Cafe Manuka @ Paragon

Cafe Manuka is actually opened by one of my clients, and I promised her that I would drop by soon when she told me about it. Unfortunately, 'soon' soon dragged to weeks and months, and by the time I visited it today, it had been more than half a year. 

Located on the fifth floor of Paragon Shopping Centre, I expected the premises to be empty on a weekday morning. But surprisingly, several tables were occupied, mostly by ang mohs. The fifth floor consists of mostly childcare and shops for children, so I guess some families didn't mind dropping by for a cup of coffee or for some food. 

Long black, $4

Corn Fritters, $13

This came with avocado, sour cream, tomato chutney, and a choice of either bacon or smoked salmon. While I didn't really like corn, I must say the corn fritters were done rather well - they were fried to the extent that they were still light and a bit fluffy, and not too oily. I thought they gave a bit too much avocado though, considering that it is a rather oily and filling fruit. 

Baked Eggs in Ramekins, $11.50

The eggs were baked with spinach, mushrooms, and parmesan cheese. 'Ramekin' actually refers to the ceramic bowl that was holding the egg (prior to this, I thought it was something edible). The word comes from French (ramequin).

This dish was so-so only, and I could think of several ways to improve it. For one thing, more cheese and/or salt could be added to the eggs, as it was a little bland once you get beneath the surface (most of the cheese was on the surface only). I also felt as if something was missing from the dish - just eggs and bread don't seem complete, and I don't think the baked eggs really went along well with the toasted bread. Some jam could be provided, or maybe some bacon or smoked salmon to go along with the toast. Alternatively, a bit of salad would also make the dish look more aesthetically pleasant.