|
Boufe Boutique Cafe
This is probably one of Singapore's best brunch cafes in recent years. Since early days Maison Ikkoku who left an impression, Boufe Boutique Cafe located at Tanglin is pretty much one place that has all the elements of making it the perfect all day breakfast cafe. Its location within Phoenix Park in Tanglin is certainly off the beaten track (check), its got good interior lighting and plain white tables - perfect backdrop for Instagram shots (check), great brunch food and specialty coffee (not many places actually can have this, double check), and a menu of Insta-worthy drinks. Fantastic.
special mention to their designer cakes which are often featured on reviews. developed by classic French recipes and ingredients, the chef has curated them to look like burgers, sandwiches, unicorns and their acclaimed "galaxy" cakes. if you're thinking that having lots of these would be ideal for hosting a party, the venue could do just that. the cafe could be booked for events such as weddings, birthday parties and other celebrations. There's also an alfresco area to set up a simple solemnization area if thats what you're looking for. 
but moving on to the food. The cafe has got all the classic brunch food on its menu, and early this year, has added some fusion mains onto its list as well. we tried a classic Brioche French Toast, which we understood that the bread is home-made within their own facility. the toast was very soft and chewy, served with drizzle of mixed berries, almond crumble, caramelized banana, cream and maple syrup on the side. we also tried the newer creations of tomato crab pasta, which was essentially a tomato-based spaghetti with an abundant serving of minced crab meat with white wine and rockets. the pasta sauce could be made spicy or non-spicy to your preference. i always have a soft spot for tomato-based pasta so this was tops for me. 
there are also a series of colourful drinks on their menu that is one of their highlights. certainly one of the hits with the Boomerang faithful as these drinks often come with an interactive element such as watching some colourful cotton-candy dissolve in it or stirring them to create that "galaxy" effect in the drink itself. this above is called Romeo, a by-product of mixing blue cotton-candy into passion fruit soda. we ought to mention that their specialty coffee is actually really good, so for the serious brunch goers, there's still a more traditional choice. 
Finally, back to their cakes which is probably something that is most distinctive about Boufe. we tried the popular "galaxy" cakes and chose the blue one called Milkyway. these are basically mable looking cakes that is filled with white chocolate mousse, honey genoise and calamansi jelly. We also went for their unicorn cakes, where there are choices of black or white. we chose the white one which consists of white milk glaze and coconut mousse decking over a vanilla sponge cake with mango filling. one for the cameras and also ideal with those with a sweet tooth, the desserts capped off a perfect day and converted us to big fans of Boufe Boutique Cafe. 
Boufe Boutique Cafe 308 Tanglin Road #01-01 (Phoenix Park) Singapore 247974 Opening Hours Daily: 9 am to 8 pm To introduce home-made European pastries and bread to Singaporeans.. Labels: #boufe, #boufeboutiquecafe, #breakfast, #brunchcafe, #brunchfood, #galaxycakes, #phoenixpark, #tomatopasta Common Man Coffee Roasters
any cafe that hits the 5 year mark becomes something of an establishment. Common Man Coffee Roasters has entered that league of brunch spots with some history, and quite rightly so. they are a brunch cafe, coffee beans roaster / wholesaler and also a barista training academy. they currently have outlets in Singapore and Malaysia, judging by the crowds seen at their Martin Road cafe, their following is still strong amongst their ever growing clientele.
the interior maintains that industrial wood-themed look to this day, and the store at 22 Martin Road has somewhat become the front runner for brunch cafes in the area. although seating has flowed out onto the corridors on weekends, finding a seat during the lazy afternoons could still be a challenge. alot of this is attributed to not just their brews, but a sizeable and quality food menu as well. 
the mark of a good coffee roaster and barista academy would certainly be their coffee. we tried it black and in the form of a Nitro cold brew. each glass is hand-brewed and when served, one could smell the aroma of the beans and taste the smooth, bold and well-balanced flavour of the coffee. the conventional and less cultured drinkers like myself went for a classic latte, and it was perfect as well. 
there is a wide spread of brunch selections that are served all day, but we decided to try something pretty much unique to this cafe. the house-baked beans with confit Chorizo kinda stood out from the menu and it came with watery sunny-side-up eggs, rockets and a sourdough toast. the baked beans are mixed with Chorizo pork to complete a very hearty meal. pancake lovers could go for their Common Man fluffy pancakes, served with a crumble of nuts, bananas, berry coulis and a splash of salted caramel sauce. the presentation of the food was pretty much artisanal as well, good one for the cameras. 
in all a very satisfying breakfast outing and we haven't even checked out the main meals during this visit. the restaurant is amply staffed and everyone is able to get good service despite the very spread out dining area. be prepared to share tables though as the setting of long tables and benches encourages greater group interactions. we salute another local coffee institution, that marked a memorable weekend for us. 
