Sunday, February 16, 2014

W.39 Casual Dining - Bistro and Bakery @ 39 Jalan Mas Puteh (Near Clementi Stadium)

Cafe hopping is a trend i could not grasp for the following reasons; i am hardly considered as a trendy person among my peers and i seriously could have better uses for the money i am handling out to those cafe operators. 

Having said that, i am perfectly fine with the occasional indulgence (as i do with restaurants) and hence, followed my NUS colleagues to this cafe in the western side of Singapore; W.39 Bistro and Bakery.

The name, W.39, came about (i am guessing over here) likely due to the address which is 39 Jalan Mas Puteh and the fact that it resides in the western part of Singapore, where cafe setups are less common. 

Every cafe tries to differentiate from their competitors by instilling its own style and decoration and this has contributed to the popularity of cafe hopping. W.39 is no exception and you could find vintage looking furnishings coupled with placement of sweets i often had when i was a kid. The erasers (we knew it as rubber then) with flags were particularly memorable. 

W.39 is also a dog-friendly cafe and you are welcome to bring along your beloved canines! Complimentary dog treats are available in a big glass container located at the counter should there be a need to arrest your pet's restlessness. 

Other offerings included the sale of freshly baked breads! Unfortunately, most of them were wiped out by the time we were done with our lunch. Anyway, our purpose was actually to try out their breakfast which sadly was only available on weekends and public holidays. :(

We had to make do with either the ala carte items on the menu or the executive set lunch that comes with a main, a bowl of soup and a glass of drink. 

Before making a decision on the main, something else caught my attention! The aesthetically cheerful rainbow cake that i have had heard so much about! So, let's begin with dessert first!

Rainbow Cake
With its six layers of vibrancy, it's no doubt that everyone's eyes would be drawn to the rainbow cake; there was that somewhat childish yet immensely chirpy aura surrounding it! Okay, enough has been said and it's finally time to check it out!

Texture was too hard; butter cream had an aftertaste that didn't quite sit well with me; honestly, pretty normal with none of the initial hype. If all rainbow cakes are to taste like this, i would not see any point to order again.

Drink and Soup
(part of executive set lunch)
All four of us had the executive lunch set and i requested for the ice honey lemon which was a thirst quencher in that bloody hot day we visited.

Soup was potato and leek. Satisfying would be my conclusion as the consistency was generously thick with a rich, delicious flavouring! 

My friends had the above with their comments in brackets; pan-fried salmon (the sauce was overly salty), penne pasta (normal and didn't quite justify the price it commanded) and mini beef striploin (overcooked) respectively. I did quite like the striploin for its addition of herb butter! 

Pan-fried Chicken Thigh
This was my order and the first thing that came to mind as my teeth came upon the crispy skin was its similarity to the French dish; duck confit! 

Other than the sinful cackling skin, i quite enjoyed the juicy chicken thigh which wasn't excessively seasoned   although i had to add that this dish, in its totality, still fell short of being impressive. 

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Location
39 Jalan Mas Puteh
(Near Clementi Stadium)

Map 
As above

Website

Reservation
Reservation is strongly recommended if you require air-conditioned seating. You may check out the reservation tab on the website which would auto generate an email template for you to fill up. 

Opening Hours
Tuesdays - Fridays - 11am to 10pm
Weekends and P.H - 9am to 10.30pm
[Closed on Mondays unless it is a P.H]

Price
Rainbow Cake - S$6.80 a slice
Pan-fried Salmon (Set) - S$21.90 
Penne Pasta  (Set) - S$18.90
Mini Beef Striploin (Set) - S$24.90
Pan-fried Chicken Thigh (Set) - S$22.90
[Subject to Service Charge only]

Additional Information
If you can bear with the recent heat wave, outdoor seating with ceiling fans is available.

Besides the executive set lunch, there is also the tea set promotion on weekdays between 3 and 6pm.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:05 AM

    Your photos are superb! What camera do you use? And are the photos original or photoshopped? Thanks!....coz I wanna get a camera like yours ... hehe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! The photos are photoshopped slightly for contrast, brightness and exposure but essentially, WYSIWYG! And i am using Nikon D7100!

      Delete
  2. Thanks Jun Kai! sadly, cafe hopping is too expensive for me!!!! lol

    ReplyDelete