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A more sophisticated Cafe
Located just a stone’s throw away from the Kembangan MRT station, Rice and Fries serves up hearty Western cuisine in the neighborhood. Run by a cute couple whose love story will make anyone go ‘aww’, this quaint little cafe has been well-received by many looking for quality food without feeling the pinch in the pocket.
All prices indicated on their menu are nett so you don’t have to tax yourself mentally by trying to calculate what your bill is going to total up to after the pesky service charge or GST.
With three kids in tow, Chef Ken and his lovely wife had managed to decorate the interior walls of the cafe to be family-friendly. Attention-grabbing caricatures of cartoon characters can be seen all around the four corners of the cafe. Even I was kept entertained throughout my meal by some funny quotes or pictures which adorned the walls.
Forest Mushroom Cappuccino ($4.80). Our soup of the day, the Forest Mushroom Cappuccino was delightfully foamy and light without comprising any bit on its full-bodied mushroom flavor. Unlike many other mushroom soups which could leave you utterly full by the time you scrape the bottom of the bowl, Rice and Fries’ whetted my appetite.
The croutons provided, while few, were crisp and absorbent – they soaked up the soupy mushroom goodness well.
Soft Shell Crab with Chili and Mantou ($8.80). Imagine my surprise when this was brought out to our tables – how often do you find cafes serving up a local delight? As a major fan of soft-shell crabs, I found that Rice and Fries’ crab offering tasted a little too grimey for my liking.
Then again, others at the table were relishing the dish so I guess it all eventually boils down to personal preferences. The sauce was impeccable – traces of ginger and hints of spices; all very balanced and I liked it very much.
Lamb Shank ($26.80). Remember how I mentioned that Chef Ken and his wife have a really cute love story? Well, chef’s very own Lamb Shank played a huge role in capturing the heart of the lady boss – back in the days when chef was an assistant in the kitchen, he had wooed his now-wife with his own renditions of the lamb shank while the rest of the staff ate fried rice. When I sank my teeth into the lamb shank, I understood why his wooing strategy had worked.
There was none of that strong, unpleasant gamy taste which I have come to associate with lamb meat: instead, it was a fairly well-balanced dish with moist, glistening and tender meat which slid off the bone. Mmm, boys, you know what to do now if you are after a girl.
Creme Brulee ($8.80). Topped with a generous amount of sliced strawberries, the creme brulee was nicely torched at the top – the caramelized sugar had a smokey, charred taste which complimented the smoothness of the creme beneath it really well. Mmm, yummy.
Dark Chocolate Lava Cake ($9.80). A must-order at Rice and Fries, this dish had been revised for at least 30 over times before arriving in its present state.
Paired with sweet strawberry sauce and vanilla ice cream, this dessert was definitely the table’s favorite. Once cut open, the molten chocolate came oozing out: it tasted as rich and decadent as it had looked while flowing out of the opening. Chocolate lovers, beware: you might end up ordering more than one of these.
Overall, Rice and Fries serves up some pretty amazing food at affordable prices. If you want to eat quality Western food at a family-friendly cafe without busting your budget for the rest of the month, I think Rice and Fries would be a safe bet for you. Because all their prices are in nett, don’t forget to tip all the friendly staff who work the floor too!
Expected Damage: $15 – $25 per pax
