Workbench Bistro @ Ang Mo Kio

Heartland cafes have been popping up here and there recently to attract neighbourhood crowds. Opening up its 1st branch at a mature estate in Ang Mo Kio, Workbench Bistro offer quite a wide selection of food for lunch and dinner crowds. 

What's more, customers can choose from the selection of either Red or Blue velvet Waffle which is quite unique and refreshing to see instead of the usual red velvet waffle. 

Starters:

Signature Truffle Fries ($9) 

What can go wrong with fries when it was fried with truffle oil? 

Parsley and cheese are added as toppings on top of the fries!!

Salted Egg Wings ($12)

Slightly overpriced i think. 6 pieces of mid wings only. Crispy wings with salted egg sauce taste that make it taste fantastically good!!

Aglio Olio with Smoked Duck ($13) - Fusion food!! Sliced Duck meat with aglio olio, slightly wet which i not sure why and taste bland. Not recommended

Aglio Olio with Chicken ($12) - Grilled chicken breast meat with aglio olio. This is better than the duck meat version, but still slightly bland. I wont recommend their aglio olio.

Salted Egg Chicken Burger ($16) - Burger is the preferred choice, Salted egg chicken filling in a burger, definitely better than the fast food version. LOL 

Pulled Pork Burger ($16)

Burger stuffed with Braised pork and vegetables. Fries sprinkled with chili powder for extra flavour. Highly recommended 

Assorted Ice Cream (From $3.90 onwards)

Differentiate by classic or premium flavours

Waffle with ice cream ($8.70 Premium flavour) This pricing is for normal waffle only

Classic flavour cost $8 thou

Red or Blue velvet Waffle required additional cost......

Website: https://www.facebook.com/theworkbenchbistro/

Address: 332 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, #01-1881, 560332

Opening Hour:  Tue- Sun

12PM –11 PM

Closed on Monday

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Verdict 3.5/5

FIX Cafe Review

The main selling point of this cafe is probably dinning by the pool. Located in NS Hometeam club house, FIX cafe certainly can be easily spotted if you are near the pool.

Recently change in their menu - they turn Mexican!!

Value set lunch at $12.90 (comes with icecream) 

Definitely a good deal not to be missed

Additional soup or drink at $2 each. Check out with the staff on the soup they served for the day.

Beef chili fries $9

Fries with chili con carne and cheese sauce

A must try appetizer. Things won't go wrong with crispy fries and hot cheese sauce. The spicy stew comes with meat bites which you should be eating with the fries!!

Chicken drumlets $8

Crispy chicken drumlets served with a spicy sour cream dip

Dip the crispy fried drummlets with the sour cream sauce... hmmm yummy. I feel that the sauce is abit too spicy to my liking, i refer more on the sour cream instead

Chicken & cheese quesadilla $8

Grilled tortilla filled with chicken and mozzarella, served with guacamole and sour cream

Mushroom / Fish / Chicken Enchiladas 

served in tortilla wraps and cheese with beans, salad, guacamole, sour cream & nacho chips

Fish & chips 

Battered fish fillets served with tartar, side salad and fries

.

Steak & potatoes additional $5

200g flank steak grilled to desired doneness, served with roasted potatoes and mushroom cream sauce

Chicken pascal additional $2

Braised chicken leg in chipotle tomato sauce, sweet potato mash and mango pico de gallo

Bunuelos & ice-cream $8

Crispy tortilla glazed in gula melaka, served with vanilla ice-cream 

(Melted ice cream i mean, hahaha)

I can't really taste the gula melaka, it more like honey glazed to me, give it a miss i say!!

Donuts with salted egg dip $6

Soft, fluffy donuts served with salted egg dip

Hooray, salted egg dip... i don't think it goes well with donuts. Too much of a hassle to keep dipping into the salted egg dip after every bites. I can't share with my friends!!!

Churros $7

Crispy dough fritters dusted in cinnamon sugar, served with dark chocolate dip

Come on, why chocolate dip?? I prefer nutella dip instead. Churros taste flat, sugar coating does not really help too. Please improve the recipe 

Opening Hours:

Daily 

11am to 10pm

Website: http://fix.com.sg/

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Verdict 3/5

Certainly a good place to hang out with friends or gathering. The food here taste good but can be better.

Fika Cafe & Bistro

 A cafe that serve authentic Swedish cuisine in Singapore. The food are mainly traditional swedish cuisine and its halal too. There are currently 3 outlets, Beach Road, One KM mall and  Millenia Walk, so this review is for the outlet located at Beach Road. 

This is how it look like at level one, mainly for small groups or couples

Menu, refer to this link for their online menu

Cafe Mocha ($7.50)

Skagen (chilled) $19.90

Crepes wrapped with shrimps, red onions, mayonnaise, fresh dill and topped with Swedish roe. The crepes are too thick to my liking. Not for heavy eaters as the portion is small.

