romme.

Got to learn about the new romme. that is located around the Flanders Square area whilst passing through the area when we they were still undergoing renovations — romme. had just recently opened their doors to the public and was in its soft launch phase when we had made our visit there. For those whom have yet to hear about its address, Flanders Square is actually within walking distance away from City Square Mall that is located just right above Farrer Park MRT Station that is along the North-East Line. romme. takes over the former premises of the now-defunct outlet of To Go Soup there; it does seem that the establishment is decked out in a form that is quite like a cosy living room; the dining hall does seem to visually segmented into two different sections where the area immediately after the entrance of the shop features couch seating as well as a large communal table that also doubles up as a table that would serve groups of more than four (4) pax; there is also high chairs located by the window for those whom prefer to watch the world go by facing out to the street. Near the counter would be the area where one would be able to find proper dining chairs and tables — these would be tables that are good for patrons coming in groups of four (4) pax. The entire space features furniture and fittings comprising of white and wooden accents, matched with cement floors and brick walls — clean, minimalist and yet a little raw at the same time. Serving up only a limited variety of items during their soft launch phase, the food menu at romme. is segmented into sections dedicated to Sammies, Side Affairs, Sweet Endings and The Breakfast Club (comprising of their Homemade Foccacia Bites offerings prominently displayed in its own display case at the counter). Beverages available at romme. will include a variety of Coffee and Non-Coffee beverages; the latter comprising of some tea options and canned drinks as well.

Offering only three (3) variations of Sammies during the soft launch phase, the folks behind the counter recommended the You’ve Got Beef — this would be essentially the item in the Sammies section of the menu that features beef bulgogi. That being said, we were being drawn towards the Pork You instead; the item is being described on the menu to come with elements such as Italian pork sausage, Rosé sauce, Housemade Pistachio Cream and Baby Spinach — it is also worth noting that all of the items that are listed on the Sammie’s section of the menu at romme. features their housemade Focaccia bread as well. The size of its Sammie’s can be described as a little bit on the smaller side here as compared to the other Foccacia-based sandwiches we have seen being served up at other establishments — this could possibly be attributed to their slightly thinner Foccacia bread as opposed to what we have experienced elsewhere. With that being said, we did find that their Foccacia does come with a crusty exterior that gives a firm and crunchy bite, though the bread within also comes a little denser than the usual Foccacia that we typically come across. Otherwise, the Pork You is pretty much a sandwich that sees a classic combination of elements; the Rosé sauce being a tomato-based sauce that seemingly made use of tomato puree for slight hint of tanginess and sweetness to the meaty, saltish, peppery and herb-infused Italian pork sausage that came along with it — the baby spinach adding a light crisp to balance everything out. The Housemade Pistachio Cream is the most interesting element here which provided the dish with a hint of nuttiness; it does seem that the Housemade Pistachio Cream is intended to romme.’s take on a nut butter — there is a creamy consistency akin to that of a spread but also came with fusion of olive oil that brings it a certain aroma that also help to bind the pistachio cream together with the rosé sauce and the baby spinach, providing the Pork You with an interesting contrast of flavours.

romme. also offers a variety of Homemade Foccacia Bites that are being displayed prominently at the counter — there are five (5) different flavours that were being offered during our visit there; we found ourselves opting for the Kaya and the Garlic Butter flavours. These can be described as their take on the Bombolone-style donuts but using their very own homemade focaccia dough; the highlight here however is pretty much on the foccacia itself and lesser on the fillings within. Given how the Homemade Foccacia Bites features Foccacia dough, these feature crusty bread on the outside but carries a firm bite within; one would find quite a bit of bread within they gives it a tension to pull apart. Both are pretty decent when it comes to the fillings but the fillings are nothing to shout about — the Kaya rendition coming with a spread of Pandan Kaya within for a hint of sweetness, while the Garlic Butter does remind us of garlic bread with a hint of garlicky notes that runs at the back of the tongue.

Not forgetting on their espresso-based specialty coffee offerings, we found ourselves going for the Misugaru Latte since this does seem like a rather unique offering amongst the other espresso-based specialty coffee beverages that they have to offer. It is worth noting that romme. uses beans roasted by local microroastery Coffee Plus for their espresso-based specialty coffee offerings; Coffee Plus also operating their very own cafe within the Farrer Road area at Blk 4 Queen’s Road. For those whom have not heard of Misugaru before, this would be a Korean multigrain powder which has been infused into the standard latte offering here. The latte itself does carry an earthy flavour profile with a medium body; also a cuppa with a slightly milkier finish. We opted for the hot version of the Misugaru Latte since the folks at the counter did advise that the notes of Misugaru will be stronger in the hot variation — we did find that the nutty and beany notes of the Misugaru to be more evident as one reaches closer to the bottom of the entire cuppa. Overall, it does seem that romme. is an establishment where the folks whom have founded have place quite a bit of heart and soul into — this is exemplified through how these folks had focused their menu on their homemade Focaccia bread; a showcase of the dedication in serving up a product of passion to their patrons. We do think that its offerings does have some room for improvement especially when it comes to the texture of the Foccacia; that being said, we also do like how they kept things unique with their offerings coming with an inventive touch — think the likes of the Pistachio Cream in the Pork You Sammie and the overall concept of their Homemade Focaccia Bites. With a comfortable dining environment and food that seems to be made from the heart, it would be interesting to see how romme. evolves as it head towards their official opening in due time!