Ms Skinnyfat

A Food & Travel Blog from Singapore

Sandwiches are back in favor or is it just that this pregnancy craving has led me to searching for them? Anyhow, i was rather excited to see that there are more sangas (the Aussie slang for sandwiches) available in the East, this time at Bloom Coffee at Siglap. 
The menu is quite limited, focusing on 5 sangas options such as Tonkatsu ($18) and Grilled Mushroom & Eggplant ($17). They have one sweet option, which is the PB & Strawberry Basil ($15) which we heard is a hit or miss.
On my first visit, i went straight for the Tamagoyaki Avocado Bacon ($18) as it seemed like the lightest tasting option. Made using smashed avocado, grilled bacon and tamagoyaki, the sandwich was a combination of different flavours and textures. Expect an eye-popping brightness to hit you first but it gets better with each bite. I had high hopes of the rest of the sandwiches but unfortunately they were rather disappointing.
Both the Sloppy Bob ($17), and the Tonkatsu ($18) had the smelly frozen meat flavor which was hard to stomach. The former, a bolognese sandwich with their housen made minced beef sauce with cheddar and mozzarella, would have been better if the meat were fresh. The minced meat was a tad dry too. The meaty taste of the Tonkatsu was slightly masked with the pickled daikon and zucchini and the tangy rosemary and plum sauce. However, we could taste the oil in the breaded pork belly mille feuille. 
The trick to having an enjoyable weekend brunch is to go on Sunday instead of Saturday. I think. Especially those in the CBD-ish areas. That or i was really lucky to get a last minute table for early brunch at the popular French-inspired Chez Suzette, which serves classic brunch plates all day long. 
We were thankful to be seated indoors instead of the alfresco area on the ground floor. God bless this weather. I've been meaning to drop by after gym at Tanjong Pagar but it's afterall a 10 mins walk under the hot sun, and my jelly legs do object that. A craving for Croque Monsieur (i heard they do a decent one), led me down this path and it didn't disappoint. 
 
I'm more a Madame than a Monsieur fan actually since i live for eggs. The Croque Monsieur ($19) here features some lovely French sliced ham with melted Comté cheese and béchamel sauce in between and on top of the crusty and pillowy sourdough, before being grilled. The flavors were classic but i found the overall bite a tad dry, probably from the lack of the béchamel sauce. I'm not sure if i was ravenous after spin class or was it a pregnancy thing but i finished the entire sandwich, which is very rare. The size was quite decent i thought. 
At French Fold by Merci Mercel, you can have authentic French crepes and galettes all day, every day and as early as 8am at their Telok Ayer outlet. Being an early riser and gym bunny, i greatly appreciate cafes and restaurants that open early and i love how i could still enjoy a wide selection of savory buckwheat and sweet wheat flour pancakes (more than half of their full menu) at French Fold early in the day.
For breakfast, you could dine on small pastries, egg sandwiches, Eggs Benedict, other than galettes and crepes (of course). Come lunch and dinner, a fuller selection of crepes and galettes are available, together with appetizers, salads, cold cuts, and burgers too. 
For a savory start, we went with the crowd favorite, the No. 04. This has practically all the perfect breakfast toppings of savory Chiffonade of ham, organic egg sunny side up, over sautéed mushrooms, and  Comté cheese ($17). We enjoyed the thin crispiness of the galette, which goes well with the running yolk. 

The crepe comes topped with ribbons of ham, tender sauteed mushrooms, Comté, and an organic sunny-side-up egg. The galettes are also much bigger than their sweet crepes so it was perfect for sharing between me and my gf. 
We then went with the No.18 ($10), a chewy wheat flour crepe topped with artisanal Manuka honey, roasted buckwheat seeds, and Hojicha sea salt gelato from Birds of Paradise($10). The ice cream and roasted buckwheat definitely gave this crepe a more savory twist, which we weren't expecting, since we wanted something sweeter. On hindsight, we should have chosen the traditional Classic Butter ($9) but add on our choice of ice cream. 
French Fold is perfect for catching up with your girlfriend over breakfast, or if you could convince your date to have galettes for dinner (i know Jr wouldn't be that excited about it). We found the Telok Ayer outlet to be cozy and chic and very welcoming and it's definitely going to be my regular post-gym refueling stop from now. 

French Fold has also opened a second outlet in Palais Renaissance on Orchard Road.

