Mia Eats: East Coast Commune at Marine Cove

-credits to East Coast Commune-

Yes, a new cafe has finally popped up at Marine Cove! 

-credits to East Coast Commune-

Marine Cove at East Coast Park is usually where I end my morning jogs every Sunday (I've ventured on towards Parkland Green just a handful of times), so I actually knew that a new cafe is coming while they're still in the midst of construction. Haha, but I just didn't drop by the very first Sunday they opened. 

Anyhow, I still dropped by the following week (or was it 2 weeks?) after their official opening for a quick breakfast with the HB after my Sunday jog. They're open at 9am and the HB actually reached the cafe at around 840am (he doesn't jog with me) to find himself 3rd in line. And by the time I arrived at somewhere around 850am, there were about 7 groups of patrons waiting in line already. 

Like, WHUTT?

I know, with the current COVID19 situation, it's always better to make a reservation at any eatery you plan to go, regardless of how unpopular they've always been. But here at ECC, they do not accept reservations on weekends, so.... just queue, lor. 

Perhaps due to COVID19, the table arrangement at the spacious cafe is rather spaced out, hence seating capacity may be compromised, which explains the queue 

Iced Latte

The coffee, although not stellar, was still pretty okay. But I'm a little miffed that they do not serve their lattes with a stirrer. I'm all for no plastic straws, but hey I wanna mix my espresso shot with the milk thoroughly before I drink, too! There's also no sugar syrup served alongside my coffee. I typically do not add sugar to my coffee, but it was cheatday and I wouldn't mind to have some sweet coffee once in a while. 

Oh well, perhaps they expect patrons to specifically request for both the stirrer and sugar syrup, or perhaps the HB has declined their offer to serve the coffee with sugar, I can't be sure. 

Fried Chicken & Corn Waffles

You know, I wanted to visit the cafe for their sourdough waffles. But then I got distracted by "Fried Chicken & Waffles" and failed to realise that the fried chicken is served with CORN waffles instead. I can't be sure if the base of the waffle is still sourdough or not, (can hardly taste any distinctive difference) but there's definitely bits of corn kernels tucked away inside the waffle, which was quite unnecessary for me. While both the HB and I love a good waffle that's TOTALLY CRISP on the outside and fluffy on the inside, ECC's corn waffles are soft and moist throughout. Oh well, taste wise it's still pretty good; but texture wise it's not my jam. 

It didn't help that their chef chose to serve the sides of spicy picked daikon directly on top of the waffle, which made that half of the waffle soaked through with the pickled juice and all soggy and semi-disintegrated. 

The fried chicken was also just normal, at best. Nothing fancy with their marinate flavour, nor exceptionally tender and juicy. 

And the verdict is, I will probably still want to revisit, just it's just to try out the sourdough waffles, as I've not seen one anywhere else (yet). But if you're asking if I will return for their coffee and fried chicken & waffles, I guess you should know my answer...

East Coast Commune is located at 1000 ECP, Marine Cove #01-03.

For more information, visit their website

Till then,

Mia Foo

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[Media Tasting] Nuevo Cafe SG

Located at the first level of an industrial building near SingPost Centre, Nuevo is an unassuming cafe set up by KitchenHub, a commercial kitchen equipment specialist, in April 2016 right next to their showroom in Eunos Avenue 3 with the intention to create and celebrate casual hearty food to share with the masses. 

We were there at a rather off-peak time of 4pm (to 6pm) and the cafe was still pretty packed! They very humbly attributed the crowd to the church located in the same building, but I later found out that it's really the quality of their food that counts. 

For a casual cafe establishment, Nuevo boasts a pretty impressive menu at extremely affordable pricing, and with a variety of food selections that differs slightly for weekdays and weekend. 

Their kitchen is located away from the cafe seating, right at the other end across the showroom. 

And over here, you can find the legendary acclaimed Josper Oven Grill. 

An oven and charcoal grill combined into one, Josper Grill simplifies the usual two step process of grilling our meat before finishing them off in the oven into one. This supposedly not only shorten the time taken for thick cuts of meat to be cooked, but also create wonderfully cooked meat that's tender and succulent on the inside. 

And here's the main highlight of the day, FOOD! Oh, glorious food! Nuevo Cafe has prepared a selection of their newly launched menu and signature dishes from both the weekday and weekend menu for the day. 

A rather impressive spread, eh? But thank goodness Nuevo has very thoughtfully portioned out the dishes into food-tasting friendly serving sizes so that none of our stomachs burst that day. 

