Laid Back Cafe With Tasty, Uncomplicated Food
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 9
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $21 per person.
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Situated in Siglap since it opened it's doors in November 2013, Poppies Bistro-Bar is a stylish, laid-back European style cafe that serves uncomplicated yet tasty food. A cosy haven for family meals, or romantic dates, Poppies Bistro-Bar also has several enticing weekly pormotions, such as free dining for children all weekend!
Ambience at Poppies Bistro-Bar is so laid-back, it's the sort of place you could just wander up, and plonk yourself into one of their super comfy sofas. The large 3 meter fan acts as both an eye catching showpiece and cools the interior, while the flueur-de-lis / stylised floral floor tiles lend a touch of elegance. Poppies Bistro-Bar also screens live sports, though I think their television is slightly small to screen for a crowd.
Service at Poppies Bistro-Bar is very good! Staff are friendly, welcoming, and polite, offering greetings upon entry. Orders are served quickly and promptly, and the staff vibe feels family-like. Diners are given individual attention, and asked for feedback on the meal / experience. The family-friendly staff also greet kids, provide utensils for them, and sometimes even play with them!
I actually saw the owner training a new staff on menu familiarity, taking the trouble to explain each menu item, including the preparation, ingredients, and taste. This attention to detail, and emphasis on well trained and knowledgable staff shows, even during their down time, I noticed staff cleaning the already spotless interior, including vacuuming seat cushions and disinfecting table tops.
Food at Poppies Bistro-Bar is Western / Intercontinental style, with a mix of cuisines ranging from British, American, French, and Italian dishes on the menu. Food styling is not a strong point at Poppies Bistro-Bar, most dishes are presented simply, and look uncomplicated and plain. But they sure pack flavour, I think that most individual components of a dish are tasty and well cooked! Prices are mid-range for a cafe, costing between SGD $14 - $23 per main course, and portions are nicely sized for one person.
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That large ceiling fan reminds me of those in the MRT Stations, and is rather mesmerising when stared at. This family friendly haven is cozy and laid-back, perfect for chilling and chatting with friends.
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| Poppies Bistro-Bar Exterior |
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| Poppies Bistro-Bar Interior |
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| Fan Twirling |
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| Poppies Bistro-Bar Television |
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| Bar |
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| Poppies Bistro-Bar Seats |
The glasses of Vanilla Latte & Water, the Vanilla Latte (SGD $6) is rather decent, but not very outstanding.
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| Vanilla Latte & Water |
Beer Stella Artois (SGD $14 Pint) is the only draught beer on tap here. Their weekly Thirsty Thursday promotion has this going for only SGD $7 per pint from 7pm till 10pm!
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| Beer Stella Artois |
Beer Marston's Pedigree (SGD $17 Bottle) is made with Burton spring water, Maris Otter barley, and aged in a wooden cask. The result is a pale amber orange coloured beverage, with a small foam head, fruity aroma, a flavour of sweet, light roasted caramel and malts.
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| Beer Marston's Pedigree |
The Classic French Onion Soup (SGD $10) is a thin but flavourful broth, with soft, caramelised onions within the soup. Taste is potent but not overpowering, with a touch of sweetness. Lovely and satisfiying, especially with their home made toasted gruyere cheese crouton. The only drawback was the thin layer of oil on the surface of the soup.
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| Classic French Onion Soup 01 |
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| Classic French Onion Soup 02 |
The Wild Mushroom Soup (SGD $10) has an intense, earthy taste, enhanced with a few drops of fragrant truffle oil. The thick, grainy texture of this broth doesn't contain any mushroom chunks, and overall, is a rather pleasant starter. However, there was 1 occasion when my order arrived overseasoned with salt, and I couldn't finish it.
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| Wild Mushroom Soup 01 |
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| Wild Mushroom Soup 02 |
The Omelette 3 Egg - Onion, Mushroom, Ham (SGD $15) has smooth, creamy, fluffy egg omelette. Enveloped within is a generous stuffing of 3 fillings of your choice, we went with onions, mushrooms, and ham. The filling was cooked well, the onions were sweet with a slight bite, the mushrooms were fresh, and lent an earthy taste to the omelette. Doesn't look like much when served, but is very filling, and overall, an above average egg omelette!
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| Omelette 3 Egg - Onion, Mushroom, Ham 01 |
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| Omelette 3 Egg - Onion, Mushroom, Ham 02 |
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| Omelette 3 Egg - Onion, Mushroom, Ham 03 |
The Big Breakfast (SGD $18) is served with a generous portion of crisp, smoky bacon, perfectly grilled pork sausages, baked beans, grilled tomato, sauteed mushrooms, fluffy scrambled eggs, crisp toasted white bread, and breakfast potatoes. I felt that all the components of the dish were well cooked and tasty, especially surprising was the toasted white bread, which was thick and crisp, and the breakfast potatoes, which was aromatic with a hint of herbs. The scrambled eggs were done perfectly, as were the mushrooms and juicy tomato. Pity that the tasty pork sausges were slim, I think a thicker, meatier sausage would be more satisfiying.
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| The Big Breakfast 01 |
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| The Big Breakfast 02 |
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| The Big Breakfast 03 |
The Eggs Benedict (SGD $15) is a back-to-basic, uncomplicated, yet tasty dish. Slices of ham are served on an English muffin, topped with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce. The poached eggs were done perfectly, with runny centers and a rich yellow yolk. Rustic but incredibly satisfiying!
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| Eggs Benedict 01 |
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| Eggs Benedict 02 |
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| Eggs Benedict 03 |
I loved the thick slices of Calamari Rings (SGD $14) that are firm and meaty. Very fresh too, and the batter is light, not oily, and so crisp it shatters easily, yet holds to the squid without falling off. Excellent skill of the chef is evident, highly recommended!
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| Calamari Rings 01 |
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| Calamari Rings 02 |
The Salmon Fillet (SGD $22) features a large, fresh cut of salmon fillet, cooked perfectly. Probably among the better renditions I've had of salmon, the meat was a nice pink colour, and flaked off easily while still retaining a firm texture. The skin was halfway crisp, and carried a nice grilled flavour. Served with fresh haricots verts / French beans / green beans, done well and with a crisp bite, alongside a zesty, tangy, lemon caper tomato salsa. Slightly let down by the plain mashed potatoes.
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| Salmon Fillet 01 |
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| Salmon Fillet 02 |
Simple food is done very well here, and the Spaghetti Bolognaise (SGD $18) is no exception. The actual spaghetti quality is nothing to shout about, but the skill in which it's prepared is... al-dente, with a slight bite, not too soft, and well drained, so that pasta water doesn't collect in the bottom of the plate. But the real standout is the home made bolognaise / bolognese sauce, a meaty, savoury, and thick sauce of minced beef, diced carrots, and fresh tomato puree. The ratio of sauce to pasta is just nice, and it's so delicious, it makes you want to keep eating!
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| Spaghetti Bolognaise 01 |
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| Spaghetti Bolognaise 02 |
The traditional American Mega Baked Mac & Cheese (SGD $20) is executed very well here, with lots of gooey cheese, perfectly done macaroni, and generous stuffings of wild button mushrooms that are soft, savoury, and earthy. The main problem I have is the huge portion, which is extremely filling, also, the taste becomes rather repetitive after awhile.
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| Mega Baked Mac & Cheese 01 |
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| Mega Baked Mac & Cheese 02 |
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CONVERSATION