Cafe
Park Mall
9 Penang Road, Singapore
#01-01E
Tel: +65 6338 8611

Arbite, Serangoon Gardens

A cosy cafe located at Serangoon Gardens, Arbite was filled with noisy chatter when we arrived on a Friday night. 

Japanese Curry Pulled Pork Wrap
$14.90

Japanese Curry Pulled Pork Wrap was stuffed with shredded pork collar, caramelised apple, leeks and Japanese curry sauce, and accompanied with homemade potato croquettes. The shredded pork collar was delectable with the Japanese curry sauce.





Potato croquettes

 The potato croquettes were fried to a beautiful golden and provided the carbohydrate boost for the meal.



Smoked Salmon Smorgasbord
$12.90

An all-day breakfast selection, the Smoked Salmon Smorgasbord consists of smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, capers on afoccacia base and served with a side salad.

Tofu and Lentil Stack

$16.90

The Tofu and Lentil Stack stands with smoked paprika marinated tofu, grilled and stacked with lentil, eggplant, zucchini, tomato and mushroom ragout, white truffle oil, and topped with feta cheese and rocket. I was a little disappointed as the actual dish underscored its hearty dish description. There was at best two cubes of feta cheese and a few mouthfuls of vegetables. Portions aside, the dish was simple and decent.



Grilled Morrocan Chicken
$15.90

Grilled Morrocan Chicken was served with Chicken thigh marinated in Moroccan spices, and accompanied with pilaf rice, a side salad and tomato olive salsa. The chicken was well marinated and went well with the fragrant pilaf rice.



Truffle Beef Burger
$18.90
With Foie Gras $28.9 

 

Truffle Beef Burger contains white truffle infused grilled beef served with mushrooms, grilled tomato and mozzarella cheese. The dish comes with mixed greens and seasoned wedges.



Tagliatelle with Prawn Aglio Olio

$18.90

 

Tagliatelle with Prawn Aglio Olio contains prawns, chilli, garlic, and spring onions with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. The dish resembles the Chinese mee-pok and was tasty although a little oily.

 

With good service in a cosy ambience, Arbite stands as an ideal place for gatherings, although the food is rather average. 

 

Arbite

66A Serangoon Garden Way

Singapore 555962

Tel: 62870430    

Food For Thought, Singapore Botanic Gardens

Sporting a different menu at its second outlet, Food for Thought at Botanic Gardens is spacious and child friendly with its outdoor playground, cafe layout and menu. 

 

Food for Thought Interior

Cakes counter

Slow Roasted Pull Pork
$8

One of my all time favourites, the Slow Roasted Pull Pork with homemade BBQ sauce never failed to delight with its generous chunks of well marinated shredded pork, sandiwched between two homemade potato buns and served with chips. Their burgers are served with caramelised onions, fresh tomatotoes and lettuce.
 
 

Grilled Ribeye with honey shallot chutney
$23

The Grilled Ribeye with honey shallot chutney wasserved with crispy fries and mushroom salad with caramelised chinese celery sauce. The meat was nicely grilled and went well with its sweet and savory honey shallot chutney sauce.



Grilled Barramundi Fillet
$20

The Grilled Barramundi Fillet in basil almond pesto sauce was served with a bed of creamy mashed potato and ratatouille. The fish was fresh but I was not a huge fan of the basil almond pesto sauce. The creamy mashed potato was addictive and I liked the way it was mashed until creamy and smooth.



Ratatouille

The dish came with a handsome pot of ratatouille and I thought it complemented the grilled fish better than its basil sauce.



Bacon and Sage wrapped Chicken Leg
$20 

The Bacon and Sage wrapped Chicken Leg in creamy chicken jus was served with rosemary mashed potato and mesclun salad. The chicken was nicely moist and tender and went well with the bacon.



Durian Mousse Cake
$7

There was not second of hesitation when we spotted the Durian Mousse Cake at the counter, and it was an excellent decision. The cake disappeared from the table before we knew it and everyone loved it. I wouldn't say it is as good as the Goodwood Park's durian mousse cake, but this cake stood pretty well on its own with its alternating layers of rich durian mousse and soft sponge cake.



Old Southern Red Velvet Cake
$6

I was looking forward to having the Red Velvet cake and was slightly disappointed to see that the rendition of this cake is much smaller than the Red Velvet at Queen Street. Nonetheless, it was good, although I would have preferred it without the orange-coloured chocolate swirls.



Black Forest Cake
$7

The Black Forest Cake appeared average in comparison to its alluring counterparts, I would give this a miss and go for the other dessert items.



Brownie and Marshmellow Cup served with a shot of Expresso
$7

Brownie and Marshmellow Cup served with a shot of Expresso presents four dense brownie squares neatly placed in a cup with a dollop of melted marshmellow in the centre and served with a shot of Expresso. The strong dose of coffee married the rich chocolate brownies well with a bitter sweet after taste and a tinge of candy vanilla scent from the melted marshmellow.

Good food, great ambience and friendly prices, Food for Thought remains as one of my favourite dining places!

Food for Thought
1 Cluny Road, Singapore Botanic Gardens,
Tanglin Gate, #B1-00, S259569
T: +65 6338 4848  F: +65 6479 1080

Real Food, The Central

Real Food is a healthy lifestyle cafe, located at the Basement of The Central Mall at Clarke Quay. A heaven for health enthusiasts and vegetarians, the cafe prides itself as being free from processed food, additives, unnatural preservatives and Trans-fat.  

