Fifty50 Cafe @ Tanjong Pagar - Cosy Cafe Offering Flexitarian Menu

Fifty50 at Onze@Tanjong Pagar is a cosy little cafe that offers a 'flexitarian' menu. With meat free dishes occupying half of it, so should either you or your dining partner decide to skip the protein for a meal, both of you could still tuck into proper hot food together at Fifty50, saving that salad bars for other rainy days. Healthy indulgence and balanced living are what is all about here, hence you will discover that some of the instore elements are about recycling, reducing and reusing, such as the menu board, takeaway boxes etc.

Soup 2.8/5

Started my meal with a Hearty Soup of the day - Tomato based Crab Bisque, served with a side of garlic bread ($5). I'm not a fan of cream based soups, hence this works well for me. I would say it tasted a lot better than it looked. The bisque was well-seasoned and flavourful, and the sweetness of the crab meat was quite pronounced.

Penne Pumpkin 3/5

For my lunch, I opted for the Penne Pumpkin ($10.50),served in a marinara cream sauce. The combination of the dense feta cheese and soft pumpkin gives a rich, mouth-filling texture, and their juxtaposing flavours coupled with nutty nuances from the pine nuts makes the pasta really appetizing. Perhaps that was why I was barely half-way through when all that was left was only pasta and the sauce. Still, I feel the portion of the toppings can be a lot more generous.

Daily Green 3/5

Fifty50 Daily Greens ($6.50) changes regularly and what I had was seasonal vegetables with cous cous and house pickled beetroot, served with a zesty orange dressing. Options to add on proteins are available, including Crunchy Falafel which is less commonly available in cafes.

Scrambled Eggs On Sourdough Toast 2.5/5

A couple of beakfast items are available till 11am, which I feel they could have been done a lot better. Looking at my Scrambled Eggs On Sourdough Toast ($6.50) with a Smoked Salmon (+$2), I actually miss my own homemade eggy breakfast.

Seven Spice Chai 4/5

Even you don't intend to have a meal, there are very decent coffees are served at Fifty50 from Allpress Espresso but what I really miss is its Seven Spice Chai ($5). Mildly sweet, it was such a comforting post-meal drink. Highly recommended if you are always looking around for a decent Chai Latte.

Photos and words by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Fifty50
Onze @ Tanjong Pagar
11 Kee Seng Street
#01-04
Singapore 089218
Tel: +65 98552848
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Website
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8am - 5pm
(Closed on Sat-Sun)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Tanjong Pagar Road. Cross the road at Tanjong Pagar Road. Turn left onto Tanjong Pagar Road. Walk down Tanjong Pagar Road. Turn right onto Kee Seng Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]

HRVST @ Kilter Avenue OUE Downtown Gallery - Rooftop Vegan Restaurant Bar

Kilter Avenue at Downtown Gallery is a fitness lifestyle space that comprises a studio gym, a restaurant and a bar that advocates healthy moving and clean eating. Its in-house restaurant and bar - HRVST, is a vegan concept that serves a full menu of vegan starters, mains and bar snacks, aims to craft an alternative commonplace to change perceptions, to provoke thought and deliver impact.

Like most cleaning eating concepts that arise these days, HRVST aims to change the not-so positive perceptions of vegan eating. I always have a healthy relationship with my vegetables but I was really excited to try out HRVST, simply because of the huge roofstop garden that resides just outside their doorstep. Lush dill plants, herbs, spices etc.

Twice Cooked Spuds 3/5

Can you imagine vegan bar snacks?! It's kinda of an oxymoron to me, really. Served with garlic aioli, the Twice Cooked Spuds ($8 for 5pc) were moist in the inside and crisp on the outside. Steam before frying is the trick. The soy based aioli surprises many with its creamy texture, with the apple cider vinegar lending a clean acidity to the finishing.

King Oyster 'Scallops' Mushroom 3.5/5

King Oyster 'Scallops' Mushroom ($12) is an aesthetically pleasing dish. Made with garlic and modified tapioca starch, the garlic snow that falls on the garden of vegetables is flavour lifting. Lightly seasoned and grilled, the savoury mushrooms and the crunchy roots may just take your mind off meats in that very moment.