But before that let's touch on their signature drink, the Iced Earl Grey Tea. 

Sweetened with honey instead of table sugar, the ice cubes that they've used for the drink are actually frozen cubes of the earl grey tea itself, hence you will never have the disappointing moment of realising that your tea has turned into plain water when all the ice cubes has melted after being left on the table for too long. 

One brownie point for the effort! 

And here's some of the dishes we've tried for the day that made a lasting impression on me. 

Potato Mochi

Mashed potato with mochi, camembert cheese & topped with teriyaki glaze

I friggin' love this appetizer, OMG. These are so good! Nuevo has simply taken 3 of my favourite food, potato, mochi and cheese and mashed them together into this delicious golden nugget that's deep fried till crispy on the outside but soft, gooey-chewy on the inside and bursting with oozing Camembert cheese. 

As a serious carb-monster, I could actually see myself ordering two servings of this and having them as my main, I'm not joking. 

Mentaiko Carbonara 

Linguine in mentaiko cream sauce with bacon, tobikko, parmesan and onsen egg

This is like an upgraded carbonara, packed full of flavour not only from mentaiko, but the addition of bacon, parmesan and tobikko also added a lot more savoury flavour to the pasta. Might be on the too-salty side if you always prefer a milder flavour. I mean, when you see bacon, tobikko and parmesan together, you should know the savoury factor is going to pack a punch. 

Kakuni Pork Rice Bowl

Japanese braised pork belly on pearl rice and served with pickled radish, pistachio furikake and onsen egg

I'm hardly a fan of pork, much less to say pork belly (hate the fats!) unless it's roasted and with crackling skin but this kakuni pork is so good! It didn't even taste like pork, to be honest. The meat was so tender and juicy, it was almost like the fats and lean meat layers has been cooked to melt into each other. The braising sauce also gave the pork so much flavour, you could really call this addictive. 

There's absolutely nothing to dislike about the pearl rice, which obviously tasted premium (yes, after working p/t in both Edo sushi & Genki sushi during my university years, I've learnt that not all Japanese pearl rice are made the same...), but I did have some tiny issue with the pistachio furikake, which had some really tough-crunchy bits here and there that hurt my sensitive teeth. 

But it's not you, it's me. I just need to take better care of my poor, weak teeth. 

Yakiniku Wagyu Rice Bowl

If you're still not sold for the kakuni pork and prefer beef, Nuevo also has a yakiniku wagyu rice bowl to satisfy your tastebuds. Look at how pink and juicy the wagyu slices are, they're literally glistening. 

Baked Salmon

Salmon fillet with miso butter sauce, served with mashed sweet potato and mesclun salad

Though tasty, I personally felt that the baked salmon was a tad dry but it could be due to the chef cutting the fish into smaller portions before cooking the fish, instead of cooking the fish as per usual serving size before cutting it up into smaller portions. 

But what's truly intriguing for this dish was the mashed (purple) sweet potato! Although I personally do love sweet potatoes, but the purple ones are always my least favourite as they always have this distinctive earthy soil taste. But Nuevo has not only managed to get rid of that unpleasant earthy taste, but made it taste exactly like a normal mashed potato, the usual rich and creamy texture and all. What magic is this?! 

Burnt Chicken

Chicken thigh in honey glaze, with shoestring fries and coleslaw

Taste wise, it is pretty standard, a savoury marinate with hint of sweetness from the honey glaze. But despite being "burnt", the insides of the meat remains extremely tender and succulent while the charred bits on the outside added a lot more depth to the flavour. 

Oh man, thank you, Josper Grill. 

And now, to their weekend brunch menu!

Croque Madame

Brioche with honey ham, parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar and mentaiko bechamel sauce, topped with fried eggs and served with mesclun salad, grilled tomato, duchess potato and pistachio furikake

I know, it seems huge, but I'm sure my greedy self can easily polish the plate clean (on my cheatday, of course!) because who doesn't like some thick, fluffy & buttery brioche toast with ham and a mixture of THREE yummy cheeses? And those duchess potatoes are so damn good (for a potato-lover like yours truly). It's probably piped mash potato that's deep fried, so the outsides were crisp while the insides were light and fluffy. <3 

Nuevo Breakfast

Brioche toast with cheese sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs and Japanese mushrooms, served with mesclun salad, grilled tomato, duchess potato and pistachio furikake

A huge, hearty platter of all things yummy, this is definitely the go-to choice for the starving. You can't go wrong with brioche, juicy cheese sausage, bacon and creamy scrambled eggs together on a plate. Having it looking so instagram-worthy just adds more brownie points to it.  

