Serving up the hottest bread in town at the current it cafe in Singapore. It's a small joint crammed with tables and chairs, and there's no escape from the rich intoxicating smell of butter in the air.
The Mentaiko Original Lava Toast ($17.90) came out in a burst of fire. Sort of. Call me a sucker for spectacular dinner tricks, I was deeply entertained as the waiter scorched the drizzle on the top of the bun. Everybody in the cafe turned to look too. It's not just me okay?
True to its name, the toast splits apart to reveal a pool of mentaiko mayonaise sauce. Every forkful consists of the gorgeously crispy crust, a soft chewy interior bread texture, the savoury mentaiko filling and the rich unami of generous-spread butter. This is a no-holds-barred caloric feast. Luckily we bought this to share. We had a scoop of Thai Tea Ice Cream (+$1) to go along with it, but the sweetness just doesn't meld together with the mentaiko profile. The marshmallows and fruity pebbles made the dish an instagram-worthy shot, but I'm not sure if they added any flavour to the plate. But color-wise? 10/10.
The Kinder Bueno Waffle ($11.90) helped lighten the savory mood with some sweetness, alongside our order of Earl Grey Ice Cream (+$1).
The waffles have a nice crisp finish, but each bite seems a little airy, and not chewy enough. But darn it, their food stylist should get a raise. I love the spade-shaped spoon, the sprinkle of fruity pebbles and the addition of an old-time Singaporean classic snack: the gem cookies. Speaking of, I could take some pointers about food presentation from this inspired team.
Riding on the raclette cheese wave , their Raclette Toast ($18.90) is another popular option. Unlike the Mentaiko Lava Toast, the raclette option doesn't contain a pool of molten cheese; rather, the half-wheel of raclette is heated over a broiler and then scrapped over the top of the crispy buttered toast. It's pretty decent, but without the wow factor of the Mentaiko Lava Toast (I'll refer you to the 'flaming' part, above). A decent choice, but a little on the expensive side. As we left the restaurant, my friend did comment: what would you rather have, a Raclette Toast here, or two slices of Lady M cakes next door?
