Most motorists driving past the Oriental Antique House would have given it a miss; thinking it would be nothing more than a shop selling aged artifacts. I am one of THOSE motorists.
Only a small logo with the tiny words, A E I O U, by the side of the building betrayed its "nature". I wouldn't have noticed it and credit has to be given to a local radio station (UFM 100.3). To be more accurate, i was enticed to check out the cafe after hearing the rave review from one of their loyal listeners!
I am usually quite nonchalant when it comes to cafe setting and ambience, and prefer to place heavier emphasis on food. However, for the benefit of those who think otherwise, please refer to the few photographs appended above.
As with most cafes nowadays, a retail section was set aside. With skyrocketing rent for businesses nowadays, every inch of shop space that can generate profit is important!
Items sold in cafes are not your common products and you may find pretty unique stuff like the above handmade bottle cap pins and necklaces! Note: handmade normally denotes a price premium.
Loving their hanging lights although on a practical level, it would be hell of a time to clean them on a frequent basis! Having to go through the home decoration process recently, i realise i am extremely practical and dislike fanciful decoration that translates into possibly time consuming household chores.
A private corner was available for those who like a bit of privacy amidst the vintage, retro furnishings. For a timing that was about 4.30pm on a Sunday, i must say the cafe was quite packed!
Cafe's mission: "enjoy life's simplicity, consume goodly, and appreciate nature". Frankly, not that much nature in the cafe except for potted plants at random locations. I was more excited by the content of the speech bubble! No service charge and GST is included!!
Avocado Iced Coffee
Served in a vodka glass bottle made into a drinking glass, avocado coffee sounded weird but i am all for trying it, especially given the "recommended" endorsement by UFM listener.
Essentially, it's avocado milkshake in the vodka glass and two intense shots of espressos (not recommended for those with insomnia). To have your avocado coffee, mix them up!
With the sweetness of the avocado milkshake undermining the bitterness of the coffee, this was an innovative taste twist to your usual coffee offerings even though i would still prefer them separately.
Sunny Side Up
Topped with roast chicken, Alex had a disappointed expression on his face when this was served and whispered to me "where the hell was the chicken?"! Other than that, he found the overall taste to be a bit too bland and expected more for the pricing of S$13.90. The garlic bread was really good though with a generous infusion of garlic bits.
French Duck Confit
The French roasted chicken was supposedly the star of the cafe but it had unfortunately sold out, even before dinnertime! I had to make do with the duck confit which was another chef recommendation.
Sitting on a bed of sour red cabbage, i am no stranger to duck confit and had been blessed to have experienced an unforgettable one from La Petite.
This didn't live up to expectation and was a bit too gamey for my liking. Without the mustard like dressing, i would have difficulties shoving it down my throat. As with my preference, i would very much like the distribution of the fats to be evenly crispy instead of the gooey-ness found at some parts.
Don't belittle the 'gratinated noisette cauliflower" though. It was so yummy; i am already on the lookout for an online recipe online to try out once i get my hands on an oven!
Mushroom Soup
The aroma of strongly scented truffle oil wafted to our nose even from a distance away and i bet this would be one mushroom soup we would remember for life! Hot from the stove, the creamy, mushroom blended soup was indeed delicious and i thought the shimeji mushrooms was a nice addition. By the way, we would enjoy this better with garlic toast rather than the artisan bread.
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Location
111, King George's Avenue
(Near Lavender MRT Station)
Map
As above (red star).
Operating Hours
Mondays - Closed
Tuesdays - 11am to 10pm
Wednesdays - 11am to 10pm
Thursdays - 11am to 10pm
Fridays - 11am to 11pm
Saturdays - 10am to 11pm
Sundays - 10am to 9pm
Facebook Page
Menu (Selected)
As above.
Pricing
Avocado Iced Coffee - S$8.00
Sunny Side Up - S$13.90
French Duck Confit - S$24.90
Mushroom Soup - S$9.90
[GST Included, No Service Charge]
Additional Information
Cakes are available but we were too full to stomach even half a slice.
Tea time special for those who don't need to work on weekdays! Buy a slice of cake and get a beverage (non alcoholic) at half the price!
Think the cafe is preparing for the upcoming Halloween. This inspires me to keep the 2-litre milk bottles that our family usually discards and turn them into creative looking coin banks!
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