CAFE HOPPING - 4+U Bar+Kitchen & Drips Bakery 30/06/19

So I was feeling really famished when we arrived at 4+U Bar+Kitchen at ~1130H but that was intentional. Booked a table for 4 pax through Eatigo at 50% discount :) When we first entered the cafe, we were greeted with some light music (Though it was noted that the music was played quite loudly) and a relatively vacant cafe. The cafe itself was elongated with different sitting styles, from sofas to cushioned chairs. Complimentary mint water, chili and tomato sauce as well as sugar packets were provided at a self-service counter on the left side of the entrance. I'm not too sure if the cafe was meant to be self-service but as I was really excited to try their food, I did not mind going straight to the counter to order. The orders came pretty quickly (We were the first to order), with only the chicken taking about 15min to arrive but I was told beforehand that the chicken would take approximately that long and so was prepared to wait.

(Prices reflected below are before the 50% discount; Note that prices reflected on their menu are nett prices and are generally more affordable for a cafe even without the 50% discount)

4+U Bar+Kitchen 30/06/19

Breakfast Smoked Salmon ($9.80)

- Comes with a croissant, 2 poached eggs in hollandaise sauce, thinly sliced smoked salmon, mesclun and some Lurpak slightly salted butter

- Croissant was soft and fluffy; Not the crispy type but was fine with that as I was going to soak the croissant in the butter, runny egg yolk and sauce

- Smoked salmon was not overpowering

- Poached eggs were light and fluffy, beautifully cooked with 2 runny yolks to drench the croissant in

Combining the croissant, butter, salmon, eggs and greens made for a very hearty and well-balanced breakfast. At 50% discount, this was definitely very value-for-money as well.

Taste: 8/10

Smoked Salmon Benedict

4+U Duck Confit ($18) & Cheeky Beef ($18)
(Forgot to take a picture of the Cheeky Beef)
- Combining these 2 together as apart from the protein, the pasta was the same (Spaghetti Aglio Olio)
- All of us agreed that the pasta was pretty average and in fact, of low standards for a cafe
- The duck confit was decent with crispy skin and tender meat but could definitely have been more tender
- Cheeky Beef contained a generous portion of braised beef cheek which was very lean and thus very filling. However, it could definitely have been braised for a longer period as it was still very tough and dry. Did not quite complement the spaghetti as well.
Taste (4+U Duck Confit): 6/10
Taste (Cheeky Beef): 4/10

4+U Duck Confit (Duck Confit with Spaghetti Aglio Olio)

Teriyaki Spicy Wings ($9)
(Picture taken was

blurry :/)
- 8 Spicy mid-wings with teriyaki glaze
- Meat was tender and juicy
- The sauce tasted slightly like the spicy wings that Pizza Hut sells if not for the teriyaki glaze, just that the chicken here is really much more moist and tender
Overall, decent finger food
Taste: 7/10

Chef Roast Chicken Sharing Platter ($28) - Meant for 2 pax but I pretty much ate most of it :)
- 1 Whole Roasted Chicken with fries, root greens, mixture of onions & carrots and a serving of mushroom black pepper sauce (I opted for no fries and the waitress asked if I would like more greens instead to which I happily accepted)
- The mixture of onions & carrots were sour, not too sure what sauce was added, but which I felt complemented the slightly bitter greens nicely. The greens also paired nicely with the chicken which would otherwise have been too heavy to finish
- The roast chicken itself was really moist, tender, flavourful and overall just delicious. Apart from the chicken breast which could have been slightly more tender, the rest of the chicken was lovely to eat, making it my favourite dish there. The mushroom black pepper sauce though, seemed to be oddly placed as I didn't think it helped to elevate the well-cooked chicken in anyway but thankfully, the chicken didn't need any sauce to start with as it was just that moist and even more tender than the mid-wings.
Taste: 9/10

An entire roast chicken with extra root greens (as I opted for no fries) and a mushroom black pepper sauce

Overall, this cafe is definitely worth going at 50% off for a hearty meal. If you would like a late breakfast, it serves all-day breakfast too. Good place to simply relax and get out from the stifling afternoon heat as well.

Moving on from there, we decided to visit Drips Bakery to end off the meal on a sweet note. Best. Place. For. Tarts. Period.

Drips Bakery 30/06/19

Yuzu Tart ($8.80)

- Yuzu cream custard + Sweet meringue on top of a buttery pie crust

- Really light and fluffy meringue which complemented the subtly sweet and tangy yuzu lemon curd; Very refreshing

- The tangy notes of this tart was really mellow, ensuring that one will not cringe their face when eating

Taste: 9.5/10

A piece of raspberry was also hidden in the middle of the tart :)

Dark Chocolate Tart ($8.80)
- Thick dark chocolate mousse dusted with generous amounts of cocoa powder
- On its own, may be too dark for some but if you love dark chocolate, definitely worth trying
- Simple and comforting tart, giving a bold and rich chocolate flavour
Overall, feels that this tart complements the Yuzu tart; 1 being light and refreshing while the other being thick and rich
Taste: 8.5/10

Truly a lovely and hearty Sunday lunch at Tiong Bahru. Out of all the tarts I've tried thus far, the Avocado Tart ($8.80) is still my favourite though :)