Double Scoops

Every time a waffle craving strikes, we head over to Salted Caramel or Double Scoops.

It's always nice to see ice cream shops in the heartlands so you don't have to specially make a trip to town just to satisfy your ice cream craving. The prices at Double Scoops are also reasonable compared to other good gelato shops.

There is a chill vibe in the cafe, with plenty of natural light.

We always order the Waffle ($4) with a scoop of ice cream ($3.50). There is an additional charge of $0.50 for premium flavours. We have tried a few flavours at the cafe, including After Eight and Mao Shan Wang.

The Waffle is a star- it is thick, fluffy and crispy on the outside. The fragrance of the waffle always drifts to our table even before the waffle reaches our table. I used to say that Salted Caramel has the best waffles but I think this is a real contender. The ice cream here is the real stuff- smooth, not too sweet and always has some fruit / nuts / chocolate bits (or other food related to the ice cream) in it.

If you are in the area and craving ice cream and/or waffles, you should certainly head over to Double Scoops.

Double Scoops 
Block 226A Ang Mo Kio Ave 1
#01-627
Tel No: 6452 0208 

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Simplicite Cafe

I have been to Simplicite Cafe twice, once after eating at the nearby Al Forno, and the other after a meal at Beach Road Prawn Mee. Both times, the place was relatively empty with only a table or two being occupied. 

Clean with minimalist decor, this place is an ideal location to spend your afternoon just talking about life. You should check their facebook page for their opening hours though- it seems that their opening hours change frequently.

We ordered a Waffle with 1 scoop of ice cream ($8.50). The passion fruit ice cream was not too sweet and contained the little bits of passion fruit seeds. To up the fun factor, they have a mysterious flavour for you to guess- no prizes even if you guess correctly though! This waffle is definitely one of the better ones- my benchmark is Gelare's waffle. Rewind more than 10 years ago when cafes were not selling waffles, Gelare's waffles was a rare treat then. This waffle is comparable to Gelare's.

Service here was warm and sincere. I only hope that they last long enough because the foot traffic here seems pretty low.

Simplicite Cafe 
425 East Coast Road
Singapore 429012
Tel No: 6440 9148 

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Salted Caramel

I seldom go to Thomson area and since I went there to try the meepok at Meng Kitchen (which my friend swears is one of the best meepok around- he seldom resorts to superlatives), I decided to try Salted Caramel.

It is no secret that ice cream shops like to hire good-looking and friendly people to scoop ice cream. Everytime we are in the Bukit Timah area, some guy will always say, "Let's go to Island Creamery."

Some time back, a friend and I walked past a shop which had a notice pasted on its door seeking friendly and cheerful servers. I asked my friend if he thinks they will hire me. All he could offer was a hearty laughter coupled with a mildly apologetic look and that ended the conversation.

I had the Waffle with Raspberry Sorbet + Chocolate ($9.10). This is one of the better tasting waffles I have tried so far- not burnt, crispy sides with a fluffy interior. The ice cream was also delightful- especially the combination we picked- bitter, sweet and sour all at once. They also have a whole assortment of interesting flavours like Yuzu Ginger, Peanut Butter etc.

Seating was a little tight here but the waffle will be worth the wait.

Salted Caramel
246G Upper Thomson Road
Tel No: 6753 1718 

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Bunny and Pony

Here's an IQ question: 1, 2, 4, 8- what comes after that? 

Good. Now that you have got it, here's another IQ question. Dinner- what comes after that? Bingo! Dessert, of course! 

After dinner in the vicinity, we decided to get some dessert and chanced about this interesting cafe Bunny & Pony. 

Cosy interior with friendly servers.

The Waffle with a Scoop of Ice Cream ($8.40) was an utter disappointment. There is a thin line between creating a waffle with a crispy exterior and creating a burnt one. This was a case of the latter. Crispy, yes. But burnt, yes too. I didn't enjoy eating the waffles with a slightly burnt taste. The saving grace was the Coffee Oreo Ice Cream- rich and generous with chunks of Oreo.

Bunny & Pony 
Blk 1 Changi Village Road
#01-2000

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JC Coffee Houzz

It was Sunday evening and only one table in this cafe was occupied. Now, I've got a real issue with the word "Houzz"- it sounds too secondary school to be used as part of a cafe name! Those days where "z" was added behind every single word. However, other than that, this is a place I hope will make it somehow. 

A very cosy interior with space big enough for to host gatherings. I may be biased, but I really liked this place also for the music that was playing. Once I heard the first few songs, I declared, WHOEVER CHOSE THE SONGS HAS THE SAME MUSIC TASTE AS ME. Field of Gold, Because of You, Close to You etc. That instantly bumped up my liking for this place.

We were there after dinner so we didn't try their main courses. This cafe offers a wide variety of food- dim sum, Western food etc.

