[Review] Forge Bakehouse

Despite the weather not being the best (think battling the ghastly winds and erratic rain), we reached our next destination for the weekend - Forge Bakehouse. 

Forge Bakehouse is located along what is known as the Antiques Quarter - a row of antique and vintage shops scattered along Abbeydale Road. The seating area was relatively small, seating a maximum of 5 tables. The cafe was pretty full by the time we managed to grab a seat, so I'd suggest going early on the weekends.

The menu is simple, with not much variety but a good selection - one of the things I look out for at cafes. From past experience, the more complicated the menu, the poorer the quality of the food served. That's because places that serve a variety of foods would mean they have much to handle on their plate, and unless they have sufficient staff and work space... That spells lacklustre food.

Gibassier, flavoured with Orange Blossom and Aniseed (£2), Flat White (£2.50)

Foodie friend and I were joking that the heavily dusted power atop the bread could possibly be salt. Apart from the fact that the bread felt more like a doughnut due to the powdered sugar, I enjoyed how flavoursome the bread was. Tangy and airy, it would be something I'd enjoy having toasted with a slab of butter and jam/marmalade instead of powdered sugar. The flat white was rather very strong, which foodie friend later realised it was cos they added 2 shots inside. I opted for the soy flat white, which was much milder and milkier than the former. 

French Toast
Top -French Banana with Raspberry Compote, Peanut Brittle, Valrhona Chocolate Sauce and PB Mascarpone (£6.50)
Bottom - Spiced Poached Apple with Toasted Pecans, Oat Crumble, Cinnamon Mascarpone and Maple Syrup (£6.50)

I was contemplating between the huevos rancheros and the french toast, but decided that life was too short to just have something I've never had before (yup) and instead, opted for something I've had a thousand times over as a kid - French Toast. As a kid I remember making french toast almost every weekend and being glued to the TV and immersing myself in Cartoon Network.

If I had a chance to choose which to order again, I'd choose the french banana with raspberry compote. I picked the spice poached apple as the latter sounded a little too decadent, what with the PB and all. The maple syrup on the side was a little diluted (later saw that they used Clark's maple syrup and not pure Canadian maple syrup :( this has since been clarified that yes!, they do indeed use pure Canadian maple syrup instead of Clark's for their french toast), and the bread very slightly dry in some areas. However the oat crumble and spiced poached apples were nicely done - not overly sweet and the components complemented themselves really well. Foodie friend's option was much better though, drizzled with compote and chocolate, really... How wrong can it go? I really enjoyed the raspberry compote, and the PB mascarpone was pretty damn awesome. 

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Overall, I enjoyed my time at Forge Bakehouse. Service was friendly and the food was served within 15 mins - a perk at smaller cafes! The counter was also perpetually packed with people, even though seats were fully taken up. They also sell homemade bread by the loaves, which I'll make sure to take one home in the future.

Forge Bakehouse

302 Abbeydale Road, Sheffield S7 1FL

Opening Hours

Sun 10:00 - 15:00

Tue - Sat 9:00 - 18:00

You can find them on Facebook here

I was not paid nor sponsored for this review. The review was written entirely in my opinion.

Kilo @ Kampong Bugis x Wimbly Lu Chocolate - Review

I'm bacccccck!

After a long hiatus, I've decided to do a review on 2 places J and I went to for Valentine's Day. Being the extra picky eater (I say extra cos we're both picky but I'm pickier hahaha), I decided on Kilo @ Kampong Bugis for a simple, unpretentious dinner. 

I didn't expect to find Kilo at such a desolated place, more so in an industry building. Approaching the dodgy building after walking more than 400m along Kampong Bugis, I told J that we might have gotten the wrong location. As we got closer, though, the sound of jazz serenaded our ears and amber lights were shining through the darkness that echoed throughout the building from post CNY hangovers. 

We found it.

Located on the 2nd storey above Loysel's Toy, we were greeted a warm 'Welcome!' by the lady who then ushered us to our seats. 

Described as a 'food and watering den', the alfresco setting at Kilo makes you feel much at home. Simple geometric shapes in the form of tables, chairs and paintings surround the dining area with spotless white oak tables and a few circular transparent ones sparsly set.

