Goooodddd afternoooon everyone!
It's a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon! What better way to bask in the heat than by staying at home to do food reviews? XD
Agree or Disagree: You can find food almost ANYWHERE in Singapore.
I myself agree with that, because I was at SMU (Singapore Management University) last night & had dinner at this cosy cafe called
The Basement Cafe
It's a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon! What better way to bask in the heat than by staying at home to do food reviews? XD
Agree or Disagree: You can find food almost ANYWHERE in Singapore.
I myself agree with that, because I was at SMU (Singapore Management University) last night & had dinner at this cosy cafe called
The Basement Cafe
Score Card:
1. Freshness
Everything came fresh except for the potato salad! It looked like it was prepared in a salad bowl beforehand and kept in the fridge before it was served. It was quite disappointing because I love potatoes ):
BUT, the smoked salmon redeemed the dish because it had a rich orangey-red colour that was begging you to taste it :)
The poached eggs also looked like it was just made because it was bouncy and ready to burst with yolk anytime!
What really made me drool was the aroma of the freshly toasted English Muffins.
It completely complemented that of the salmon and eggs!
Lastly, the fresh veggies were beautifully dressed and it really added that extra crunch to the dish!
Overall: 7/10
2.Tastiness
Smoked Salmon: It was perfectly seasoned without overpowering the original taste of the salmon. Its texture was smooth and a little bit grainy, peculiar to this fish :) It also melted in my mouth as I savoured it, coating my tongue with a sweet and salty aftertaste.
Poached eggs: The outer layer of egg white glimmered more than usual because of its egg yolk topping. Bursting like a bubble, liquid gold oozed out like it had been encased for centuries! Truly an experience if you're a virgin poached-egg-eater :) It tasted like how poached eggs should - smooth on the outside and runny on the inside :)
English Muffins: These tasted like the kind of muffins you buy off the shelves at the supermarket.
Normal and a tad boring /: Nonetheless, it was evenly toasted, which added to the numerous preparation techniques required of this dish.
Potato Salad: It was barely chilled and it wasn't anything special /: they were hard and
I think this was the dish's flaw. I'd rather they give me a bigger portion of fresh veggies than a side of these potatoes /:
Fresh vegetables: The dressing was really yummy, but it was too little! They were crunchy too :)
Overall: 6/10
3. Quality
Salmon: Thinly sliced and adequately seasoned, these were of average quality. I would consider it to be pretty good for a campus restaurant :)
Poached eggs: These were above-average. Bravo!
Fresh vegetables: As fresh as those you buy from those pre-packed salads.
Potato salad: Little effort was put into preparing this /: I hope to see an improvement! :)
Overall: 5/10
4. Presentation
As you can see from the picture, it was plated neatly with its different elements allocated its own spot on the plate. :)
Overall: 6/10
5. Worthy of your trip down?
It's in the heart of the Singapore Management University, which is connected to Bras Basah MRT Station. So if you're studying there or working at the offices around the area, popping by would just be a stone's throw away :) If you're wondering where it is, it's located at the BASEMENT HAHA XD.
But if you're traveling from home, I suggest you pick somewhere else for your meal. It ain't really a place I'd go all out for unfortunately.
Overall: 5/10
6. Waiting time
I waited only 5 minutes for it! Hooray for fast cooking!
(On the other hand, maybe that's why the quality of some of the food were compromised.)
Overall: 8/10
7. Ambience
I really loveddd the interior design of this place. It's like a bar cum 'cosy living room' kind of decor.
All it needed was a fireplace and it would be the perfect place to chill the evenings away :)
It's also a little dim, which adds to the cosy feeling :3
A great place for couples to have their dates :)
Overall: 8/10
8. Service
Self-service all the way! I think they're a little short of staff /:
But a friendly batch nonetheless! Mostly students too!
Overall: 7/10
9. Worthy of recommendation to others?
If you like affordable, quick and slightly above-average food, then gather all your friends and head down asap! :D
Overall: 6/10
10. Instagram-worthiness
YES. Make sure you Instagram this place cause it'll look good on your follower's feed ;)
Overall: 8/10
Total Score: 66/100
There we have it!
