Jalan Besar is fast becoming another Tiong Bahru estate with hippie coffee joints opening up at every other corner. I chanced upon Suprette from Burpple (my food bible) and I was so damn excited to try the lamb shakshuka during their breakfast hours. From the pictures that other Burpplers took, it looked like the baked eggs we had back in Melbourne! And as some of you may know, I'm a total fan of Aussie and ever since we came back from our road trip, we've been trying to find coffee and food here that will make us a lil less 'Aussie-sick'.
Suprette is located at the lobby area of Kam Leng Hotel and I was really intrigued by this retro yet hippie looking hotel! So here's some quick interesting facts on Kam Leng Hotel:
1) It was first set up in 1927 by a mysterious owner and was abandoned in the last 20 years.
2) Reopened as a retro 70-room boutique hotel in 2012.
3) The flavour of the old Singapore (think of cracks and peeling paint) was retained with the addition of a playful twist to the interiors and branding.
As I walked into the hotel lobby, I did feel like I was thrown back into the black-and-white TV era. The wooden TV console and the props used to spruce up the area were simple yet homely and I giggled a bit at the retro "leilio" that stood at a corner of the table.
Ok so back to the food and drinks at Suprette!
"OMG, this taste like Melbourne," we said in unison after the first sip of the coffee. It was that smooth, that light on the tastebuds and that heart-warming. Good job Suprette, your coffee captured our gut and heart already.
To be really honest, I didn't have much expectation of the shakshuka initially so as not to be disappointed if it doesn't bring me back to the days in Melbourne where we sat alfresco-style at the litter cafe along Hardware Street with the hot baked eggs and chai latte to warm our tummies. Suprette's lamb shakshuka, fortunately, was simply wonderful. Crusty baguette dipped into the mixture of feta cheese, spicy tomato sauce, baked eggs and tasty lamb sausages and into the mouth - comfort food for soul and the tummy.
Another food item that we ordered was the Breakfast Set where you get to customise your style of eggs - fried/poached/scrambled with 2 sides. The scrambled eggs brought out the essence of the whole dining place, very honest, down-to-earth and tasty without being over-the-top. I liked that they didn't try too hard to make it too runny or milky and it was a delight from the start to the end. The portobello mushrooms were juicy and very well seasoned though there's nothing much to shout about the chicken chipolatas. It's the kind of meal that leaves you with a satisfied smile because you know you had a darn good meal and you wanna keep it all within yourself for a while. :)
I highly recommend everyone to have brunch on a lazy weekend here at Suprette. The service is prompt and the food is tasty yet humble, just like the whole style of the hotel it is housed in.
Suprette
383 Jalan Besar
(Kam Leng Hotel lobby)
Suprette
Website
Suprette
FB page
Tel: +65 6298 8962
