Pique Nique

Pique Nique
391A Orchard Road
#B1-01 Ngee Ann City

2 Jurong East Central 1
#01-08 JCube

http://www.piquenique.com.sg/

Generous Portions Of Rustic And Flavourful Comfort Food

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $20 per person.

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Picnic, a word which means a pleasurable meal outdoors, typically by a lake or in a park, together with friends or family. Running with the idea, Pique Nique by acclaimed pastry chef Pang Kok Keong is a casual cafe with home-style decor, inspired by Central Park in New York City, America.

Ambience at Pique Nique is very different at both outlets. The Orchard branch has casual, laid-back, homely decor, while the Jurong branch features a rustic, country-side ambience. Personally, I prefer the look of the Jurong branch, with its appetizing wall posters, cute storage shelves, and (fake) greenery.

Fortunately, the service at Pique Nique isn't laid-back. Staff are friendly and alert, and will greet you upon entry. Food is also served rather quickly, within 10 minutes of ordering. I must commend the Barista at Pique Nique, they create some of the most precise Latte Art I've seen!

Pique Nique specialties include their all-day breakfast items, pastries and desserts. The menu is rather limited in terms of meals, featuring mostly all-day breakfast, appetizers, pasta and burgers. The range of desserts is extensive, and are available for takeaway.

The desserts are hands-down, the best items on the menu. No surprise, as chef Pang has won awards for his desserts! Unapologetically sweet and decadent, each dessert is beautifully crafted and presented. This high standard of quality does come at a price though, as a slice of cake can easily cost up to SGD $8 per slice, which is about half the price of a main dish! But the desserts are well worth a trip here, and if you don't eat anything else, at least try the desserts!

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Pique Nique Interior

Pique Nique Storage 01

Pique Nique Storage 02

Unlike typical omelettes, the Farmer's Omelette here is more like a stuffed egg pocket. Fillings of onions, bacon, pork sausage, mushrooms and roasted potatoes are stuffed into an omelette made with 3 eggs. The eggs are still fluffy and moist, and the stuffing within is kept hot. Be warned that this is quite a heavy dish, and sharing is recommended for light eaters. I also liked the grilled tomato, but the salad was just average, and the vinaigrette was a little too sour for me.

Farmer's Omelette 01

Farmer's Omelette 02

Pique Nique's Big Breakfast consists of scrambled eggs, bacon, pork sausage, grilled tomato, toast, salad, and baked beans. I found the scrambled eggs to be slightly overdone in consistency, so instead of being soft and fluffy, they were semi-solid. And while I liked the thick and snappy pork sausage, the smoked saltiness got a little heavy after awhile. I loved the baked beans, as they have taken canned baked beans and cooked them together with onions and fresh tomatoes, which results in a sweeter, more salsa-like flavour.

Pique Nique's Big Breakfast 01

Pique Nique's Big Breakfast 02

The Classic Benedict had nicely poached, runny eggs, but the overall dish felt a little lacking and unfufilling. While the bread was soft enough to soak up the eggs, I felt that the ham could have used some seasoning or a little more heat to give it more flavour. Good effort, but I wouldn't visit just to eat this.

Classic Benedict 01

Classic Benedict 02

The Bacon Carbonara Pasta was rather average, though it had a generous portion of bacon. The poached egg on top was a nice addition, and cutting the runny yolk into the pasta resulted in a more flavourful dish.

Bacon Carbonara Pasta 01

Bacon Carbonara Pasta 02

The Passionfruit Meringue Cake is quite possibly, one of the best cakes I've ever tasted in Singapore! Super sweet and fruity cream, sandwiched between layers of nice soft sponge cake, with a thin, crumbly biscuit base. Lovely! The Chocorocco has a nice crunchy biscuit base, topped with a smooth chocolate mousse.

Passionfruit Meringue Cake

Chocorocco

They have some of the most precise Latte Art I've seen! In particular, the Rosetta was superbly done, though the edges of the Heart were a little weak. The Etching was quite good, albeit a little sloppy at one of the edges. Unfortunately, when it came to the taste and quality of the Latte, I felt it was quite weak. Pretty to look at, but not much in substance.