The food served at Fine Palate cafe felt really English. As I am not a fan of English food, the dishes I had did not stand out greatly but is nevertheless palatable. It felt like normal food that I could get in UK but more expensive. Still a nice hang out place to go to and I like the white chocolate bar dessert which looked very appealing and indeed tasted delicious. Spent a total of $74 and for such a meal with such a presentation, I could get it easily at 25 pounds (~$50) in London. So, it would be a place that I may not visit again but if you like English cooking, then it might be the place for you! 

For more details, please visit http://foodolicious.wordpress.com/2013/05/10/fine-palate-cafe/

For the full review with pictures, click http://poachedmag.com/2012/10/12/review-fine-palate-cafe-appealing-to-your-fine-palate/


Bras Basah seems like the perfect place for a café. That sub-urban vibe it exudes despite being in the heart of the city. The rustic feel of Singapore in the 90’s spreading through the shops. A haunting stillness that weaves through the streets despite the hustle and bustle of the surrounding concrete jungle.

It might just be us, but we found at least some other people who shared the same sentiments. Those very people were tucked in the first floor of an obscure and tiny building, where we found Fine Palate Café.

It can be quite challenging to describe which crevice this restaurant is hiding in, so following the street numbers closely can be really helpful.

Walk past the al fresco dining area and tap lightly on the switch on the sliding glass door to enter the cooler part of the restaurant. The dimly-lit interior is minimal yet classy, with a pseudo-kitchen, complete with an island, basin, fridge and umm, a cash register. (which we later found out they don’t do the cooking here; the main kitchen is behind another door).

Any decent, self-respecting restaurants would provide breads and dips or other alternatives before the meal is served. Here at Fine Palate Café, they bake their own bread and make their own dips daily. We had Fresh Focaccia Bread with Eggplant Dip. Every bite of the focaccia released the aroma of rosemary, and because the bread is drizzled with olive oil and heated up before serving, there was a pleasant crunch. The eggplant dip was smooth, light and complemented well with the herbed sticks, neither stealing the limelight.

The chow here is mainly modern European, with a dash of Asian influences where the chef deems fit (I personally approve of their brand of fusion). Case in point: Fries served with wasabi mayonnaise. The thick-cut spud is double-fried to golden (almost caramel) crisps. Dip into the wasabi mayonnaise without fear, for it is mild with hardly any kick. 

Pictures/Full Review hereTwenty years ago, Australian Heather Barrie started Fine Palate, a gourmet/avant garde catering service. Fine Palate’s success in the last two decades  along with positive feedback and encouragement from clients, family  and friends prompted her to expand her business and fulfill her dream of setting up her very own cafe in early 2011.Nowadays, the influx of new cafe’s popping out in ever possible location all over the island serving brunch  seem really pretentious, especially when these new establishments which offer your conventional brunch selections are very often average at best.  I was rather pleased to see that Fine Palate’s menu for brunch was rather extensive with a great variety of seafood and meat choices, offering a wonderful alternative to the usual egg staples.  The cafe itself is quaintly hidden at a corner along Waterloo street, where the peace and tranquility is definitely a plus.Slow braised until the pork belly was meltingly tender, my only wish that its skin would have been more crisp. Nonetheless the meat was well seasoned, although it lack the punch of a distinct porky flavor you would get, especially when using a premium breed such as Kurobuta.Quiche of the day ($12++)The quiche du jour happened to be a vegetable quiche.  The best part of it had to be the warm, fluffy pastry that encompassed it, although it failed to leave a lasting impression.