Wednesday 8 October 2014

[New Cafes in Yishun & Sembawang] Holy Cow Creamery, Mootime, RoyceMary Cafe and The Daily Scoop

[Holy Cow Creamery] Waffle and Ice-Cream
Finally the wait is over because for those living in the North, especially Sembawang and Yishun, there is a new hipster cafe plus three creameries opening in these two areas. And with their convenient locations in the neighbourhood within schools, offices and residents, crowds will be coming in anytime of the day to chill up with friends or just enjoy a cup of coffee while reading a few good chapters in the afternoon.

In this post I would be sharing our dining experience and reviews after visiting these cafes but since three of them are still pretty new I think a second or third visit would be great in order to justify their service and food.



HOLY COW CREAMERY


[Holy Cow Creamery] Menu Board
Holy Cow Creamery has officially opened to public on 05 September 2014 and it is located within Yishun Town neighbourhood at Block 292 (opposite the church). A glance from their menu enable you to easily pick up your orders from either ice-cream, waffle or beverages such as coffee, tea or milkshakes and etc.

[Holy Cow Creamery] Interior Layout
From what we notice during our last visit, most of the patrons would ordered their waffle classic which comes with a scoop of ice-cream, while a few others would just drop-by to grab some freshly made ice-cream home.

Holy Cow Creamery
Perhaps we were early the other day (an hour after they open) when they were still churning up the ice-cream so we were left  only with a few flavours to choose from. But from what I saw from their Facebook page, they do offer some unique flavour such as Mao Shan Wang (durian), Pistachio, Earl Grey Lavender to the fruity Pinky Sorbet and their popular Thai Milk Tea.

[Holy Cow Creamery] Waffle Classic + addition Scoop Premium Ice-Cream @ SG$10.00
For  me who prefers Belgium Waffle (overnight yeast waffle) with crisp outer layer and yet soft and moist texture within, the waffle from Holy Cow was rather different. Instead their waffle was rather fluffy and soft which similar to those American pancake (hotcake) style so if that is not your preference then their waffle might be a strike off for you.

Our choice of ice-cream for the waffle were Chocolate O.D (four type of chocolates) and Salted Gula Melaka. From our view their ice-cream was rather sweet even for me who has sweet tooth and furthermore there are also bits of ice in my salted gula melaka. Beside that I was quite disappointed with it's taste which lack of that unique flavour and aroma plus it was also too sweet to be called "Salted Gula Melaka" too.  

[Holy Cow Creamery] Cappuccino @ SG$4.50
Apart from their ice-cream, I was surprised that their coffee was pretty good with smoothing after taste and according to one of their serving staff the beans used are from Santino. Other than Artisan coffee, Holy Cow also serve a variety of Gryphon Tea for non-coffee consumers where everyone gets to enjoy something they prefer.

Holy Cow Creamery

Overall Holy Cow could be a great place to chill-out with friends after school or in the evening where you could enjoy a scoop of ice-cream or waffle. But for long run I presume they have to maintain a consistent standard when churning up their ice-cream in order to draw faithful supporters. Even though my review for this visit might not be good but I would definitely be back soon for their coffee as well as other recommended flavour of ice-cream and brownie.

Holy Cow Creamery
Block 292 Yishun Street 22
#01-291
Singapore 760292
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/HolyCowCreamery.SG

Opening Hours:
11:00am - 10:00pm (daily)


Victory 8 is a newly developed property along Sembawang Road which replaced the old coffee shop that is directly opposite Sembawang Shopping Centre and White Bee Hoon (You Huak Restauran). Within this new building there are eateries such as Mootime, UmiSushi, Sarpino's Pizzeria, RoyceMary Cafe and etc which we were be sharing some reviews below.


ROYCEMARY CAFE


RoyceMary Cafe
After longing for an Artisan cafe in my area, my dream finally came true with RoyceMary Cafe  grand opening on 01 October 2014. So without hesitate, my coffee kaki (partner in crime) Eileen asked me along to check out this cafe during their 1st day of operation.

[RoyceMary Cafe] Selection of Cakes

[RoyceMary Cafe] Heartshape Macarons in assorted flavour
Upon stepping into the cafe, you would see some standard cafe-style cakes such as Chocolate Fudge, Lemon Tart, Tiramisu, Cheesecake and they even surprised patrons with their Heart-shaped Macarons in assorted flavours like yuzu, rose, chocolate and matcha (SG$2.80 each).

