Skyve Elementary Bistro Bar + Drips Bakery Cafe

Good afternoon fellow foodies! 

If you all noticed, I stopped cafe hopping/brunching for a bit as being in England made me realise how much I missed my chinese food and the Asian unicorn in me insisted on having hawker centre food for weeks on end. But I met up with a lovely friend today so I decided to go somewhere a lil fancier to catch up. I'm so glad we did.

I've heard a lot about Skyve Elementary & Bistro Bar along Winesdt Road at Newton. Silly me assumed it was right beside the Newton station so we got lost for a bit. The sun was scorching, the weather showed no mercy earlier today but thankfully with the help of google maps we managed to find our way:)

No idea who the dude is above, he was in the picture and wouldn't budge :(

Nestled in a discreet little nook near Newton Circus, the place was rather quiet for brunch. However it was just the way we liked it.

As described on its website: Brought to you by the same team behind the well-received Table 66, Skyve is a casual redux of its predecessor, with friendlier prices for similar quality and service. Self-described as mod bistro, the food here is a bevy of familiar, comforting flavours prepared with modern culinary techniques by master of sous-vide, Chef Vincent Teng.

Their menu was simple and unpretentious. Brunch food served with love. If your stomach isn't calling for eggs or toast, opt for their pizzas and burgers instead. The portion can be a wee bit small but it's perfect for a light brunch.

Skyve Sous Vide Egg Benedict, SGD18

2 poached eggs, sourdough bread, grilled portobello mushroom, sweet corn, arugula salad & hollandaise sauce

Having heard SO much about this, I had to order this. Basically, what Sous Vide means is food being cooked sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath, not more than 100°c. A dish literally cooked to perfection, every single item on the plate helped enhance the flavour of each ingredient. The corn was nicely buttered and sweet in itself, the arugula salad lightly dressed, portobello mushrooms nicely placed at the side with the most heavenly toasted sourdough bread and 2 poached eggs atop glorious hollandaise sauce.

I could have it all over again.

Ricotta Hotcakes, SGD18

Maple syrup, passionfruit butter, roasted almond flakes, fresh bananas

You have the option of taking certain things our of your dish, as my friend did with bananas. I didn't really ask her how she felt about the hotcakes but she looked like she was enjoying it! The pancakes are definitely thinner than those you find at Macdonalds thus easier to eat without your stomach exploding from the heaviness of the hotcakes.

You can check out the rest of their menu here 

I also especially like how they aren't pretentious with the name of their dishes. No fancy french words, no hard to remember names. The concept of the restaurant was simple, too. Choose either the indoor seating scattered with sofas or your regular table and chairs or an alfresco environment with nature & even a swing for both young and old to enjoy.

Food was served especially fast, we were served 10 minutes into ordering. Service staff was alright. We paid SGD42 for 2 in total which was pretty worth it in my opinion:)

Skyve Elementary Bistro &Bar

No.10 Winstedt Road Block E, #01-17

Open Daily: Monday to Sunday (including Public Holidays)

10am to late

Reserve:+65 6225 6690

E-mail:enquiry@skyve.sg

Facebook:www.facebook.com/SkyveEBB

Also on my to-go list was Drips Bakery Cafe along Tiong Poh Road. I can finally tick this off my list. Surprisingly the place was extremely quiet! I could count the number of people in the cafe with my two hands, that was how quiet the place was. Fantastic!

Drips Bakery Cafe serves light food like sandwiches and quiche, along with their more well known items like tarts and brownies. Coffee and tea is also a great add-on for tea/dessert.

A rather extensive menu for a small cafe, we were in for a treat.

They even sell Korean stationary too!

And yes, butter cakes. How can anyone resist?

 

Mixed Fruit Tarts, SGD 7

We both decided on the mixed fruit tart. I was initially eyeing the colossal apple crumble tart but had to resist and decided to try their all time famous tart. A dessert perfect for one.

What I liked most about the tart was the fact it was its simplicity. A very thin base with custard atop and caramelized blueberries and huge rasberries, it was light yet filling all at once. Unlike tarts which have an extremely thick base (Which I really love), this dessert was very nicely balanced out. 

So if you're ever in the area, don't forget to drop by Drips. It's definitely worth a sit down. Service was okay but I'll definitely be back for my apple crumble tart.

Drips Bakery Café

82 Tiong Poh Road, #01-05, S(160082)

6222 0400

Opening hours:

Sun - Thur : 11.00am - 9.30pm

Fri & Sat : 11.00am - 11.00pm

Kith Cafe - Another Day, Another Place.

