15 Minutes

15 Minutes is a lovely and creative cafe located in LASALLE College of the Arts. They have a mixture of long wooden benches and tables, and high stools and tables, which makes it seem communal and canteen-like. The walls and pillars are covered with cut-outs from magazines and posters, offering a quirky and colorful feel to this interesting cafe. In the day, it is a comfortable place to laze around and have a great meal at affordable prices; by night, it transforms into a vibrant and lively stage for talent showcase.

After your order is taken at their counter, you are given a beeper with your order number. You return to collect your food once your beeper starts to beep and vibrate. It’s pretty much self-service, very casual and relax. Nevertheless, the staffs were cheerful and helpful at the same time.

Tofu Lasagna ($8.50): flat pasta layers, tofu, tomato sauce, cheese. This tofu lasagna offers an interesting take on vegetarian lasagnas which are typically filled with spinach. It was accompanied with a gorgeous amount of sweet tomato sauce, the pasta itself was cooked al dente, and the tofu was tasty and flavorful, albeit slightly too peppery for our liking. All in all, a wonderful and hearty meal for all the lasagna lovers out there, like Garfield, and also for the vegetarians who are sick of the usual spinach-filled vegetarian lasagnas! We finished every bit of it, and it is something that Zara would definitely order again.

Udon Salad + Prawns ($7.20 + $3): romaine lettuce, udon noodles, cherry tomato, cucumber, carrot, mandarin orange, sesame seed, special miso dressing. Their Shake-Well Salads are presented to you in a jar, which allows you to play around a little before eating your meal. The concept of putting the salad in a jar allows you to shake as hard and as much as you want, to ensure that every part of salad is evenly coated with the dressing before being poured onto the plate and consumed. There's also the option of not mixing the dressing at all, and pouring it straight onto your plate. Either way, it’s your choice. We really liked this concept, but we felt that an udon salad should definitely have more than 3 strands of udon. Also, maybe they should cut back on the amount of romaine lettuce and have more of the other ingredients! We would definitely welcome more than 3 strands of udon and 4 slices of mandarin orange.

We highly recommend 15 Minutes if you want to have a delicious and affordable meal any time of the day, while at the same time, relaxing and just watching the world go by. What’s more, you even get free performances at night! This cosy little hidden gem is also suitable for big groups and couples who wish to have some quiet time and catch-up, away from the crowded town areas.

For the full review and pictures, visit The Cinnamon Sheep!

for full review and pictures please visit knockonfood

Love the place for their windows and natural lighting! Had fish and chips that didn't meet expectations, prawn aglio olio that was so-so and mushroom pizza that was the gem. I don't know why chicken avocado pasta wasn't on the menu though! Had it previously and that was good

This self service cafe requires you to queue up to order at their counter, and to return to collect your food when the beeper with your order number rings and starts vibrating.

There are about 8-10 pizza flavours for you to choose from! 

The Ham & Mozzarella ($9.50) was my favourite among the 3 items that we shared. It definitely reminded me of the pizza served at Timbre (not to mention it is less than half the price at Timbre), and they were really quite generous with their toppings too! 

I personally love aglio olio, but it's probably one of the toughest dish to master. This Prawn Aglio Olio ($8.50) contained a number of succulent prawns with an average pasta quality BUT WITHOUT A HINT OF GARLIC? ):

Within days, i revisited this place with a different group of friends. One thing about 15 minutes is their ability to handle large groups of guests. At about 8pm on a Saturday, we waited for about 25 minutes for a table for 12. (which is really okay) To my surprise, although the dinner menu did not change much, the price went up by $3-$4 for the mains, and about $2 for the drinks. The only difference is that service staff are around at dinner time to serve you - so no more long queues at the counter.

This time round i ordered the Chicken Guacamole Cream Pasta ($10.90) which was really unique. The sauce was thick and creamy, but yet the taste of the avocado was not being overpowered. 

Wasabi Prawn Pizza ($12.90) that the waitress recommended was a refreshing twist. Being one who cannot appreciate wasabi, I found it really good as it was quite mild and went really well with the tomato base and the cuttlefish flakes.

15 minutes has a little flight of stairs to another space with canteen-style long benches on slightly elevated ground. The glass panels surrounding it made the entire place feel more spacious, and at the same time, allow you to people watch in the relaxing environment. I would recommend this place to chill and watch the world go by, or even to enjoy the life band performing at night with a group of friends. However, the difference in the price from the lunch to dinner menu may be a little bit hard to digest.

for full review, please visit http://teedgem.blogspot.com/

I arrived at 15MINUTES at about 6pm and i was like," WOAH, this place is so cool!"

This cafe inside Laselle College of the Arts has 2 levels: bottom with a bar and the top with a kitchen. You can choose to dine at either.

 There are more than enough seats around for 100 over people to dine comfortably. Furnitures are mostly wood and they fit in nicely to the arty theme. There are also tables and benches like those of school canteens. Really nostalgic.

