Jalan Besar has to be the other hipster area with many new F&B entrants lately.
Located few doors away from Apartment Coffee, Glacier has joined include Lola Faye Cafe, Once Upon A Time (opened by actress Jeanette Aw), For The People, Sweets Craftsman, to Café Monochrome in the hood.
Other recent café openings at Jalan Besar include Pacto 忆缘 by Parchmen, Habitat Coffee, Sweet Cheeks Gelato and Asylum Coffehouse.
Opened by the folks behind Onalu – a bagel house located at SMU, Glacier is their new concept cafe with a botanical theme, offering an-almost ‘farm-to-table’ concept.
As their name implies, glacier refers to a moving piece of ice reflected in their space which is completely white, from the white furnitures to the coffee bar counter, espresso machine and coffee beans grinder.
Potted plants can be seen in various corners of the 46 seaters minimalist space, including a mini “indoor garden” where they grow their own herbs that are used in some of the dishes.
Their menu is concise with 6 items on their brunch menu: Glacier Big Breakfast ($24), Smoked Salmon & Avocado Toast ($19), Seafood Vongole Pasta ($23), Basil Pesto Pasta ($18), Salmon Mentaiko Truffle Grain Bowl ($20) and Glacier French Toast ($16).
The Glacier Big Breakfast ($24) was a safe option, with an assortment of options including a choice of scrambled or sunny-side up, bacon strips, German pork bratwurst, roasted truffle baby potatoes, wild mushrooms, salad and house-baked brioche toast.
The highlight was the scrambled egg which was well- executed with a smooth, silky and creamy texture.
While the roasted truffle baby potatoes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the truffle scent was pretty faint.
I preferred the Glacier French Toast ($16) that comes with blackberries, strawberries and blueberries, caramelised banana, candied nuts and seeds crumble, drizzled with maple syrup and a dollop of honey mascarpone on top of a slice of brioche toast made in-house.
The brioche toast made in-house was chewy on the inside, seasoned with cinnamon and icing sugar sprinkled on it.
There is a contrast in textures, from the crunchy candied nuts to the creamy honey mascarpone and chewy brioche which adds more complexity to the dish.
Those who grew up in the heartlands will resonate with the Prima Deli pandan waffles.
Here, a layer of Mochi is added into the their Pandan Mochi Waffle ($8) to make it more refined and up-scale, by giving it a nice chewy texture in addition to the crispy-ness and fluffiness.
Topped with desiccated coconut for the added crunch and aroma, drizzled with maple syrup and Gula Melaka sauce on the side, the overall taste is similar to that of Ondeh Ondeh, the mini green, round glutinous rice balls.
12 Gelato flavours (Single $4, Double $7.50, Premium +$1) are available, mostly with herbs and botanical flavours in it.
The size of the gelato seems to be on the smaller side compared to many places, with flavours such as Ju Hua (Chrysanthemum) Cacao Nibs, Raspberry, Lychee & Rose, Blue Pea Lemongrass Pandan, Earl Grey Lavender, Lychee Rose and Oolong Osmanthus.
Other flavours include Smoked Milk, Black Sesame, Milk & Honey, Sicilian Pistachio, 85% Dark Chocolate and Shizuoka Genmaicha.
I enjoyed the Blue Pea Lemongrass Pandan, smooth, creamy and refreshing with distinctive lemongrass taste that is similar to the Thai-inspired Butterfly Pea drink.
Using the Lucky Bastard blend (Brazilian and Ethiopian) from Common Man Coffee Roasters for espresso-based drinks, Espresso ($3.50), Black ($4.50), White ($5) and Mocha ($6) can be found.
My cup of Flat White ($5) was medium bodied, smooth with floral and fruity notes and hints of blueberries.
True to their botanical theme, Glacier has incorporated several herbs and and greens into their menu and interior, the latter is definitely a pretty space that many cafe hoppers will enjoy.
And the plus point is, they are opened till 1am on Fridays and Saturdays for (dessert) supper.
Brunch for supper? Bring it on.
Glacier
161 Lavender St, #01-09, Singapore 338750
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Sun – Thurs), 10am – 1am (Fri – Sat)
Other Related Entries
Habitat Coffee (Jalan Besar)
Sweet Cheeks Gelato (Jalan Besar)
Pacto 忆缘 by Parchmen (Jalan Besar)
Lola Faye Café (Hamilton Road)
Café Monochrome (Jalan Besar)
* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