Soy Satay and Chips 3/5

The Soy Satay and Veggie Chips ($10), I believe would become a popular bar snack. It smells and tastes pretty close to a chicken satay, \and the creamy peanut sauce can be dangerously moreish. But mock meat being mock meat, I still find them a tad oily and I still very much prefer animal fats to vegetables fats - natural vs processed. I like the veggie chips more actually, consisting of zucchini and sweet potatoes. The process of dehydration then baking seems to have concentrated their flavours, as I could taste the sweetness of them even more.

Sourdough 2.5/5

I thought the Sourdough ($14) would be a sandwich that would challenge the classic avocado sandwich combination but it just cements the position of the latter. It is a joyless dish that may just make you stay firm with your current non-vegan diet if switching ever crossed your mind. The pickled zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower fell apart before anything else, and I really feel a lot more can be done to the orange glazed grilled tofu because it really tastes nothing more than just a piece of slightly sweetened tofu, that is being placed onto a piece of bread out of convenience in trying to form a sandwich. And when you have the entire garden at your doorsteps, why only just a sprinkle of the basil leaf's flowers?

Pumpkin Gnocchi 2.8/5

The Pumpkin Gnocchi in Tom Yam Broth ($16) has a lot of potential in becoming a mainstayer if the gnocchi can be improved. The tom yam broth is made using sweetcorn to give that sweetness and coconut milk is added to thicken its consistency. Robust and fiery with a kick, I wiped the bowl clean. The homemade coriander oil heightens the aroma. What disappoints is the gnocchi made from butternut squash. I reckon the ratio of the flour is a lot higher for its a lot tougher than what I had before. Too little protein and fibre in a bowl too.

Matcha Ice Cream 4/5

The star of the day, is definitely this Matcha Ice Cream ($8) made with coconut milk. This is what I called a truly naturally ice cream. Hand churned, you should just throw that supposedly healthy yogurt or gelato ice cream into the bin. Served with blood orange puree, poached plums and pistachio, you got your balance of sweet and acidity. They should just set up an ice cream parlour outside the gym!

When one of the intentions is to complete the experience of the gym-goers here, the meals don't seem to be that appealing to a hungry body. After a spirit lifting workout, I need a full, energising meal - colourful, vibrant, loaded with fibre especially. I do look forward to what HVSRT can offer at its bar, as I heard the botanicals from the garden will be used for their cocktails. I shall just stick to the notion of balanced meal for now. If I crave for a satay, I will take a real meaty satay laden with fats. Not vegan for sure!

Words and photos by Si An. A girl who is allured by travelling, loves the feel of freedom, smell of the rain and the aroma of fine coffee and food. Note: This is an invited tasting.


HRVST
Kilter Avenue OUE Downtown Gallery
6A Shenton Way
#05-01
Singapore 068815
Tel: +65 69207500
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 11am - 230pm, 530pm - 11pm
Sat: 9am - 3pm
(Closed on Sun)

Direction:
1) Alight at Tanjong Pager MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to traffic light junction. Cross the traffic light to Maxwell Road. Turn right and walk towards Shenton Way. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Firebake @ East Coast Road - The Very First Full Scale Woodfire Bread Oven In Singapore

Something new but yet old has descended at East Coast Road, firing the community spirit of celebration through breadmaking, food and tradition. Firebake is a new woodfired bakehouse and restaurant at East Coast Road, using the European historical methods of sourdough breadmaking. It also features contemporary dishes cooked with traditional European techniques, which complement and showcase the range of woodfire baked sourdough bread.

Taking centre stage is the twin woodfire oven that is hand built from 5000 bricks weighting 37 tonnes. The 4 different sourdough bread - Organic White Sourdough Loaf ($8), Organic Wholemeal Sourdough Loaf ($9), Organic Rye Sourdough Loaf ($11) and Organic Sourdough Fruit Loaf ($13) are all baked in house. Everything here is done on site from the milling of flour, mixing, fermentation, shaping, proofing and baking. Firebake is all about back to basics.

Firebake Bread Board With Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Butter 4/5

The best way to get a taste of the different sourdoughs from the oven is the Firebake Bread Board With Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Butter ($10). My favourite is the fruit sourdough but individually they have their own characteristic and fans. You can also ask for the kitchen to have the sourdoughs toasted for the extra crisp.