We ordered:

1. Bolognaise, 12.9++. My friends said this one tasted relatively ok.

2. Prawn and Mushroom Aglio Olio, 11.9++. I finished this dish. This simple pasta looked ordinary but it was delicious! The prawns they gave were generous and crunchy and juicy. Oh my godd.

3.Oriental Duck Pizza, 13.9++. I don't have to say much, this pizza was gone in minutes! Are duck pizzas always so good?

4. Tofu Lasagna, 10.9++. I felt this dish was kinda special. Unless you are hungry you might have to share this one.

 

of course, there is booze as well:)

 

15MINUTES is definitely a hide out, and i reccomend this place to big groups of friends or couples who wanna have a time off the crowded areas of bugis/ douby ghaut.

 

AND, CHECK OUT MY AWESOME PICTURES OF 15MINUTES:)

 

 

For the complete post with uploaded pictures, please view:

http://thefoodnomads.wordpress.com/2011/06/23/15-minutes-laselle-college-of-the-arts/

Although many have had misconceptions over the origins of its name, 15 minutes, a concept café located in the Laselle College of the Arts, is actually named after the Andy Warhol quote that “In the future, everybody will be world famous for 15 minutes”.  Aiming to provide good food, good design and showcase good art, diners are treated to live performances on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings and a mix of house, funk and soul music on other days while enjoying their simple bistro fare.

With full length glass windows and simple minimalistic décor, 15 minutes exudes a chic vibe. Separated into two half floors, the lower floor is more for chilling with friends over drinks and good music with a stage for live performances and the bar while the upper half level is where the crowd tucks into the hearty food served at 15 minutes.

Al-dente linguine served in a rich cream sauce, the chicken guacamole cream pasta dish was pretty decent and the sweet avocado puree complemented the salty cream. With chunks of tender pesto chicken tossed with the pasta, my friends enjoyed this simple dish over our other pasta.

Intrigued by the unusual combination of ingredients for the pomodoro mushroom pasta, we decided to try this vegetarian option. Penne pasta tossed in tomato sauce with cashew nuts and Honshinmeiji, we found this dish pretty disappointing considering its potential. The tomato sauce was watery and bland and did not have the sweetness of good tomato paste; as if they used sauce out of a bottle.

Corn tortillas topped with a mixture of chili beef, melted mozzarella cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa; this comfort food dish was a hit with us. Served warm and toasty, the toppings weren’t overwhelmingly rich and the chewy melted cheese with the chili beef was just yummy.

Thick cut fries drizzled with cheese sauce and a dollop of sour cream. The fries were chunks of tasty potato that were complemented by the salty cheese sauce.

A cheesy oblong pizza garnished with glazed duck breast, mandarin orange slices and egg, this pizza was pretty good and my friends felt it better than Timbre’s famous smoked duck pizza. The glazed duck was the perfect level of saltiness while the pizza crust was thin and crisp.

We were again interested by the unique mix of ingredients of the Sweet Potato Chicken pizza and thankfully this time we weren’t disappointed. With chunks of sweet potato and tender chicken, the cheesy base went well with the slices of sweet sundried tomato and the hint of salty melted butter.

Four cheese, another one of my must-have combinations when it comes to ordering pizzas, I didn’t particularly enjoy 15 minutes’ rendition of this classic dish as I felt their chosen four cheeses of mozzarella, parmesan, feta cheese and cheddar did not go particularly well together and made the cheese layer too chewy. Not complaining considering the very reasonable prices, it would probably have been better had they used cheeses like gorgonzola.

A nice place to chill out over drinks and food and with very affordable prices, 15 Minutes is recommended for those looking for a large group hangout spot. With better than average food, my friends and I enjoyed a relaxing night catching up with the accompaniment of a live performance. However if you are expecting gourmet food, this may not be the choice for a nights out about town.

The first time I visited 15 minutes was after one particularly gross day in school and I remembered my dinner of Prawn Aglio Olio perked me up instantly. At least enough for me to drag myself back home.

But the second time I went back recently, I was quite disappointed. I came for lunch with a bunch of friends and we were sitting on the tall chairs waiting for menus to be handed over to us. I remembered being offered the menu when I came for dinner and the waitress took our orders for us. Turns out that they do not have that service for lunch and we have to queue at the counter, look at the board and place our orders there. I ordered the same thing, Prawn Aglio Olio, and was handed a buzzer which would indicate when I should go back to collect my food.

The Prawn Aglio Olio was not as good as the one I tried previously. The noodles tasted quite bland. However, it was still a decent plate of pasta with the spaghetti done al dente and the prawns were fresh and crunchy. 

15 minutes is recommended if you are in the Bugis area and would like to get away from the crazy crowds. It's quite conducive for a good meal and a quiet chat with your friend!

