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Atmosphere Cafe & Bistro
you'd probably only end up in Alexandra Central Mall if you're working around there, or happen to be visiting IKEA or Queensway Shopping Centre. the mall has only opened in 2015 and to date, there are still quite a few units available. one of the first-movers to take a prime spot would be Atmosphere Cafe & Bistro, who has hit a few buttons that could make it the next talking point.
the setup resonates with the modern clientele, with ample window seats, a chic Ipad ordering system, dark granite table-tops that make a good background for Instagram shots and its array of eye-candy desserts. we also soon found that most of the patrons are pretty well researched, and appeared to know what to order straight up.. well, i guess you don't really find this place by chance. while the cafe could still do with a little bit more publicity to give it the same following as its more illustrious counterparts, we'd say watch-this-space. 
the mains at Atmosphere range from baked rice, pastas to pretty standard Western main courses. nothing exactly wow about the dishes in particular, the Carbonara that we had was really generous with the chicken, mushrooms and cream sauce, but could do with an egg and better pasta texture. The Cajun Chicken was a pan-seared chicken thigh dripped with black pepper sauce and served with mash potatoes. the meat was well-marinated, portions were good, pretty decent fix.. it's just that you could have probably gotten the same thing at Aston's. in all, let's just say the mains were pretty decent. 
anyways, people come here for the "atmosphere", their desserts and the coffee. we had to give their stacked waffles/pancakes a try, and went for something called the Fluffy Snowball. it was essentially a double stuffed pancake, with vanilla cream, fruits and a couple of macaroons. we selected chocolate stuffing which probably went better with the toppings. very pretty and attractive serving, something you'd love if you had a sweet tooth and not too heavy for an after-meal-dessert if you're sharing. we heard that the House Waffles and Molten Lava Cake are also their specialties and would look forward to try them on our next visit. 
and of course, the most Instagram-worthy thing about this cafe would be their latte art. we regretted not going for the 3D coffee-art, opting to have a 2D version on our milk froth instead. you'd need to top-up for the 3D coffee art, but looking at what our neighbours are having, it looks pretty worth it for a date gimmick. for the non-coffee drinkers, there is hot-chocolate latte art as well. no, we didn't ask for Spongebob and Pooh Bear, it was just something these creative baristas came up with to surprise us. Overall, the whole ambience makes this place a good date, and as long as you don't come expecting a gastronomic experience, all you'd need is good company to top it off. 
Atmosphere Cafe & Bistro 321 Alexandra Road #02-01 Alexandra Central Mall Singapore 159971 Opening Hours Daily: 11.30 am to 10 pm Good food, good vibes and an even better view.. Grandma's
We've not quite seen Peranakan food set up shop in a retail mall setting and take off, but it does seem like this creation from the Akashi Group (the London Fat Duck people) would be here to stay. Although not quite your Guan Hoe Soon, which is truly a Nonya institution in Singapore, Grandma's still serves up a decent blend of Peranakan dishes together with Singaporean and Malaysian delights.
currently with 4 outlets in Singapore, we recently visited the one at the revamped Suntec City to check them out. the name of the restaurant gives it a very homely feel, although we felt that a more accurate impression you should carry before visiting, should be one of Malaccan or Penang street fare. there is a good variety of Nonya selections, some local delights and desserts on the menu, which indications for their signature dishes. 
there is nothing much Peranakan about this Hokkien Mee, but this is one of Grandma's most popular dishes. we were first drawn to Malaysian styled Hokkien Mee when we were in Jalan Petaling, Kuala Lumpur and this interpretation of it while not as rich in terms of wok-hei, is still pretty flavourful and a refreshing change from the ones we typically see in food centres. this served as a good carb accompaniment to the other Nonya dishes we ordered. 
the dish above is called Babi Pongteh or rather braised pork belly in soya bean paste with dark soy sauce. the pork was soft and juicy, while the gravy was thick and had a rich flavour. goes very well with white rice. other Peranakan dishes that we went for included the Nonya Chap Chye and Otah Otah. not too bad really, giving you some confidence to go for their home catering service if you're going to have a gathering or house party. 
In all, Grandma's was a decent experience. some purists have taken to the web to say they don't represent the cuisine well, but then again, not many has taken the step out to let you have the Nonya option in the comfort of a mall anyway. For us, the seafood was fresh, the sambal chilli such as in the Sambal Udang above had that spicy kick, and the Chendol was nostalgic relief, good enough for us. We hope to see a couple more Grandma's sprout out near our homes, and we'd probably visit again on a lazy day that we're not cooking in. 
Grandma's (Suntec City) 3 Temasek Boulevard #B1-108, Suntec City Singapore 098585 Opening Hours Daily: 11.30 am to 10 pm just the way Grandma used to cook it.. |
..ThE lEgEnD..
Last Movie: Ad Astra
Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
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