Wheeler's Yard

Wheeler's Yard
28 Lorong Ampas

http://wheelersyard.com/

Bicycle Workshop & Cafe With The Famous Blue Door

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 6
Value for Money: 6
Spent about SGD $32 per person.

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Wheeler's Yard needs little introduction. Boss and cycling enthusiast Tommy Ong turned his family's old warehouse into a bicycle workshop and cafe back in September 2013, and since then, the place has gained quite a reputation as a happening hipster hangout. Its iconic blue warehouse door is one of the most photographed / instagrammed locations in Singapore!

Ambience at Wheeler's Yard cafe is laid-back and rustic, with a retro and bicycle themed decor. Long, sturdy, communal wooden tables are surrounded by an eclectic mix of retro / nostalgic chairs. Magazines and music boxes are set on the tables, beside bicycle parts or whole bicycles. The counter is surrounded by old-school / olden items such as biscuit tins, while the rough brick wall is adorned with bicycle frames. Very photo-worthy, visually exciting and appealing. Also makes the place great for chilling!

Even the surrounding area has interesting spots. The workshop has bicycle / cycling related products and items of interest, the yard behind has their trailer and a lush green hedge wall, the front has the iconic Wheeler's Yard blue door. They even have benches that double as a waiting area should the cafe be crowded!

Service at Wheeler's Yard is partial self-service. Ordering and payment is done over the counter, as is collection of order, but if you're lucky and the cafe isn't crowded, staff may serve orders to your table. Otherwise, everything is self-service. Staff are friendly and can engage if necessary, though mostly they hang around in the background. The menu has apt descriptions of dishes, so you won't even need to ask them questions. Very minimal interaction, little service required, hence, they practise tipping here.

Food at Wheeler's Yard is mostly Western style, influenced by American, British, and Italian cuisine, with some Asian influence as well, such as Indonesian, Chinese, or Singaporean. Generally, taste of food here is decent to above average, but nothing so special that you should go out of your way for. Portions are large, and can be shared. Prices at Wheeler's Yard are typical of a high-end cafe, budget about SGD $32 per person for a meal here.

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There are so many photo-worthy spots in this workshop and cafe, an eclectic visual feast for the eyes! Their Famous Blue Door, in particular, is possibly among the most photographed spots in Singapore!

Famous Blue Door

Wheeler's Yard Exterior 01

Wheeler's Yard Exterior 02

Wheeler's Yard Interior 01

Wheeler's Yard Interior 02

Wheeler's Yard Interior 03

Wheeler's Yard Interior 04

Wheeler's Yard Trailer

Workshop

Barrels

Cafe Counter

Bicycle Frames On Brick Wall

Bicycle Mini On Wall

Bicycle On Table

Bicycle Deconstructed

Bicycles In A Row

Retro Biscuit Tins

Momentum On Ear

Helmet Flower Pot

The Latte (SGD $5) has a smooth medium body with a good amount of milk. Average coffee, nothing too special or terrible about it, but decent enough to drink. I actually prefer the Piccolo Latte (SGD $5), because the flavour is more robust, with a stronger body, though it's still not as intense as elsewhere.

Latte

Piccolo Latte

The Hot Chocolate (SGD $6) here is among the better ones I've had, rich and deep with pronounced chocolate flavour. Warm and comforting, yet not too sweet. Love the little retro gem biscuits on the side!

Hot Chocolate 01

Hot Chocolate 02

They also have several range of beers and wines in the late afternoon to evenings, such as this Beer Asahi (SGD $8). Perfect for long, slow dinners, and drinks with friends!

Beer Asahi

The Or Lu Lu Sotong (SGD $16.90) features large chunks of fresh calamari squid, coated in a thin, crisp Asian spice and flour batter, and served in a thick, dark, sweet Indonesian kecap manis / black sweet soy sauce, and spring onions. Portion is large enough to share. I really enjoyed this, would order again!

Or Lu Lu Sotong 01

Or Lu Lu Sotong 02

The Kumara Roasted Sweet Potatoes (SGD $5.50) are served in a mini Dutch oven casserole dish. Love the tender, semi-soft texture of the roasted sweet potates, fragrant with the sprinkling of herbs on top. Soft enough when eaten, yet not mushy or limp. Good skill in execution, worth ordering!

Kumara Roasted Sweet Potatoes 01

Kumara Roasted Sweet Potatoes 02

The Salmon Royale (SGD $18.90) has 2 lovely poached eggs over arugula / wild rocket leaves, large slices of smoked salmon, all on nicely toasted English muffins. Cut into the eggs and watch the yolk ooze out! Decent enough as a dish, and I like the home made Hollandaise sauce, which is thick and creamy. I also thought the touch of adding sweet slices of peach to the salad on the side is a good idea!

Salmon Royale 01

Salmon Royale 02

The Pan-Seared Sea Bass (SGD $19.90) has a medium sized fillet of fresh sea bass, clean tasting, cooked till the white fish flesh is tender and flakes off nicely, yet with a crisp, savoury skin. Served on a bed of creamy spinach, along with small baby roasted potatoes, this dish is incredibly flavourful, and looks and feels healthy. I noted that the level of salt tends to be prominent in this dish, but at least you don't come away feeling thirsty. Worth ordering!

Pan-Seared Sea Bass 01

Pan-Seared Sea Bass 02

Pan-Seared Sea Bass 03

The Grilled Chicken (SGD $18.90) features a savoury, boneless chicken steak, served with creamy mashed potatoes, roasted zucchini and carrot chunks, sauteed button mushrooms and straw mushrooms, and drizzled with a light brown meat gravy. The chicken is grilled perfectly, juicy chicken meat that is tender, with a slight hint of smoky char from the grill. Excellent!

Grilled Chicken 01

Grilled Chicken 02

The fiery Sambal Udang Fusilli (SGD $19.90) has big, bold, savoury spicy flavour. The fusilli is done al-dente, with a slight firmness, served with juicy cherry tomatoes, but the real highlight is the large, meaty, fresh sea tiger prawns, which are incredibly succulent! Along with the spicy tomato paste and sambal chili gravy, this dish should preferably not be eaten on an empty stomach, because of the spicy burn. I greatly enjoyed this!

Sambal Udang Fusilli 01

Sambal Udang Fusilli 02

The White Chocolate With Berries Roll (SGD $6) is a large swiss roll cake, coated in a creamy, milky white chocolate, and studded with blueberries in the middle, topped with dried cranberries on its surface. You get a good hit of the berry flavours along with the white chocolate! Texture is soft and moist, and is very filling. Best shared!