All The Batter: Probably Singapore's First Avocado Specialty Cafe

I often wonder why the cafe isn't called "All About Avocadoes" because All About Batter sells all kinds of desserts and drinks revolving around one of the world's superfood, avocados. Little known is that the shop has been selling avocado drinks and natural food at a kiosk in Anchorpoint since 2014. It takes online orders for cakes and caters for corporate events or special occasions.



It does not instill huge confidence to find the cafe tucked discreetly in one of the shophouses at Aldephi Park (next to Thomson Plaza), with seats and tables barely filled up on a weekend afternoon. Nor will one's heart rejoice when you browsed through the food photos posted on social media because the colors are dull and unappetizing. But once my family and I had a taste of the cakes and drinks, those initial suspicions were soon allayed.

The cakes here may not be fit into the photogenic criteria these days but they are all tasty and not too sweet at all. Above all, avocados are used to replace certain dairy products like butter and cream, making them healthier than the conventional pastries we know. What a bonus.

The Avocado Milk Ball ($2.90) is actually a choux puff filled with avocado cream. There is nothing spectacular about the choux pastry and the cream filling doesn't possess the dark green hue as shown on the official photo. But the avocado cream tastes like what it should be. The texture is dense but the flavor is pure and light, almost like eating an avocado.

The signature Avocado Rhapsody Slice ($6.50) is a cream cheese frosted chocolate sponge made with avocados in substitute of butter. I am not a fan of cream cheese frosting so I naturally swerved towards the Avocado Gula Melaka ($5.90) even though the two layers of cake here belongs the dense American style that can easily fill one up.

If I were to return again, I'll definitely order the Avocado artisan drinks that is churned from a multi-grain base. The Avocado Chocolate Ganache sounds like a super indulgent, calorie-laden smoothie but it turns out to be exactly the opposite. Barely sweetened yet rich, nutty and wholesome. The ganache (made with avocado too) is so thick that it hardly dissolves into the drink. Same goes for the Matcha Avocado that is also sweetened with honey. The restrained sweetness here is the most attractive aspect of the menu here.

Healthy and tasty. Now I know I don't have to travel too far for my sweets indulgence.

17 Jasmine Road, Aldephi Park
Weekends only 11am-9.30pm
http://www.allthebatter.com/

Matcha Avocado Smoothie

Avocado Rhapsody 

Avocado Gula Melaka

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Seng Yan Charcoal Traditional Toast @ Sin Ming Road : 传统炭烤面包 MUST TRY

Ya Kun, Wangz Toast, Good Morning Nanyang. These are probably familiar names for your kopi and roti fix. Few would have heard of Seng Yan Charcoal Traditional Toast @ Sin Ming Road. It's been around since the times when my maternal grandparents started their tailor shop and my parents started their stone shop in the old Lakeview shophouses at Upp Thomson Road. That place was where my aunts, mother and I grew up in and also where Seng Yan used to be located.



There was no signboard in the past and my family members would refer to this kopi stall 江泉(Jiang Quan). The adults knew the uncle who and the uncle knew us. I am not familiar with traditional kopi but my family swears by the kopi here as it is aromatic, well-Brewer and tasty. That's why you should never mention Starbucks or Coffee Bean in front of my family or buy those coffee to my house.

Following the demolishment of Lakeview shophouses in year 2000, the old neighbours from hawker centers went separate ways. Majority like the Hakka shun kueh, prawn Mee stall shifted to Shunfu Mart while the Teochew porridge and Seng Yan Kopi moved to Sin Min Road. It sells the usual traditional toast but my family favourite here is the baguette toast or what we call Jian Tao Roti (尖头面包) I guess no one knew they were called (Asian) French Baguette so they identified it from its pointed-head shape.  It doesn't matter that both Kaya and bread are supplied because the standards are there (must be from a very good supplier)

There is 2 servings per order and they are grilled over the charcoal toast long enough till the crust turns extra crispy and fragrant. Some parts are even slightly charred. Of course, other kopitiam still sells it but we felt those were often not toasted long or the heat wasn't strong enough. The 火候 here is strong and the butter melts quickly, fusing with the Kaya and softening the interior. It's crunchy and chewy at the same time; the more I chow, the tastier it gets. Amazing how such a simple toast contains so much 学问. And to think that the French never knew that  their baguette could be served in such a delicious way.

