The Garden Slug

Rach: What a quirky name for a cafe! I’m really drawn to eateries with these cute names because you’ll never know what you’ll get! Surprise me please, just not with slimy slugs 🙂 The day before i was already craving for something i never had before. An ‘All day breakfast’. My fellow food buddy, Simmie, took up my signal quickly and we confirmed our food hunt within seconds on Facebook!

In a quiet street of Telok Kurau is where TGS is neatly tucked in Bright Centre, beside some pet shops… No funky smell don’t worry. Unless some irresponsible owner decides to bring his/her smelly furry friend to dine there… because i heard TGS is a pet-friendly cafe. A good place for dog owners to unite!

Don’t expect ravishing and chic furnishings. When we got there, we were greeted with a very humble layout. I guess in these kind of places, it’s just all about the food and company eh?

So we slowly combed through their extensive menu. It was then i think i have made a crucial mistake, a mistake that would leave me in regrets till today! (heck we just went there yesterday :p) … My attention was steered off course and i didn’t end up with an ‘all day breakfast’ meal 😦 I chose pasta instead.

Buttery Garlic Glaze topped with Grilled Chicken Strips – S$14.90

Needless to say, i was rather disappointed with my selection… ok make it very disappointed instead since it was actually a ‘Recommended’ item on the menu…. so i thought i was safe even though i didn’t go along with my gut feeling. I was expecting a savoury, buttery, garlicy meal but instead, it was not only bland, but the spices (i’m assuming it’s the lime leaf even though it constantly reminded me of coconut oil -_-) were too over whelming. So much that i had to suppress it by topping lots of Parmesan cheese on top. The chicken strips were fine and done well. They used raw cherry tomatoes which is questionable.

Oh, i had the Lychee Fruit Soda – S$4.80 (picture above)… i only wished they added a little syrup to it. Because when i first took a sip of it, the taste i got was very similar to 白花蛇草水 (Oldenlandia Sparkling Water/i like to call it the white flower snake grass water) – A Chinese herbal fizzy drink known for its cooling properties… not very pleasant either.

I think Simmie was one lucky girl yesterday. She stood firm to what she wanted… Unlike me… wishy-washy-indecisive.

Runny Salmon Scramble-Up – S$12.50

Presentation wise was just ‘hmm’. But smoked salmon with scrambles, nothing will go wrong with this ultimate combo! Loving the healthy whole grain bread too… And yes, the scramble eggs were really runny and moist! This is making me feel depressed. Her drink was the Orange & Sea Salt Caramel Smoothies blended with Vanilla Gelato – S$9.50… sounds so awesome right… i didn’t get it because it was a little pricey. I thought it was a refreshing, zesty and sweet 🙂 They have other flavors like Banana Toffee, Strawberry Chunky Cheesecake, Nutella Gianduja, Double Espresso Macchiato. I would go back to try these… soon.

And then… dessert! WE MUST ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS HAVE OUR DESSERTS AFTER EVERY MEAL. I cannot stress on this enough.

The Sweet Sweet Slug – S$14.90

Funny name huh… but omg a platter of Tiramisu, Brownie Popsicle, Pear William, Berries and a ball of Vanilla Gelato. Dessert platters are my weakness… so bad that i am almost readily to agree to it without checking the price of it first lol! Luckily we were sharing :p

My favorites would be the Pear William and maybe the… Brownie Popsicle. My first poached pear believe it or not! Was never a fan of poached fruits because i thought they would come off too sweet and mushy and the taste is always pretty much expected lol. The pear was nice, warm and juicy with a hint of cinnamon to it. Lovely. The Brownie Popsicle was cool… Frozen chocolate topping all over it. Very very chocolatey. Just, slightly dry on the inside… but still awesome!

The vanilla gelato was not bad, just wished there was more of a vanilla flavor to it. As for the tiramisu, not ‘tiramisuy’ enough… haha what a word. Pardon my vocab. Something was missing from it, and you know what it was? Coffee liquor and brandy. Sorry but it wasn’t flavorful enough, though the texture is good 😦

Cons:
1. We were seated right at the back in a corner next to an open storage of tables and chairs, because of the lunch crowd. One small point here to make was that it would have been better if they had a curtain/partition to hide that corner away.

2. Some hit and misses regarding the food. I would say it’s so-so and quite disappointing. But i might give TGS another chance because i really wanna try their ‘All Day Breakfast’… and also because i love breakfast and it’s near where i live!

3. Rough food presentation.

4. Slightly pricey even though there are no GST & Service Charge.

Pros:
1. Friendly and polite staffs.

2. Extensive menu.

3. Dog-friendly cafe :p

4. Average desserts and drinks so if you need your quick fix on sweets, TGS is not bad of an option if you live nearby.

The Garden Slug
55 Lorong L Telok Kurau,
#01-59/61 Bright Centre,
Singapore 425500

Total for 2 pax – about S$58

(Note: If you intend to go there, a GPS would come in handy!)