For fellow coffee addicts out there, you'll be glad to know that Nuevo does a pretty decent Flat White too! But those funky looking bubbles on the surface was due to me leaving it standing on the table for a little too long. Heh! 

Nuevo Cafe SG is located at 115 Eunos Ave 3, #01-01
for more information, visit their website HERE

Till then,
Mia Foo

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Mia's Review: Sinpopo Brand Revamped

Last year, I've visited this quaint, oldies cafe, Sinpopo Brand, located at the Katong area and when I revisited recently, I was surprised to find that they've revamped, both the decor and the menu!

Gone were the 60s feel to the decor, although the netty chairs still remain, and a more hip and chic feeling has taken over. 

Sng Muay Pop - $5

Brought over from the old menu, there's every reason for this drink to stay. Tangy and refreshing, topped with frozen ice balls with a piece of Sng Muay (sour plum) in the middle, it is a definite must try if you're looking to quench your thirst on a sweltering hot day.

Katong Jelly - $7

Apparently a popular drink in the 1960s, this icy concoction of lemonade, soda and agar agar definitely was a $7 well spent! The citrusy, refreshing drink paired up with chewy bits of agar agar was truly addictive.
 

Frisee Salad with Crispy Muah Chee - $10

Frisee lettuce tossed with battered muah chee, shimeji mushroom, sesame and nori, drenched in garlic hollandaise dressing.

First up, I usually go without dressing for my salads because I cannot stand the taste of most of them. But this garlic hollandaise sauce is absolutely delicious!

The lettuce is fresh and crisp, and the nori shreds and grated cheese just added on to the flavour of the salad, albeit I would have preferred less cheese (not a fan of cheese).

And those battered muah chee! The fried batter is crisp and fluffy, while the muah chee within were soft and chewy, with a mild sweetness on its own.

I'll gladly get a plate of them, anytime, if Sinpopo were to ever offer them as an ala carte dish.

 Chargrilled Pork Chop - $20

Premium cut of pork marinated in old school marinade and served with roasted potatoes and curry.

 I'm not a big fan of pork, but this grilled pork is really not bad! Even though not exactly tender and succulent, the cut is thick to give it a good bite and of course, more flavour. The roasted potatoes might be a little too hard for some, but the tasty curry gravy totally made up for it.

Gula Melaka Cake - $7

I know, $7 for such a small piece of humble-looking cake does seem exorbitant, but the cake is so dense, moist and packed full of the sweet-salty gula melaka flavour that it made the price tag seems more than acceptable. 

Sinpopo Brand is located at 458 Joo Chiat Road.
For more information, visit their website HERE

Till then,
Mia Foo

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Mia's Review: Pies & Coffee

Remember during my review of Group Therapy Cafe, I mentioned about the yummy pies from Pies & Coffee? Yup, this is one extremely overdue post, but still, here it is! 

I remembered my first visit with T was an unplanned one. We wanted to drop by The Ground's, which is actually a few shops away, but turned out it wasn't opened. So, Pies & Coffee it was! 

It was a pretty small outlet, with the interior seating of probably around 15 to 20 pax, and even though they're named Pies & Coffee, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they do have some pretty looking desserts as well, just that their pies were indeed filling and on both occasions I dropped by, I didn't have sufficient stomach space to try out any of their sweet treats. 

Even though not exceptionally affordable, all their pies are still reasonably priced at $10 ish or so.

Chicken Cheddar Pie
The pie crust is crumbly crisp with a hint of buttery toasted fragrance, and the pie filling so moist with generous amount of gravy, yet doesn't soften the pie crust that much.

A snap to show you just how moist the filling was. It was almost like a soup bowl, no kidding! The filling was packed full of cheesy goodness with quite a generous chunks of chicken that was cooked till it has soaked up the cheesy savoury flavour of the gravy.

Other than Chicken Cheddar, I've also tried their Lamb Shank and Chicken & Mushroom Pies, out of which the latter has paled in comparison as compared to the other two.

Hot Honey Yuzu Tea

Frankly speaking, I have no idea why they served a piece of chocolate cookie along with my honey yuzu tea.
And on a side note, Pies and Coffee uses Toby Estate's roasted coffee beans, so all coffee lovers out there, do remember to get a cuppa coffee when you're here!

For more information, visit their website HERE

Till then,
Mia Foo

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