This French gourmet shop opened here recently (125 Tanglin Road, 6333-6683), featuring a litle cafe next door that is conveniently open from 9 AM to 8 PM. We dropped on by today for breakfast. And gourmet it was indeed, straight down to the lofty prices. While many items hovered below S$20 (US$13.30), they did have a so-called "H XL" breakfast set for S$45 (US$30) that added scrambled eggs and salmon (or Parma ham) to the base "H" set of coffee, OJ, viennoiserie, half-boiled egg, bread, butter, and jam/honey (hey - no joke on itemizing those...those two little 30 gram jars sold for S$5, or US$3.30 each at the boutique next door). And unfortunately, I was in a mood for scrambled eggs, so I opted for the upgraded XL package despite the pain that it would inflict on my wallet.
The prices were partially justified at least. The buttery croissant was lighter than air, the scrambled eggs (complete with gourmet salt and pepper in little dishes) were rich yet delicate, and the salmon came out in very large sheets...and of good quality too. Even the butter and bread were light and tasty enough to motivate this non-bread eater to consume most of what was provided. The vanilla infused into the "Opera tea" provided a pleasantly warm feel to all of this as well.Now, I'm not exactly going to come rushing back here to spend S$45 on breakfast again (it invoked memories of spending fifty bucks at the Tiffin Room for an Indian buffet), but I've gotta say that my impression of French food keeps improving with every step. The shop next door is worth checking out too, given the wide varieties of mustard, tea, chocolates, etc. that they have. But just beware of the prices again, especially when you reach those little jars of truffles sporting triple-digit price tags. I suppose that their location can command this though, given that they'll be just a few doors down from the glitzy St. Regis when it finally opens.
6 comments:
Not sure if you have tried Au Petit Salut at Holland V? It's got a good value for money set lunch. Must make reservations though - it is usually fully packed.
Au Petit Salut was fabulous when it first opened years ago but the standard fell alot during the leaner years.
Recently, at the behest of a french friend who was in town and had heard pretty good reviews from his friends, we had a quick lunch.
Suprisingly, it was pretty good. They had pretty authentic "european" summer fruits for the dessert, which was a good suprise since some places in Singapore would probably not be able to resist chucking in some tropical fruits.
I think you may like the beef onglet, and the bread basket is decent.
Hey, next time when you are around the area. You might want to try Steeple's deli at Tanglin Shopping Centre open from 9 to 6 Monday to Saturday.
Their home-made sandwiches always leave me satisfied.
I had stopped in twice for brunch before reading your blog. I agree with you 100% on the food quality and prices. Personally, though, I would have preferred a dining room that is more inviting, comfortable, and charming than the Ikea on steroids look.
BTW--we might run into each other one of these days if not at a restaurant then on the plane. I am an expat from California, 36 yrs old, and 1Ker. :)
jimsimon@yahoo.com
Recently tried Hediard, and absolutely agree on its price.
Another good place for brunch is Le Bistrot located at the Indoor Stadium Waterfront.
Brunch is fairly similar to that of Hediard's H XL except they serve omelette instead of poached. And the portion of smoked salmon is smaller.
However at a fixed price of $22 for just the basic set. I found it much more worth it.
Was there last saturday, topped up my brunch set with sausages and replaced my juice with a mimosa. The bill came up to approx $35 per pax.
I'm a regular at Hediard for the things I can't get elsewhere, like tarama, marron glaces, the dark truffles, etc.
Please people, don't buy the overpriced truffles. I bought truffles while I was in Perth and Basel (Switzerland).
Hediard truffle ($40 each), origin France
Perth truffle ($7 each), origin Italy
Basel truffle ($3 each), origin Italy
and you were saying?
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