Read full review
2016-04-05
136 views
Have you been to Atlas? The cafe with legions of fans?Give it up for Atlas Coffeehouse...! I can hear the screams of their legions of fans over here already, can you? The cafe-hopping hype has died down, possibly because there hasn't been any new cafes that have wowed us here in sunny Singapore. Atlas is here to change that for us. In fact, it's so popular, the Botanic Gardens station of the newly opened downtown line has a temporary sign pointing people in the direction of Atlas (heh heh, irony
Have you been to Atlas? The cafe with legions of fans?
Give it up for Atlas Coffeehouse...! I can hear the screams of their legions of fans over here already, can you? The cafe-hopping hype has died down, possibly because there hasn't been any new cafes that have wowed us here in sunny Singapore. Atlas is here to change that for us. In fact, it's so popular, the Botanic Gardens station of the newly opened downtown line has a temporary sign pointing people in the direction of Atlas (heh heh, irony intended). Atlas is the acronym for 'At-Land-Air-Sea', which is a pretty cool concept when it comes to their interior design. Its name also reminds me of one of my favourite movies of all time, Cloud Atlas, which already primes my expectations for the cafe too. Sooo again, let's go and see how it performs:
A short walk away from Botanic Gardens, you know you can do a weekend date at Atlas Coffeehouse and thereafter Botanic Gardens (and if you're up for it, Island Creamery at Serene Center because ice-cream is always awesome) - because that's that I did. Idea? Idea.
Entering on a weekend afternoon, I was surprised it wasn't full house nor demanding a queue number for its popularity. Maybe its far-flung location will still put some people off, but remember date idea above? Yes. Between the darker tones and wooden theme and lighter tones and white marble, I went for the latter. Sunlight is golden at mid-afternoon, and makes for perfect brunch lighting.
Cafe read of the day: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyI'm still not done with it yet, though I'm about two-thirds into this intriguing read already. It leads you through chapter after chapter of prose in literally - intergalactical travelogues, with imagination of random ideas. The best way to escape from reality with the occasional dose of wisdom when you least expect it. Improbable does not mean impossible.
Meanwhile, have some Creamy Mushrooms on Sourdough (SGD12) served on a heavy white ceramic plate, thoroughly white wine and parmesan cheese infused assorted mushrooms served with sundried tomatoes on a toasty sourdough bread. It was very delicious, slightly on the salty side, but still, something that will make you go mmmhmmm.
We were seemingly extremely hungry at Atlas (must be something smelling really tasty in there) - because chomping down the Candied Bacon and Vanilla Ice Cream Waffles (SGD14) was performed in record timing. This sweet yet meaty combination was interesting and surprisingly appetizing as well, and you know vanilla ice-cream can never go wrong.
Their signature dish is the Atlas Butterscotch Banana Pancake (SGD18) that everyone is talking about, which requires a 20-minutes wait. It was served faster than that though. This was so sinful, gorgeous for the eyes and extremely satisfying to have, with soft fluffy pancakes that are served with caramelized bananas and butterscotch honeycomb ice-cream. Pretty much what all brunch dreams are made of! It edged on being too sweet towards the end, but nothing a delicious mocha can't fix.
The last item we swept off was the Summer Chicken Stew (SGD17) which had the chicken thigh slow-roasted with herbed potatoes and carrots soaking in the sundried tomatoes broth. The chicken was extremely tender and generous in portion, and you can even soak up the delectable broth and enjoy it with their sourdough bread. Delectable and well-done.
Is this a cafe worth going? Yes. I would recommend it, it's definitely something that has something to offer that most other cafes don't, that's dedication in their menu - which I hope they will maintain and not follow the footsteps of their sister cafe.Post
