New Kid on the Block – Dean & Deluca

With all the hype and positive sneak previews, I just had to make a trip to Orchard Central visit Dean & Deluca though I have never been to any of its retail stores and cafés in the United States, Asia and the Middle East. But either Monday lunch was a bad choice or the staff had yet to get their act going less than three days after the American gourmet food retailer and café opened at 8pm (the unusual timing was probably to coincide with New York time or due to fengshui) on 22 Jun. The self-service place was packed and many customers on their own were wondering if they should take the risk to queue and order food at the counter lest they could not get a seat after that.

Blame it on the anticipation and excitement but was so looking forward to trying its all-day breakfast, which was not available. Ordered a steak instead from the display case of prepared foods that could either be served cold (such as salads) or would be reheated. While I was not confident of finishing the steak, I added a roasted rosemary potato to break the monotony of having bite after bite of steak and steak only. And was I glad for the pleasant and much needed break as the steak was way too dry and a tad tough so it got real boring and even a torture to finish.

Then, I saw others eating its all-day breakfast! Apparently, it depended on who took the order and service standard differed as well. With "pick up & payment" separate from "beverage pick up", customers could either wait for their drinks or go back to collect. But two guys at the next table somehow managed to have a staff running after them to ensure their orders were correct and even made an extra trip to serve them their drinks. Speaking of which, the double macchiato I drank tasted like bad coffee and was too milky for my liking. I say it was a waste of caffeine intake, not to mention that the price of the drinks were inconsistent on different displays. Overall, it was a bad experience.

Just before dinner on a Tuesday, I decided to give it another chance since more than a month has passed since my last visit. This time, there were only a few people mainly occupying tables by the side and no queue so I took my own sweet time to decide what to order. While the croissant looked tempting, it was from Maison Kayser so I decided to have the treat at its Scotts Square store another day and instead got myself what I came here to try – the American Country Breakfast. It took more than 10 minutes to arrive at my table and I ate it with the complimentary iced water. 

The pork sausage was crispy on the outside but too salty while the egg was too bland but nothing that a dash of salt and sprinkle of pepper could not salvage. The sautéed portobello mushroom had a strong raw mushroom taste with a faint sweetness. And the bacon was crispy with the right amount of saltiness and melt-in-the-mouth fat. I had the roasted cherry tomato whole so that its juice would burst with every bite and the sweetness was well balanced with a tinge of tartness. Oh, and the hash brown. It was sweet with potato goodness and its skin was so crispy it crackled. Last but not least was the toasted farmhouse multi-grain bread – could smell the aroma of toasted grain but did not understand why the egg had to sit on top as the soft bread was soaked.

At $22, I would go Wild Honey any day with its cosy ambience and better service but maybe it was more a gourmet food market than a café. More of such shops have sprouted in the last few years with jones the grocer opening a 2nd store in Mandarin Gallery (the 1st is at Dempsey Hill) and Little Provence in Tanglin Mall. The myriad of items at the former never fail to fascinate me while the latter carries specialty products like truffle oil and salt from Provence, France. Even meat specialist Huber's Butchery, also at Dempsey Hill, offers groceries and gourmet products so that it is a 1-stop for customers who are no less spoilt for choice on seafood and cheese as well as complementary sauces and pairing wines. Comparatively, prices at Dean & Deluca seemed more steep. 

Update: The café has relocated to the 1st floor and opened another two branches at HillV2 and Far East Square.