For today, we will be reviewing on Whisk Cafe, a quaint little cafe situated near the junction of Eng Hoon Street and Offshore Club, a off-the-beaten-track bar and bistro with its quiet and idyllic setting makes for a nice weekend break.
Whisk Café
by Samantha Lee
The hippie neighbourhood of Tiong Bahru is clumped with cafes. This makes it a go-to place for many cafe hoppers, but on the flip-side, smaller family-owned cafes are struggling to survive the steep competition against big names such as The Tiong Bahru Bakery and PS Café Petit.
Just across the road from Ah Bong’s Italian is a quaint little cafe – Whisk. It is the brainchild of patissier Tricia Lim, who had to opportunity to work alongside renowned French patissier – Dominique Ansel – at his bakery in New York City. Opened for slightly over a year, it has already garnered a loyal following.
Food:
No tea break is every complete without a good cup of tea. This cup of Earl Grey was fragrant and good for balancing out the sweetness of the desserts. The flower-shaped Speculoos cookie served alongside was the unexpected hero. It was well-baked and had a brittle quality to it. It is hard to stop at just one but luckily they are available in small packets ($2.50).
This rendition of the chocolate tart is prodigious! The chocolate ganache was adequately rich and instead of using the usual tart shells, this one was made of Valrhona chocolate. Hidden in the middle was an expresso-soaked sponge cake. I found this most fascinating as you don’t usually expect to find a cake in a tart. It helped strike a nice balance between the bitterness of the coffee and the sweetness from the chocolate and salted caramel.
Carrot cake has to be one of my favourite desserts. However, finding a satisfying slice is quite the challenge – most are either too dry or lacking in flavour. This slice was moist in texture and had pineapples added to bring out maximum flavour. The pumpkin seeds gave a nice crunch and the cake carried a distinctive taste of cinnamon which really sat well with me.
Made of genoise cake – an Italian sponge cake – this slice has a more defined texture than the airy Japanese chiffon. Contrasted with the fluffy and airy whipped cream, the flavours harmonise and are easy on the palate.
Though not yet to find a firm footing in the local market, Bostock is a common French delicacy. Unlike the French toast that we are familiar with, this almond toast is made using almond cream and baked till golden. Garnished with sliced almonds and powdered sugar, this sweet treat pairs well with tea.
These macarons look perfect – evenly sized and shaped, no excessive colouring and they had feet! Taste wise, they were pretty average in the sense that perhaps the greedy glutton in me wished they had more fillings. Yet, that could just be me!
Ambience:
The layout of the cafe is largely influenced by house where Tricia grew up in London – large windows and a beautiful garden at the back. The café is mainly themed in white with chocolate-coloured rattan chairs and golden lamps, made from whiskey decanters, hanging from the ceiling. It is different from the usual industrial chic look that most cafes are going for these days. A black piano sits at the back, inviting customers to exhibit their musical talents. Overall, Whisk has a homely and welcoming atmosphere.
Price:
The menu is priced closely to cafes in the area – not the least expensive dining option but the good quality and service here make up for it. They are also carrying out an after-lunch special where you can get a mini slice of their signature Carrot Cake with a cup of hot coffee or tea at only $8!
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Whisk Cafe
58 Seng Poh Road
#01-15
Singapore 160058
Opening Hours:
Mon : Closed
Tues – Thurs : 9am – 7pm
Fri – Sat : 9am – 11pm
Sun : 9am – 9pm
Offshore Club
by Samantha Lee and Chua Wei Ling
Deep within the Loyang Industrial Park lies a hidden restaurant, far away from all the hustle and bustle of city life. Truth be told, when we first learned of it, we were skeptical of its existence since an industrial park was the last place we would expect a bar and bistro to be opened. However, right atop one of the buildings at Loyang Offshore Supply Base stood Offshore Club.
The unique location was chosen as the owners did not wish to partake in the rat race that downtown cafes are having. As such, they are able to focus on their food, which they take pride in, serving value-for-money meals with quality kept at its best.
Food:
The menu is kept simple to maintain the standards of their food. To start off, we had a glass of drinks each. Pink Pussycat is a blend of fruit punch and vanilla ice cream. It consistency is slightly thinner than a milkshake, making it a great thirst quencher. Made of freshly crushed mint leaves, lime, mojito mint syrup and soda, the Mojito Mint (Italian soda) was certainly refreshing on a hot evening.
For starters, we had the Smoked Duck Salad. Generous amount of smoked duck slices aligned the top of the salad, which was drenched in ponzu vinegarette, working up quite an appetite in us. We liked how the duck slices were served warm, giving them a nice tender texture and contrasted the crunchy greens.
Next up, we had the Green Curry Seafood Pasta. This was the second Thai-inspired pasta dish that we had this month, although it is less common than the Tom Yum pasta. The sauce was rich and creamy, coating every strand of pasta evenly. Tossed in a generous serving of sweet and fresh seafood – prawns, scallops and squid – this plate makes for a good sharing dish between two. However, we thought the cream was slightly salty towards the end. The mild kick from the spiciness of the green curry made up for everything though, and is a certainly must-try for Thai food lovers!
Over here, they are pretty well-known for the Fish & Chips and as such we couldn’t give it a miss! Made of red snapper, instead of the common dory you find at most places, this plate came with a meaty fillet on a bed of thick-cut fries and a side of coleslaw. We were surprised that the batter was thin and crispy. It also carried a distinctive taste of herbs and spices which added flavour to the juicy fillet.
The Salted Caramel Molten Cake came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as well as some slices of oranges. It was a refreshing change from the usual Chocolate flavoured ones. This helped end our weekend with a sweet note before the Monday Blues sank in.
Ambience:
The ambience here is cosy and quiet, and the cafe is split into two sections – an open-air outdoor section where you can enjoy the breeze and dine alfresco, as well as an indoor air-conditioned area with sofas in the lounge corner. The indoor section overlooks the industrial park and also allows for glimpse of airplanes taking off or landing at the nearby Changi Airport. Whichever your choice may be, both sections are excellent for a weekend relaxation.
Price:
The dishes here are all reasonably priced, and with the stringent quality control, you can rest assured that what you get is certainly the best that comes from the kitchen. During lunch hours, you can even help yourself to the salad bar (for free) with any main course ordered.
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Offshore Club
25 Loyang Crescent, Blk 103A TOPS Avenue 1, #09-01
Singapore 508988
Opening hours:
Mon – Fri: 11.30am – 10pm
Sat: 6pm – 10pm
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays
