To most cafehoppers out there, Lola’s isn’t a stranger to Singapore’s cafe scene. Besides being notorious for its long lines and tiny corridor for patrons to wait in the hot sun, I’m glad to say that they have expanded not long ago!
I have been planning my return since my first visit 1.5 years ago because they make the best Eggs Benedict and Scrambled Egg croissant! Nothing in Australia matches up to what I’ve had here.
Since its location is relatively close to where I live, I have visited Lola’s 3 times in between December and January 2015 for 2 brunches and dinner.
The cafe has finally invaded the unit next to them. Two times the space, hurray!
A cake display and small takeaway window are created for those who want to order on the go.
Unfortunately, although the cafe is twice its former size, the lines remain persistent 😦 I was told by the host that it’d take 25 minutes to get a table, but I waited for more than an hour! My parking time was also up and I had to renew my coupons. Bad time estimation, anyone?
Organic Chai Tea Latte [$5].
This might be the cheapest Chai Latte I’ve come across in Singapore! Starbucks is so pricey, where one cup costs almost $7. It’s daylight robbery!
Now I know where to satisfy my Chai cravings. It definitely matches up to the ones I’ve had in Brisbane; they have also managed to whip up a swan latte art for me with cinnamon! #TopNotch #BaristaSkills
Hola to their signature Breakfast Butter Croissant [$15] that I’ve been pining for so long!
Taste: 4.5/5
It still has that “wow” factor – reminiscent of my virgin try years ago. The croissant was what it should be… Buttery, crispy and flaky. What perfection! Additionally, the scrambled eggs were smooth, moist and not overdone, and that liberal sprinkle of paprika sealed the deal.
One small complaint would be the large pieces of bacon and ham sitting on the bread; I found two slices of ham in it. While I might be the only one nitpicking at this, the salt and oil stemming from them were affecting my enjoyment of the entire dish.
For those who dislike bacon, an alternative would be placing smoked salmon in it instead. It would be a whole lot healthier! I know that Flock Cafe at Tiong Bahru does this with smoked salmon, but their croissant ain’t as good as Lola’s.
Taste: 3.5/5
I was very curious how the truffle mushroom would be incorporated into the brioche. While the amount of mozzarella cheese was just right – where every bite had us trying to snap the sticky strands of cheese, I felt that the truffle taste was underwhelming and mushrooms could be sliced thicker to compliment the richness of the cheese. I’m not complaining about the price for its quantity though. Very value-for-money if you are on budget!
On a separate occasion, I came back to Lola’s for dinner again, and my company and I couldn’t decide on the type of fries we should get; I insisted on the Nacho Cheese Fries [$8], while he wanted the Truffle Fries [$12].
In the end, we ended up with both flavours even though the waitress warned us it would be too much fries to finish LOL! #FriesOverLoad
The Debbie [$10]: Peanut Caramel ice cream, black cookie crumbles, peanut brittle & caramel sautéed banana.
The easiest way to tackle this monster is to knock the cone all over using your cutlery, and tuck into the crumbles along with the ice cream! I was looking forward to having more ice cream in the cone, but look – it’s hollow! No soggy cone for me to enjoy…*sniffs*
Taste: 3.5/5
Even though the plating is eye-catching, the ingredients did not really come together so well. For one, the caramelised bananas were overriped. Cookie crumble was also more than what we could handle, causing it to overpower the ice cream in the end. I think I would have a real double scoop ice cream cone over this.
Another dessert I was eager to try was the Lychee Rose Water Cake [$7].
Taste: 3/5
Unfortunately, the dish with an alluring exterior fell beneath our expectations. We only managed to find two lychee pieces, as seen from the thick layer of rosewater buttercream in the middle. The texture of the cake was oily as well – to the point of sickening. I was trying to fish out for the rosewater vanilla sponge instead. Moreover, toppings like the rose petals did not add any sort of value to the cake’s flavour at all.
To improve, I felt that adding nuts like walnuts or pistachios on top would lend an extra textual depth to the plain-tasting cake instead.
BUNNY’S VERDICT:
YES, I WOULD HOP BACK FOR THEIR APPETIZERS & BRUNCH!
Although it has been in business for quite some time now, Lola’s cafe remains one of the most affordable in Singapore, where there are no GST or service charges. I’m quite glad that they have generated new dishes, which would heighten their competitiveness against other hundreds of up-and-coming cafes. However, I’d like to see more substance in their dinner menu and desserts – not just depending on their spectacular looks.
I do not mind having their Nacho Cheese fries again and check out other brunch items like their Smoked Pulled Pork Sanger.
BUNNY RECOMMENDS: Breakfast Croissant (DIE DIE MUST TRY), Eggs Benedict & Nacho Cheese Fries.
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