COO opened doors in the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood for about 2 months now, and we were greeted with a groovy entrance that stood out in a quiet, old-school neighbourhood. Once you step in, you're attracted by the tube lights that beckon you to the bistro area (known to them as Eat COO). It seems like a pretty chill place to hang out with friends after work, for a drink or two.
The design of the place looks awesome, probably because it was designed by award-winning architectural firm, Ministry of Design.
Love the wallpapers, so much to look at.
One thing I note is also the great service here. As soon as we sat down, we were not neglected as there were other groups of people who streamed in shortly after. The service staff informed us that they were expecting a huge group to be visiting the bistro shortly, and told us that we should order soon just in case the kitchen gets too busy and might lengthen our waiting time. I appreciated that she told us that, actually. I made my orders and we didn't wait long for the food to be served.
I had the Latte, and chanced upon the fact that their brew was from Dutch Colony Coffee Company, who supplies beans to other pretty happening cafes too.
We were recommended the COO Quencher, a really refreshing drink made with yuzu, lemon, acacia honey and applemint. My friends loved this, despite its light, tangy sourness peeking out as you enjoy the drink.
Iced Valrhona Chocolate is the stuff that good chocolate bars are made of, and this one's a pure sweet liquid dessert-type goodness. They serve this with nuts coated around the edge of the glass and perhaps it's just worth it to dump the straw and take it all in together.
I also had a Strawberry, Lime, Cucumber and Mint Sparkling Soda. This was also a pretty refreshing drink. But I prefer the COO Quencher over this. :)
One of my friends was late, so we ordered their Hand Cut Truffle Fries while waiting. I personally don't like thick cut fries as compared to the thin ones, but this was pretty value for money!
As a meat lover, I ordered the Roasted Pork Belly, which was a pretty nice dish overall. The meat was tender and the pickles gave it a pretty interesting edge. I didn't really taste much of the salted egg yolk though, but I finished this dish up pretty quickly cos the meat itself tasted good.
Next up, from their breakfast plate selection: COO's Eggs Benedict. We didn't know where to start with this one, because everything was stacked up perfectly. But we had to at some point, and our first cut had made the poached eggs flow like mad. The poached eggs looked awesome and it was a pretty delicious mess as soon as the egg yolk got into the picture. It was also served with spinach, cured ham and thick toasts that lay the foundation for this eggy construction.
Just look at all that egg porn. |
Break that yolk, baby, and mix it all up. This was our top favourite that morning and I highly recommend you try this if you visit. The service staff shared that some people found it spicy, but most were foreigners. To me though, I think the level of spice was just nice. It wasn't too overly spicy, just a little chilli afternote lingering while slurping up those slippery noodles. Loved this.
We finished our meal with a sweet Tiong Bahru 'Chwee Kuey', which is actually a panna cotta in disguise, served with candied walnut and balsamic strawberries which were supposedly the 'chye poh' and 'chilli' that goes with 'chwee kuey'. There were mixed reactions for this dessert, but for me, it was a positive one. Loved the creativity and enjoyed this light pudding that gave a nice ending to my meal.
The total cost for the meal came up to about $100 (4 drinks, 5 dishes) for 3 of us. We ate so much, well-fueled for a day of Pokemon Go.
Once in a while, the service staff came by to check if everything was going well for us. I secretly observed the service staff looking over time to time, making sure we were well attended to. I found that very comforting. I always stress that a great dining experience should not only focus on food, but the way they make a customer feel during the dining process is very important as well.
I think COO Bistro has managed to make us feel extremely comfortable and well taken care of, and it's one bistro we will definitely be back to visit - especially for the specialty prawn noodle.
COO (Bistro & Boutique Hotel / Sociatel)
Location: 259 Outram Road, Singapore 169056
COO Bistro Tel: +65 6221 7060
Website: http://www.staycoo.com/
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