For pictures visit toseetofeeltoeat

For full review with pictures, visit: http://coffeetablepeople.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-just-give-me-15-minutes.html

"All the world's a stage and all men and women are merely players" would be really apt at 15 minutes, a popular in-school joint at the LaSalle college of the arts. In daytime, 15 minutes serves as a comfortable place to laze and have a good meal to start the day as the sunlight pours through its huge floor-to-ceiling glass windows. At night, it transforms into a hot spot for talent showcase as budding stars take the stage for their 15 minutes of fame.  

Service here is personable, with young crew ready to help you. The menu is, yet again, a huge chalkboard listing out selections of pastas, pizzas, sandwiches and drinks amongst other offerings. There is also a display of desserts available for you to choose from.

Michelle's Mushroom and Ham Pasta in Pink Sauce ($8.90) arrived first. It was presented neatly with a good mix of ingredients accompanying the al dente pasta. Pink sauce used in the pasta was a mixture of cream and tomato-base sauces, this give a creamy sauce with a sweet tomato aftertaste.

Camy had the Wasabi Prawn Sandwich ($7.90), which also comes as a pizza. The prawns were crunchy and juicy and the wasabi cream added a nice little punch as an aftertaste without being overpowering. Very refreshing taste. The bread was also nicely toasted, which I always feel shows sincerity in preparing the dish (nothing like soggy bread to spoil the taste of a sandwich).

We also got a slice of the Pecan Pie. I've had pecan pie before and have always thought the dessert to be terribly sweet but the one at 15 minutes was really nicely done. We loved the toasted whole pecans adorning the pie.  

Servings at 15 minutes are healthy but not overwhelming. Also, we were glad for the pocket-friendly prices as there were no GST nor service charge added. Do note that these charges apply during dinner hours though.

寻找着这世界里属于自己的舞台。

Nice ambience, so-so food, acceptable price, busy staff, bustling crowd and 4 other groups celebrating their birthdays are my memories of 15 minutes.  We arrived late, and were all rushing to place orders.  I can't quite remember what we ordered, but their salmon pizza (i can't remember full name) was pretty good.

Not really suitable for large group gatherings.  We had with us about 20+ and had to be split into 3 different tables.  Not the long ones mind you, like literally, we were split into 3 batches, back-facing each other.  Not so good if you have intentions to catch up with ALL your friends.

The service crew were all polite and helpful.

Definitely a nice place to chill out with friends.  My 1st experience was too much of a rush I don't even have time to take in the entire restaurant.  I must say though, this place is a very popular choice to have birthday celebrations so if you don't mind having birthday songs blast your ears every now and then, do come and give it a try.

I keep coming back to 15 minutes.

In fact, my husband and I love the place so much we wanted to hold an engagement party there, but were deterred by hassle and costs so that did not materialize in the end (the party, I mean - our marriage did ;P)

Anyways, anyways...

Food - Our staples

Drink: French Vanilla Latte (SGDcan't remember)

Pasta: Chicken Guacamole Cream (SGD8.90) (Ham and Mushroom Pink Sauce's not bad too)

Pizza: Thai Pesto Chicken (SGD7.90)

We slurp up everything every single time. We must have had the exact combi three times in the past half a year, and we still go back for more of the same. Somehow the food tastes wholesome. I know it's pizza and pasta, how healthful can that get right? But, compared to the other such offerings in the market, the ingredients used taste fresh.

I've tried the Oriental Duck pizza, it has bits of mandarin orange on it. Prefer the Thai Pesto Chicken.

My first time there I tried one of the salads. From memory, it was really good. Have got to refresh my memory one of these days.

Service

I recently brought a friend there for a simple birthday chill-out. I asked for candles, there were none, but manager searched his store and presented me with a sparkler. Fantastic job there, friend made a wish over a pretty sparkler, was quite special :) Oh, but, whilst on this point of the birthday celebration, the tiramisu we had wasn't good.

I have utmost respect for this establishment, because the place is spick and span despite spanning a storey and a half, the amount of natural light is therapeutic for a midday idle, it has got character (check out the magazines on hangers), it is seldom packed (we're usually there on weekend afternoons), one can people watch all day (artsy students patronize the place and perk it up with their funky hairstyles and sculpting projects).

Parking's easy to find, Burlington's just next door. Unfortunately it's within the ERP zone and in the case of public transport, it's quite a walk from Bugis MRT/ Dhoby Ghaut MRT. I reckon it's 15 minutes thereabouts :)

Came to 15 minutes for a gathering as some of our friends work here as well.2 of us had main courses, both pasta, and they were pretty good except that they were slightly overcooked. Some of the drinks took awhile to be served as well...

The best thing about this place has got to be the ambience which was pretty cozy, although as some have pointed out with the live music it is quite difficult to hold a conversation.

I'll probably be back to try some of the other food sometime again!