Cafe Bouncing

The Hoshino Spaghetti was pasta simply tossed with an oil based dressing and topped with a poached egg. Toss the egg to create the most delicious rich sauce that coats the noodles, which were cooked al dente with the perfect bite ☺️ the toppings were simple but complimentary; spinach, eggplant, tomato, shimeiji mushroom, sausage and bacon.

We had the teriyaki chicken steak plate, which came with a choice of rice or toast (we had fluffy toast), onsen egg, salad and crispy potato wedges (surprisingly, I was quite expecting them to be soggy considering the numerous other elements on the plate). The grilled chicken thigh was tender and yummy, and I also liked the creamy onsen egg. We had a mini edamame soup (good for dipping the toast in) and some extra salad.

So happy to be back here for a casual Friday dinner. I ordered the spicy chicken soba noodle salad.

The first thing I notice is how flavourful it is. Like the spice and acidity of the sriracha-lime dressing coating a generous amount of perfectly cooked soba noodles and crunchy cabbage. And I normally don’t like raw ginger or parsley, but the spices really intermingled for an exotic, Asiatic flavor. The chicken was tender and really delicious.

And the textures! The crunchy roasted peanuts and refreshing cucumber! The noodles are al dente and in such a generous portion too.

Definitely a really well-executed, delicious salad that tasted good and made me feel good as well.

We also tried the fish and chips. I was impressed to see they use actual spuds. The fish used was pollock which had a delicious sweet, fresh-tasting flavor. And the batter...wow. Crisp, deep-fried golden brown and perfect batter to fish ratio. You can’t really ask for me in a fish and chip.

I had the lobster roll ($48) and LOVED IT. The lobster is so bouncy, sweet and fresh, plus it’s from Maine too!! They came tossed in some mayo based sauce which thankfully was not too rich or overpowering. And the fluffy brioche bun was the perfect vessel for the lobster. The ebiko added some crunch and was the perfect cherry on the cake. It came with curly fries and some salad greens. The fries were super crispy and yummy too!!

For my main I had the blue crab tart which consisted of a buttery shortcrust pastry, packed to the brim with fresh, handpicked crab meat and topped with cheese and harissa. It was sitting in a creamy, flavourful lobster bisque sauce and a garnish of greens. I really liked this because all the elements of the dish went so beautifully together, from the mild sweet crab to the rich bisque.

Home of the famous truffle fries 🍟. Couldn’t get away with not ordering a plateful of them. And they are delicious; hot and crispy, covered with a shower of parmesan and just full on truffle flavor. I’m not a shoestring fan, but these do taste amazing 🤩 only sad thing is that they do get cold pretty fast oops.

This plate of Savory Waffles ($22) is exactly why Craftsmen has been so successful in propagating to six outlets island-wide. It's like an upgraded, hipster Coffee Bean and their food is fabulous. I fondly remember their tendency to decorate their mains with a ridiculous forest of sprouts. 😂
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This is my first time trying the waffles and they are soooo good. They arrived in front of me piping hot with a crispy exterior. Inside they're dense and chewy, ready to soak up maple syrup. They come with creamy, fluffy, scrambled eggs topped with a spicy sauce and smoked salmon. I topped up $2 to change my scrambled eggs to cheesy scrambled eggs.

A waffle square stuffed with egg and smoked salmon with a drizzle of maple syrup skewered on a fork; the medley of textures and flavors will blow you away. 😋

This is one of their weekend specials, the Emmental. It's supposed to have emmental cheese, but honestly I didn't taste any? 😅 The omelette is stuffed with a piece of lean bacon, and comes with two slices of toast (I chose multi grain). Its served with a salad of pico de gallo, sour cream and smashed avocado.

I love the omelette. Super fluffy and perfectly seasoned. The egg is just set inside but still slightly oozy. So simply done but well-executed. And the flavors of the slightly spicy pico de gallo with the tanginess of the sour cream. They make excellent coffee and juices too.

The ambience is really chill, with choice of either sitting on the squishy sofa or table and there's excellent wifi. It's just fuss-free food with good coffee. Just not sure if the food is worth the price ($19.95 for this plate), but my dining partner seems to really like this place, so I always end up coming here to enjoy a lazy afternoon.

One would not be blamed for wondering why a sandwich would cost $20. But this one is super decadent and took me to Paris in one bite.

First mouthful and the immediate thing I notice is that toasted buttery brioche. It is so crunchy yet just falls apart and melts in the mouth, almost like cake. Its not like any brioche I've ever had, it is so rich and decadent.

Then there's that beautiful steak, which despite its thinness is still perfectly pink in the center, with the sunny side up egg with its rich yolky flavor. Tying everything together is the sweetness of caramelized onion (the classic combination of beef, onion and egg cannot go wrong) and creamy mayo.

This dish is basically a slab of ciabatta, slathered with smashed avocado and nori jam and topped with crispy kale. It normally comes with scrambled eggs but for the sake of yolk porn I changed it to two organic jammy eggs (no regrets!).

At first I took a bite and was like 'ugh, my mouth is just chock full of vegetables and the nori jam is so seaweedy and overpowering' but eventually the medley of flavors and textures grew on me. The ciabatta is dense and chewy while the avocado is soft and creamy. The kale adds a crispy, flaky crunch and a hint of earthiness. The gooey yolk is resplendent with umami. So overall I think I really liked it haha. The Mediterranean vibes are real, with the exotic blend of flavors and complex creamy textures.

8/10

The classic brunch set cost only $9.90 and I added $4 for some grilled chicken. I had my eggs done in an omelette style. I love the omelette, its really fluffy and well-seasoned. Their toasted bread is really good, with really good quality butter and jam. The chicken is a little oily, but it's in a reasonable portion and not rubbery. Altogether it's a homely, comforting balanced healthy meal. Perfect to go with some of their excellent black coffee and watch the world go by.

7/10