204 Telok Ayer Street
SINGAPORE 068640
Daily: 8am - 10.30pm

#01-02, Palais Renaissance
390 Orchard Road, Singapore 238871
Daily: 11am - 10.30pm
Park Bench Deli is one of famed breakfast spots in Telok Ayer/Tanjong Pagar since they opened in 2015. I remember firstly the queue, and then squeezing myself onto one of those uncomfortable bar seat and balancing my sammie over a thin long bench of a table. But damn the sandwiches were great. 
We recently revisited PBD after their revamp mid 2021. PBD is now a spacious all-day diner which is way more inviting with comfortable seating for 42 pax. The menu has also expanded beyond their sloppy buns and now also offers breakfast plates and heartier mains for lunch- the likes of braised beef cheeks, pastas, and fried steaks.  
A craving for pancakes and more sent us to PBD and i was drawn to the PBD Big Breakfast ($22), a massive platter 2 mini ricotta pancakes, sausages, bacon, tater tots, and scrambled eggs. This sounded like the perfect solution for one who wants both savory and sweet stuff, right? Except that the ricotta pancakes were more undercooked meringues with a very foamy center and they were so raw they split in the middle. Even though we were the first customers in the cafe, the sausages and bacon came cold and bland. The best component of the dish turned out to be the freshly fried tater tots. This was a complete disappointment. When we heard the next table's order of 3 platters, we shook our heads in horror. 
The Grilled Cheese ($15), one of the mainstays, didn't fare better. As you can tell from the picture, the cheese remained hard and cold with zero melt at all. The spiced pear relish was the one that threw me off with this bitter aftertaste to each bite. 

Even the coffee was bad. The Iced White ($6.50) was diluted and bitter. We had to get another coffee after the meal.
Needless to say, we left PBD extremely disappointed. If not for the tater tots, i would have been super hangry. I'm not a hater of PBD, seriously just look at my previous post on them. And there i was, playing it safe with an old favorite and this happens. Just bring back the good old standards. 
179 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 068627
Tue - Sun: 9am-10.30pm
We're closing on 3/4 of a year since the Singapore-Hong Kong Air Travel Bubble Corridor has been announced. Well if i were to satisfy my dimsum fix in Hong Kong, i would have starved to death already. Thankfully Singapore has decent dimsum and we even have some really good bolo buns now. Champion Bolo Bun at Tanjong Pagar is a specialty bun store which pivoted from an online business to its current 3 storey shophouse space serving only bolo buns and Hong Kong style milk tea and coffee to go accompany the snack.  
Yes only these pineapple looking buns are sold here and basically they only have 2 variants of it, the regular type, and a filled one. Go on a weekend and be prepared to be faced with a snaking queue even though the Muji-esque space is huge for dining in. Why? Because Champion doesn't differentiate their dine-in customers from the takeaway ones. So yes, everyone gotta wait in line for the precious buns. The buns are baked fresh every 15 mins and it's recommended to eat within 20 mins. You could even replace your buns if you don't eat it within that time but WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THAT?
For the regular variant, you could have the Classic ($4.50), the Classic with Butter ($5) featuring an added slab of chilled New Zealand butter, or the Mini of 4 ($4.50) if you wish to split (over my dead body). For a sweet-savory one, there's also a curry potato filled bolo ($6). Unfortunately, it was one me so i can only stomach one bun and of course it had to be the one with butter. 
Firstly, the bun is gorgeous. A brown streusel crust tops the soft pillowy bun below and a butter tongue peeks from between the fluffy bread. As you take a bite into the huge square, you get the crunch of the cookie shell, which gives way to the pillowy soft bun and moist center. I loved the mix of sweetness and savoriness in each bite. And boy it is a big bun. 
The Champion Milk Tea ($5.50) is a perfect accompaniment to the bun. How could you not have the Hong Kong style milk tea with a bolo bun? That's the quintessential pairing. I went with the hot milk tea as the sweetness could be adjusted. While I typically have mine unsweetened, which could be a wild card depending on where you have it, I went with slightly sweetened this time and it was just the right mix. Rich smooth tea with a lovely fragrance with just a tinge of tannins. I'd probably go with unsweetened next time to lessen the guilt from the sweet bun. The cold drinks come sweetened so you don't really have an option. HK style coffee and lemon tea are available, and they also serve espresso-based drinks.

