French Fold @ Telok Ayer - New Bistro By Merci Marcel Group Serving Authentic Galettes And Crepes

Nestled in the corner of Telok Ayer Street, French Fold is the latest dining concept by Merci Marcel group, which focuses on crepes and galettes, speciality coffee and curated cocktails. The cosy 50-seaters space is decked in Italian terracotta tiles and Scandinavian furniture, with earthy tones and lush greenery incorporated in the contemporary design elements, and a glass ceiling for a dose of natural daylight. It provides a welcoming space suited for any and every occasion, from a casual business meeting, a leisurely brunch to a romantic date.

The array of French galettes and crêpes are made using exclusively imported buckwheat flour, and premium ingredients sourced from France. Traditionally, the galette is a thinly folded French-style pancake which has a savoury filling. The menu serves up 12 galettes, and each galette is numbered from No.1 to No. 12 with a variety of different fillings.

No. 4 4.2/5

We had the No. 04 ($17) offers a classic combination of ham, sauteed mushrooms, and Comte cheese, centred with an organic sunny-side-up egg to make for a creamy finishing touch. The flavours complement each other perfectly, wrapped in a browned buckwheat galette, soft yet crispy enough around the edges.

No. 10 4/5

A more novel creation is No. 10 ($19) featuring a combination of wild trout and leek fondue with a touch of lime. Though a tad dry, the fresh wild trout slices bring some sweetness to the galette, which paired well with the soft, well-caramelised leek fondue.

For desserts, the crepes are made using wheat flour instead and come with an optional scoop of ice cream from popular local ice cream brand, Birds of Paradise. The menu serves up 10 crepes, and each delicately thin crepe are numbered from No.13 to No. 22.

No. 17 4.2/5

We had the No. 17 ($11) which features raspberry jam, fresh berries and a scoop of strawberry basil ice cream on the soft and chewy slice of crêpe which has a distinctive buttery fragrance. The addition of raspberry jam and berries give it a citrusy punch, while the strawberry basil ice cream brings a sweet, refreshing flavour to the dish.

No. 18 4/5

No. 18 ($10) features a similar chewy crêpe, but drizzled with artisanal manuka honey, and sprinkled with roasted buckwheat seeds, before topping with a scoop of sea salt hojicha ice cream. The addition of roasted buckwheat and creamy, fragrant sea salt hojicha ice cream gives the dish an in-depth, roast profile which we enjoyed immensely.

Rose Cider 4/5, Iced Chocolate 3.8/5

The dining menu is complemented with an extensive drinks list of both alcohol and non-alcoholic options. Galettes are best paired with a glass of cider, and we had the Rose Cider ($14) which is infused with hibiscus and elderflower. The Iced Chocolate ($6) is milkier than chocolatey, which reminds me of creamy chocolate milk, slightly watered down with ice.

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


French Fold by Merci Marcel
204 Telok Ayer Street
Singapore 068640
Tel:
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Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar (EW Line), Telok Ayer (DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 8am – 1030pm

Directions: 
1) Alight at Tanjong Pagar MRT station. Take Exit G. Walk along the covered walkway until the junction of Mccallum Street and Telok Ayer Street. Cross the junction and continue on Telok Ayer Street. Journey time is about 5 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Telok Ayer MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to junction of Telok Ayer Street and Upper Cross Street. Turn left onto Telok Ayer Street. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Jurassic World Cafe @ ION Sky - Dinosaur-theme Cafe Pop Up

Time travel back millions of years with Southeast Asia’s very first Jurassic World Cafe! Based on the original concept in Japan, this exclusive two-month pop-up is located at Level 56 of ION Orchard and will run from now till 3 January 2021. For the dino-enthusiasts, you can now enjoy the scenic view of the Singapore skyline from ION Sky while feasting on themed menu items amid the jungle-themed decor complete with LED displays of dinosaurs. There are also dinosaur-printed posters wrapped around the viewing gallery’s pillars. Be greeted by a life-sized model of Blue, the fan-favourite Velociraptor made famous by the sequel, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom as you enter. Don't forget to take photos at the dinosaur theme photo booth as well!

Mosasaurus Soda 3.5/5, Iced Latte 3.8/5

Starting with the drinks, we had the Mosasaurus Soda ($8) - a mystical ombre blue drink that comes in 2 distinctive coloured layers, served with pineapple cubes and blueberries. It was a very refreshing drink with a strong minty taste, albeit a somewhat muted one-dimensional flavour instead of having a more pronounced tropical fruity flavour that we had hoped for. While the Iced Latte ($7) was relatively decent, if your love your lattes hot, you’ll enjoy the hot version with dinosaur images imprinted atop the foam.

Volcano Curry 4/5

Our favourite among the dinosaur-theme mains was the Volcano Curry ($23) that comes with pulled pork, and potato cubes slathered in a generous portion of curry sauce and served with a side of sunny lettuce and pea tendrils. Mimicking the hot lava spewing from the active volcano in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (represented by the small mountain of charcoal rice), we love the flavourful and slightly spicy curry, together with the tender meat and potato. It also comes with a postcard with a picture of an erupting volcano that you can stack it behind the plate for an instagrammable shot of the dish.

Jurassic World Burger 3.8/5

The Jurassic World Burger ($28) features a beef patty sandwiched in between 2 charcoal buns, together with crispy bacon slices, cheese, tomatoes, purple cabbage and mushrooms. The dish was also served with crispy fried potato wedges on the side, and three streaks of mayo sauce resembling claw marks drawn on the plate. Although the thick beef patty was a tad dry and hard on the outside, it packed a lot more juiciness within, with a more tender texture.

Fossil Excavation Cake 4/5

We ended the meal with the Fossil Excavation Cake ($16) which consists of a base layer of light sponge cake, vanilla and white chocolate mousse, and topped with generous amounts of crushed oreo crumbs. The dessert was light and not as overly sweet. It paired well with a side of strawberries and vanilla ice cream.

There is also a dedicated merchandise section available where you will find limited edition Jurassic collectables, such as the Jurassic World Lego sets, Snap Squad figures, and the cafe-exclusive Blue plushie keychain.

While the food and drinks were pretty enjoyable, we feel that there could have been more decor spent for the interiors - with more dinosaurs, installations and greeneries to create a better jungle-like and immersive experience for the Jurassic lovers. The cafe will operate from 11am to 10pm daily. Tables will be available for reservations from 6 November 2020 onwards. To book your table, you can call 8028 1489, or email reservation@jurassicworldcafe.sg

Photos and words by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Jurassic World Cafe
ION Sky
Level 56
2 Orchard Turn
Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 80281489
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Orchard (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am – 10pm

Directions:
1) Alight at Orchard MRT station. Take Exit E. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]