We walked in to Nassim Hill to a crowd of people dressed in their most chic clothings, perched on their seats and casually sipping their lattes. I couldn't spot a t-shirt anywhere. So this is the difference between an afternoon in the suburbs versus one spent in the city. I could get used to this. Every coffee beverage served here is double-shot by default. I started off with a Latte ($6). I was a little taken aback at the price; a latte in Melbourne is roughly half the price. But no one else batted an eyelid. I was anticipating the smooth silkiness mouthfeel that I have come to love from lattes, but the double-shot masked the taste. Sigh. Kudos to the baker that made the gingersnap with the latte. It's the first gingersnap that I genuinely liked. It's crunchy with slivers of nuts generously scattered throughout, and the spices were balanced.
My sister had a Iced Mocha ($8), which looked lovely. I had my share of bad experiences when the ice melts and dilutes the coffee, but the double-shot worked in its favour here.
The Chilli Crab Pasta ($25) is well-regarded online, and we were rewarded with big chunks of crab meat. The sauce is a little runny, but don't let it fool you: the slices of chili are angry little b**tards. We fished them all out. Not sure if I'll order this again though, the taste does get a little monotonous. It's not for everyone, but it has its fans.
I had Mac and Cheese ($18), which looked physically impressive. There's a waiting time of 20-30 minutes for this dish, so you know you're getting it fresh from the oven. There is so much cheese atop, it dribbles down the sides of the dish. The first bite was heaven: the pairing of rich cream sauce with an abundance of stretchy, gooey baked cheese. It's a small dish, but the richness sates your hunger faster than you thought possible. Towards the middle though, the sauce was really grainy, like they used powdered cheese, the kind that accompanies pizza. Hmm.
We also ordered the Cabonara ($21). Nassim Hill doesn't do things halfway, from the pile of bacon above the pasta to the oh-so-rich-I-need-to-get-on-a-threadmill-later cabonara sauce. Perfect for sharing, impossible to finish on your own.
Miss XS had the Spicy Huevos Benedict ($20), which she raved about before from a previous visit. This time though, it was underwhelming. Not sure if they have changed the dish, or that we were simply too stuffed from the richness of the other dishes. I took a bite and then returned my attention to the other dishes. It was pretty forgettable. But the best part about this dish was the basket of bread that the staff trotted out alongside, together with a pat of Elle & Vire Butter. Pardon the expression, but holy sh*t. I didn't think bread in Singapore could taste so good. It is without a doubt, one of the best bread I had. The crust is crispy, not at all tough, and fragrant. I must have bought bread at all the wrong bakeries while touring Europe, because I don't remember having better bread than this. They served unsalted butter, and I wished they had salted butter to pair with their delicious bread.
The Cheddar Cheese Bacon Waffles ($19) was pretty amazing as well. My sister (who already had lunch before meeting us here) couldn't keep her fork away. I'm not a big fan of savoury pancakes, but there's something about their perfectly crisp waffles that I couldn't keep away from. They remained perfectly crisp half an hour after being served. Next time I come, I will definitely try more of their waffles.
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