Rokeby (Closed)

It was time for lunch with *Sidney again, and we discovered this neat Australian bistro cafe named Rokeby by chance.  So we succumbed to the warm hospitality and serene ambience of this laid-back cafe set in an austerely pretty area near Serangoon. The dim and polished interior made it perfect as a cafe by daya and bar by night. Everything looked good on the menu so we didn't know what to order for a while.I started with a Soy Mocha (SGD$6.70) - the coffee was nutty, with hints of creaminess. The soy milk in this case didn't rise above the flavor of the chocolately coffee to bring out a fragrance of its own, like the soy mocha I had at some other cafes. It tasted more like a good cup of strong-flavored Mocha with a slight dash of milk - the bear art on my beverage was very adorable though.For mains, I ordered the Braised Ox Cheek Stew (SGD$20.90), being in the mood for beef cheeks, just nice. The beef cheek was stewed to a soft tenderness, retaining its bouncy texture against the rich juicy broth it was cast in. As it quivered in my mouth, I savoured the delicacy with satisfaction, and even pouring spoonfuls of the sauce over my otherwise-bland mashed potato.*Sidney happened to choose another item that I was debating between - the Rokeby Chilli Mussels (SGD19.90) - it was awesome that they had different levels of spiciness for us to choose from, so we chose the mild (being a weekday and we had to continue working, so couldn't risk stomach upsets). The musels were pliable in its chewyness, the natural sweetness of mussels succint amongst the spicy coat of the broth. It was definitely a good choice - with or without the crispy toast slices it was served with.For full review and more photographs, please feel free to visit:http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2014/10/lunch-at-rokeby-bistro-cafe.html continue reading

Set in the quaint neighbourhood in Lorong Chuan, Rokeby can be an Australian cafe by day and transform into a bistro-bar at night. I made an impromptu decision to pop into this little corner of relaxation for an hour to try out their chef's recommendation and customer's choice dish - Rokeby Truffle Shoestring Fries. My first impression of the cafe was the stark contrast between how angmoh the place is and yet every word the head waiter spoke was laced with Singlish. Definitely an edge of familiarity and closeness, but I still feel that it is a little strange. I must emphasise that the service staff are really quite friendly and attentive though. Their truffle shoestring fries ($8.90+) looks like it can be shared among at least three people. They are accented with a little overdose of white truffle oil and also too oily at the bottom, I really like the slightly crispy edges and fluffy texture of it though. If you love the taste of truffle oil, you will probably love this.Rokeby Cafe15-9 Jalan RiangSingapore 358987 continue reading

My friends suggested to come to this place for brunch. Unfortunately brunch ended 12pm on tues - sat as shown in the menu.So we could only order from the lunch menu. I had aglio olio which is pretty normal. The flavour was not rich enough mayb due to the lack of the olive oil. And usually i like it with prawns. we also ordered truffle fries to share and the truffle taste wasnt strong enough.Overall the quality of the food is pretty average.But me and my friends rather like the ambience of the restaurant. Very relaxing and nice place to catchup with friends continue reading

The street of Jalan Riang is within 10-15 minutes walking distance from Nex shopping mall I've been to one of the cafes located along that stretch of shophouses and Rokeby caught my attention. I decided to bring my mom here for dinner She ordered the Mushroom Aglio Olio and requested for less chilli flakes. However, she was struggling to finish her meal as it was super spicy and it seemed like they didn't follow up on her request :/ I was craving for something meaty and 'The Kangasaurus' was calling out to me! It is essentially Kangaroo Burger with spicy cranberry sauce and a side serving of fries, which I upgraded it to truffle fries! I tried truffle fries only once before at another cafe and it was super good! However, the truffle fries here were so disappointing as I could barely taste any tinge of truffle. I chose to have it medium-well done and the kangaroo meat was quite tender but lacking in taste. Lucky for the generous amount of sweet cranberry sauce, which strangely had no spice despite the description, and certainly was the key ingredient of this whole burger! I like the decor and ambience of this cafe but not so much on the food. continue reading

