Maple & Market @ Cassia Crescent

Lately we have seen many cafes opening in the suburbs of Singapore probably due to the lower rental and bring their offering nearer to the heartlands. Maple & Market is one such pioneer cafes that has started the humble business in the heartland before the so called local cafe culture boom. Maple & Market also conducts baking classes and I understand it even supplies their bakes to some cafes.

Latte 4/5

Latte ($4.50) is my usual caffeine order whenever I visit any cafe. I am not sure which blend or beans they used but I did enjoy the cup of coffee. I can't drink too acidic coffee so this was alright with the right smoothness and still came with a nice body that was not too strong.

Gula Melaka Cake 3.8/5

One of the signature cakes at Maple & Market is their Gula Melaka Cake ($5.50). I have yet to seen this being made elsewhere. It is an interesting localised combination of kaya cream cheese frosting, almond brittle and grated coconut shaving. It was a good cake that comes with different layers and moist. However it seems to be lacking the characteristic taste of gula melaka.

Bacon Maple Cupcake 4/5

Many of you know that I am not a fan of sweet and savoury combination so I was not really excited with the Bacon Maple Cupcake ($3.50). Even though so, I did take a couple of bites and I thought it was quite good especially the candied bacon. It tasted like bak kwa.

Caramelised Bananas, Homemade Caramel and Walnuts Waffle 4/5

Last but not least, I tried the Caramelised Bananas, Homemade and Walnuts Waffle ($9). Pretty good waffle that was freshly made on the spot. It was crispy on the outside and fluffy inside.

While the focus of Maple & Market is their bakes, the little bakery has been done up into a cosy little cafe with limited seats. The smell of coffee and butter filled the air as you step into the little white heaven. I would recommend trying one of the bakes that is beautifully displayed at the counter.


[MOVED]
Maple & Market 
34 Cassia Crescent
#01-82
Singapore 390034
Tel: +65 63488068
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mapleandmarket
Nearest MRT: Mountbatten (CC Line), Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon, Wed-Fri: 12pm - 630pm
Sat: 1030am - 10pm
Sun: 10am - 9pm
(Closed on Tues)

Direction: 
1) Alight at Mountbatten MRT station. Take Exit A. Cut through the housing estate towards block 1. Walk towards Pine Lane. Cross the road and cut through the housing estate again towards block 34. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk towards Old Airport Food Centre. Turn right onto Cassia Link. Then turn left onto Pine Lane. Make a right onto Cassia Crescent and walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

SMOR @ One Raffles Place

Smor located at the basement of One Raffles Place is Singapore's first Scandinavian Deli to specialise in Scandinavian open-faced sandwiches. I guess partly due to their humble fit out, this place has been overshadowed by its neighbours which are much bigger and popular brands such as Paris Baguette, Umi Sushi, Swiss Bake etc. I would have missed out this superb place if not for kind invitation from Traveen and Tarun, founders of Smor.

The menu is rather straight forward, consisting of three sections, Cold, Hot and Vegetarian. The bread for each option varies from freshly baked rye, multigrain, chai seed to brioche bread. I really like the organic look and feel of their sandwiches, simple and clean.

Customer has a choice of Light ($6.90) for a choice of one sandwich, Regular ($12.90) for 2 sandwiches and Viking ($17.90) for 3 sandwiches respectively. All come with a side salad. A special Scandinavian breakfast set ($4.90) is also available that comes with dark rye topped with  ham & cheese, potato and bananas, served with coffee/tea. There are also set meals that come with stew/soup, all diary free.

Shrimp Sandwich 4.2/5

I particularly like the Shrimp Sandwich a lot. A heap of hand peeled Norwegian shrimps, lightly coated with lemon mayonnaise was piled on a thin crispy Chai Toast. Although garnished with just a sprinkle of chives and a slice of lemon wedge, it was somehow aesthetically pleasing to me. I was amazed at how these shrimps can remain so crunchy and succulent. Every bite of the tiny shrimps releases a burst of sweetness with a tinge of savoriness to tease my taste buds. The tangy lemon mayonnaise lends its creaminess, like butter on a crispy toast, which make this simple sandwich extremely palatable. I don't think I could get this from anywhere else.

Salmon Sandiwch 3.8/5

The Salmon Sandwich is made using Smoked Norwegian Salmon. You can indeed feel the difference in its texture. It is still moist with a level of translucency.

Beef Sandwich 4.5/5

I can't wait to introduce you their Beef Sandwich, consisting of Swedish herb roasted sirloin layered with caramalized and cheesy onions with crisp beetroot chips. The taste is amazing! I love how the caramelised onions pairs perfectly with the sirloin and the beetroot chips which simply adds another layer to the taste. Who would think of using beetroot chips as part of a beef sandwich? Best of all, they ain't pre-packed chips but sliced and toasted out from a fresh beetroot. You can ask for the sirloin to be medium rare if you want to. Though mine was well done, it was still as tender. One look and you know that the meat is fresh unlike those frozen beef offered by those typical chain sandwich places. This is so value for money.

Kale & Mushroom Sandwich 4/5

Kale & Mushroom Sandwich comes with button mushroom. kale, roasted almonds dressed with spicy olive oil and melted provolone. Not the usual lettuce you get but Kale, one of the healthiest vegetables around, yet not easily found in regular supermarkets. I'm surprised that such a small setup can offer such a premium sandwich. To keep the recipe authentic, only a bit of spice has been added to cater to the local love for spicy food. Brioche is used for this sandwich. Its buttery taste goes very well with the greens.

For beverages, they have a selection of tea, coffee as well as Scandinavian Specialties. Do give their Scandinavian beverage a try. I had their Scandinavian Nektar. Made with real crushed berries and sparkling lemonade, I felt it freshened up my senses the natural way.

What I adore about independent setup is that they usually have great stories to share. Similar to farm-to-tables setup, Traveen hopes that customers can benefit from the goodness of eating wholesome and organic food like how he does. Other than that, one of Traveen's motivations behind Smor is also to contribute his part to the society. Smor gives chances to ex-convicts and senior citizens to work in its kitchen. He is not into making huge profit but simply to breakeven. Hearing this from a former Sales Director, APAC in Bloomberg for 12 years, it is something quite remarkable. I'm sure every cent doesn't come easy when all the ingredients are imported from the Scandinavian regions and delivered to their doorsteps weekly. It is also heart-warming to know that setting up this business brought him and his mum closer as his mum sat him through all the recipes to ensure the authenticity of his offerings.

I will definitely be back with more friends to try the rest of the sandwiches on the menu. Do drop by and support them as well. F&B is a tough business, especially for such a niche concept like Smor. To survive, they really need customers who appreciate their food and concept.

Photography and Written 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.


SMOR
One Raffles Place
1 Raffles Place
#B1-23
Singapore 048616
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smor.sg
Nearest MRT: Raffles Place (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8am - 8pm
Sat: 9am - 4pm
(Closed on Sun)

Directions: 
1) Alight at Raffles Place MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]