We settled for a Waffle with Double Scoop Ice Cream ($10.80). The waffle was a little too hard and was lacking the eggy fragrance of good waffles. Lychee ice cream was a tad on the sweet side but the salted caramel was fine.

There is potential for this place to grow in this sleepy neighbourhood. And I hope it makes it. Going back one day to try the main courses!

JC Coffee Houzz
149 Joo Chiat Road
Singapore 427427
Tel No: 8161 0149

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Eggs & Berries

Recently, my good friend since secondary school days came back from Australia and together with another close friend, we decided on Eggs & Berries. Lots of fun colours at this place which serves all-day breakfast. 

I got Eggs Benedict ($16.80) which consists of 2 poached eggs with English muffins, bacon, ham, hash brown and salad. My idea of hash brown has always been the McDonald's kind. To me, this seemed more like rosti. The shredded bits of potato were a little clumpy. The eggs were runny and done nicely. Ham was pretty ordinary although I liked the bacon because it was not too salty.

We also got the Over the Rainbow ($13.80) which consists a variety of fruits and nuts. I'm not sure why the amount of fruits look significantly downsized, as compared to this blogger's picture. I love thick waffles and this was pretty decent, with a good portion of macadamia nuts and pistachio. You could also choose from a selection of chocolate sauce, maple syrup or raspberry sauce to drizzle over this delight.

I think it used to be more value for money but the prices keep creeping up. Nonetheless, it's still a good price to pay considering that the food's decent and it's a good place to spend the afternoon at. Service is also friendly.

Eggs & Berries
Changi City Point
5 Changi Business Park Central 1
#01-37/38
Tel: 6636 4212

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Strangers' Reunion Cafe

As someone who doesn't drink coffee or have brunch often, it must be pretty strange that I ended up at Strangers' Reunion Cafe on a weekend morning.

I completely do not know how to appreciate coffee so it comes as no surprise that I didn't know that the person who handles the coffee here is a two-time national barista champion. It probably doesn't make a difference to me though since all coffee tastes the same to me. Yes coffee lovers, feel free to roll your eyes. 

Sometimes, when nostalgia kicks in, all you can think of are the sights and smells that once surrounded you. The smell of coffee, the smell of food being prepared, the selection of music- everything just reminded me of Panera Bread, a place I used to visit whenever I was too lazy to cook.

We settled for a cosy little corner. There are paintings on the walls and I suppose they are for sale since prices are indicated.

I didn't try the Hot Chocolate ($5.50) and the Buttermilk Waffles with Vanilla Ice Cream and Fresh Fruits ($8.50) but they surely looked pretty. The people who drank/ate them said that they were yummy although the one who drank the hot chocolate commented that the one at Starbucks was better.

I know most people just have their famous Magic coffee/waffle/cakes, but I decided to have the Scrambled Eggs with Sauteed Shrooms ($15). Scrambled eggs were cooked just right and the mushrooms were nicely seasoned- they were a little dry though. Other than that, I liked how everything came nicely together. Some places have issues with English muffins where it can end up a little tough but there was no such problem here.

I heard it can be really crowded on weekends but when we went on a Saturday morning, it was pretty empty till we left. Most servers weren't friendly, with the exception of one guy who was very pleasant. It's a nice place to hang out and enjoy the music and the food. Bad reception within the cafe, which is a good thing so that you can't check your phone! I also love the little pots of flowers on each table!

Strangers' Reunion Cafe 

37 Kampong Bahru Road 

Tel No: 6222 4869 

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Ice Edge Cafe (Kovan)

Whenever I think of waffles and ice cream, I think of Gelare. Where else would they have such thick waffles and yummy ice cream? Seems like I have found a worthy contender.

You might have thought they serve only desserts at Ice Edge Cafe. Far from that, they serve main dishes such as pasta, pizza and other Western food. Currently, they have a 1 for 1 Lunch Treats on weekdays, from 12 pm to 3 pm.

We went there at 1030 pm and it was still bustling with people, from youngsters to a old grandma. From the gleeful look of the grandma, you can tell that this place indeed has some special edge to it. We ordered a Waffle with three scoops of ice cream ($17). The flavours we tried were Green Apple, Belgium Dark Chocolate and Mao Shan Wang. Amongst them, Belgium Dark Chocolate and Mao Shan Wang are amongst the top five popular ice cream flavours.

The Mao Shan Wang was choke full of durian goodness and not too sweet. The Belgium Dark Chocolate was also very rich and chocolatey. Everybody liked these two flavours. As for the apple, some found it too sour, so it really depends on whether you like sour ice cream!

Sure, there are other places that serve equally good ice cream at lower prices. But if you are looking for Western food and desserts all under one roof at along the North-East line, maybe this is for you! (Disclaimer: I haven't tried their main dishes.)

Ice Edge Cafe 
Simon Plaza
2 Kovan Road
#01-10
Tel No: 6 858 5729 

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