Entrance of Real Food



Food counter

Stocked with healthy food products

Spacious interior



Health magazines available for browsing



Stuffed Veggie Salad

$12.80

Stuffed Veggie ($12.80) is a wheat/gluten free salad with organic capsicum stuffed with a homemade patty made from grated beetroot, carrots, mashed potatoes, onions, millet and fresh parsley. The salad comprises of fresh greens, lemon slices, tomatoes, baby radishes and avocado slices. The star of the dish is really the stuffed capsicum, with the excellent filling that was savory and offered pure delight. Portion was large for the salad and the greens were fresh.



Dumping Noodles Dry
$8.80

The Dumping Noodles Dry ($8.80) comprises of unique handmade dumplings, organic brown rice Udon with green leafy vegetables and cherry tomatoes. The handmade dumplings contained at least ten ingredients and the various textures and flavours of the vegetables made the dumpling an excellent one. The noodles were simple but splendid and went very well with the garlic chilli sauce. A healthy and wonderful dish that leaves you feeling satisfied at the end of the meal.



Blueberries and Banana French Toast
$7.80

The Blueberries and Banana French Toast ($7.80) is an artisan egg toast with bananas and blueberries topped with a drizzle of organic raw honey. You can choose to top it with homemade organic lemon curd at an additional cost (+$1.50). You could find bananas sandwiched between the two slabs of nicely buttered egg toast. Probably a healthier rendition of a French Toast, this dish would make a great breakfast option.



Freshly brewed Organic Coffee
$4.00

Freshly brewed Organic Coffee ($4.00), made with fair trade organic coffee beans.



Banana + Berries
$7.80

Banana + Berries ($7.80) was a blend of organic bananas, fresh berries, organic soymilk, agave and chia seeds. While we liked the fact that the smoothie contained soley the fresh ingredients with no additional addictives or sugar, we wished the portion was larger. We loved the additional crunch that the Chia Seeds offered to the drink. A lovely drink to finish off the meal.

I really enjoyed dining at Real Food, the dishes were interesting and in fact, it did not occur to me that the menu was meat free. I love the food concept and the healthy approach to their dishes, while maintaining the dishes at affordable prices. We'd be back!

Real Food
6 Eu Tong Sen Street
The Central #B1-52/53
Singapore 059817
T: +65 62244492

110 Killiney Road
Singapore 239549
T: +65 67379516 

Dean & Deluca, Orchard Central

A well known America-based gourmey groccery and artisan bakery, Dean & Deluca opened end June this year to much fanfare and hype. Given its fairly limited seating, we put off visiting the place until two months later, hoping that the initial hype and interest has more or less died.

Entrance of Dean & Deluca at Orchard Central



Bread counter at the entrance



Grocceries

Upon entering the premises, we were greeted by rows of interesting groccery products including Dean & Deluca house brand products like jam, olive oil and coffee.


Food counter



Bread counter

Some of their bread selection is sourced from some of the popular bakeries like Bread Project, Bakers & Co., Maison Kyser.

It was fairly crowded when we arrived and understandably so, as it was noon on a Saturday afternoon. Fortunately, we manage to secure a seat almost immediately and proceded with our orders over at the counter.

Popular items on the menu are the Berries and Flap Jacks, oat and honey buttermilk pancakes with fresh berries ($18), Eggs Iberico, two poached eggs with sauteed mushrooms, iberico ham and hollandaise sauce on tomato bread ($25), and The Belgian Stack, comprising of home made waffles with berries and creme ($21).

We were in the mood for some non-breakfast items and we opted for the items over at the food counter.


Do take note of your table number as you would need it when you place your order.





The Pan-seared Salmon
 $12

The Pan-seared Salmon ($12) was accompanied with a small mesclun salad. The fish was nicely seared to a crisp and moist fish that was good on it's own without additional sauce. I thought the dish was rather value for money and we spotted a number of patrons ordering this dish as well.

Haricot Vert Almondine
$8.50/kg

We opted for the Haricot Vert Almondine ($8.50/kg) as a side. What you see in the picture was about 300g, which was sufficient for two people. The french beans were delish and we enjoyed it.



Prawn, Avocado and Mango salad
$22.50/whole, $11.25/half portion

The Prawn, Avocado and Mango salad ($22.50/whole, $11.25/half portion) was quite a visual feast with its wonderful composition of colours. Comprising of fresh Crystal bay prawns with mesclun salad leaves, sweet mango, avocado, zucchini ribbons, vine ripened cherry tomatoes, citrus cilantro vinaigrette, it was a light and refreshing salad. We found the mangoes delectably sweet, the prawns were fresh and the portion was quite substantial. The dressing of the salad could be improved though, it didn't seem to go very well with the greens.

 

Grilled Ancho Chicken Breast
$8

Grilled Ancho Chicken Breast ($8) was fairly large in portion. The chicken did not come across as being particularly fresh and the sides of the chicken were rather tough, probably through the re-heating process. Not the best grilled chicken, but it's pretty value for money, if you ask me.



Mango Yoghurt Drink

 The Mango drink had a strong Yakault taste, but I thought it was rather refreshing as the sweetness of the mango was subtle and not too overwhelming.



Coffee

No better way to end off the meal with a cup of coffee in the afternoon.

Not the best ambience with its budget looking tables and chairs that resembled a food court setting, but probably a good place for casual Brunch. We'd go for the breakfast items the next time round.

Dean & Deluca
181 Orchard Road, #04-23/24 Orchard Central, Singapore
Tel: +65 6509 7708