What is Café Week?
Organised by NOM’s, Café Week 2015 is all about celebrating our local café culture. Featuring some of the top 13 cafés in Singapore, each participating café is given a challenge – to delight you with new creations over two weekends: 10 to 13 Dec and 17 to 20 Dec. Brunch, Tea and Dinner menus are available at $25, $15 and $35 respectively. Reservations for Café Week now open!1. Privé Café
Well-known for their eggs royale, Chef Robin of Privé puts a twist to the long-time hollandaise-clad celebrity with Baked Eggs in Bread Bowl with Melted Cheddar for brunch. Inside, it is filled with a choice of mushroom and spinach (our pick) or ham and sausage. But if you find that too heavy for a starter, slurp on a tummy-satisfying Forest Mushroom Soup instead. For mains, we recommend getting and sharing both the Pan-Roasted Seabass dressed in garlic butter sauce and the new Baked Squid Ink Rice served in a cast iron pot, bearing resemblance to paella. You wouldn’t want to miss out on either one of them. $25 nett with a cup of coffee or tea Privé Café, Marina at Keppel Bay, 2 Keppel Bay Vista, Singapore 0983822. The Tuckshop
For the kampung-spirited, The Tuckshop is where you’d want to go for a modern day brunch in a nostalgic setting, complete with vintage rattan chairs for outdoor dining. The menu starts with a trio of Salmon Cornetto, where salmon, crème fraiche, granny smith apples and horseradish are held within cones fashioned from deep-fried wanton skin. What follows is a generously-sized Breakfast Burrito wrapped with buttery scrambled eggs, bacon, rocket and tomato salsa. Thirst-quenchers to choose from include Ice Coco Mint and Toasted Gingerbread Latte (with a dash of cinnamon) – a timely entrance for the festive season. $25 nett The Tuckshop, 403 Guillemard Road, Singapore 3997953. OMB
OMB stands for ‘Oh My Bacon’, so it’s safe to assume that everything on their menu is at the very least brushed with the goodness of bacon – even their ice cream, but no, not the coffee. And if a bacon-tastic brunch sounds more than enticing to you, keep reading. We felt that the Bacon Beef Slider could do with a little less grilled cheese and more bacon jam, but we promise the Bacon and Cheese Arancini trio is absolutely worth making a reservation for. $25 nett with coffee or tea OMB, 7 Dunlop Street, Singapore 2093374. Curious Palette
A good-looking café like Curious Palette scores well for a brunch date, especially when you steal that table at the far end – the one beside the glass doors and all that glorious natural light. On their brunch menu, the Corned Beef & Sweet Potato Hash (pictured) features a bed of spicy chicken, hot basil and candied maple glazed bacon with a butter fried sous vide egg on top. Tip: Burst that egg and mix the yolk in with the others to dial down the heat and have every sweet, spicy and salty element together in one bite. Of course, your meal doesn’t end without a cup of the café’s award-winning specialty coffee or a porcelain pot of their artisan tea, which will certainly pair well with the three assorted mini Magic Muffins, served with butter and home-flavoured syrups. $25 nett Curious Palette, 64 Prinsep Street, Singapore 1886675. The BetterField
The BetterField's mission to serve better quality café food at better (more affordable) prices shines through the dishes whipped up by 23-year-old chef-owner Shaun Gian. Whilst creating the menu, he takes into consideration a customer’s waiting time without compromising on the quality of ingredients or creativity on the plate. After a refreshing Orange Citrus Salad dressed with pesto and balsamico comes the star of the brunch menu – the Furikake Norwegian Salmon. He pan-fries the sashimi grade salmon, keeping the centre purposefully soft and pink, pairing it with mushroom fricassee and a secret “goddess sauce”. $25 nett with Ice Peach Tea The BetterField's, 261 Waterloo Street #01-23, Singapore 1802616. Strangers' Reunion
Strangers' Reunion is no stranger to the avid café goer and for many, a snap of their stunning latte art probably lies somewhere in your camera uploads album. For the upcoming Café Week, their brunch menu starts with the classic Eggs Benedict but in a way you’ve not tried before. Instead of English muffins or brioche, the Strange Benedict features poached eggs placed steadily on a gratinated ham & cheese focaccia, clad in parmesan béchamel and herb hollandaise sauce, with asparagus on the side. Homemade Dough Fritters, another new creation by the café, are filled with coffee jelly, chocolate ganache and brie cheese, dusted off with coffee sugar. $25 nett with their award-winning specialty coffee or artisan tea Strangers' Reunion, 37 Kampong Bahru Road, Singapore 1693567. Toby's Estate
Unlike the rest of the participating cafes, Toby's Estate won’t be offering a three-course menu for Café Week. Instead, a complimentary cup of cold brew will be given for every order of their Brekkie of Champions ($25), exclusively for NOM’s members. Remember to present your membership card! Note: Offer is only valid during Café Week (10 to 13 Dec, 17 to 20 Dec). Toby's Estate, 8 Rodyk Street #01-03/04, Singapore 238216 See also: Instagram-worthy Cakes of Singapore The Best of Waffles & Ice CreamWritten by Peh Yi Wen