Hidden in the ulu corner of Serangoon area, I was pretty shocked to see the stretch of Jalan Riang packed on a rainy weekday night, and scarce on parking lots. Possibly more known with Wimbly Lu and The Cajun Kings, Rokeby is hidden right at the end of the stretch.With a pretty appetising menu and an absolutely famished company, we made our orders chop-chop and they all came pretty fast, much to our delight!Vegemite Glazed Chicken S$11.90/-The smell of this was irresistible with a savory touch and fresh crisp chicken drizzled with thick vegemite. Only upon my first mouthful did I realise that vegemite is the same as marmite, just that this was more on the savory side while marmite has a tinge of sweetness and is slightly stickier. It was a decent one though not the best for sure. I would have preferred my chicken drumlets on the crispy harder side, while this was more of the crispy crumbly type. It also got a bit soggy too fast, probably with the vegemite drizzled on top for too long. The closest I can think of that does chicken with sauces well is probably Four Fingers, with the crispy layer intact!Truffle Shoestring Fries S$8.90/-This was just an average one with too little truffle oil in my opinion, though my friend who said truffle tastes like petroleum found this to her liking.My friends who’ve been eating with me have complained that I keep ordering this everywhere I go! I’m still on the lookout for good truffle fries that can hit my top 3 list, so let me know your personal favourite!Rokeby Chilli Mussels S$19.90/-Served in a pot of spiciness, it comes with sliced bread to complete your meal, just in case the portion might sound too little. Just as its name suggests, it was indeed quite a fiery one and quite numbing that it almost masked the taste of the mussels if you’d dipped in any more of the sauce. I thought it could be a bit fresher for the mussels itself, though it’s still a decent one given how strong the sauce was. Good for the spicy lovers, though we find it just a tad too watery as a dip for the accompanying bread.Mushroom Aglio Olio S$14.90/-Cooked al dente and thankfully not oil laden like most aglio olios, the pasta was done pretty well. If you’re looking for some shiok spicy-satisfaction, this would be the one for you. Though for us, this was just too spicy that we can’t even taste the mushroom or any others in fact. Our friend enjoyed this though, with the subtle spiciness slowly growing to a shiok one for her!Prawn Risotto S$18.90/-While the previous two were too spicy, this was just lacking in flavours. Bland even though we’d tried this first, it lacked any resemblance of seafood, until you’ve had a bite of the prawns itself to taste it. Plus, this was overcooked that it tasted more like ‘Mui Fan’ than risotto. Quite a disappointing one for us!Spaghetti Carbonara S$15.90/-A friendly tip when it was served, you can actually add tabasco if it’s too creamy! I loved the strong bacon taste in it, just that it really was too creamy for our palates. Rich and flavourful, it’s probably a hit if you like strong flavoured dishes. It got a bit jelat for us and adjusting the creaminess certainly wasn’t easy!The Kangasaurus S$22.90/-This seemed the most exciting from its menu, with Kangaroo meat and cranberry sauce. Sounds pretty much like a Christmas-y dish! Recommended to be done medium rare, it was quite a dish that I was anticipating. Surprised that the kangaroo meat came in slices rather than a patty, it seemed like a pretty small portion initially, only to realise that it’s super filling with the bun and fries!Well, there was honestly nothing worth raving about kangaroo meat, as it just tasted like your usual beef, just a tad leaner. Cooked to medium rare, it was nicely done, though we found it served too cold that it didn’t seem like it came straight from the grill. The cranberry sauce was a nice complement, with just a tinge of sweetness. I loved the buns though, that were nicely toasted to a crisp outside while the insides remained warm, delish! Though the main highlight was nothing fanciful, the combination was still a decent one.Flat White S$5/-A pretty coffee art is half the battle won, at least to me. An elaborate one on a flat white, that’s caught my attention! I loved how the flavour was a robust one coming through, and lingered for quite a while. Good enough to feel the kick coming in, though I find it too sour for my liking. While the first few sips were great, the acidity came through a little too strong as it settled. Not the best cup for me, though my friend thought it was a good one for her as she tends to like her coffee with that slight acidity to it.It's probably a nice spot to hang out after work or over the weekend for some brunch, though I felt that the food was just pedestrian to speak of. I loved the ambience and how it wasn't crowded like most cafes are (or at least when I went on a weekday night), though the location and how hard it is to find parking there might turn some people off. Please refer to http://www.makeyourcaloriescount.com/2014/01/sg-rokeby-chill-out-spot-along-jalan.html for review in full. continue reading