The Canopy at Bishan Park

There is a little gem which sits in the lush greenery and annoying rattle of the construction site at Bishan Park – where we had a pretty pleasant alfresco brunch at The Canopy.

Two of us had the egg royalés ($12), they were surprisingly good. We had to wait a while for it, but the eggs didn’t disappoint- they spilled golden runny yolk at the gentle poke of the fork. It was a mouthful of delight – the melted cheese, salmon and hollandaise sauce. Even the muffins were fresh! The sautéed spinach from the egg florentine was well cooked too.

If you want to give yourself a treat on a weekend and fill up your plate just a little more, you have the option of adding sides. They have a pretty good list to choose from. We had sautéed mushrooms, hash brown and sausages. The plain-looking pancakes were fluffy but it tasted quite one dimensional with the banana. Think strawberries and apricots still work with pancakes better 😉 The fruit juice was $10 but it tasted no different from what you’d get for $2 at a local hawker centre.

It is a place to chill out, so don’t expect tip top service. The staff are crowded indoors where the air-conditioning is, and it may take some frantic waving before you get their attention.

Additional bonus for animal lovers like me: pets are allowed. 🙂

The Canopy
1382 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1, Bishan Park II, Singapore

Paul fails to impress in Singapore

It took us 15, 20 minutes to queue before we got a seat at Paul on a Sunday late afternoon. Our choice of caffeine that day were café au lait and mocha. It was the first time I tried café au lait, so I can’t make a good judgement. All I can say is that it tasted like coffee flavoured milk. The mocha, on the other hand, had a rich dark chocolate taste. I was really excited when I ordered the crépe mixte but it didn’t turn out the way I expected it to be. The crépe had the right texture – soft and thin – but it didn’t blend well with the ham and cheese. It barely filled me up and there wasn’t any dressing on the side salad..

The saumon croque-monsieur was cold when it was served. Nothing special about this dish too other than the few fish bones we found. The portions are small and the salad was plain.

Not to mention, the staff at Paul definitely need more training. It was a feat to get their attention and the waitress did not get back to us when we tried to order the tartelette citron. She said she would check if it was available but she didn’t get back to us after 15 minutes.

Graze

 Stepping into Graze is like entering a friend’s backyard – and the morning we went the weather was beautiful. Easily one of the best places to spend a lovely Saturday morning out with friends and breakfast.   The informal outdoor and homely indoors sets guests at ease, especially with the wide spaces between each table to allow adequate conversation-privacy and comfort.

Egg Benedict & Signature Cast Iron Pan

Brunch here reminded me of the reasons why we can fall in love with food – and that a perfect breakfast to start the morning can make a difference to how the rest of your day turns out.

Brunch essential: A good cup of latte

According to the only American at our table (our Burger-Authority), the burger was way better than DB’s or any other found in Singapore. The eggs benedict was predictibly straightforward but done really well – and ooh – their signature cast iron pan was appetizing both to the taste palette and the eyes. Highly recommended to anyone who wants a big hearty breakfast. It was so good we finished it to the last baked bean.

The place is laidback with great food and easy for a romantic date or a small group of friends. Definitely worth a visit 🙂

Graze burger - premium beef pattie, fried egg, bacon, lettuce & tomato

Graze
4 Rochester Park Singapore 139215

Universal love for bacon

We love breakfast/brunch on weekends and bacon adds that extra oomph. Enjoy the best of two continents with these easy recipes.

American style
Sandwich with milk. Spread mayonnaise on both slices of your bread. Place bacon, cheese, iceberg lettuce, tomato in your sandwich and chomp away

English breakfast
Scrambled eggs, baked tomato, fried bacon and toast with mushroom. Tastes best with a nice cup of tea/coffee

Fun in the sun

These instagram photos are telling us to make full use of the endless summer days here in Singapore, so have some fun in the sun!

My checklist includes:
– chill out at the pier with a good cup of latte
– cycle to an old school kopitiam for breakfast
– potlucks, picnics and barbecues with homemade lemonades and frozen magaritas
– take up a course on kayaking, wakeboarding, surfing (wavehouse) or windsurfing
– rent the different types by bicycles, skates etc at east coast park
– weekend trip to Nikoi Island at Bintan

Weekend wishlist

1. Go to a pretty place

2. Enjoy a nice cuppa tea with good company

3. Find this pair of TOMS classic crochet flats

4. Try a new dessert