#ootd #TGIF

For whoever's reading out there, you guys must be wondering why I've been going to cafes alone lately. Simple. I enjoy being a lone wolf, and at this point of time in my life I actually prefer being in the comfort of my own thoughts rather than making small talk with people. I love my friends to death, but I've been feeling the need to retreat in my own shell for a bit.

So as Maroon 5 continues playing in the background of my iTunes, let me start how I feel about where I am right now- Kith Cafe at Park Mall.

A pretty small cafe packed with a decent number of chairs, it's a pretty good place for people-watching or sipping a cup of tea and indulging in a good book or getting some work done (For those people who simply cannot get anything done at home except sleeping)

It was around 3pm when I arrived, so the breakfast menu was closed sadly. Decided to go for a grilled chicken sandwich and a iced honey milk latte. Mmmhmm.

The staff were pretty friendly too. A young, energetic bunch, they're always on their feet with a smile on their face. Good service = moneys' worth. And within 10 minutes my order arrived! Oh did I mention, they have wifi here? Fantastic for people like me who need to use their laptops to get some work done.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich ($12)

Grilled chicken, portobello mushroom, parmesan cheese atop toasted bread with a side of chips

I'm no fan of chips, but I actually finished the 7-8 pieces that was on my plate. I'm not really sure if they were baked by Kith Cafe themselves but it was worth me gobbling down the whole lot. The mushrooms were sautéed to perfection, and the grated parmesan cheese added a nice touch to the simple albeit yummy meal. I have, however, had better sandwiches. So you might want to try something else like the pasta (Which my next door neighbors are having) when you come here. P/s: They're actually squealing in delight whilst looking at the pasta so...

3.5/5

Iced Honey Milk Latte ($6.50)

Although the honey wasn't stirred properly and kind of coagulated to the bottom, it's an extremely refreshing perk-me-up on a hot day like today. Definitely recommend this for the dehydrated and those who like a tinge of sweet in their drinks.

4.5/5

Like I said, cafes have been a new favorite hangout of mine. Even though half the time my mind drifts into how wonderful the ambience of a place is, I know I can't daydream forever and that projects await me.

Kith Cafe
9 Penang Road, #01-01E Park Mall
6338 8611

Opening Hours
Daily: 8am – 10pm

7 Rodyk Street, #01-33
Watermark @ Robertson Quay
6341 9407

Opening Hours
Daily: 7am – 7pm

Strictly Pancakes l Please, stop feeding me!

Strictly Pancakes. Home to some of the fluffiest, thickest pancakes in Singapore. But were they any good? Read on to find out.

K, my foodie-in-crime, and I had 1 1/2 hours to kill before class started, so I suggested we headed to Strictly Pancakes for brunch since we were talking about it the last time. Excited, we paved our way down at 11.15am and sat under the blistering heat for 15 mins till they opened.

If you guys have never been to SP (Or better yet, heard of it) you guys must definitely not be fans of pancakes. Be it good or bad, SP was established way before the Brunch hype was cooked up. From savory to sweet pancakes, Strictly Pancakes offer a variety of foods for those greedy enough to conquer pancakes topped with the choice of garlic butter prawns or in chocolatey goodness.

Strawberries & Co ($10 +$1 for chocolate pancakes)

Savour your medium stack with seasonal mixed berries fresh from the grocer, cream and strawberry coulis served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

It was my 2nd time at SP and so I decided to be adventurous - I swapped my regular pancakes for chocolate pancakes! Plus strawberries do go well with chocolate, no? I paid an extra $1 for the chocolate pancakes but I really didn't mind. The food took about 10 mins to arrive and when they did, the portions were huge. By huge I mean I can't wait to dig in and I know I'll die after about 2 1/2 pancakes but I'll gobble the whole meal up anyway huge. 

The pancakes were a delight to eat. Chocolate batter made to perfection, soft and fluffy. The cream atop the pancakes complemented the pancakes as well. However the strawberry puree was a bit too sweet for my liking (And artificial) and the portion was too tiny. The ice-cream tasted like any regular ice-cream. No kick, and it didn't taste very appetizing.

3.5/5 (Only cause I loved the chocolate pancakes)

Bananas-Butterscotched ($10)

Caramelised bananas sizzled in a pan with a dash of rum drizzled over a medium stack, served with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Foodie-in-crime had bananas-butterscotched (I really have no idea why it's butterscotched not butterscotch but anyway...) First thing she said when I asked how it was was "If you're a fan of banana you'd like this" Sweet, almost too sweet in my opinion. The pancakes were drowned in caramelized banana puree and topped with fresh bananas and a side of vanilla ice-cream. I grabbed a bite from her and note to self: Only order this if you LOVE bananas and are in need of a cause for diabetes. 

