SPRUCE @ Phoenix Park, Tanglin Road

Hi to all!

I must say I really miss all my readers and the FUN in WRITING! So I am determined to start writing again! Well.. here is my first post to start my Blog up & running again... I had been busy working and cafe-hopping around quite a bit. I will introduce the lovely cafes to you guys soon. =)

On Saturday afternoon, I visited Spruce at Phoenix Park (directions to Spruce is provided at the end) with my buddies. Who doesn't enjoy the idea of having a good Brunch over a nice cup of roasted coffee on a weekend? Spruce has an added advantage as it is nestled among the trees so having a meal and happily chatting with your friends in the Alfresco area of Spruce provides you the wholesome experience of dining in a Tree House.

Spruce serves Modern American cuisine such as Meatballs, Hot Wings, Salads, Baby Back Ribs, Salmon Steak, Pasta and Desserts with a warm hospitality. Spruce has simply 2 types of Menu - Dining Menu (available all day everyday except during Brunch on weekends and public holidays) and Weekend Brunch Menu (available on weekends and public holidays from 9am till 3.45pm). I really love the idea of the cafe operating everyday.

For those who love Brunch (like me!), here are some of the dishes on the Weekend Brunch Menu:
Egg Benedict, Greek Yoghurt, Banana Hotcakes, Spruce Signature Cinnamon Pecan Roll, Spruce Signature Burger, Spruce Signature Prawn Pasta, Beverages and Desserts.

Here are my reviews (the pictures below are in order of reviews):

1. Cappuccino (My order)
I must say that I am pretty disappointed with this cup of coffee. Some notes of the Cappuccino are off somehow. There is a slightly weird sour backnote. Overall, this cup fails to delight me in any way. But, I must say the coffee art is not bad.

2. Cafe Latte (Friends' order)
Their reviews: The Latte is a disappointment. One of my friends said that she'd tasted better Latte elsewhere.

3. Spruce Egg Benny
Corn Waffles topped with two Poached Eggs (drizzled with Hollandaise Sauce) and Back Bacon with greens at the sides. One key highlight of the usual Egg Benedict dish is how well-prepared the poached eggs are. In this case, I was looking forward to trying the poached eggs and corn waffles.
Again, this dish fails to justify its delish appearance. I tasted better poached eggs but luckily, this is not the worst. As for the corn waffles, there is not a single surprise element at all. I would expect the corn waffles to be slightly crispy but nope, it is not. The corns are not even juicy or sweet. Well! At least, I did enjoy the greens (they are really fresh).

4. Hotcakes

The Hotcakes are not bad. I tasted a light tinge of orangy flavour (which I love). Plus, this side order is value for money, priced at $6.

5. Soft Scrambled Eggs (with Avruga Caviar and Smoked Salmon)

My friend ordered this. I did not try this as I was sick and did not want to dig into her plate.

Having said the above, considering the lovely ambience, friendly customer service and the credentials of the cafe, I may still give the cafe another chance if I am near Tanglin. I will like to give the Spruce Signature Burger a try.

Travelling to Spruce is not tough. Just take bus 111 at the bus stop (B09022) opposite Orchard MRT Station (Exit B) and alight 6 bus stops later at Tanglin Road before Chartsworth Road (B13039). You will have to walk about 2 to 4 minutes forward and then cross the road. You will see something like a campus. Spruce is located in it.

Breakfast for Thought!

Hi,

Tonight is a great night to think about breakfast! =)

Breakfast is about the most important meal of the day! Has anyone heard of this phrase?

"Eat like a King for Breakfast, Eat like a Prince for Lunch and Eat like a Beggar at Night"

It is important to have a nutritious meal for breakfast. So I am going to "share" my breakfast with you. I had these for a week about two weeks ago:



I am not saying that this is the best breakfast. There are so many choices out there. For example, egg (scrambled egg, omelette etc.), cheese, tuna, toast etc. A sandwich is great.

I would appreciate any comments you may have. =)

P.S. This week I am having White bread + milk.

Breakfast at Wild Honey!

Dear all,

I had a great breakfast with 3 of my friends at Wild Honey in Mandarin Gallery 3 days ago. This is the first time I visited the place. It sells different countries' styles of breakfasts all day (9am to 10.30pm on weekdays, 8am to 10.30pm on weekends). It does not let you make reservations. So if you are going, I suggest you go on a weekday morning. We went there about 12.30pm in the afternoon.

Mandarin gallery is across the road from Hereens. It is easily accessible by train or bus. For train, alight at Somerset MRT Station and then walk out towards Orchard MRT Station direction. For bus, I took 174 and alight when I see Hereens, then I cross the road. Wild Honey is located at Level 3 of Mandarin Gallery.

Wild Honey has a cosy ambience and a comfortable lighting. It feels like an European or English home setting to me. In my opinion, simply lovely!

We ordered 4 main dishes, 1 side order (something like Potato wedges) and 3 drinks. The bill is about $120. Each main dish ranges from $18 to $20+. The main dishes that we ordered are Basque Breakfast, Mexican Breakfast, Tunisian Breakfast and Sweet Morning. I am going to try and describe each of the 4 dishes in my own way.

Basque Breakfast (My choice): The dish has scrambled eggs, sweet onions, ham and 2 slides of bread.
My Review - I love this dish a lot but I would say the ham tastes kind of raw. I supposed this is the way it is supposed to be. But I recommend that you eat it in small portion.

I took a picture.



Mexican Breakfast (My friend's choice): Burrito filled with scrambled eggs, potatoes, beans, salsa. They are three sauces for you to dip it with.
My review - This is a great choice if you love burrito. For sauce lovers (like myself), the sauces are not bad.

I took a picture.



Tunisian Breakfast (My friend's choice): This dish has sliced sausages in some kind of savoury tomato sauce. The sauce is a little sour and sweet at the same time. There are 2 sunny side eggs in the dish.
My review - If you are a tomato lover, this is a superb choice.

My friend took a picture of it.



Sweet Morning (My friend's choice): This dish has french toasts stuffed with a sweet filling. I had a small bite. The filling tastes like mango. There are 3 sauces you can dip it with. But it tastes fine without any dips.
My review - If you like sweet stuff, this might work for you. But if you are a heavy eater, this might not be the top choice to fill your stomach.

My friend took a picture of it.



Overall, eating at Wild Honey is a nice experience. Even though it is a little pricey, it is worth-while to go there once or twice. Go and have fun with your friends. It is a good place to catch up.