Common Man Coffee Roasters 22 Martin Road #01-00 Singapore 239058 Opening Hours Mondays to Friday: 7.30 am to 5 pm Saturdays & Sundays: 7:30 am to 6 pm GREAT COFFEE AND GOOD PEOPLE Labels: #breakfast, #brunchcafe, #brunchfood, #CMCR, #commonmancoffeeroasters, #martinroad, #nitrocoldbrew Cafe Melba (Mediapolis)
when people discuss Cafe Melba that originated from the Goodman Arts Centre, the main hallmall of this place stems from its spacious, family-friendly environment. there are yards of open spaces for kids and pets to run around outside, and even play features to keep the children busy over meals. The new store at Mediapolis follows the same vein, with emphasis on space, ample car-parking and colours. the bouncing inflatable castle outside is enough motivation to get your kids to quickly finish up their food..
one interesting note however, is that you'd find more mentions of Cafe Melba in parenting blogs than on food reviews, haha, go figure.. having said that, the menu spread at this eatery offers really good variety, from all-day breakfast, to sandwiches & burgers, to pastas and pizzas together with meat-based mains. the chef behind the Mediapolis outlet came under the tutelage of celebrity chefs and have worked in some famous kitchens before. perhaps that carried a little too much expectation coming in here for the food. 
their pan pizzas come in various sizes from 9 inches to 16 inches, we ordered a Chilli crab pizza (9 inch) which came out rather light in flavour without much evidence of it going through a wood-fired stove. we believe this interpretation of the dish is probably done healthier, with less of the original chilli crab spices, in order to cater to the children. nonetheless, i wouldn't call pizzas this restaurant's specialty. 
the duck confit came on the back of many online reviews and is one of this place's signature dishes. served with braised lentils and roasted baby potatoes, this dish is highly Instagrammable and popular amongst the visitors here. another dish to look out for was the Mozzarella stuffed potato Rosti served with poached eggs, French cream, salmon or pork sausages. the rosti was fried to perfection and the cheese spread evenly when you cut the rosti up, very crispy and flavourful. 
in all, the visit to Cafe Melba was a dining experience. we had a good spread of food, great conversations in a very open and colourful environment. A visit here can be somewhat pricey though, proving that parents these days are willing to splurge on family gatherings and their little ones. 
Cafe Melba (Mediapolis) 1 Stars Avenue, #03-01 Singapore, 138507 Opening Hours Daily: 8 am to 10 pm an oasis away from hectic city life.. Labels: #breakfast, #brunchcafe, #cafemelba, #familyfriendly #onenorth, #mediapolis, #sgbrunchfood Sunday Market
here's another one for the Sunday family brunch, and would there be any more appropriate name to have than to call itself Sunday Market? in the past, it is rather uncommon to consider Serangoon for a weekend chill-out or Sunday brunch location, but with the low-rise residential apartments spouting out of late, together with the cafe fraternity moving to the heartlands, there are indeed quite a few hipster hang-outs in this part of the world..
the exterior of Sunday Market is somewhat inconspicuous, more so with an unflattering location of Lim Tua Tow Road. the interior is a totally different story, equipped with young and friendly staff, industrial themed look and hip lifestyle elements. Parking is fairly ample with a surface carpark just outside the store. it's coupon parking but the cafe staff will be quick to update you when the attendant comes around. the menu concept is an Asian fusion interpretation of brunch, which can be somewhat of an acquired taste for some.. 
maybe not quite for a Sunday activity (when business is quite brisk), but the other weekdays make this cafe quite a chill place to have a cuppa and read a book. the guys whip up a pretty good brew and we enjoyed our flat white coffee very much. there is quite an interesting selection of drinks here, and many other reviews would recommend their Thai milk tea, shakes and other flavoured teas. 
moving on to the weekend brunch spread. this toast with sunny-side-up eggs look pretty normal, but beneath the egg lies some glazed BBQ char siew (chicken). the char siew sauce is reminiscent of our favourite hong-kong style roasted meat and makes any interesting accompaniment for the toasted brioche bread. Another dish that we tried is the duck pancakes with orange Hoisin sauce. there is shredded duck leg wrapped in a savoury pancake and drizzled with the sweet Hoisin sauce which carries a tangy taste. I'm not sure how to describe it, but i guess one might like this if they like Peking Duck. 
the cafe also offers several good quality small bites and side dishes for the bigger groups (and the ravenous ones). we particularly liked the truffle fries and the spicy wings, which were marinated in sambal phad-thai sauce and belachan. in all, the fusion food offerings puts Sunday Market at the cross-roads, some people may like this interpretation of the dishes, while others may go for more conventional brunch options. either way, we felt that the whole set-up makes this place a talking point, and somewhere you might wanna check out next weekend. 
Sunday Market 22 Lim Tua Tow Rd Singapore 547772 Opening Hours Mondays to Fridays: 11 am to 11 pm Saturdays: 9 am to 11 pm Sundays: 9 am to 9 pm Not everyday is Sunday, but over here, it is.. Labels: #breakfast, #brunchcafe, #brunchfood, #limtuatowroad, #serangoonbrunch |
..ThE lEgEnD..
Last Movie: Ad Astra
Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
|