Garlic Pasta with Meatballs or Grilled Chicken ($19.90)

Linguine pasta, garlic, olive oil, parsley, chilli flakes and choice of either meatballs or grilled chicken. Pasta seems to be slightly overcooked.

Swedish Meatballs ($19.90)

Meatballs serve with potatoes. Cream sauce, lingonberry jam and a small side salad serve as side dishes. The meatballs are made up of minced meat, hence easy to eat.

Herb-crusted Salmon - ($26.50) 

Seared glazed salmon with a herb crust served on a bed of mashed potatoes with honey ginger glazed pickled red beets, sauteed asparagus and lemon butter sauce. Garnished with capers and fresh dill. 

Kladdkaka ($7.90), top up with Ice cream ($1.50) 

Swedish brownie served with fresh berries, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. You can choose either chocolate or vanilla ice cream 

Caramel Ice Cream Waffle ($9.80) 

 This is off the menu but this week special. you have a choice of vanilla or chocolate ice cream serve with waffle. Warm caramel sauce that drip over the ice cream and waffle, topped with biscuit bits and icing. Caramel sauce taste really good but the waffle taste more like flat, non chewy pancake which was a kind of disappointing.

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Opening Hours

Mon - Fri: 11:00 - 23:00

Sat - Sun: 12:00 - 23:00

Outlets

Beach Road, 257 Beach Road 

Contact: +65 6396 9096

Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard 

Contact: +65 6336 7234

11 Tanjong Katong Rd., OneKM 

Contact: +65 6702 2456

Email: info@fikacafe.com

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Verdict 3/5

For the price of the food, i think it is consider quite cheap compare to similar cafe concept. What's more, they have set lunches for you to choose from which is quite worth the catch. Simple and good presentation of the food when served. I will recommend this place if you intend to have a small gathering with your friends or family members.

LAD & DAD Review

A newly opened stall at the already popular Serangoon Garden Market and Food Centre, LAD & DAD offer westernize stew at a cheaper price which the public can get a chance to taste.

Lancashire Hotpot Set Beef ($12) - The beef stew can be order at ala carte at $8 or a set at $12 which come with garden salad, mashed potato and Yorkshire Pudding. If you prefer something more filling, you can change the pudding to rice. 

The stew contain more meat than i expected. Served with bits of carrots and potatoes, both goes well with the stew. I loved how tender the beef chunks are, soft and yet well marinated. I am really surprise by the tenderness of the meat which quite hard to find in local food centre. Alternative, if you do not like beef, there are mutton stew available too!! 

Yorkshire Pudding - It was served hot and crispy. The texture is more like a breaded egg roll, crispy on the outside while remaining moist and soft on the inside. Either you can tear it up and dip into your stew or you can just simply pour some of the stew on top of the pudding and eat it. 

Verdict: 4 / 5

Really a must try food if you happen to be at the food centre. I totally love the stew which packed with lots of beef chunks. The stew gravy can be pour on the mashed potatoes for extra flavour too. It really satisfied my appetite and worth the deal.

Platypus Kitchen

Located in Bugis Junction, Platypus Kitchen served casual Italian and american cuisine range from  handmade pastas, luxurious risottos to Italian and Mediterranean inspired dishes. They are famous for their Lobster Rolls.

Located at level 3, this restaurant is not hard to spot

Spoiled of choices to choose.. hmm what should i order???

Dinner Set with either 2- courses or 3 courses meal. Quite a catch consider the price. You get to choose one main course and a starter or desserts if you are having the 2 courses. I end up choosing 2 course meal. Hahaha, don't be so greedy...

The Tradition Lobster Roll ($23.90) - Abit expensive if you ask me, but that what you got to pay for lobster meat!! Hahaha. Quite a simple dish to whipped up, toasted bun filled with butter-poached lobster meat mixed in roasted-garlic mayonnaise. Mouth watering and i really love it!! The lobster meat is chunky and delicious. I think i can eat the filling instead of the bun. hahaha!!!!! Fries and salad are freshly made too.  

Squid Ink Risotto with baby scallops and tomatoes - Delicious risotto cooked, chef must be very skillful with this dish since it is hard to master this dish.  

Sea Salt Caramel - taste like cheese cake to me, sea salts and popping candy are sprinkled on top of the cake, giving out the popping sensation in your mouth. Not really fascinated by it maybe because my generation used to eat popping candy when i was young as it was sold cheaply, hence overall impression not that great.

Opening hours: 12:00 - 22:00

Verdict: 4 /5

Posh looking food which come with an affordable price considering that such Mediterranean food will cost alot more expensive if you are dining in a posh restaurant. Great service and attentive staffs.

If given a chance, i will be back to try more of their food.

• Taste(4)

  
• Environment(4)

  
• Service(4)

  
• Clean(4)

  
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  Price(3)