0
1
0
Filter
Extract
Full
Review Rating
Special Occasion
Dining Time
Features
Level4
606
10
Hearty Italian fare in pretty white settings
2016-02-14 79 views
Situated along a row of shophouses at Hoe Chiang Road, Tanjong Pagar (diagonally across from 100AM Mall) is First 25 Cafe, opened by two young founders at age 25. Despite their young age, they have travelled extensively around the world during Christmases and have tasted the cooking of their couch-surfing hosts.  As such, they decided to bring back the rustic taste of local flavours to Singapore, into a cafe of their own - serving primarily Italian fare in cosy, beautiful settings. When we first
Read full review
12 views
0 likes
0 comments
 Situated along a row of shophouses at Hoe Chiang Road, Tanjong Pagar (diagonally across from 100AM Mall) is First 25 Cafe, opened by two young founders at age 25. Despite their young age, they have travelled extensively around the world during Christmases and have tasted the cooking of their couch-surfing hosts.  As such, they decided to bring back the rustic taste of local flavours to Singapore, into a cafe of their own - serving primarily Italian fare in cosy, beautiful settings. When we first entered the quaint little cafe, we were awestruck by the pretty whiteness and decor consisting of floral touches around
Gnocchi with Pesto Sauce
$12
27 views
0 likes
0 comments
 We started with a Gnocchi with Pesto Sauce (SGD$11.90), complete with an onsen egg and bacon. The gnocchi were small, soft and doughy potato balls - gentle texture and really fun to chew on. Pesto sauce added flavour to the pasta, as did the egg mixed into the dish.
Truffle Curly Fries
40 views
0 likes
0 comments
 Then, we had an off-the-menu delicacy that we enjoyed tremendously - Truffle Curly Fries. This was a combination of heaven and all things good - substantial dose of truffle aroma curled into strands of crispy fries. It was an addictive side dish, and we felt like we could not get enough.
Iced Strawberry Coffee
$7
30 views
0 likes
0 comments
 For drinks, I had an Iced Strawberry Coffee, which was .... interesting but not memorable. There was not much strawberry flavour detected amongst the ice coffee's sweetness.

For full review and more detailed information, please feel free to visit:
http://thearcticstar.blogspot.sg/2016/02/lunch-at-first-25-cafe-tanjong-pagar.html

