Ignore the badly taken pic and messy takeaway look! They're really generous with their portions and chilli and their rice was fluffy and flavourful. Chilli was very shiok too. Would patronise again even without the burpple deal.
Pulled pork eggs ben ($14 before burpple beyond) came with 2 thick slices of hokkaido brioche, sweet pulled pork, a limited drizzle of hollandaise, poached eggs, generous serving of veggies and a side of spicy salsa.
The sweetness of the pulled pork matched the spicy salsa very well. The toast was the star of the dish, as it was extra fluffy in the middle, crisp on the edges and soaked up the myriad of flavours very well.
The most disappointing factor was the non-runny egg yolks :( other reviews seem to suggest that the eggs are usually perfectly poached but for some reason both of my yolks were paste-like, which made the dish seem a bit dry at times. I would have appreciated greater generosity with the hollandaise sauce given the lack of flow in the eggs. Minor point but the veggies could have been arranged on a bed beneath the pulled pork to make it easier to eat together with the rest if the dish. I found myself struggling to get the veggies, bread, pork and egg all in one bite as the pulled pork was tangled enough to handle.
Ambience-wise, the place was bright and vibes were chill. Staff were also helpful. I would like to believe the the major egg disappointment is a one-time thing and would return to try their other options.
Ordered The Grasshopper (mind and chocolate) and Apple and Rum ($7.50 each, with burpple beyond). We also had their iced chocolate ($7)
The Apple and Rum was a nice balance or sweet and tarte, with generous servings of chewy apple. I would have liked for the almond (?) base to be less mushy. The crust was unfortunately very flat and limp, and failed to add another layer of dimension to this dessert. A thicker and more crunchy pie crust would have elevated the status of this otherwise good dessert.
The Grasshopper had a nice mint taste in the cream and the crumbles added a nice crunch to the pie. Definitely should try if you like mint and chocolate things like chocolate mint biscuits.
The iced chocolate a mixture of chocolate sludge and milk and was very very gao. I liked it for the intense chocolate flavour and adequate amount of sweetness but felt that the cocoa powder could have been distributed a bit more evenly or sifted more finely because it was quite difficult to mix the drink evenly and there were still clumps cocoa.
Regular bowl ($12.90) came with choice of base, rainbow sides including corn, carrots, sesame etc , 2 mains and 3 toppings. (Not pictured) Decided to stick to the originals and picked the signature sushi rice. The rice was seasoned nicely with vinegar and matched the flavours of the bowl well, but it was a bummer that the texture was hard and clumpy and far from the yummy bed of sushi rice I had imagined. On to the sides - special mention to the pineapple which balanced the tangy flavours of the bowl with its sweetness and also wakame seaweed for it's nice crunch. I chose the spicy salmon and avocado as my 2 mains. Avocado was the right balance of mash and chunks, and very very well-seasoned. I would have this avocado on my toast for breakfast every day. Salmon chunks were supple and generously coated with the spicy sauce, simply delicious! The only issue I had was the seemingly small portions of their mains but I guess that is to be expected. Garlic chips as topping added a unique texture to the bowl and I love that Poke Theory was very generous with their range of interesting dressings (I high recommend the spicy avocado).
Regular bowl ($12.90) came with choice of base, rainbow sides including corn, carrots, sesame etc , 2 mains and 3 toppings. (Not pictured) Decided to stick to the originals and picked the signature sushi rice. The rice was seasoned nicely with vinegar and matched the flavours of the bowl well, but it was a bummer that the texture was hard and clumpy and far from the yummy bed of sushi rice I had imagined. On to the sides - special mention to the pineapple which balanced the tangy flavours of the bowl with its sweetness and also wakame seaweed for it's nice crunch. I chose the spicy salmon and avocado as my 2 mains. Avocado was the right balance of mash and chunks, and very very well-seasoned. I would have this avocado on my toast for breakfast every day. Salmon chunks were supple and generously coated with the spicy sauce, simply delicious! The only issue I had was the seemingly small portions of their mains but I guess that is to be expected. Garlic chips as topping added a unique texture to the bowl and I love that Poke Theory was very generous with their range of interesting dressings (I high recommend the spicy avocado).