[RoyceMary Cafe] Menu Board
I must admit RoyceMary does offer a wide range of beverages; apart from the usual Espresso selections (hot, cold or ice-blended) they also offer choices like Premiers Chocolate, Matcha, Artisan Tea and etc for non-coffee consumers which in a way cater the needs of everyone in the family.

[RoyceMary Cafe] Ordering Counter
The pastry and sandwich section reminds me of those from Tiong Bahru Bakery with similar layout and items which I shall give their sandwich a go on my next visit so as to compare with the cakes that we had.

[RoyceMary Cafe] Interior Layout

RoyceMary Cafe
The interior of the cafe was filled lovely quotes on the white clean walls together with a cozy corner like an inviting home which makes it a great place for chill out especially on a lazy afternoon.

[RoyceMary Cafe] Lemon Tart, Long Black and Cappuccino
As usual Eileen (@eileenongxt) goes for her Long Black (SG$5.00) while I had Cappuccino (SG$5.50) and we also ordered a slice of Journey Of Love (SG$7.90; Lemon Tart) to go with our coffee. The Long Black was good with a smooth and fruity finishing taste but Cappuccino on the other hand was a bit on the downside as it was too milky and lifeless.

As for the Lemon Tart we find it was bit too sweet which makes it lack of lemon flavour and there was no "wow" factor to remind us about it. 

Like many other popular hipster cafes in Singapore, RoyceMary excites me with their range of food and beverage items which intentionally luring me back for more. Although they might be the new kid on the block who still working hard to visualize their consumers need and requirement but for me I have already foreseen myself on going back soon to pick up some macarons and coffee 

RoyceMary Cafe
8 Jalan Legundi
#01-13
Singapore 759274
Telephone: (65) 6753 4224

Website: http://www.roycemarycafe.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RoyceMaryCafe

Opening Hours:
Mon - Fri: 10:30am - 10:30pm
Sat and Sun: 9.00am - 11.00pm

[updated on 25 Oct 14]

On our second visit to RoyceMary we tried their assorted heart-shaped macarons (refer to the writeup on our first visit above) together with Vanilla Latte and Flat White.  For a SG$2.80 each macaron I think you can get better ones with similar pricing from places like Laduree, Antoinette Patisserie or TWG Tea Salon.


MOOTIME


Mootime Cafe
Located within the same building but opposite direction of RoyceMary Cafe, Mootime is another newly opened (late August 2014 ) ice-cream parlour which offers fresh daily made ice-cream, waffles, home-made cakes and etc. As compared to Holy Cow Creamery, Mootime greets their patrons with a bright garden theme design which captured patrons' heart on first sight. 

[Mootime Cafe] Menu Board

[Mootime Cafe] Ice-Cream Selection
Mootime offers about 14 different flavour of ice-cream with popular choices like Hazelnut (quite a special flavour that taste like Ferrero Rocher), Pistachio, Cookie and Cream, Salted Gula Melaka (taste much better than the one over at Holy Cow), Chocolate and etc. Between their ice-cream are also available for take away in Pint size.

[Mootime Cafe] Cakes And Beverages
Beside ice-cream and waffle the cafe also offers cakes and brownie (SG$3.50)  to go with your choice of beverages. And their selection of cakes (SG$5.50 - SG$6.00 per slice) are pretty similar to others with Oreo Cheesecake, Chocolate Fudge Cake, Strawberry Shortcake, Durian Cheesecake and etc.

Mootime Cafe

[Mootime Cafe] Waffle with Double Scoop Ice-Cream @ SG$8.50
We had their made to order waffle plus 2 scoops of ice-cream at SG$8.50 which is slightly cheaper when compared from Holy Cow (HC) due to the choice of ice-cream. And from what we observed and tried the waffle from Mootime has a slightly better texture but as for ice-cream wise I think they still need to work on the taste in order to enhance the flavour.

[Mootime Cafe] Waffle and Ice-Cream
The two scoops of ice-cream that we ordered are Hazelnut which definitely outshine the Mango flavour that leaves a artificial mango syrup aftertaste.

