Sunday, March 20, 2022

The Urban Hideout - Pet Friendly Cafe along Sembawang Road (Near Springleaf MRT Station) [Singapore]

Maybe it's age related; after a main meal nowadays, I would seek out an alternative place to chill out and it could be either a coffee shop where I could have a cup of kopi gao siew dai or a cafe that serves desserts like gelato with waffles.

This time round, we were at the old nee soon area, where we used to stay before moving over to a HDB flat in Yishun. So much has changed; the empty space left vacant after the demolishment of the wet market has now become The Brooks; a freehold development with a "mix of residential and retail units".

Most popular dining establishment along the stretch was "Friends Cafe HK 朋友冰室" but the queue was long and reviews from friends who had visited were generally not fantastic. Hence, I was keener with The Urban Hideout which offers gelatos and waffles! 

Another key attraction; it's pet-friendly and I sure hoped I could meet some fur friends later on! It's been more than ten years since the demise of Rubee and I sometimes still crave attention from the cute, fur friends.

Outside was bright and sunny but once I step into the cafe; it's like going into a different world. It's unconventional to have a counter taking up a large space in the centre of the cafe and with the air-conditioning, the hanging vines and the tiled wallpaper, I feel like I am far away from the tropics! 

Spotted a cute chihuahua! The air-conditioned space within the cafe was limited and I think a huge dog might find itself in a tight spot. There were outdoor tables / chairs though and I did see a group with a friendly Samoyed seated outside.

Time to check out the gelato selections! Almost everything excites me, with the exception for the cocoa noir since I am not big on chocolate ice cream.


Scan QR to order - for those who are bringing their dogs, please note the house rules, which include the need to leash and clean up after your dogs. There is also a 90-minute limit for peak hours which I presume to be mealtimes.

Our orders, submitted using my mobile phone - in future, I would love to check out their mains which included whole breakfast (brunch), BBQ spare ribs etc. Dog owners would be pleased to know that there was a section in the menu reserved for pet food like handmade pork meatballs, beef cubs etc.

Earl Grey Tea, Vanilla Latte
and Cafe Mocha - as I mentioned before, I am more a local coffee person given how cheapo I am. No complaint for the drinks and it's always nice to see latte art on our coffee.

Truffle Tater Tots - we were deliberating between fries and tater tots and since fries are readily available in many places; guess we should give tater tots a chance! 

The description on the menu was most apt; "bite-sized hashbrowns" and they were most addictive with each crispy bite surrounded with the irresistible aroma from the truffle oil. At S$11.90, it's not cheap but the portion was generous. 

Signature Waffle with Gelato - standard was with one scoop of gelato but my "usual" was two scoops, and it shall be pistachio (*premium) and macadamia white (premium). p.s. premium costs S$1.00 more and *premium adds S$2.00 extra.

Presentation looked way better with a bit of angling.

Said to be a secret recipe, the waffle was one of the better ones around with a butter aroma, fluffy inside and a toasted casing that was crisp. We had the option of either chocolate or maple syrup and it's a no brainer for me; maple it shall be. Only issue; not enough syrup! :(

Macadamia White didn't have the richness I associated with good ice cream; to the extent I actually felt that the one from Häagen-Dazs was better. Pistachio was better although I am biased towards those that mixed in bits of the happy nuts! 

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Happy tummy! Would be back again for their mains!
And maybe another serving of the truffle tatter tots! 

Address
60 Springside Walk, #01-05, 
The Brooks I, Singapore 786020

Map
As above.

Website

Menu
As above.

Pricing
Earl Grey Tea - S$4.00 
Vanilla Latte - S$6.50 
Cafe Mocha - S$6.50
Truffle Tater Tots - S$11.90
Signature Waffle with Gelato - S$10.90
Add Scoop - S$3.90
Add Premium - S$1.00
Add *Premium - S$2.00
(Subject to Service Charge)

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