Bloom Cafe

Those whom pass by Killiney Road often might have noticed an outlet of Artisan Boulangerie Co. that had been operating within the area for quite a while. It appears that there seems to be a bit of a change of management with Artisan Boulangerie Co. — whilst they have had quite a fair bit of presence in the local F&B scene some time back, it does seem that Artisan Boulangerie Co. is now only a concept that exists via delivery platforms; the Artisan Boulangerie Co. at Killiney Road has since been re-branded as a new concept named BLOOM (not to be confused with the similar-sounding Bloom Coffee that is located at East Coast Road). With the re-branding, much of the interior of BLOOM stays the same as per what it used to have looked like as Artisan Boulangerie Co. save for some changes to the furniture and some of its light fittings; the space does look a little bit more rustic and Balinese than the European vibes that it has evoked in the past especially with the use of furnishings with rattan elements. This shift of its direction in terms of decor is reflective of its overall concept; one that sees more Asian-influence in its menu as compared in the past. The menu of BLOOM is segmented into categories such as “rise” for more breakfast-y items, while “fill” comprises of more substantial-sized lunch plates. There are also a list of sides available, as well as a limited selection of desserts — the kid’s section of the menu is named “little ones” at BLOOM. Beverages available at BLOOM includes specialty coffee brewed using beans roasted by Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters which also runs their own cafe at Robertson Quay, while there are also non-coffee beverages such as teas from Althaus Tea, bottled / canned beverages, juices, smoothies and wine to choose from. The chalkboard at the counter also lists down a couple of specials available for the day, while the counter showcases the various pastries, bakes and gelato that BLOOM has to offer.

Visiting BLOOM for breakfast on a weekend, we were looking through the items which they carry on the “rise” section of their menu for a breakfast-y item to go for. We found ourselves eventually settling for the Masala Omelette — the Masala Omelette is an item which is being described in the menu to come with elements such as mango salsa, avocado, pave cereal, grana padano, tomato, green chilli, onion and cilantro. Despite its rather complex-sounding composition on paper, the Masala Omelette is actually a rather simple dish when it is being served up to the table. The dish is no different from a breakfast omelette that is usually served up as a continental breakfast offering at breakfast buffet in restaurants — the omelette coming topped off with mango salsa over the top, while it comes accompanied with avocado on the side and slices of frozen bread; essentially the “pave cereal” that is being listed in the description of the item. Slicing into the Masala Omelette itself, one can notice the runny texture of the eggs from the inside of the omelette; the omelette encasing small cubes of tomatoes and bits of onion inside that helps to provide a bit of a bite and crunch. The mango salsa was the element that really provided much of the flavour contrast of the dish here; the mango salsa provides some sort of a sweetness to the Masala Omelette — the soft cubes of mangoes were easy to chew through, while the infusion of chilli helps to add just a hint of spiciness that tingles the tastebuds even for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness. One can choose to enjoy the dish by pairing a little bit of the Masala Omelette and the avocado with the pave cereal; the pave cereal is more of a dehydrated toast slice that is crisp so the moisture from the omelette does help to soften the bread a little – the avocado adding a creamy touch to the entire dish. A simple and comforting breakfast dish that does not go wrong.

Apart from the Masala Omelette, we had also given the Paris Brest which we had spotted within the display at the counter a try. We felt that the Paris Brest was pretty decent; the Paris Brest here is presented here in the form of an eclair — quite different from how Artisan Boulangerie Co. would have served it. The Paris Brest was quite decent — apart from the choux pastry being a little bit on the drier side which we did not find to be particularly bothersome, the hazelnut-infused pastry cream carried an evident nuttiness, while the hazelnut praline filling hidden within the pastry featured clusters of hazelnut that provided quite a good crunch which we absolutely loved. The choux pastry also comes speckled with a hazelnut-studded exterior helped enhance the crunch factor of the pastry. Having tried both the Masala Omelette and the Paris Brest during the same visit we had made to BLOOM, we felt that the offerings that we had tried at BLOOM suggests that they do serve up some safe and comforting fare that should work well with the masses. There wasn’t anything that was exceptionally “wow” here, and whilst those with more discerning tastebuds may claim that their offerings are not quite artisan enough as compared to some specialty coffee joints these days, the food does feel pretty hearty with a decent execution. One thing we did notice about BLOOM was how it seems to be a spot of choice for young Caucasian families to have brunch on a late weekend morning — possibly folks whom have previously been visiting the spot since its days as Artisan Boulangerie Co. back then. Prices of the items on the “rise” section of the menu ranges between $10 and $22, while the items listed on the “fill” section or the menu are priced at $18 to $24 — a rather usual price range for an establishment like that, though we would think that there are better options around in Somerset area. Still, BLOOM does offer a spacious and luxurious environment that is good for individuals to work at, catch-up with friends, or a weekend brunch hangout with the family; a decent dining choice along the Killiney Road area.