Champion Bolo Bun serves the best bolo bun i've eaten in Singapore, and also Hong Kong. The craving is kicking in as i'm writing the review. Damn i need to go now. 
Champion Bolo Bun
92 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088513
Tues- Sun: 11am - 5pm
Another exciting addition to the quickly gentrifying Joo Chiat area is Common Man Coffee Roasters (CMCR). No stranger to the cafe scene in Singapore, CMCR was established in 2013 with its flagship at Martin Road. The cafe-coffee roaster has been championing specialty coffee since and is one of the OG third-wave coffee places in Singapore. 
Specialty grade Arabica coffee from their partner Five Senses Coffee Australia is roasted, sold, and served at CMCR. Our flat white was full of bitter dark chocolate, which could do with a tad more acidity. 
The Joo Chiat outpost is a lovely breezy 2-unit ground storey shophouse which would not be out of place in Flinders or Hardware Lane, except that it is in the heart of colorful Joo Chiat where its neighbors are KTV pubs and Vietnamese restaurants, which is very charming imo. 
Bakes are from Tiong Bahru Bakery as CMCR's other partner is Spa Esprit Group. Bite into a buttery pastry or pick from the all day breakfast items. The Savory/Sweet sourdough pancakes were unfortunately unavailable when we were there for breakfast. As usual, we order a sweet and a savory dish to share. 
The Croissant Croque Monsieur ($18) was a brainless choice for me as it's a combination of my 2 favorite things- flakey croissant with the creamy cheese flavors of a Croque Monsieur. The béchamel had earthy, peppery, and garlic notes which cut through the richness of the cream. Lovely. 
For sweets, we had the not too sweet Brioche French Toast ($22) with a coffee toffee salted caramel with a light bitter note, banana, and a thick sticky whipped-vanilla ricotta. The brioche could be a tad dry-ish on the corners but the center was perfect fluff. If you need a bit more moisture/sweetness, you could swap the cheese for ice cream (which was too indulgent for us at 9 in the morning, but no judgment if you do). I enjoyed the layered flavors in this one- some spice, some citrus, and definitely mint. 

Big eaters could obviously go for the Common Man Full Breakfast ($29) which is the full English fry-up or the vegetarian version of that in the form of a Veggie Wonderland ($28). Even the "Lunch" items are served early from 10am so if you could wait a bit, there's the Smash Burger ($28) or Cubanos Sandwich ($27). 

Lovely spot, lovely addition to the hood, and more options for me (yay)!
185 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427456
Daily: 7.30 am – 5.30 pm
You’ll not go hungry at Tanjong Katong- the entire street is practically a stretch of eateries ranging from roast meat to Wanton mee and Nasi Lemak. Little Rogue Coffee is a welcomed addition to the mix, bringing an end to the dearth of brunch offerings (though i heard the 6 Letter Coffee is pretty decent) in this enclave.
An impromptu breakfast calling had me call my trusty early bird friend B who was already out cycling since god knows what time. Just as well, Little Rogue Coffee has a bike rack within the cafe where B's expensive bike could be parked (i guess there is really a growing bike community in the East). For families, there’s even a little playground to occupy the kiddos while the adults eat.
The newly opened cafe is already drawing a crowd but thanks to the spacious interior, the queue moved rather quickly (the wait is of a diff sort). Breakfast is served all day with more substantive mains like Beef Cheek Linguine ($24), K-pop Chicken Burger ($23), Steak and Eggs ($30) dished out from 11am.
Breakfast is more Australian-cafe style with various egg options. The dish which has made its grand tour on social media is the Soft Scrambled Eggs & Ikura ($14), featuring wet creamy eggs with small curds, with a scoop of uber umami truffle cream and pops of ikura and chives. I wouldn’t recommend stirring all the cream into the eggs as i felt that it overpowers the dish but feel free if you're a fan. The sourdough was flawless on its own, lightly chewy and perfectly buttered and toasted. The dish speaks for itself and the bonus is its IG-worthy appearance.
The East is best when it comes to food. There was a dearth of cafes in the past but that has quickly changed with big boys like Brawn & Brains, Dutch Colony and Forty Hands moving into the Siglap/Katong area. The latest hottest is The Brewing Ground, which has amazingly popped up steps from my place at The Yards, a transformed school compound at Telok Kurau. 
Experience the bright and breezy Eastie vibe with the glasshouse-inspired interior, or park your bike/pet out on the alfresco deck breezy alfresco deck. I've been lucky enough to walk in without a wait at lunch time but now that the secret is out of the bag, please make your reservations. I hear weekdays breakfast can pack a queue!
This is not quite the place for early risers, that is if you are looking to bite into their much raved about Breakfast Burger ($20), which is only served from 11am. They ought to call it a Brunch Burger actually. It is just as well because i doubt anyone can stomach this massive beast too early in the morning! Toasted brioche buns sandwiches a juicy rosemary pork sausage patty and creamy scrambled eggs, flavored even more with a lovely caramelized onion relish and a sweet ketchup mayonnaise. There was too much of the latter and i had to scrape some off for balance. A perfectly crispy hash brown completes the blockbuster. I was thankful for the side of mesclun salad which helped to to cut through the richness of the bun with its refreshing acidity. 
Michelin quality food in a playful and casual setting? Sign me up any time. Cheek Bistro by Chef Rishi Naleendra and his wife Manuela Toniolo goes with fun but doesn't compromise on quality or techniques. Their cozy nook is made for relaxed meals and their brunch menu makes this Modern Australian restaurant even more welcoming for diners. 
The brunch menu is not your pedestrian cafe brunch food. Don't be too surprised to see Sri Lankan influence, such as the spiced and sugary Sri Lankan Iced Coffee ($10), which could also be spiked with a shot of Arrack (a coconut spirit). It's very sweet, like Vietnamese coffee, so don't say i didn't warn you. 
I went straight for the Mushroom on Toast ($18) which showcased the Bluefoot mushrooms, a French delicacy known as pied bleu. The mushroom was woody, earthy and had a meaty texture, and was complemented with a medley of mushrooms. Give it a smear of the vegemite custard for more umami or have enjoy it on its own. One wouldn't quite know what to do with the soft-boiled eggs in a a rich consommé- do i eat them separately or pour them onto the toast. Well.. the choice is yours. I drank the broth separately because i did not want to waste a single drop.      

