The Coastal Settlement @ Changi

Having read some reviews on The Coastal Settlement, which could be summarised mainly into three points - average food, poor service, and great decor - I was mentally prepared once I arrived in the morning at 1030am. True enough, we immediately had the first taste of poor service - a waitress walked past us and pretended not to notice us instead of showing us to a table.

We continued walking inside (the place was quite large). There were quite a few waiters and waitresses at the counter (I think I counted four) but none of them greeted us and continued with their own work. It was only when I spoke directly to one of them that I was told to choose any table I want for two persons.

The place was definitely uniquely decorated. The owners must have had a liking... no, passion for antiques, so the interior was furnished with vintage items and antiques. Some examples are old glass Coke bottles, paintings, phones, bicycle, ice kacang machines, typewriters, and even an old but well-maintained BMW in a corner of the restaurant. To add onto the mood for reminiscing, sentimental oldies were being played in the background.

At 1030am, the restaurant was opened but not the kitchen, so we could only order drinks first. I ordered a long black, which I found a bit pricey at $5. In fact, the cheapest beverage costs $5; homemade ice lemon tea actually costs $7. 

Long black, $5

The coffee looked good and smelled good, but it was not strong enough for my liking. 

We then proceeded to order our main courses. Having read about the 'decent-only' food standards here, I decided not to order Eggs Benedict, since it was a dish that requires much more skill. Instead, I opted for their The Settlement's Brunch, which comes with a choice of eggs, baked beans, chicken cheese sausage, bacon, mushrooms, and toast.

The Settlement's Brunch, $24

The portion was much larger than I thought. The sausage, especially - I had only expected one or two small ones, but they gave a rather big one that was still rather good. The mushrooms portions was quite generous, though I found them a bit too salty. The bacon was the most special - it was fried with maple syrup, so there was a tinge of sweetness in the bacon that went along quite well with the innate saltiness of bacon. 

Toasties, $20

My gf ordered this. Again, the portions surprised us - two huge toasted sandwiches with honey baked ham, cheese, and tomatoes. It came with a small bowl of truffle fries and a sunny side up on top of one sandwich.

The multi-grain bread they used was quite good and toasted just nice, and they were quite generous with the ham as well. But this was marred by their cheese, which tasted like those cheap versions of sliced cheese that one could find easily in supermarkets. I liked their truffle fries though; just the right amount of truffle such that it wasn't overwhelming, and the fries were quite crispy too.

The Coastal Settlement definitely has its share of fans and patrons; business was extremely good, especially with families with young children. But this was what I didn't like - we were surrounded by tables of families with noisy and wailing children, so the place is hardly one for a relaxed chill. Add its expensive food and inaccessibility, and I doubt if I would be back again so soon.