Marymount Bakehouse @ Race Course Road - Full-Fledged Café With Artisanal Sourdough Loaves and Dishes

Marymount Bakehouse has expanded its love for sourdough with a full-fledged café at Farrer Park, spreading the spirit of "Loavers Community" and a "Sourdough Living" lifestyle. Renowned for their hand-scored, naturally fermented sourdough loaves, Chef-owner Ian Ferdinand Chong combines his experiences in casual and fine dining to showcase creative sourdough expressions through artisanal loaves and café dishes.

Platter of Sourdough

At the heart of the boulangerie are Marymount's signature sourdough loaves. The current curation includes rather interesting creations such as the earthy Tomatillo Salsa Verde ($16.60), a herbed bread inspired by Chef Ian's Latin American friends, and a chocolatey Oolong Hydrated and Dark Chocolate Chip Sourdough. If you wish to try various selections, a curated platter with spreads is available.

The Feast of 7 Fishes Seafood Pie 5/5

Sourdough finds its way into their Levain Pies. The Feast of 7 Fishes Seafood Pie ($22.50) celebrates the bounty of the sea with a deluxe filling of tiger prawn velouté, scallops, crab, halibut, and seabass. The rich, creamy seafood mixture was well-seasoned, with delightful textures from the chunks of seafood and fried halibut topping, balanced by citrusy mayo.

Apple & Rhubarb Custard Pie 4.5/5

Another highlight is the French-style Apple & Rhubarb Custard Pie (from $15.90 for 4-inch). Its intricate "spoke latticework" elevated its visual appeal and enhanced its textural experience. The tartness of the rhubarb was balanced by the sweetness of the custard and apples, creating layered flavours. The crust-to-filling ratio was spot on, making each bite a harmonious blend of taste and texture.

Basque Tartine 3/5

Moving on to the cafe menu. A reinterpretation of an iconic wild mushroom dish Chef Ian tasted in San Sebastian, the Basque Tartine ($28) comprises sautéed porcini and chanterelle mushrooms, foie gras, and sunny-side-up eggs on a slice of their signature sourdough. Drenched in burnt butter, this tartine came across as an ideal hangover remedy. The nutty and sweet burnt butter balsamic tied the elements together and, at the same time, provided some relief to the overall saltiness. The foie gras may add a bit too much richness to the dish.

Lemon Cream Morel & Broccolini Peasant Style Sourdough Pasta 3.5/5

The Lemon Cream Morel & Broccolini Peasant Style Sourdough Pasta ($22) is conceived out of a no-waste policy where excess sourdough discarded was transformed into fresh handmade pasta. This rustic pasta's shape and hearty bite made it ideal for the lemon cream sauce.

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.


Marymount Bakehouse
421 Race Course Road
Singapore 218668
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Nearest MRT: Farrer Park (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Wed-Sun: 9am - 5pm
(Closed on Mon-Tue)

Direction:
1) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn right and walk to Race Course Road. On Race Course Road, turn left and walk down Race Course Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 6 minutes. [Map]

Elixir Coffee and Wine @ Holland Grove - Indulge in Elevated Brunch and Coffee During the Day, Delight in Pizzas and Wines for the Evening

Elixir Boutique Roasters, known for its artisanal coffee and cafe fare, may ring a bell for many cafe-goers. Formerly located in Bukit Timah, the reimagined establishment has since found a new home in Holland Grove under a new name, Elixir Coffee and Wine.

With a brand new menu created by Executive Chef Victor Loy, Elixir invites diners to indulge in brunch and coffee during the day and delight in pizzas and wines in the evening. The menu offers elevated brunch classics, fun bites, and unique sourdough pizzas.

Coffee lovers would be happy to know that they serve coffee brewed using beans from award-winning Blacklist Coffee in Perth. For wine lovers, the restaurant holds a curated wine list of old and new world vintages.

Stracciatella 4/5

Our meal began with a more classic dish, the Stracciatella ($20). Here in the Stracciatella, we had sourdough bread smothered with creamy burrata, complemented by pecorino cheese and sweet and slightly smoky blistered tomatoes.

For all three tartines we sampled, their bread base is all made using the same sourdough recipe as their pizza dough.

