Review – Jewel Cafe + Bar

11 May 2013, Singapore –  Artisanal coffee house, Jewel Coffee, is proud to launch its second outlet – Jewel Café + Bar – in the heart of Little India on Rangoon Road. This all-day casual chic dining concept offers an extensive menu devoted to a selection of delicious comfort food, unique creations, original cocktails as well as its artfully crafted specialty coffee.

Owner Adrian Khong says: “We have been on the lookout for a suitable space for a second Jewel outlet that will accommodate a roasting facility, cafe and bar where our customers can relax and hang out with friends. When we chanced upon this old shophouse, we were completely taken by its high ceilings and spaciousness, as well as the rich cultural heritage of this quaint neighbourhood.”

The laidback, quirky personality of Jewel Café + Bar is also evident from the al fresco patio at the front of the café, which is set up with latticed wire chairs in a retro shade of blue, and an oversized chalk board that depicts witty cartoon etchings by a local artist.

The Metropolitant team was invited to a tasting session and this was our verdict of the menu we had that day.

Fat Soldiers – The unique jam tasted a little like bah kwa yet it was not as sweet and went really well with the chunky baguette. Definitely something different from your olive oil or salted butter.

French Onion Soup – We liked the robust taste of the soup and the lucious amount of cheese on top. It was rich and did not come with an sour-after taste like most onion soup that had a little too much red wine in it.

Southern Fried Chicken – Well marinated, and even the chicken breast meat was juicy and tender. You can’t go wrong with this dish.

Miso Presa Iberico – The pork steak were tender and it wasn’t over cooked. The meat were still a little pink in the middle and full flavor of the miso complemented the pork really well.

Unami Prawn Capellini – There were generous amount of prawn and we were told that it was cooked with the hokkien mee method. The result? Flavours of the broth was infused into the angel hair pasta and it was definitely complex and delectable. We thought it would be even more divine if it was a tad saltier.

OMG Burger – This is sinfully yummilicious. The chunky slab or spam and the thick juicy beef patty accompanied by the bacon made this my favorite dish of the night. You have got to try it.

Shio-Koji Octopoke – For the health conscious or those on diet, you can try this unique dish with octopus and avocado. What we love about the dish was how the dish was flavoured with the wasabi oil. Quoting Daniel Food Diary, “It’s just like the California Maki Roll without the rice!”

Coffee Culture

Coffee connoisseurs who prefer brewed coffees can opt for a Hario V60 Pourover ($6), a Chemex ($6), or Syphon ($16). Jewel has also imported three sets of the esteemed Kyoto dripper – a towering, elegant glass contraption which calibrates the slow dripping of cold water through saturated coffee grounds over a duration of more than 20 hours. Coffee geeks can revel in the smooth, subtle nuances of this liquid gold by ordering the Portland ($7) black cold drip coffee, or the San Francisco ($7) which is mixed with Half-and-Half cream.

From May 2013 onwards, Jewel Café + Bar will be home to its very own coffee roaster which will roast fresh coffee beans for both the Rangoon Road and Shenton Way Jewel outlets. Jewel will also be supplying its beans to other hospitality businesses and also conducting barista workshops for the public.

 

Address 129 Rangoon Road Singapore 218 407
Tel +65 6298 9216
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/JewelCafeAndBar?fref=ts

Operating hours
Tuesday to Thursday: 9am to 10pm
Friday and Saturday: 9am to 12midnight
Sunday: 9am to 10pm
Closed on Mondays

Happy Hour 20% off alcoholic drinks, 3pm to 7pm daily