Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
Let’s be honest, cafes are overrated. I think I’ve had enough of overpriced club sandwiches and cappuccinos. Not to mention, having to jostle with the ever-enthusiastic weekend crowd is fairly unpleasant.
Lucky for me, I chanced upon Wild Blooms while looking for a new place to work remotely.
Located in the heartlands of Hougang, Wild Blooms is a cosy two-floored cafe. The picturesque cafe is filled with dried flowers, and the blue-tinted windows help to keep the cafe cool under the hot sun.
As you walk into the cafe, you’ll realise that the first floor is not very spacious. It can only host two customers at a time and the rest of the floor is kitchen space.
The owners of Wild Blooms have specially created a gigantic hand-made flower wall. Yes, it’s time to up your Instagram game.
Head upstairs and you’ll find more seats if you are with a bigger group. The walls are cobalt blue and the windows are tinted in the same hue. While I love the consistent colour scheme, I felt the indigo hue made the space feel really cramped.
We started snacking on our first dish, the Matcha Seaweed Fries (S$8.90). The piping hot fries were tossed in matcha powder and sprinkled with dried seaweed flakes and icing sugar. This whole combination might sound weird to you, but the fries were surprisingly super addictive.
I couldn’t stop munching on them and with every bite, I could taste the umami from the seaweed followed by a hint of sweetness from the icing sugar.
As addictive as the fries were, I couldn’t really taste the matcha due to the overpowering seaweed flavour. If you’re not a big fan of matcha but crazy about seaweed fries, this might just be perfect for you.
Next up, we had their Charcoal Wings (S$10.90 for half a dozen). Now, it might not look like much in the photo, but let me tell you, these glazed wings are not to be missed.
I wasn’t expecting much when the wings were placed on the table, because they looked just like regular honey glazed wings, but tinted black.
The wings were coated in homemade spicy squid ink and they definitely had a spicy kick to them.
Biting into the crispy outer layer revealed juicy chicken that was just as flavourful. It tasted more like the ever-familiar Korean sweet-and-spicy fried chicken.
We Singaporeans can never get enough of that salted egg goodness and Wild Blooms cashes in on that. For our first main, we tried their Chicken Waffle (S$13.90), which comes with a choice of either maple syrup or salted egg sauce. Naturally, we opted for the salted egg sauce.
Sandwiched between two waffles, the fried chicken was crispy and juicy but unfortunately lacked flavour. I was a little disappointed because their deep-fried wings were so flavourful.
Moreover, the shredded lettuce didn’t go well with this chicken and waffles dish. The shredded lettuce retained some moisture, which made the waffles and fried chicken soggy and diluted the salted egg sauce too.
Disappointed by the Chicken Waffle, I was hesitant to try their Beef Ochazuke (S$14.90).
Luckily, the Beef Ochazuke was completely different compared to the first dish. Using Japanese rice, the dish was topped with tender marbled beef slices, seaweed shreds and a sprinkle of roasted white sesame. Served with house-brewed roasted tea leaves, the Beef Ochazuke definitely stood out.
The savoury roasted tea was bland by itself, but it elevated the shredded seaweed and gave the tea a whole different flavour profile.
The briny seaweed flavour blended with the tea and the beef slices. Mixing the rice and toppings together soaked up the savoury ‘soup’, making each mouthful absolutely delicious.
After finishing up our mains, we got the super Instagrammable flower jelly. The intricate Flower Tea Jelly Cake (S$12.90) is a collaboration between Wild Blooms and T.U.B (The Utopian Botanist).
Every flower is painstakingly handcrafted. The jelly cake might look delicate but surprisingly, it had a rather firm texture. Made with osmanthus tea, the jelly was light on the palate and quite refreshing.
For those who want to try their hand at making these pretty flower jellies, Wild Blooms and The Utopian Botanist are collaborating for an upcoming workshop on 3 April 2019. At S$200 per pax, it may be a little pricey but you’ll get to keep the crafting needles and the jellies.
If the food and desserts are not enough, Wild Blooms also serve alcohol. (Score!) They offer beers at S$5 per can and S$20 for a bucket of five, and wines at S$9 per glass.
Even though a few of the dishes came up short, if you’re around Hougang you should give Wild Blooms a go. I’d recommend getting their Charcoal Wings, Beef Ochazuke and of course, their beautifully made Flower Tea Jelly Cake.
Expected Damage: S$10 – S$20 per pax