Do note that Jian Tao roti is usually delivered to the shop after 3pm. Sometimes you may get it in the morning but I heard those are leftover from the previous day. If you are a fan of this kind of old-school bread, this is a hidden gem that you should know.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Sin Hoe Huat Cafe @ Jalan Besar : Kopi-Roti Fix and Har Cheong Gai

I first knew Sin Hoe Huat as a kopi-roti stall at Sembawang Hills hawker center since my family often visits there for breakfast and lunch. In fact, it has been around since the 1960s and this family business is now helmed by the third generation of owners, according to what's been written on its website.  

It even won the 2008 CityGas Hawker Hunt for the Best Kopi & Roti. But it is only recently that I learnt about its cafe at Jalan Besar where they sell local food like laksa and thus I decided to check it out with my folks on a Sunday evening. 

The space is very much like a retro cafe designed with all the elements that bring you back to the 60s or 70s era. There's a section where you can even scoop some complementary old-school cookies like the cream crackers and the colorful jewel icing cookies. Call it hipster but its not overly done. The price range is similar to the those from a food court but the quality is actually pretty good, or at least better than Coffee Hive and Straits Coffee. The main dishes are available from 10am as ala carte or as a set with a drink for $7.90. The Mee Siam ($6.90) came with readily squeezed lime juice that made the dish extra appetizing and tasty. The gravy wasn't too sweet at all and had the right balance of acidity and spiciness. It leans more towards the Malay style rather than the Nyona style as barely any coconut milk was added. My mum and I loved our Mee Siam this way as the flavors are sharper and less jelat. The Laksa ($6.90) was rich and fragrant, especially if you mixed in all the sambal chilli and transformed it into a pool of red. A more generous dose of laksa leaves will definitely enhance the aroma. 

It won't be a complete kopi-roti experience without the eggs and I'm totally impressed by the half-boiled eggs here. My wild guess is that they either use super fresh eggs or a premium type of eggs (maybe even both) because the eggs were perfectly cooked to the dot--the whites were not too runny while the yolks had a slight viscous texture that set it a notch above the usual kopitiam eggs or even Onsen eggs. I hope they can maintain this consistency. 

Meanwhile, all the three types of toasts I had were excellently toasted with the ideal ratio of butter and Kaya (of course I won't mind more butter and Kaya but theirs were quite sufficient already) If you like something more unique and different, go for the crusty French Baguette or Signature Emperor Bun. I appreciated the fact that the toasts are really toasted to a state where the bread shatters into crumbs; crisp but not tough or hard. Trust me, toasts might sound like so basic but I've encountered stale chewy versions elsewhere  that totally destroyed your mood. 
Everyone in the family gave the Har Cheong Gai ($9.90/5pcs) full thumbs up because those wings were crispy, piping hot and full of umami goodness. A little pricy for 5 wings but I guessed that's the norm for cafe food these days. This is definitely a must try for all har Cheong Gai fans out there. 

The MeePok Madness ($12.90) is Sin Hoe Huat's unique creation with a top secret sauce and a soft boiled egg on top. It looked so deceivingly plain and dull but a quick toss soon revealed its true spicy colors. The egg and sauce mixture coated the noodles strand and created such a pleasant slimy effect that unknowingly encouraged us to slurp on and on. Some might find it a little bland compared to the average Mee Pok but the seasoning was just right for me. The only thing I didn't quite understand was the sheer amount of minced meat that stuck together in clumps. 

Good to know that this place opens till late night 1am and even 3am on certain days. Probably won't return since the kopi stall at Sembawang is nearer to my house. But if you are looking for a quick fix or late night supper place in that vicinity, this place is a good option to consider. 

Open Tuesdays to Sundays 6am till 1pm
2. 383 Jalan Besar, Singapore 209001
+65 6291 8011
Open daily 7am till 1am
www.sinhoehuat.com

reade more... Résuméabuiyad