Tucked away in The Midtown mall, Foxhole Cafe is the perfect place for people looking for a quiet place to chill with good food and coffee. Open from 10am to 10pm daily with the exception of Tuesday, it’s not too far a walk from Hougang MRT station, and a bus stop is conveniently located right outside.
The first thing you’ll see when you step into the cafe is the dessert and croissant display, along with the countertop that houses the equipment for The Pourover Bar. The small first storey has only three seats near the coffee machine, but when you head upstairs you’ll find a seating area that can accommodate about 30 people.
Here, you’ll find your first Instagram-able shot; a beautiful hand-painted mural of a unicorn in swirling galaxy colours with floor-to-ceiling windows that let in a copious amount of light for all the food photos you’ll be taking.
The Chilli Crab Meat Croissant with Raspberry Chips ($14.90) is a must-try. This might sound blasphemous to some, but I’m not a big fan of chilli crab because it tends to be a little too spicy for me.
The filling for this dish, however, had the perfect amount of heat to whet my appetite, yet not enough to leave my tongue burning (or me, in tears). Bits of hard boiled egg were added in, which gave the filling more body and textural contrast against the softness of the crab meat.
The croissant was surprisingly still buttery and flaky, even with the addition of the filling. And don’t even get me started on the raspberry chips – what a great surprise! I popped one into my mouth expecting sweetness, but was instead hit with a salty, savoury burst of raspberry flavour.
The Beef Lasagna with Black Truffle Chips ($14.90) was another dish that I liked as a whole. The sauce was rich and flavourful and the dish was generously packed with minced beef and cheese.
However, I wasn’t too fond of the pasta itself as I prefer my lasagna to be on the firmer side, and Foxhole Cafe’s was just a touch softer than I would have liked.
Another unique item is the Signature Yakult Lover ($6.90). You might have seen photos of this floating around Instagram, a big Yakult bottle with a small mason jar served on a wooden tray.
The first mouthful of the mixture had me immediately thinking of ice cream soda with a light Yakult aftertaste. It reminded me a bit of the Japanese probiotic drink, Calpis. If you’re a fan of Yakult or Calpis, this is something you should definitely try.
It also helped to neutralise the heat from the Chilli Crab Croissant, so if you’re like me and are unable to eat foods that are too spicy, this is a very good accompanying drink.
I was surprised by the inclusion of bread pudding in Foxhole Cafe’s dessert lineup, as it’s not a common dessert here in Singaporean cafes. The Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce and Sea Salt Malt Ice Cream ($11.90) is a winner.
The bread pudding was fluffy and not overly dense, with crispy edges on the top and served with a delicious ice cream that complemented the richness of the pudding. The ice cream was smooth and creamy with a nice malty taste from the inclusion of Horlicks.
The Orange Drizzle Cake ($7.90) also caught my eye when I glanced at the dessert display, with its beautifully candied orange peel sprinkled over the top. The cake was light with bits of orange zest, and the icing sugar glaze on top provided a nice bit of crunch against the soft cake.
Finishing my meal with a coffee, I opted for one of Foxhole Cafe’s specialties, the NinetyPlus Hachira N2 Coffee ($10). If you’re a coffee purist, Foxhole Cafe and The Pourover Bar is a must visit.
It’s the only cafe in Singapore that carries NinetyPlus coffee beans, the very same beans used by the last three winners of the World Barista Championship. The coffee had an extremely light body, and the floral notes were immediately noticeable off the bat with a faint lingering undertone of toffee.
I prefer smooth coffees that allow me to savour the taste without too much acidity, so I was very pleased with the Hachira, but the fruitier Nekisse might be a safer bet for most people.
By the end of my meal, I was a bit sad to leave the peaceful place. Some of Foxhole Cafe’s new mains like the Beef Hamburg Spaghetti Bolognese weren’t released yet when I visited, so I’m looking forward to coming back with a few of my friends in tow so that we can all enjoy a cup of coffee and good food together.
Expected damage: $25 – $35 per pax