Turkish Eggs 4.5/5

Try the Turkish Eggs ($16) for something more exciting. Chef Victor told us that this is one of their bestselling brunch dishes.

On the sourdough, the flatbread is baked to order. It's topped with garlic yoghurt, paprika oil, poached egg and a super addictive Lao Gan Ma-inspired housemade chilli crunch. The added pomegranate gave pops of refreshing sweetness amidst the spicier and garlicky bites.

Salumi 4/5

The Salumi ($16) would be a treat for bolognese lovers. The flatbread is generously topped with nduja and accompanied with tangy sumac onions and a blend of fresh herbs like coriander, arugula, mint and dill. I recommend sharing this for more enjoyment, as the heaviness may feel a little flat halfway through.

Salad 4/5

Next, we moved on to the Bites section, which is available for order from 12pm. The simple-looking Salad ($12) had a refreshing mix of radicchio, wombok and mint in white balsamic with crunchy hazelnuts.

Burrata 4.5/5

Bet you’ve never had burrata done in this manner! Elixir’s Burrata ($24) continues an unexpected use of the housemade chilli crunch we loved on the Turkish Eggs.

While the flavourful chilli crunch may slightly mask the creamy sweetness of the burrata, we thoroughly enjoyed the exciting pairing and side of pickled cherry tomatoes! This will be up your alley if you're looking for something different.

Tête de Moine 4/5

Consider the Tête de Moine ($22) for a side to pair with your wine. The beautifully shaved Swiss semi-hard cheese is served with poached apricot and fried walnuts, boasting a creamy and nutty flavour with a subtle tangy finish.

Baby Octopus 4.5/5

My favourite from the Bites menu was Chef Victor's Baby Octopus ($18). It had baby octopus coated in a thin exterior of seasoned flour and deep-fried to the perfect crunch.

I thoroughly appreciated how the light batter allowed you to still enjoy the octopus's chewiness and how the umami black aioli didn't overpower. This is one dish I will definitely re-order on my next visit.

Not-Carbonara 4.5/5

For fans of white pizzas, go for the Not-Carbonara ($26), the restaurant's signature pizza inspired by the well-loved carbonara dish. While you will see authentic-carbonara toppings of egg yolk, guanciale, prosciutto and pecorino cheese, the play on its name is due to the inclusion of a rich and creamy mornay sauce on its base.

While we found the pizzas slightly too thick around the crusts, we enjoyed the chewiness from the sourdough and the flavourful combination. It leans on a saltier end with a generous hand of fragrant black pepper, but my dining companion and I did not mind it at all.

Hot Mama 4.2/5

Here is another appearance of the special housemade chilli crunch on the Hot Mama ($28) pizza. This is one boldly flavoured piece, with the fragrant spiciness from the chilli crunch and additional spiciness and saltiness from slices of Calabrese salami, alongside onions and fennel.

Cali Cali 4/5

Cali Cali ($26) was inspired by Chef Victor's trip to California, focusing on the marriage of flavours from the country and Italy. This piece saw toppings of sausage, chopped kailan, guacamole and chilli flakes. After sampling the first two, the flavours here are more 'safe'.

Pistachio Cake 3.8/5

Our dessert for the day was the Pistachio Cake ($14) drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a dollop of crème fraiche chantilly. This was a piece that was light and nutty but not exceptional.

Travelling to Elixir Coffee and Wine is out of the way. Hence, I recommend making reservations at https://elixircoffeeandwine.com/pages/reservations to ensure an available table.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Elixir Coffee and Wine
24 Holland Grove Road
#01-18
Singapore 278803
Tel: +65 6908 5547
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Nearest MRT: Buona Vista (CC, EW Line), Holland Village (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 830am - 10pm
Fri-Sat: 830am - 11pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Buona Vista MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to bus stop at Buona Vista MRT station (Stop ID 11361). Take bus number 92. Alight 4 stops later. Cross the road, turn right and walk towards Holland Grove Road. Turn left onto Holland Grove Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

2) Aliight at Holland Village MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Holland Village, Holland Road (Stop ID 11261). Take bus number 7, 61, 75, 156 and 165. Alight 3 stops later. Walk towards Holland Grove Road. Turn left onto Holland Grove Road. Walk to destination. ourney time about 15 minutes. [Map]