Jewel Cafe and Bar

You know that rush you get when you chance upon a hidden dine or wine gem, and you just want to shout out to the world to tell them about it? Well, this is it. My muse to start blogging again. 

*clears throat*

B and I both love the lattes at Jewel Cafe (Shenton Way) - I'm no bean guru but those double-shots are aromatic, smooth and keep me happily buzzed all day. 

So when we heard that they opened up a proper bistro (i.e. full menu and ehem.. alcoholic drinks), we were eager to try it out. One rare "Yay-I-have-no-night-calls!" evening, we made our way down to Rangoon Road. Oh man, it was surreal leaving the office when the sky was still bright...

I love the chill out vibe of the place.  There's a few alfresco tables outside but inside there''s seating both on the first floor as well as on the second floor. 

This caught both our attention immediately. 

"Yes don't we all..."

 Whilst B was admiring the big "cup", I shamelessly checked out the bar (don't judge me).  

Maybe I still had the "it's a cafe" mentality but I thought the bar was pretty well equipped. The cocktail list was longer than I had expected too, with some concoctions that sounded interesting.

A negroni for only $12? That sounds good. I will definitely return to try one. 










Now, the food. 

Some things never (and I don't want it to) change. B and I over-ordered, as usual. Although to be fair, we started off conservatively. An appetizer to share and one main each. That's normal right? But while we were waiting for food to arrive and trying to make conversation, it was clear we were both distracted and still stealing glances at the menu. Finally, I caved. 

"Sweetie, shall we order the pasta?"

No resistance there. Bam - 3 mains and an appetizer. 

First up, the Shio-Koji Octopoke that came highly recommended by the server. And for good reason. The mix of octopus, wasabi and avocado was very well put together - a medley of flavours, if I may be a bit (ginger flowery) with my review here.  Something I would definitely order again.

B liked his fried chicken too. Very generous piece of chicken. According to the menu, it's marinated in milk and their special spice mix. True enough, it was especially moist and tender. Not too greasy too (which made us feel a tad better for being such gluttons). 

My main of choice was the Guinness beef stew with carrots. "It has stout in it, " the server had pointed out earlier, to which B rolled his eyes. Anyway, the beef was tender and the dish was yummy though not mind blowing. Very nice of them to accede to my request for bread (which came nicely toased) to wipe up the sauce up. Yes the sauce full of Guinness heehee.

Midway through our meal, the highlight arrived. We loved it even before we tasted it. The capellini with prawns looked so pretty topped off with tobiko and onion flakes. It tasted fantastic. The menu mentioned their "own umami magic dust" - argh tell me what it is - I want to re-create the dish at home! 

Verdict - We really enjoyed dinner here and look forward to many repeat visits. Both to check out the rest of the food menu, as well as to conquer the cocktail list (and wine list. and sake list. you get the idea). Service was great too - keep up the good work guys!