“I feel prettier just by being here!” squealed Ms Atas. She didn’t mean the vintage-meets-industrial decor, which was very gorgeous and exciting. I was jumping like a kid at the decor. She meant the people here. Goodness, this was where hot local boys hung out. (the girls were so so.) “I’ve never seen such a concentration of good looking people,” she continued. By “people”, she meant boys in their early 20s. She’s a cougar.
Like any hipster cafes, this one was packed with hipsters. “The lady who comes alone, who is reading over there. Guess what book she is reading… Ok, I’ll give you a clue. Who is the most hipster author you know?” I asked Ms Atas.
“Murakami?” she guessed.
“Yes! And the most hipster of his books?”
“Norwegian Wood?”
Wheelers Yard first and foremost sells hipster bicycles in an industrial park and has recently acquired a f&b licence. I read a recent magazine blurb that the food is made in-house but this definition is very loose. The food is cooked in-house but the ingredients are definitely bought. For instance, the sad- looking big breakfast ($12.90, eggs, bacon, sausages, salad and toast) has its ingredients bought elsewhere and cooked here.
Their recommendations are aglio olio ($8.50) and beef burger ($14.90). The burger is costly with only a patty and onion, tomato and lettuce. I included an egg (additional $1.50) and cheese (additional $1.50). But they forgot the cheese. The burger was actually quite bad, amateurish.
Even the mocha ($6), with New Zealand beans, was watery. Ms Atas said, “This place is like the people here, like me: beautiful but without substance.”
The redeeming item came from the red velvet cupcake ($3.50), small but packed a punch, moist and not unduly cloying. Its colouring came from beetroot, not artifical colouring, and you can taste the earthiness. Although both Ms Atas and I don’t fancy beetroot, the taste was counterbalanced by the slightly sour icing, making this quite a complex and excellent dessert.
The friendly service also redeemed the food. For instance, Ms Atas didn’t want toast in the big breakfast and wanted additional mushroom ($1.50) and the lady boss allowed a substitution and didn’t charge her for the mushroom. Although they forgot to put additional cheese ($1.50) in my burger , the lady boss actually wrote down two slices of cheese on the order chit.
This is an ultra hip space, with a relaxing ambience, beautiful young people, and generous service but the food needs some work. We spent about $40 for two persons.
Wheeler’s Yard Singapore
28 Lor Ampas Singapore 328781
T: 6254 9128
M-Th: 11am-7pm, F-Sun: 11am-8pm
Rating: 3.050/5 stars
Written by A. Nathanael Ho.
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