Egg staples are served too, such as the Shakshuka ($18) and an interesting Son In Law Eggs ($18) featuring fried eggs with an runny center, served in a pita bread with hummus and homemade dukkah spice.  


In our crazy fast paced nation, a slow food trend is burgeoning. At Tiong Bahru Bakery Diner, they've taken slow food and made it fast and casual. Almost every element of each dish is is made from scratch, using locally sourced ingredients and minimising food waste. Of course, the result is new flavors and food that is good for your gut and soul. The two diners are located at Raffles City and Funan Mall and provides diners with convenient all-day breakfast options with a whole lot of vegetarian and vegans dishes. 
At the helm of the bistro is the sweet and enthusiastic Chef Paul Albert, who cut his teeth at several Michelin starred restaurants in France and Rio. Paul brings along his experience in sourdough baking, after his experience with The Slow Bakery in Rio where he learnt a great deal about wild fermentation. 

A look at the menu and one may be surprised at the number of vegetarian and vegan options. It's a concerted effort to do so in fact. Trust me, it'd change your mind on going green if you're a serious meat eater. 
For starters, reach for the Chayote Kimchi & Mung Bean Salad ($18) which features a toss-up of slow-cooked mung beans, blanched local snake beans and an old-style Korean kimchi made using local chayote and turnip that has been fermented in-house for several months. The kimchi was definitely on par with those that i've had in Seoul and it's riper than usual. Crispy buckwheat and toasted peanuts give the dish an additional crunch. 
The Hot Chicken Salad & Caramelised Pumpkin ($20) is a generous salad that will satisfy your protein craving. The chicken is first marinated with various local spices and then sous vide. Unfortunately the breast was a tad dry and salty for me. The highlights for me were the Kabocha pumpkin that has a lovely brown butter flavor and a caramelized sugar-like crust that is au natural; and also the zesty pomelo salad with a Greek yogurt wasabi dressing and parsley oil.
As French patisserie Antoinette bid farewell to its Mandarin Gallery outlet, its move to Millenia Walk is a warm welcome by the working crowd in the area, who gets to indulge on fresh bakes, sweet treats and savoury bites, all day everyday. 
Pick your spot, be it under the sun (i mean skylight) in the ‘al fresco’ area along the atrium, or tucked tucked away in a cosy corner in the store, and then be ready to watch the world go by for a bit. New to the Millenia Walk outlet are French-style savoury crêpes and weekday-specials, the Le Menu Petite Déjeuner (a simple breakfast menu) and Le Menu Sandwich (classic European sandwiches) that are exclusive to Millenia Walk.
For a quick grab and go, other than Antoinette’s signature Pure Butter Croissants ($3.5) and Pain Au Chocolat ($3.5), i highly recommend the Egg Muffin ($5) which is way better than MacD's FOR SURE. The housemade pork sausage patty is incredibly juicy and wholesome, with zero additives. Topped with cheddar cheese and a sunny side up, it's sandwiched between a housemade muffin which is amazingly fluffy and buttery inside and woah i love that crunchy crust it has. How is this only $5?? 
The Italian Focaccia ($8) is also an easy sandwich to eat on the go. You can't go wrong with pesto butter and cheese, plus some juicy sous vide chicken. I love the herby mix and it certainly provides a hearty start to the day. An extensive range of traditional European and Japanese-style breads are freshly stocked daily for a convenient snack at the desk too.
All-day dining venues are perfect for the Singapore CBD crowd and 51Soho at Telok Ayer is all geared up to bring you from day to night with menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all the hours in between. 

