{"id":22919,"date":"2013-09-13T07:15:30","date_gmt":"2013-09-12T23:15:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rubbisheatrubbishgrow.com\/?p=22919"},"modified":"2013-09-13T08:07:32","modified_gmt":"2013-09-13T00:07:32","slug":"complements-of-little-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rubbisheatrubbishgrow.com\/zh\/2013\/09\/13\/complements-of-little-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Compl(e)ments Of, Little India"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Complements
\nThe letter “e” font in “Complements Of” is written like an “i” so the cafe’s name can also be read as “Compliments Of.” The 20-seater\u00a0pop-up cafe<\/strong> (expires March 2014<\/strong>) is “a collaboration between 3 Singaporean craftsmen who complement each other” (citation: on the cafe’s wall). The coffee is from Leon Foo<\/strong> of Papa Palheta<\/strong> and Chye Seng Huat Hardware Cafe<\/strong>; <\/a>the food, Willin Low<\/strong> of Wild Rocket<\/strong><\/a>; and ceramics by Weekend Worker.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Complements
\nThe decor<\/strong> is a cross between industrial chic and minimalist Zen. The menu<\/strong> is as bare: there is only one choice for breakfast<\/strong> (9-11.30am): soft-boiled eggs with truffle soy sauce, croissant and coffee<\/strong> ($8). There is also only one choice for lunch (11.30am-3pm) and dinner (6.30-10pm)<\/strong>: salmon red rice donburi with jicama salad<\/strong> ($16). But get the set\u00a0<\/strong>($26), which is more worth it, including a coffee, the main, and dessert. You cannot order the breakfast after 11.30am or lunch before 11.30am because the waitress explained that there is a change of kitchen staff and they specialize in different areas. Actually I don’t get the logic–can’t the lunch chef cook eggs? Or can’t the morning chef scoop rice into a bowl and put salmon on top?<\/p>\n

\"Compliments
\nChiobu and I shared the set meal and ordered additional croissant<\/strong> ($4 for 2). Limited dishes aside, the food<\/strong> was very instagrammable and delicious<\/strong> but little. The salmon red rice donburi<\/strong> had explosive flavors and textures: crunchy red rice, bits of chewy octopus, smooth but too-thin salmon slices, grains of sand of roe, and a secret ingredient which we suspected was\u00a0chai poh<\/em> (preserved radish you find on chwee kueh<\/em>). The jicama salad<\/strong> was tung hoon<\/em> (glass noodles), very peppery and addictive.<\/p>\n

\"Compliments
\nSince this cafe is affiliated with Chye Seng Huat (CSH), we suspected the croissant<\/strong> shared the same supplier–it was good and buttery but cold. The coffee<\/strong>, however, wasn’t up to par. Compared to CSH, Chiobu said philosophically that this latte<\/strong> tasted “empty” and bitter. There was no mocha<\/strong> on the menu.<\/p>\n

\"Complements<\/p>\n

The dessert<\/strong>, pandan panna cotta with salted gula melaka<\/strong> (pictured below)\u00a0is a must-eat<\/strong>, one of the best desserts I have this year. At first bite, the gula melaka assailed with intense burnt sweetness–but it wasn’t at all excessive–and the sweetness mellowed to a mild sweetness with the aroma of pandan<\/em>. Really awesome.<\/p>\n

\"Complements<\/p>\n

Another awesome thing was the fantastic service<\/strong>, friendly and attentive without being nosy. Chiobu said, “Where did they find Singaporean servers?! So rare.”<\/p>\n

But Chiobu wasn’t impressed. She didn’t like the indecisive, halfway decor, limited food options and average coffee. She said, “It’s good that they are opened for 6 months only.” While she was right about her reasons, I focused on the positive aspects: fantastic food and service. But I’d advise people to come at a few weeks later when the cafe is ready and when it launches a gorgeous deep fried soft shell crab burger<\/strong> in black-colored squid-ink bun. We paid $30 for two.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Complements Of Cafe Singapore<\/h1>\n

72 Dunlop Street, Singapore 209400
\nBreakfast: 9-11.30am; Lunch: 11.30am-3pm; Tea: 3-6.30pm; Dinner: 6.30-10pm. Closed on Mon.<\/p>\n

Rating: 3.338\/5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n

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