Iced matcha latte ($5.6) became quite worth it with burpple beyond. Cafe was nice and cosy (but a little bit hard to find) and has limited seats (6 inside and maybe 20 outside). Good matcha taste and easy to drink, will have to go back to try their coffee since their name is speciality coffee, right?
Tried the Green Curry Chicken (~$15) and Tom Yum Curry Steamed Fish (~$30). Green curry was nicely spiced and coconut-y, and left some sweet undertones which might get a bit jelak after a while. Would gave appreciated slightly more chicken pieces, otherwise the curry went very well with their jasmine rice which was very pillowy and fragrant. Portion of the steamed fish was huge. The meat was tender and easily separated. Sauce came with a good amount of vegetables like brinjal, tomatoes and lady finger. The sauce itself was very flavourful, although the sourness of tomyum could have been enhanced.
Restaurant was not crowded at 12pm on a weekday, with ample space and nice atmosphere to have a relaxing meal and chat. Service was prompt. The dishes are good but in my opinion, did not justify their high price points. I would only return with the 50% discount!
This halal take on chicken rice is the bomb. The rice was really tasty and fragrant. The use of long grain basmati rice was smart because the pillowy texture of the rice made it all the more delicious and accompanied the crispy fried bits very well. Fried chicken was well-spiced and even though I ordered the breast, meat was not too dry. There was a short queue which moved really quickly. A definite recommend and very worth the $3.5!
Edit: also an option to add stuff like other veg, tofu, chicken skin for $0.50 onwards, and a large portion chicken rice option for $6 if youβre a big eater!
NJ Cafe & Bar is located on the ground floor of the newly built Citadines Hotel. The place was pristine and spacious, although it did feel as if some character was lacking from the furniture and decor of the space. A conducive space to chill and do work regardless, because of the lack of a crowd.
~Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream~ ($6.9)
The brownie was a crispy on the outside and fudgy on the inside, a perfect combination of textures in my opinion. However, I would have appreciated a denser brownie with a fuller moist center as this seemed a bit thin and less shiok to enjoy with the ice cream. The crackly surface was also a bit dry. The ice cream was normal, nothing to rave about. There were some icy bits and didn't see trace of vanilla beans.
~Cafe Mocha~ ($6.8)
4/10. Tasted like water with cocoa powder. Came with a layer of foam that couldn't hold its body well and disappeared quickly. The only saving grace was its volume.
~Vanilla Latte~ ($6.8)
5/10. Right amount of sweetness but taste could have been fuller.
Overall, a nice place to visit with promotions.
Good coffee at steal prices after 1-for-1! Ice latte ($5.8) had a good strong coffee taste and was of a respectable size while the hot mocha ($6.2) had a good chocolatey taste which complemented the coffee well. The place is at level 6 and you must register at level 2 reception as a guest unless you work there, but not too much of a hassle to get up. The space is cozy and has power sockets with small coffee tables to finish up some work or chit chat over a drink. Would go again if I need a work spot in town!
Houjicha ice cream had a intense burnt flavour which complemented the light palate of the hokkaido milk ice cream well. Former had a chewy and creamy texture whereas the latter was disappointingly, icy occasionally. Both were $5.80 but the portion for the milk ice cream was slightly smaller. Iced matcha latte was da bomb. When drunk on it's own, the top matcha layer was very gao and nicely foamed. A beauty is born upon mixing with the silky milk layer and the volume was well worth the ~$5.
Would have liked to be transported back to ancient Japanese times and sip on nice tea while absorbing the good vibes from the pretty pottery around but bustling chatter from the crowd reminded me that I was sadly still in Singapore.
Broke the bank but also sealed its place in my heart as the best Unagi restaurant yet. Got the Unatama don (~$22++) which came with 3 meagre but decadent chunks of unagi. Unagi was a bomb of textures and flavours: Crisp and tender; Sweet and savoury. Japanese grain was authentic and tamago had great texture and was not too sweet. Portion was objectively a bit small but just right for someone who just had dessert. Would definitely come here again, but only on the rare self-care days.