3/5

3 pancakes were too much for us. I had difficulty finishing mine and F-I-C didn't finish hers either. Just like how finishing a plate of cabonara can be found as a struggle, so were the pancakes. If you do go down though, please do me a favor and swap your plain ole' pancakes for some chocolate ones. You'd be doing your tummy a favor.

And how was service, you wonder? Let's just say when we asked for recommendations after 15 mins of doing nothing but staring at the menu in an air conditioned room that felt like we were in a furnace (And perhaps only because we were the 1st customers), the waitress kept asking us if we wanted sweet or savory even though we specifically told her we needed recommendations and were open to anything.

Will I be back? No, sadly. As much as I used to think this place was good, I don't intend on coming back. Not after brunch places like Riders Cafe, Choupinette and Batter Flutter Flaps (All of which apart  from the first I've been dying to try) have opened its doors

In all honesty you're better off buying those pancakes from Macdonalds, slapping on a generous amount of chocolate/maple syrup in the comfort of your own home laughing to a sitcom. Don't take my word for it though.

Strictly Pancakes

44A Prinsep Street Singapore 188674

 6333 4202

Opening Hours

Mon: 6pm – 10pm

Tue–Thu: 11.30am – 10pm

Fri: 11.30am – 12am

Sat: 10am – 12am

Sun: 10am – 10pm

Xoxo

Thehungryunicorn

CSHH l A day spent alone

I was contemplating cafe-visting today after school but decided I needed some alone time with a nice cup of coffee and lunch. So I forgo-ed breakfast and headed to Chye Seng Huat Hardware.

Slotted along a row of shops and located besides a christian bookshop, I nearly walked past CSHH before I took a second look at the sign and realized that was it. Adorned with almost nothing, simplicity is something I would describe the outside. If you didn't know the name, you'd definitely mistake this for yet another shophouse that could, perhaps, specialize in nuts and bolts. The entrance is right by the side of the actual entrance. I thought I was entering a dilapidated part of the 'shophouse' till I realized otherwise.

A very simple cafe, the aroma of coffee beans filled the air, accompanied by the buzzing of pockets of customers laughing over a good lunch. I settled for a seat by the corner of the shop. #foreveralone

Call me crazy, but I find it extremely therapeutic being alone sometimes. Sure, I love the company of close friends over good food. I love being in crowds at times and I sure as hell don't mind speaking in front of hundreds of people. But at the same time, I love being alone. I know Thboy hates eating alone because according to him, "It makes me feel like a loser" but I think a little otherwise. I wouldn't mind being in a cafe having a good latte and being immersed in one of my favorite author's books.

Cappuccino ($5.50)

I decided with the cappuccino. Simply because I'm not the biggest fan of coffee but I needed a perk-me-up. However latte art never fails to amaze me, probably because I know I'd make a hell of a mess if I were to ever be a barista.

I love my coffee sweet and milky, and this was, in my opinion, a little on the bitter side. I would have asked for more sugar and milk but I told myself I had better go easy on the sugar lest I die from diabetes. Nothing to shout about, but one of the better ones out there.

3/5

French Toasts with Banana and Strawberry Slices ($7.50)

I've been on a french toast frenzy the past 2 days. My taste buds were dying for something sweet and which reminded me of my childhood. I initially wanted to go for a smoked salmon sandwich but when the lady asked what I wanted my mouth immediately blurted out "French Toasts with Banana and Strawberry Slices please" with a huge smile on my face. 

Idiot.

But when it arrived, my eyes literally popped. For $7.50, the portion was huge! I didn't expect much. In fact, I was expecting 2 thinly sliced pieces of bread with slices of banana and strawberry stuffed at the side of the plate drizzled with maple syrup. Instead I was served 2 huge, thick slices of bread (Sliced into 4) with banana and strawberries occupying the entire plate and a side of maple syrup drizzled to your liking.

The egg batter could have been sweeter though. It was a tad bit bland for my liking and I only have the maple syrup to thank. But how wrong can you go with French Toast? Thumbs up for the generous portion though.

4/5

Will I visit CSHH again? Definitely. I would love to try their sandwiches and pastries and spend a little more time people watching and sipping on hot chocolate. But for now, it's time to hit the books.

Chye Seng Huat Hardware Coffee Bar

150 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore

6396 0609

Opening Hours

Tue – Thu: 9am – 7pm

Fri – Sun: 9am – 10pm

xoxo,

Thehungryunicorn