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
  • Recommend
    Recommended
  • Report
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Dining Method
Dine In
Spending Per Head
$25 (Lunch)
Recommended Dishes
Truffle Curly Fries
  • Iced Strawberry Coffee
  • Mocha
  • Gnocchi with pesto sauce
  • Striploin Steak
Level4
1.5K
35
Dinner
2015-12-03 74 views
Diagonally opposite 100AM shopping mall, there is a little cafe located in the middle of a row of old shophouses. Tonight I am invited to this cafe for a food tasting session. Although I have been to 100AM so many times in the past, I have never noticed this row of shophouses until today.For such a cold and wet night, the interior of the cafe offers a cozy and homey feel.Warm Mushroom Salad ($9+)Baby spinach, Shime Ji Mushroom, Fennel, Asparagus, Shallot, Pine nuts, Butter emulsionSmells of truf
Read full review
37 views
1 likes
0 comments
 Diagonally opposite 100AM shopping mall, there is a little cafe located in the middle of a row of old shophouses. Tonight I am invited to this cafe for a food tasting session. Although I have been to 100AM so many times in the past, I have never noticed this row of shophouses until today.
27 views
1 likes
0 comments
 For such a cold and wet night, the interior of the cafe offers a cozy and homey feel.
Warm Mushroom Salad
$9
15 views
1 likes
0 comments
 Warm Mushroom Salad ($9+)
Baby spinach, Shime Ji Mushroom, Fennel, Asparagus, Shallot, Pine nuts, Butter emulsion
Smells of truffle oil when served. It is a light crisp, peppery and nutty salad.
La Rustichela Truffle Fries
$12
10 views
1 likes
0 comments
 La Rustichela Truffle Fries ($12+)
The fries is smell quite yummy of the truffle oil, topped with shredded parmesan and chopped spring onion. It is served with truffle aioli.
Eggplant Parmigiano
$16
12 views
1 likes
0 comments
Eggplant Parmigiano
$16
15 views
4 likes
0 comments
 Eggplant Parmigiano ($16+)
Eggplant, Black miso, Parmigiano, Bread crumbs, Spice tomato sauce
It is quite crispy on the outside, while inside is filled with the juicy eggplant.
Charlie's Son Wings
$13
21 views
2 likes
0 comments
 Charlie's Son Wings ($13+)
The skin of the wing is quite crispy, but inside the meat is a bit tough and dry.
Yuzukosho Pork Rack
$27
9 views
2 likes
0 comments
 Yuzukosho Pork Rack ($27+)
Signature
Fregola sarda, Cream, Bacon, Chive, Pork rack
One of the cafe's signature dishes. Fregola sarda is a type of pasta which looks like little balls. Here it is cooked with bacon bits in a creamy sauce. It tastes savoury good with its QQ texture and abosrbed the smoky flavour of bacon. The pork is quite tender and juicy on its own, without the usual fat and oily texture that one expects from pork rack.
65 Degree Grilled Ribeye
$26
7 views
2 likes
0 comments
 65 Degree Grilled Ribeye 200g ($26+)
(Grass fed, AUZ) Ribeye, Baby carrots, Mashed potato, Mushroom sauce
The ribeye is quite tender and juicy. The mashed potato is infused with truffle oil.
Smoked Uni Carbonara
$27
21 views
3 likes
0 comments
 Smoked Uni Carbonara ($27+)
Signature
Spaghetti & Parmigiano, Wagyu, Chive, Truffle Oil
Another one of the cafe's signature dishes. It looks quite pretty with the soft poached egg in the centre. I could hardly taste the uni in this dish, although it seems that uni has been mixed into the sauce. The sauce is quite watery, even after breaking the egg and mixing, the sauce can't thicken much. I also can't taste the wagyu in this dish. But can taste chunky topshell meat in it.

Overall the food is not bad. Service is not bad too with water refilled regularly. There is no GST but there is 10% service charge here. Prices of the dishes listed above are subjected to changes as the cafe is revamping its menu.

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
  • Recommend
    Recommended
  • Report
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Date of Visit
2015-12-01
Dining Method
Dine In
Type of Meal
Dinner
Dining Offer
Tasting Event
Level4
479
32
Asian Fusion + Italian = First 25 Cafe
2015-12-02 24 views
This Tanjong Pagar spot is a fairly new kid on the block, serving premium fusion food in a casual cafe setting. Owner Lucius Ong was very friendly and kept checking up on the patrons, to see if anyone had feedback on the food.They have a pretty decent sized dining room. There's ample space between tables and can easily accomodate huge groups of patrons. The walls are lined with white glossy tiles with very rustic looking lamps mounted on the wall to provide lighting throughout the dining room.On
Read full review
46 views
1 likes
0 comments
 This Tanjong Pagar spot is a fairly new kid on the block, serving premium fusion food in a casual cafe setting. Owner Lucius Ong was very friendly and kept checking up on the patrons, to see if anyone had feedback on the food.
43 views
1 likes
0 comments
 They have a pretty decent sized dining room. There's ample space between tables and can easily accomodate huge groups of patrons. The walls are lined with white glossy tiles with very rustic looking lamps mounted on the wall to provide lighting throughout the dining room.

One glance at the menu and you spot things like Gnocchi with basil cream, wagyu bolognese, nacho cheese fries, truffle fries, smoked uni carbonara, 65 degree grilled ribeye. First 25 cafe definitely sets itself up as an Asian Fusion and Italian cafe.

1. Warm Mushroom Salad $9+
Warm Mushroom Salad
$9
46 views
3 likes
0 comments
 When this dish was served, you could easily smell the truffle oil in the salad! I loved that they choose to use pine nuts as it added a crunchy aspect of the salad. The Baby spinach, shimeji mushroom together with their high grade butter made a very light but refreshing salad. The shimeji mushrooms were small in size, but every time I dug my fork into the salad, I was guaranteed a mushroom! First 25 cafe is pretty generous in ingredients!

