Arepa de Choclo (add: Parma Ham) Boronas might have shuttered their operations after a relatively short stint in the Food Garden food court at Asia Square; that being said, it does seem that the brand has had bigger plans — these folks had made their return to the F&B, with the establishment of its own individually- run concept this time around. For those whom have yet to to hear about Boronas, these folks are a concept by LATIDO at Tras Street — think the relationship between Boronas and LATIDO to be similar to the likes of Olivia Restaurant & Lounge and Queic by Olivia; Boronas is pretty much an extension of the LATIDO brand that focuses on bakery and sandwich offerings. Boronas brand new location is situated at 47 Jalan Tua Kong; these folks had taken over the former premises of the now-defunct Les Mains Bakehouse / Microcreamery. The space isn’t exactly large, but it is cosy enough to seat sixteen (16) pax within its premises indoors — there are also two outdoor tables that seats four (4) pax each as well which works well for those whom intend to bring their furry friends here as well. There hasn’t been too much of a difference in the shop layout since the space had operated as Les Mains Bakehouse; the counter area has been entirely retained for the most part — the only difference would be the equipment used by Boronas as well as the inclusion of the signage that Boronas had been using during their days at Asia Square. Similarly, the bakes available for the day are also displayed on the left of the counter facing the dine-in seating area, while shelves are filled up with Colombian-style decor that reminds the patrons about its Colombian roots. Whilst much of what Boronas has to offer is pretty much displayed in the display cases which includes sandwiches, Shio Pan, bread rolls, cakes and croissants, it is noted that the famed Pan de La Casa from LATIDO that once graced the display cases of Boronas at Asia Square does not make an appearance at Jalan Tua Kong. It is also noted that the Jalan Tua Kong location also does serve up a bit of a light brunch-style offering as well. Beverages served up at Boronas at Jalan Tua Kong includes espresso-based specialty coffee and drinking chocolate, as well as a Colombian drink named the Chispa.
Offering only a single dish as part of its light brunch-style dish, the Arepa de Choclo is a Colombian dish where Boronas has allowed patrons to either have it as it is, or to go with the option of adding Avocado, Parma Ham or both (i.e. Todo) with the dish. We found ourselves going for the option to add Parma Ham to the Arepa de Choclo. Turns out, the Arepa de Choclo is a little bit of sweet corn pancake that is lined with a sunny side-up; think of it as a different way to eat an omelette — Boronas presents its Arepa de Choclo in a manner where it is folded into half, and then drizzled with some form of mayonnaise, while the Parma Ham that we opted for is being plated neatly on the top. Going straight for the Arepa de Choclo, we were surprised that it came with a sunny side-up that contains a molten egg yolk that flowed as we sliced the item apart — this came rather unexpected for us considering how the dish was presented in a format that is folded into half. The sweet corn pancake layer is actually relatively thin and provides somewhat of a crisp crust and a slight chew to the soft egg whites of the sunny side-up — we also noted a slight hint of sweetness from the batter of the sweet corn cake as well that gives a contrast against the slight tang of the mayonnaise which seems to also bear Kewpie-esque undertones. The Parma Ham does carry a hint of flavour similar to that of waxed meat with a slight chew that isn’t too savoury at the same time.
During the same visit, we had also found ourselves opting for the Orange Olive Oil Cake which was one of the few bakes that were displayed on the shelf alongside other sandwiches, breads and croissant offerings that are available on the late weekend morning when we dropped by. The Orange Olive Oil Cake does feel similar to that of tea cakes that we have come across from other establishments, though this one does come in rather interesting shape. There isn’t quite an evident note of olive oil come from the batter of the cake which definitely made it less intimidating for those whom are particularly worried about funky flavours within their sweets, though it is noticeable that it does not feel to jelak as most butter cakes that are being served up elsewhere. The cake still comes soft and fluffy; not particularly dry nor did it feel especially sweet — all that whilst being topped off with a cream cheese frosting that is rather similar to the frosting that one would find atop a carrot cake, while it gets drizzled with an orange sauce over the top that carried a little bit of a citrus-y tang and a slight hint of sweetness that compliments the cake beneath.
We also went with the Flat White (Hot) to go along with the food items that we had decided to order during the visit to Boronas. The Flat White here is pretty well-pulled with the microfoam layer being especially well-executed; the cuppa being one that comes with a medium body, and a nutty and earthy flavour profile.
Boronas was an establishment which we quite liked having around in Asia Square, though one thing we did notice about the establishment is how they aren’t exactly tuned towards serving food that is catered for the office crowds for lunch — whilst they do offer sandwiches, the sandwiches do feel more like a light eat, and doesn’t generally work well against more substantially-sized and more familiar food options that are served up at lower prices by other stalls in the same food court. With its move to Jalan Tua Kong, Boronas does seem to be able to leverage a little more on its bakery offerings that is pretty much the heart and soul of the brand — allowing them to offer a wider variety of bakes that would better align with the reason why they had started off the brand in the first place; this is already apparent from the wider line-up of bakes that they are already serving up at Jalan Tua Kong. With that being said, we do wish that they could perhaps make their light brunch offerings a little more relatable for the local audiences — items like the Arepa de Choclo and Chispa are mentioned in their Colombian names, and the lack of any description of the dish makes the item difficult to be visualised; a major deterrent for those whom are unfamiliar with the items to order. We do feel that the light brunch offerings are on the pricier side with a smaller portion size, though their bread offerings are more affordable and more reasonably sized. Hopefully their move to Jalan Tua Kong would be a catalyst for more things to come for the brand; definitely looking forward to be back to check more of their bakes out in the future!