The menu is small. But I've always felt that a small menu would mean the quality of the food would be higher, the effort put into purchasing quality ingredients and whipping them into fantastic dishes.

We decided to go ahead with a starter: Seared scallops served on white wine mushrooms topped with sweet mushroom reduction + momotaro tomato and our 2 mains: Angel hair with cream of ebiko and the famous Day Night 12 hour pork belly with purple mash, sour cream & crackling. 

I initially ordered the 2nd most popular thing here: squid ink rice but it was much to my dismay sold out:( (Btw we were there at 7pm and they open at 6pm) Made me wonder if they ran out of squid ink or  lady luck just wasn't in our favour.

Seared scallops served on white wine mushrooms topped with sweet mushroom reduction + momotaro tomato

This spelt heaven on a plate. The scallops were perfectly seared, contained the right amount of juciness and sweetness. Accompanied with the white wine mushrooms + reduction, it was a burst of flavour. The sweetness of the mushrooms and scallops paired with the reduction was almost a match made in heaven. Imagine sweet + sour but in the best way possible. Needless to say we polished the plate. Yes, even the sauce.

Day Night 12 hour pork belly with purple mash, sour cream & crackling

I was pretty excited to try it out. J said he wasn't a fan of crackling but since I've never had it I decided to give it a go. Slicing the pork into smaller slices, I realised the meat wasn't as soft as I had hoped it would be. It felt as though it wasn't simmered for 12 hours. Sure the quality of the pork was good, the sour cream that accompanied the dish complemented the meal and the sauce was as usual, delectable. But somehow I felt this was quite a miss. The crackling didn't leave much of an impression either, and the purple mash was well, mash.

Angel Hair with Cream of Ebiko

Prawns!! How can one not love them? I'm not big on seafood but I do love crabs, shrimp, prawns... Alright, I admit I'm big on seafood. The angel hair was done al-dante, and the cream of ebiko was perfect. I've never had sauce done like this, it sort of left a very subtle yet impactful aftertaste, sweet yet savoury. 

We had one issue though. The prawns were sadly not de-veined! J and I looked at each other for a moment before realising we were too hungry to enquire about why they didn't de-vein them and only told them after. It was quite an unpleasant surprise, but the dish was an overall success.

Kilo @ Kampong Bugis 

66 Kampong Bugis

#02-01 TURE

Tel: 64673987

Mon - Sat: 18:00 - 00:00

We decided to be a little more adventurous and headed for dessert at Wimbly Lu. I've been telling J that I've been wanting to visit WL for quite some time but the location was too inconvenient but since it was V Day we gave it a go:)

Even at 9.30pm on the 13th Feb, throngs of people were walking in seeking solace in the numerous varieties of cakes, tarts and truffles that were on display. We were lucky to have been seated almost immediately, with the couple behind us having to wait for 15 mins.

Since it was V Day the next day, the entire cafe was donned in fairy lights, countless of rose coloured heart shapes flooding the walls and ceiling. It'd be a single person's nightmare to have been in there, in all honesty.

They even have a section dedicated to children! Books of all sorts plastered on the tiny shelf by the brick wall was set up to, I suppose, entertain the small children in the most traditional of ways, and how it should rightfully be done - Reading.

We didn't manage to grab the last blackout cake :( So J decided on getting the Rocky Road (I might have gotten the name wrong pardon me and my goldfish memory). 

First bite and J said "It's so sweet...." downing his water thereafter. It was pretty alright in my opinion, though. Definitely not the best I've had and not something I'd order again, but quite alright if you're in need of a butter chocolatey tart kinda fix.

Root Beer Cake

But we did manage to get the Root Beer Cake! Trust me when I say that these 2 are in perfect harmony. It's like.... Nutella needs to go on toast, or how a waffle needs a good peanut butter spread. One without the other wouldn't suffice. 

I somehow always feel the need to order some form of beverage when having dessert. Decided on a latte which was a simple yet nostalgic drink. Sadly I don't have the best judgement of coffee but I can say it satisfied the coffee/tea addict in me.

Wimbly Lu

15-2 Jalan Riang

Tel: 62891489

Tue - Fri: 12:00 - 22:30

Sat - Sun: 09:00 - 23:00

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

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