The Book Cafe

The Book Cafe is my choice for a lazy breakfast or a nice cuppa on a rainy day. You can curl up with a good book on comfy sofas, check your emails on your laptop, grab some food & drinks…and have a bite. I’ve got friends who have fallen head over heels with the place after I brought them there. This cozy hideout is at the edge of Robertson Quay, away from the maddening crowd. Regulars over here include residents from the area and other fans from around. I must say that they’ve got a rather impressive selection of magazines. They also sell ice-cream from The Daily Scoop at Sunset Way in Clementi! Fabulous stuff.

[above] from left to right: Their Sourdough bread [***.] was a crisply-toasted slice, topped with fluffy egg white (low-cholestoral!), seasonal mushrooms and salad on the side. The sourdough was a tad too dry for my liking, but the mushrooms had a robust flavour that complemented the scrumptious egg white. Next up, a mouthwatering bowl of Salmon Noodle Soup [****], perfect for keeping warm on rainy days. Pieces of fried salmon are hidden in a bowl of flavorsome broth, enriched with a tinge of cooking wine. This is one of my favourites, and I never fail to polish off every last drop of soup. Another favourite of mine is the Chicken Aglio Olio [****] with colourful bell peppers, lime, and other spices. It had just the right amount of extra virgin olive oil, a zesty burst of lime that balanced off the spiciness of the peppers. Yummylicious! Last but not least, we’ve got a hearty steak served with 2 sunny-side ups, fries, and a juioy grilled tomato.

To top it off, their drinks are a must-try too! The strawberry lemonade is an awesome combination of carbonated lemonade and fresh strawberry bits, and their quirky lychee drink makes a refreshing thirst-quencher.

Do drop by this lil cafe while you can, cos great places like this don’t remain hush-hush for long in our sunny lil isle as…

/prices stated not incl. GST (7%) & CESS (1%). No Svc Charge.

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 9/10
Price – $$ to $$$
Service – 8/10
Ambience – 9/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: 6887 5430

Address:
20 Martin Road
Seng Kee Building, #01-02
Singapore 239070
(near Butter Factory at Robertson Quay)

Opening hours:
Sun-Thu: 8.30am – 10.30pm
Fri-Sat: 8.30am – 12am

Dress code: casual
Buses: 123, 143, 64..
Nearest MRT: Clarke Quay Stn (NEL)

Miss Clarity Café

Honestly, my first impression of this place was simply put – a jaw-dropping one. I did not take too well to their more-than-cheery decor, and by this I’m referring to highlighter-coloured walls, tables & chairs. However I’ve learnt never to judge at first sight…so I was won over by their delectable menu and in my opinion, very cheap prices. As Miss Clarity says, it is the place “where happy people meet” – hence the colour scheme of the place…trust me it’s quite difficult to feel sad where there’s an added bonus of free wireless broadband. I must thank my best friend B for introducing Miss Clarity Café to me.

Are you a fan of Western food? If you are, this is the place where you can find it CHEAP. Over here you can have a Steam-Baked Sea Bass fillet with smoked bacon sauce [***] for $9 nett. Something like this would cost at least $14 elsewhere. Add a soup/salad+drink+dessert to each main course for only $3! or select from a variety of Set Lunches at $8. Bite into their Chicken Ballotine ($8) [****] and taste the crisp oven-baked chicken thigh, breaded & stuffed with shitake mushroom…feel the delicious mushroom sauce oozing with each bite.

For those who have a ferocious appetite that’s not easily satisfied with 1 main course AND still have room for dessert, Old MacDonald Had A Farm ($15) [****] is your answer! Picture this: a platter of steak, lamb chop, crispy breaded chicken, chipolata sausage, bacon, ham, potato wedges & egg. Chipolata sausages are tiny coarse-textured pork sausages are highly spiced with thyme, chives, coriander, cloves and sometimes hot red-pepper flakes.

After this, proceed to order their Chef’s Recommendation Mud Ooze ($4.50) [***.]- soft chocolate cake brimming with chocolate lava, topped with vanilla ice-cream. This seemingly innocent cup of cake is a yummy dessert not to be missed!

++All definitions were taken from http://www.epicurious.com
© Copyright Barron’s Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD LOVER’S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst.

//photo credits to dee & location map taken fr. Miss Clarity Café

The I-wanna-know[s]:

Taste – 8/10
Price – $ to $$
Service – 7/10
Ambience – 7/10
Accessibility – 7/10

Legend:
[$]-cheap like peanuts: ($10 & below/person)
[$$]-average Jane ($15-$25/person)
[$$$]-you might wanna tke tht card out..($30-$60/person)
[$$$$]-extremely exorbitant ($70 & above/person)
[* to *****] – rating(s) for individual dishes

Tel: +65 6339 4803

Address:
5 Purvis Street, #01-04
Singapore 188584

Website: http://www.missclaritycafe.com
Opening hours:
Mon-Sat / 11am – 11pm
Closed on Sun
P.H. days / 5pm – 11pm

Dress code: casual
Nearest MRT: Bugis MRT & City Hall MRT