Among the list of places we wanna visit, Symmetry is one of them. Not exactly new to the F&B scene, it has began operations since September 2012 at a corner shophouse unit along the tiny lane of Jalan Kubor (opposite Santa Grand Hotel, off Victoria Street), which is a walkable 10-15 minutes away from Bugis mrt station. Reviews of this café by day, restaurant bar by night hangout joint has been good, so we decided to meet there for lunch on a weekday.
Finding the entrance to Symmetry could be a 'blink and you'd walk passed it' moment, and its inconspicuous facade betrays no hints of the quirky vibes hiding beyond. The moment I stepped foot into it, my attention was seized by the eccentric mix of retro knick-knacks and interesting art pieces dotting the dimly lighted space. Rustic brick walls and sunlight softly streaming in through the mid-length windows further adds up to its irresistible charm. The unique kooky interior of Symmetry certainly stands out among the many other cafés that I've visited. This place has character. Love it.
But of course, ambience alone does not define the markings of a good café. Food plays a very important part too. Inspired by Australian culture and French cuisine, Symmetry presents a casual dining experience with different menus for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. We started off with Potato Fries with Truffle Oil Emulsion ($14). I wonder why they don't call it simply, truffle fries. Remember to forget about calories counting as portion of this carbs-laden deep-fried crispy goodness was generous. The sprinkling of shaved parmesan cheese is a nice touch though the scent of truffle oil was quite subtle, but it's good enough to satisfy cravings if it strikes.
We love eggs, we love truffle-this-truffle-that, so the order of Truffle Eggs & Mushroom ($21) was made without much second thoughts. It was a hearty platter of scrambled eggs, sauté wild mushroom, tomato and maple glazed bacon, completed with slices of toast and berries jam which I mistook for pate at initial glance. The texture of the scrambled eggs can be creamier and I was hoping for the truffle scent to be stronger. As a whole, it was still pleasing but the oomph factor is lacking. Maybe the rave reviews had us having an overly high expectation of it.
The lunch menu was not as egg-centric as the brunch menu, and the only other egg item being featured was the Poached Eggs ($19). It looked more soft-boiled than poached with the egg white still a tad undercooked, but when the yolk oozed out its creamy runny liquid, I was okay to close one eye to the lack of precision in its execution. The pairing with mashed potato, bacon and chopped spicy chorizo was a delightful one. If you're hankering for Eggs Benedict ($20), Egg Florentine ($18) or Eggs Sur le Plat ($22) which is a baked dish of eggs with spicy sausages in piquillo puree, come during the weekends for their brunch menu. But I must ask if anyone else shares the same sentiments as me that pricing is on the high side. Eggs are getting expensive nowadays! Besides, the ones used at Symmetry are only free-range, it's not even organic.
One of my dining companions almost did not want to try the Crab Pesto ($22) as she thinks that it looked too 'green'. Haha I must say that the monotonous color scheme of this dish did not get it very high marks in the visual department, though my best friend whose favourite color is green might beg to differ. The al-denta linguine pasta, covered in a hazelnut basil pesto sauce with slivers of crab meat, zucchini and topped with argula, rested a tad heavily on the palate. We also had the Short Ribs Steak & Frites ($29). If I read its description on the menu correctly, the short ribs has been braised for 58 hours! The resulting meat was beautifully tender and accompanied by cranberry, parsnip and black truffle jus on a bed of baby spinach with a basket of thickly cut fries served by the side. We did enjoyed the dish but feel that a complexity of flavours was somewhat lacking.
We can't say no to desserts lol! The Waffles ($16) came prettily stacked with banana, berries compote, chocolate ice cream and a drizzle of maple syrup. None of us ordered coffee that day (I forgot why??). Perhaps it was a day when smoothies were preferred instead. I'd save the coffee for next time then. Overall, it's still worth a return visit to Symmetry :)
Symmetry
Address: 9 Jalan Kubor, #01-01, Singapore 199206
Contact: +65 62919901 / +65 96267911
Website: http://symmetry.com.sg/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/symmetry.com.sg
Opening Hours: Mon 10.30am-9pm / Tue-Thu 10.30am-11pm / Fri 10.30am-12am / Sat 9am-12am / Sun 9am-9pm
58 braising hours for the Short Ribs Steak & Frites?? Omg.. MUST TRY! Haha..
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