4-Spice Chicken Liver Pate 4/5

For sourdough lovers, there are many ways to enjoy the freshly baked bread. One of which is the 4-Spice Chicken Liver Pate ($12) which comes with in house cured pickles and onion.

Anchovy Dip, The Field 4.2/5

A favourite of mine is the Anchovy Dip, The Field ($8). The organic wholemeal sourdough is paired excellently with the savoury anchovy dip.

Heirloom Tomato 3.8/5

From the small plates menu, there are many delectable items such as the Heirloom Tomato ($17) which comes in a pretty bowl of pickled cucumber, feta and mountain oregano. The version at Firebake is rather interesting with a layer of smokiness from the charcoal oil holding the different flavours together. It is interesting but I thought the smoky flavour was too strong, masking the sweetness of the tomatoes.

Smoked Eggplant 4/5

I know not many people like eggplant and there is also very limited way of cooking the dish. What Firebake has done is to smoke the eggplant and stuffed it with spiced hummus. The Smoked Eggplant ($15) further topped with tomato manchego, cheese and crispy barley for the additional contrast of textures and flavouts.

Woodfired Pumpkin Burrata 4/5

Pairing Woodfired Pumpkin and Burrata ($16) is a rather new combination. I like how the sweetness of the grilled pumpkin is complemented by pistachio dukkah for a nutty finish. There are even orange blossom and molasses to further enhanced the enjoyment.

Roast Half Spring Chicken, Grilled Beans 4.2/5

The Roast Half Spring Chicken and Grilled Beans ($23) comes with both chicken leg and breast meat dressed in beef jus. It is brined, sou vide and roasted to perfection, giving the chicken a nice tender texture. It is something homely and comforting which I will go back for.

Norwegian Blue Mussel 4.5/5

The dish I heart most is the Norwegian Blue Mussel ($25) which is cooked with lager and chrizo. Besides the juicy mussel, the highlight has to be the sauce and it is best to soak them up with white sourdough.

Grilled Pork Belly 4.5/5

A popular dish among the group is the Grilled Pork Belly with Garden Vegetable Broth ($22). The broth is made from vegetables such as celery, fennel and pumpkin. The taste of pumpkin is quite prominent lending the sweetness to the light broth. The pork belly which was sou vide and pan fried, was fork tender, a bit like the Chinese sio bak.

Cured Norwegian Salmon 4/5

Braised Lamb Shoulder with Root Vegetables 4.2/5

As you can tell, Firebake is not just your bakehouse, it has quite an extensive menu. On top of what we have tried, the Cured Norwegian Salmon ($25) and Braised Lamb Shoulder with Root Vegetables ($26) are the other mains which you probably would not want to miss.

Rangers Valley Striploin 300gm 4.5/5

Good for sharing is the Rangers Valley Striploin 300gm ($38) which has cooked perfectly to the doneness I like, succulent and had a nice charred flavour. It was so good on its own, there isn't a need of any sauces. The other joy on the plate is the woodfired Jerusalem artichoke for its crunchy texture and smoky flavour.

Peach, Vanilla, Sourdough Ice Cream, Rye Chip 4/5

Moving to dessert, we tried the Peach with Sourdough Ice Cream and Rye Chip ($12). Maybe my taste buds are not as sensitive as others, I do not really know how sourdough ice cream should taste. All I can register is the vanilla base. Putting that aside, I enjoyed the combination of the poached peach and ice cream, sweetening the dinner experience.

Firebake Bread and Butter Pudding 4.2/5

This is probably one of the better Bread and Butter Pudding ($10) I have tried. The soft pudding is made using the woodfire baked fruit sourdough. The warm dessert definitely warmed my heart with its rich flavour.

Firebake
237 East Coast Road
Level 1
Singapore 428930
Tel: +65 64401228
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Tue-Fri: 1130am - 10pm
Sat-Sun: 9am - 10pm
(Closed on Mon)

Direction:
1) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Take exit A. Walk to bus stop at Blk 99 Old Airport Road (Stop ID 81181). Take Bus 10 or 32. Alight 7 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 18 minutes. [Map]