Need a power up before that morning meeting? Well there's the healthy Breakfast Overnight Oats ($9.90) or grab one of 51Soho's freshly baked Croissant with Ham and Cheese and Scrambled Eggs ($10.90). 
For lunch, tuck into their wholesome one-bowl meals, which have been calculated to provide you with a good mix of muscle-building protein, nutrient-rich greens and wholegrains. Pick from one of their bowls, or customize them. 
Wind down after work with the 51 Soho Specials cocktails that use Chinese rice wine, plum wine and bamboo wine as their base! I'd go for the Bamboo Dream, a lightly floral cocktail made from fermented rice wine and osmanthus Oolong tea. A little yuzu in this goes a long way to freshen your palate, while the passionfruit helps to sweeten the drink.

Another fruity drink is the 51 Soho, a plum wine that is spiked with lychee juice and a spritz of rose liqueur, 51 Soho's take on a lychee martini.
Dancing in The Moonlight’s bamboo wine is underscored with cucumber syrup, snow fungus and goji berries. It tasted really light, but light is deceiving, as with all their cocktails. 
Along with the drinks, there are charcoal-grilled skewers inspired by those served in Sichuan drinking houses. Sticks of marinated meats and vegetables are dusted with an original spicy mala blend. I'd recommend the pork belly sticks (2 for $7.50) which have crispy fatty bits around it. The beef skewers ($11) were good too.  
You could also have a proper dinner at 51Soho. I'm a huge fan of green mains and the Green & Nutty ($18) features different types of broccoli tossed in a lemony and herbaceous spring onion pesto.
For dinner, dig into heartier dishes with a tinge of Asian flavors in them. I would order the Salmon & Pearl ($28) in a heartbeat. I loved the crispy skin on the fatty fish, which was balanced with couscous that has been cooked in fish stock and sour vegetables and chili for a light tangy spiciness. 
The Spice de Canard ($30) is an Asian braised duck pretending to be European. I enjoyed the nuances of the chinese spices that the duck has been marinated in and then glazed over. The duck is then slathered with lentils marinated in Italian balsamic for a sweet tartness. 
When people said looks can be deceiving, they were referring to the Wicked Pasta ($22) at 51Soho. The zucchini-green linguine looked grassy but it tasted like a hearty tomato cream pasta. The pickling of the zucchini with yuzu must have caused some magic to happen because there was simply no tomato in this dish.  
For a more indulgent pasta, the Spicy Pasta ($24) will hook you with its addictive fiery and sour Mala sauce and chunky luscious seafood. Boy will you feel the burn but well we can deal with the consequences the morning after.
Also check out the Soho Burger ($28) with a house-made braised pulled beef, kimchi and fries. The bun is EVERYTHING. It's super pillowy, buttery, cloud-y delicious. It is best paired with an extra side of Shaky fries ($7.90) that is tossed with none other than 51Soho's house blend of Sichuan spices.

Desserts are not served for but you can always request to have some leftover bites from their tea menu. 51Soho is more than happy to accommodate.

I loved the idea of a one-stop-shop for meals and 51Soho does it well with their variety of offerings. Be sure to check them out!

51 SOHO
51 Telok Ayer St #01-01
Tel: +65 9755 1058 
Weekdays: 8am - 10pm 
Weekends & PH: 10am - 10pm