COCONUTS HOT SPOT — In a country full of brunch lovers, the mere opening of another cafe is a reason in itself to hit up your fellow brunch buffs for a trip there. But, we all know that expectations should always be kept neutral, because heaven knows we’ve all been to trendy new joints that left us disappointed more than anything else.
So, enter Twenty Eight Cafe. Hidden along Wilkie Road, it’s a brightly-lit, minimalist chic space that seats 60. If you’re one of those who can’t resist high ceilings, hanging exposed bulbs, leafy potted plants, and industrial vibes, then this place is your jam. It’s the sister outlet to its Italian restaurant neighbor 28 Wilkie, which explains why the bistro shutters in the early evenings — because some of the staff double up as employees next door.
You may not be able to do dinner here, but you definitely can get breakfast, since it opens bright and early at 7:30am on weekdays. Besides whipping up its own blend of coffee beans from Bali, the cafe has pastries for those doing a quick grab-and-go, as well as typical brunch fare such as the acai smoothie bowl ($14.90) with generous sprinklings of walnuts, bananas, strawberries, desiccated coconut flakes, and chia seeds.
For something heartier, try the eggs Benedict ($16.90) — instead of English muffins, you get a pair of poached eggs drizzled with hollandaise sauce resting on a nest of crispy potato hash shavings. This version’s an improved one in our book, because you basically have a totally legit excuse to munch on chips for breakfast.
Alternatively, the smoked salmon “igloo” ($18.90) is a plate of toasted sourdough bread with a dome-shaped smoked salmon hiding a slab of mashed avocado, which in turn cocoons a runny poached egg. Food-ception aside, it’s the perfect mix of crispy, creamy, and zesty, with the sour cream and onion spread on the side.
When lunch rolls around, the cold truffle pasta ($19.90) is a decent rendition of angel hair pasta tossed in truffle oil with kombu seaweed. After all, if the folks running the Italian eatery can’t serve up a good plate of pasta, something’s seriously wrong.
But the best part of our meal, surprisingly, was the deceptively average-looking Indian churros ($4.90). Apparently inspired by roti prata, this cinnamon sugar-dusted dessert is almost croissant-like in its flakiness and nicely crisp on the outside when eaten hot. You won’t get any of that dense chewiness from conventional churros here.
One thing to take note of: The prices are slightly steep at Twenty Eight Cafe, especially considering it’s in the vicinity of a couple schools, but the casual ambience makes for a comfortable spot to work in, if you’re the type to pull out your laptop at cafes.
FIND IT:
Twenty Eight Cafe is at #01-06, 28 Wilkie Rd.
9628-2829. Mon-Fri 7:30am-5pm, Sat-Sun 8:30am-6pm.
MRT: Bencoolen/Dhoby Ghaut
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