Give it a try and let me know what you think?
The Basement Cafe
80 Stamford Rd #B1-62
School of Information System
Singapore Management University
Open daily from 8.30am to 5pm
Thanks so much again for sticking around and hope to see you soon at my next review!
Love,
Nat!
1. Freshness
Everything came fresh except for the potato salad! It looked like it was prepared in a salad bowl beforehand and kept in the fridge before it was served. It was quite disappointing because I love potatoes ):
BUT, the smoked salmon redeemed the dish because it had a rich orangey-red colour that was begging you to taste it :)
The poached eggs also looked like it was just made because it was bouncy and ready to burst with yolk anytime!
What really made me drool was the aroma of the freshly toasted English Muffins.
It completely complemented that of the salmon and eggs!
Lastly, the fresh veggies were beautifully dressed and it really added that extra crunch to the dish!
Overall: 7/10
2.Tastiness
Smoked Salmon: It was perfectly seasoned without overpowering the original taste of the salmon. Its texture was smooth and a little bit grainy, peculiar to this fish :) It also melted in my mouth as I savoured it, coating my tongue with a sweet and salty aftertaste.
Poached eggs: The outer layer of egg white glimmered more than usual because of its egg yolk topping. Bursting like a bubble, liquid gold oozed out like it had been encased for centuries! Truly an experience if you're a virgin poached-egg-eater :) It tasted like how poached eggs should - smooth on the outside and runny on the inside :)
English Muffins: These tasted like the kind of muffins you buy off the shelves at the supermarket.
Normal and a tad boring /: Nonetheless, it was evenly toasted, which added to the numerous preparation techniques required of this dish.
Potato Salad: It was barely chilled and it wasn't anything special /: they were hard and
I think this was the dish's flaw. I'd rather they give me a bigger portion of fresh veggies than a side of these potatoes /:
Fresh vegetables: The dressing was really yummy, but it was too little! They were crunchy too :)
Overall: 6/10
3. Quality
Salmon: Thinly sliced and adequately seasoned, these were of average quality. I would consider it to be pretty good for a campus restaurant :)
Poached eggs: These were above-average. Bravo!
Fresh vegetables: As fresh as those you buy from those pre-packed salads.
Potato salad: Little effort was put into preparing this /: I hope to see an improvement! :)
Overall: 5/10
4. Presentation
As you can see from the picture, it was plated neatly with its different elements allocated its own spot on the plate. :)
Overall: 6/10
5. Worthy of your trip down?
It's in the heart of the Singapore Management University, which is connected to Bras Basah MRT Station. So if you're studying there or working at the offices around the area, popping by would just be a stone's throw away :) If you're wondering where it is, it's located at the BASEMENT HAHA XD.
But if you're traveling from home, I suggest you pick somewhere else for your meal. It ain't really a place I'd go all out for unfortunately.
Overall: 5/10
6. Waiting time
I waited only 5 minutes for it! Hooray for fast cooking!
(On the other hand, maybe that's why the quality of some of the food were compromised.)
Overall: 8/10
7. Ambience
I really loveddd the interior design of this place. It's like a bar cum 'cosy living room' kind of decor.
All it needed was a fireplace and it would be the perfect place to chill the evenings away :)
It's also a little dim, which adds to the cosy feeling :3
A great place for couples to have their dates :)
Overall: 8/10
8. Service
Self-service all the way! I think they're a little short of staff /:
But a friendly batch nonetheless! Mostly students too!
Overall: 7/10
9. Worthy of recommendation to others?
If you like affordable, quick and slightly above-average food, then gather all your friends and head down asap! :D
Overall: 6/10
10. Instagram-worthiness
YES. Make sure you Instagram this place cause it'll look good on your follower's feed ;)
Overall: 8/10
Total Score: 66/100
There we have it!
Give it a try and let me know what you think?
The Basement Cafe
80 Stamford Rd #B1-62
School of Information System
Singapore Management University
Open daily from 8.30am to 5pm
Thanks so much again for sticking around and hope to see you soon at my next review!
Love,
Nat!