[Mootime Cafe] Signature Durian Cheesecake and Cappuccino
Their Durian Cheesecake is a must try if you are a durian fans as it contains generous amount of fresh durian pulp which worth for the price of SG$6.00 per slice. But for the coffee wise, since they are using the coffee dispenser machine (like those available in office / buffet line) you cannot have high expectation on it so I will advise to skip this and go for just plain water or canned drinks.

[Mootime Cafe] Cute Moo Moo Cushions at a cozy corner

Mootime gives me an impression of a clean modern ice parlour that makes you feel lifted in it's cozy environment but in order to draw more patrons attention I hope they will continue to explore new flavour of ice-cream or at least fine-tune their signature flavour(s). Meanwhile I don't think I would be going back soon unless I have craving for durian cheesecake.

Mootime
Victory 8
8 Jalan Legundi
#01-05
Opp Sembawang Shopping Centre)
Singapore 759274
Telephone:(65)6556 4671

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Mootimesg

Opening Hours:
Mon: 6:00pm -10:00pm;
Tues - Thurs and Sun: 12:00pm - 10:00pm;
Fri, Sat and Eve of Public Holiday: 12:00pm - 11:00pm



THE DAILY SCOOP
Ice Cream Cafe


The Daily Scoop @ Sembawang Cottage
Earlier this year, The Daily Scoop had set up their 3rd cafe at Sembawang Cottage (along the stretch of Sembawang Road) which is about 5 minutes walk away from the well-known Chong Pang Nasi Lemak. Although this outlet is two bus-stops away from my house just like Mootime and RoyceMary, I have not being there till recently to check out their ice-cream and waffle.


[The Daily Scoop] Menu Board
Upon entering the cafe, you would noticed its seating capacity is definitely the biggest among the four mentioned cafes. And at a glance you could also see cute cartoon characters painted on the side of the walls as well as their signature huge orange menu board and range of ice-cream on display.

[The Daily Scoop] Selection of Ice-Cream
From what I read up, The Daily Scoop makes new flavour of ice-cream on the go and now they have a total of more than 40 flavours on rotation where you could choose to have it on cone, cup or freshly make waffle and etc.

On top of that, their popular ice-cream flavours are Cha Earl Grey, Lychee Martini, Mao Shang Wang (Durian), Strawberry Shortcake and Surprising Coconut.

[The Daily Scoop] Waffle + Ice Cream + Coffee
In order to compare the ice-cream and waffle among these mentioned cafes above, we ordered something similar such as waffle with 2 scoops of ice-cream to do the taste test. The waffle served at The Daily Scoop was rather different from Holy Cow and Mootime in terms of shape, texture and taste. Although their waffle has a slight crisp on the outer layer but somehow there was no "wow" factor to excite us.

[The Daily Scoop] Waffle + 2 Scoop Ice Cream @ SG$9.70
For the ice-cream , we picked up one of their recommended choice which was Strawberry Shortcake and instead of my initial choice of Lychee Martini we swap it with Salted Mister Brownie. Indeed strawberry shortcake was good with bits of shortcake pieces and delightful strawberry flavour but the salted mister brownie was a bit disappointment as we would prefer a stronger taste rather than plain sweetness.

My impression of The Daily Scoop after my first visit was rather general as I think their Waffle and Ice-cream are still acceptable if you are looking for something sweet and cold to perk up your day. Secondly for the price of the coffee they offer, my flat white still taste decent when compared to the cappuccino that I had over at Mootime.

The Daily Scoop Ice Cream Cafe
369 Sembawang Road
#01-05
Sembawang Cottage
Singapore 758382
Telephone: (65) 6754 1233

Website: thedailyscoop.com.sg/

Opening Hours:
Mon - Thur: 11:00am - 10.00pm
Fri And Sat: 11.00am - 10.30pm
Sun: 2:00pm - 10:00pm


Disclaimer note:
Most of us would agreed that the taste of food is a very subjective issue depending on individual preference. So the above reviews on the mentioned cafes are purely base on our team (2 - 3 taste testers) point of views. So just be positive and if you happen to be around these cafes, do drop by and give them your support and who knows they might be a hidden gem(s) that you are looking for.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Ellena,
    Thanks for your interesting write-up. I'm staying around the area too, and some I didn't know exist. Gonna give them a try soon!

    ReplyDelete

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Regards
Ellena (Cuisine Paradise)

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