Cafe Grub

Many places fail to nail hollandaise - it's either too sour, too thick or too tasteless. The miso hollandaise here hits the right notes, silkily buttery and replete with umami, dressed over runny poached eggs, sancho pepper glazed ham, and wilted wasabi spinach. The hash brown on the other hand, was an afterthought. Nice enough as it was, for this price, I expect the best damned eggs benedict in the world.
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Taste: 3/5

Another day, another new basic cafe. If the thought of posing in your OOTDs outside of "instagrammable" cafes followed by brunch consisting of yet another riff on eggs benedict or "sando"(Japanese for overpriced sandwich) excites you, Cafe Natsu will certainly butter your Balenciaga's.
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Served with a side of togarashi fries, the sandwich sees eggs, mayo, bits of chive, specks of tobiko and a negligible amount of Kanzuri fermented chilli paste smooshed between white bread. Whilst entirely serviceable taste-wise, the ROI on quality and quantity won't be doing your wallet or your sense of satisfaction any favours.
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Taste: 3/5

Reality didn’t meet online expectations with Hello Arigato’s popular beef sando – where was the rosy tint of Angus beef striploin cooked to a perfect medium-rare? Nontheless, while this might not have been worth $26(to me), the thick cuts of panko-crumbed meat coated in a sticky sweet onion jam between soft Japanese milk bread was hearty and satisfying, albeit nothing out of the ordinary.
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Perhaps it could be attributed to teething issues of the soft launch of their new Joo Chiat outlet, or just an off-day?
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Taste: 3/5

Probably the most respectable fish & chips this side of Katong since the departure of Smiths - 3 chunks of crunchy beer-battered cod fish, each steamy and fresh inside. What makes the difference are the condiments, with plump caper berries, a good squeeze of charred lime and quality tartare sauce giving this an edge up on lesser versions.

Taste: 3.5/5

Only $1 cheaper than Sevens' Cod & Chips, this is probably not for anyone with a large appetite(I left still hungry). Still. it is tasty and healthy. Several slices of smoked duck, an tobiko covered poached egg, cucumber and daikon top a bed of quinoa and rice. It eats clean and is satisfying, but the portion veers toward the small side.

Taste: 3/5

A good galette needs a delicate, flaky pastry base and thinly sliced layers of fruit. Micro Bakery’s rendition is the apple of my eye, with sweet apples dusted in cinnamon and a powdered sugar and crumble studded crust.

Taste: 3.5/5

Not authentic by a long shot, but for $10 this is pretty good. Rich and thick, the parmesan infused cream sauce is tasty but does get cloying after a few mouthfuls, especially with the beautifully oozy egg mixed in, but is helped along by the saltiness of the smoky bacon.

Thanks @burpple for the invite and @dstarbistro for the hospitality!

Taste: 3/5

Encased in a cracklingly paper-thin batter, the fish within was of the usual “dory” variety commonly found at Western food hawker stalls. What stood out was the citrus tartar sauce – light and lemony, it lifted the dish as a whole.

Thanks @burpple for the invite and @dstarbistro for the hospitality!

Taste: 2.5/5

A perfect example of a model quiche if I ever saw one - a vibrantly golden-hued filling encased in a flaky, buttery crust. Plenty of eggs went into this and you can taste it. The rich custard is streaked through with sheets of salty smoked salmon, and while the surface of each slice is burnished a golden brown and specked with abundant dill, you can unfortunately barely taste the herb as the more dominant flavours overwhelm it. Still very much enjoyable.

Taste: 3.5/5

Homegrown coffee brand @gotdrip.sg bottles up cold brews with a healthy dose of hip hop attitude. Get Drizzy ($6) with it, a classic combo of smooth black cold brew with rich, creamy milk. Or perhaps you’re of the vegan persuasion? Hey Ya! My coffee don’t mess around, Oatkast ($6) oat milk coffee got dat crunchy cereal flavour that’s so goddamned popular right now.

Order online or self pickup at @thepanicroom_sg

Taste: 3.5/5

The most popular cafe in Bedok Reservoir draws in the crowds with unpretentious, hearty food at pocket-friendly prices.

The eggs are poached to wobbly, runny perfection and lightly coated in a well-balanced, none too rich hollandaise, served on a bed of tender, moreish pulled pork, that while overly sweet was still enjoyable.

Taste: 3/5

My friend couldn't recommend this highly enough and I was already intrigued by the name so it was a no-brainer when it came to ordering this. Headily potent coffee adulterated with milk steeped in the essence donuts? Why yes please. The donut flavour isn't obvious right off the bat, but gets steadily pronounced the more you drink from it, lending the sweet, distinctive flavour of one of my favourite junkfoods to a quite dessert-like beverage.

Taste: 3.5/5