Gullible Travels

Hatched

POSTED ON Friday, April 18, 2014 AT 10:37 PM \ leave a comment (0)

this place really used to be alot more egg-citing when it first started out at Evans Road a couple of years ago. but with a multitude of all-day-breakfast cafes sprouting out everywhere across the island these days, Hatched has somewhat lost its appeal (reference, Wild Honey)..

actually, Hatched strikes a nostalgic chord with me. i felt it was one of those breakfast places that has an old-school feel (its really designed like a school), has a cosy setting, not too crowded and has fairly good food and coffee. both its outlets at Evans Road and Holland Village has this characteristic chalk-board where they'd put up promotions, events notices and what-nots..

the colour and theme of the place brings a happy mood to the environment. i've seen on more than one person's facebook posting of having reserved the entire premises for engagement parties, baby showers and birthdays. On most normal days, Hatched prides itself for its catalog selection of dishes that revolves around eggs.. be it poached, hard-boiled, sunny-side-up, scrambled or done omelette style, they've got it all.

one of our favourites here is called The Usual Suspects. i think it's called that because it's your typical breakfast combination of eggs, bacon/ham and coffee. the best thing about this set is that you could decide how you'd want your eggs to be done, and the type of pork (bacon/ham/sausages) to go with it. We also love their Sir Benedict (poached egg with ham atop an English muffin with hollandaise sauce) as well as their Papillote (salmon folded over scrambled egg on toast).

during our recent visit, we decided to try some of the more playful creations like this Sleepover Hatched Special. it was actually made up of fried eggs, bacon and bananas sandwiched over brioche bread, with maple syrup dripped over. nowadays dishes like to mix the sweet with the savoury, can be quite a good blend.

we like Hatched because the place tends to give a very relaxed feel to the whole breakfast experience. certainly a good place to while-away some time with your loved ones or catch up with an old friend. vegetarians (if they consider eggs to be vegetarian) would also like to know that they serve dishes to suit their palette. if you find the latest all-the-rage brunch joint a little too noisy, you may wish to reconsider Hatched.

Hatched
26 Evans Road
Singapore 259367

Opening Hours
Thursdays to Saturdays: 8 am to 10 pm
Sundays & Mondays: 8 am to 5 pm
(closed on Tuesdays & Wednesdays)

Check out their ultimate sin burger..

The Queen & Mangosteen

POSTED ON Sunday, April 06, 2014 AT 1:28 PM \ leave a comment (0)

this place prides itself as a gourmet British pub, and has quietly established itself at Vivocity for more than 5 years. the name sounds British enough alright, and the quirkiness of it was apparently because mangosteens were Queen Victoria's favourite fruits..

unlike many restaurants here that pack their tables for greater turnover, this place is comfortably spacious. their premises at Vivocity is sprawling, with quiet indoor areas for wine-and-dine, al-fresco dining overlooking waterfront views of Resorts World and also British-styled bar top counters. if we always wondered why waterfront retail space is so prime, this place would explain why.

there are several dishes that are unmistakably British. their fish & chips and shepherd's pie are certainly one of the favourite orders here. this place really whips up a mean shepherd's pie, a good blend of minced lamb meat blended with herbs and spices to give it that unique flavour, lovely. interestingly, they do some pretty good salads too. we tried the Gravlax, a mix of raw salmon and wild rockets, fabulous.

other very authentic mains would certainly include the Pork Bangers & Mash. we got a little more curious about their pan-seared Barramundi that was served in risotto and asparagus. we liked the richness of the risotto, which took away any lingering trace of fishiness in the Barramundi. the next time i visit, i am already eyeing the Jumbo king prawn pasta.

what's a British restaurant without true blue Brit drinks? they actually do have Earl Grey on the menu, but since this is a PUB, we went for the beers. They are famous for their Archipelago beers and we took a couple of Summer Ales which were served cold, smooth and a tinge of sweetness. the bottled drinks also come in good variety, and the Green Goblin apple cider above were some of the many ciders they have.

we would consider the price-point of The Queen & Mangosteen middle range (similar to Brotzeit prices), but for the ambience and food that they bring along with them, this place would be good for gatherings or a chill-out by the waterfront.

The Queen & Mangosteen
#01-106/107, Vivocity
1 Habourfront Walk
Singapore 098585

Opening Hours
Mondays to Thursdays;Sundays: 11 am to 11 pm
Fridays to Saturdays: 11 am to 1 am

A quintessential British gourmet pub with a whimsical flourish..