2. La Rustichella Truffle Fries $12+
La Rustichella Truffle Fries
$12
34 views
2 likes
0 comments
 What's a cafe without their rendition of truffle fries? The truffle fries were served on a wodden platter, sprawled out with cheese flakes over the top!  
La Rustichella Truffle Fries
$12
71 views
2 likes
0 comments
 Okay, so the truffle smell for the fries for some reason wasn't as strong as the Warm Mushroom salad. The essence of the truffle oil was very evident in the fries either. But together with the white truffle pumpkin sauce, it did bring out the "truffle-ness" of the fries.
La Rustichella Truffle Fries
$12
49 views
2 likes
0 comments
 The fries also didn't turn soggy either. So hurray! For non-soggy fry lovers.

3. Charlie's son Wings $13+
Charlie's son Wings
$13
34 views
3 likes
0 comments
 Who doesn't love fried chicken wings? This was cooked more towards the asian style of "tze char" rather than your buffalo wings or honey wings. As First 25 Cafe tries to differentiate themselves from competitors by selling Asian Fusion with an Italian twists. I think these wings are lacking either in juiciness or it just need a sauce of some sort to spice things up! These wings were crispy but yet also slightly on the dry side.
Charlie's son Wings $13+
$13
14 views
2 likes
0 comments
 The wings were decent in size and for this price, instead of a salad, maybe some celery sticks and carrots? The crispiness is spot on, and that's where the wow factor ends for this dish.

4. Smoked Uni Carbonara $27+
Smoked Uni Carbonara
$27
33 views
3 likes
0 comments
 This dish was a very interesting one, seeing the roe perched ontop of the poached egg, sounded by carbonara. It made a very picturesque dish. But unlike typical carbonara dishes that make you gerlat, this was slightly more of a lighter dish with a lighter taste too. The flavour of the egg wasn't able to bring out any flavour of the pasta.
Smoked Uni Carbonara
$27
16 views
4 likes
0 comments
 I was able to easily spot chunks of crayfish meat that tasted fresh and tender. The meat itself was able to absorb the carbonara sauce, hence giving the meat some flavour.

5. Eggplant Parmigiano $16+
Eggplant Parmigiano
$16
17 views
3 likes
0 comments
 The browness of the bread crumbs was on-point! It made the parigiano look fuller in size and definitely made me excited to try this!
Eggplant Parmigiano
$16
20 views
3 likes
0 comments
 Despite their simplistic presentation, the eggplant parmigiano was pretty sizeable and I felt decently full after consuming it. This is probably one of the main courses that I wouldn't mind ordering again the next time I'm here. You can also pick this out as a side to share.
Eggplant Parmigiano
$16
23 views
3 likes
0 comments
 Once you cut it open, you will notice the eggplant black miso, parmigiano together with the spiced tomato sauce and layer of bread crumbs, this made a rather interesting and delightful main course. The eggplant was beautifully cooked in the center and it was very soft and yet juicy.

6. 65 Degree Grilled Ribeye 2006 $26+ *Highly Recommended*
65 Degree Grilled Ribeye 2006
$26
14 views
4 likes
0 comments
 Grassfed auzi ribeye, baby carrots, mashed potato and mushroom sauce. On first look, this dish wasn't just simply thrown together, it was decorated with care. Just like the care it took to nurture this grassfed ribeye. The mashed potato was so smooth and creamy, it was like no other mashed potato I had ever tasted! It also gave me a lingering truffle after taste!
65 Degree Grilled Ribeye 2006
$26
21 views
5 likes
0 comments
 Checkout the glorious pink colouration of the meat. The meat was so soft and juicy. Yes, it's making me hungry right now, as I write this review! The quality of the meat was enough to justify the price of this dish. As owner Lucius emphasized, that First 25 Cafe aims to serve premium quality food in a casual setting. This dish says it all!

7. Yuzukosho Pork Rack (Signature) $27+ *Highly Recommended*
Yuzukosho Pork Rack (Signature)
$27
19 views
4 likes
0 comments
 Having visited a few fusion cafes recently, I know it's not easy to come up with a unique fusion dish that has both Asian and Western flavours. This Yuzukosho Pork Rack scores 10/10 on both ends of the east and west! The pork itself was super tender and juicy. Laid upon a creamy bacon sauce.
Yuzukosho Pork Rack (Signature)
$27
14 views
5 likes
0 comments
 The Pork Rack itself is slightly chared on the edges giving it a beautiful browning colour on the exterior but yet on the inside, the meat is a consistent pale pink colour.
I think this is clear winner on their top signature main course dish.

I cannot help but notice the recent trend of Asian Fusion cafes that are moving away from the typical eggs benny and brunch. It takes alot more to attract the tastebuds of Singaporeans.

The cafe has a very cute and cosy environment, together with the free wifi, it makes a good hang out spot. Couple that with their location in Tanjong Pagar, they are sure to attract the office crowd during weekday lunches. They have a few good signature items and the owner is very open to feedback, to improve. Him and his team definitely put in the hours to make every dining experience a plesant one. 
Other Info. : No GST, only 10% service charge They serve Jewel Coffee :)
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
  • Recommend
    Recommended
  • Report
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Date of Visit
2015-12-01
Dining Method
Dine In
Dining Offer
Tasting Event
Recommended Dishes
Eggplant Parmigiano
$ 16
Eggplant Parmigiano
$ 16
Eggplant Parmigiano
$ 16
65 Degree Grilled Ribeye 2006
$ 26
65 Degree Grilled Ribeye 2006
$ 26
Yuzukosho Pork Rack (Signature)
$ 27
Yuzukosho Pork Rack (Signature)
$ 27
Level2
13
0
First 25 Cafe
2015-10-11 51 views
A new cafe opens in the neighbourhood of Tanjong Pagar. Along Hoe Chiang Road is a cafe serving Asian-Western dishes with a twist!I was very attracted to the interior decor of the cafe which is very posh and immediately teleported me to some part of Europe where tiles are bricked in white and large, majestic gold mirrors hung on the walls.A perfect place for lunch, dinner or just to chill out over beer with friends. Mushroom soup with 63 degree egg and truffle oil.What made this mushroom differe
Read full review

A new cafe opens in the neighbourhood of Tanjong Pagar. Along Hoe Chiang Road is a cafe serving Asian-Western dishes with a twist!

I was very attracted to the interior decor of the cafe which is very posh and immediately teleported me to some part of Europe where tiles are bricked in white and large, majestic gold mirrors hung on the walls.
28 views
0 likes
0 comments
32 views
0 likes
0 comments
30 views
0 likes
0 comments
 A perfect place for lunch, dinner or just to chill out over beer with friends.
30 views
0 likes
0 comments
 Mushroom soup with 63 degree egg and truffle oil.
29 views
0 likes
0 comments
 What made this mushroom different from others is that an egg is partially cooked inside and upon stirring, the whole concoction of egg and soup becomes so creamy! Perfect with the touch of truffle!
32 views
0 likes
0 comments
 Charlie's Son Wings. This is the chef's special wings, robust in flavour and definitely left us wanting more... If you love chicken wings, this would not go wrong.
26 views
0 likes
0 comments
 Smoked Uni Carbonara. This dish is one of the cafe's signature dish. Frilly pasta and clumps of slipper lobster meat in light, creamy sea urchin sauce. The onsen egg in the middle as well as the sprinkling of truffle soil garnished over the dish makes this very unique. Not your usual kind of carbonara.
27 views
0 likes
0 comments
19 views
0 likes
0 comments
 65 Degree Grilled Striploin. Grass fed striploin with baby carrots, brussel sprouts, mushroom sauce. This was pretty average but I simply adore the presentation! It was such a lovely coincident that the steak came in a heart shape!

Besides dinner, First 25 Cafe also serves affordable set lunches.

First 25 Cafe

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/first25cafe

Address: 7 Hoe Chiang Road

Tel: 6221 2565

(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
  • Recommend
    Recommended
  • Report
Post
DETAILED RATING
Taste
Decor
Service
Hygiene
Value
Date of Visit
2015-10-01
Waiting Time
1 Minutes (Dine In)
Spending Per Head
$50 (Dinner)
Dining Offer
Tasting Event
Recommended Dishes
  • Charlie's Son Wings
  • Smoked Uni Carbonara