Mention the name Egg3 and the words hip fashion and indie furniture immediately come to mind. It all started back in 2004, when a group of 3 friends put together the concept store and set up the first Egg3 store at Erskine road. The store was an instant hit as it piqued Singaporean’s curiosity for things that are truly one of a  kind. They have since developed a good footprint here with stores at the Cathay and Mandarin Gallery, and as of two or so months ago, extended its operations into the food and drink business with the setting up of its very own Egg3 cafe at the new old Haig Boys’ School. Having a true soft spot for cafes and old spaces given a new lease of life, I knew I had to visit the moment I read about the new addition in the papers some time back.

True to Egg3′s classic style, the cafe transformed two old classrooms into a really nice open space and laid out very much like someone’s apartment. Little sitting areas are set up for groups that want to just kick back and enjoy a cuppa whilst classroom inspired tables and chairs allow for peeps to enjoy a proper meal. I love the vintage vibe and quirky homeware accessories that accent each space and think it is pretty cool that one can literally buy the sofa you sit in whilst enjoying your coffee!

Egg3′s food repertoire is simple and showcases the typical cafe fare of soup, salads, starters, pastas and dessert. The all-in-one is a good place to start for bigger groups as it features four of the six starters on the menu. For smaller groups, I would recommend the cheese tofu for its unique fishpaste-like texture and salty undertones or the chicken poppers for some old school deep fried comfort food.

If a salad is more your thing like it was for me this past Sunday afternoon, the mango prawn salad with calamansi dressing provides some refreshing flavors through the sweet yet peppery rocket salad, slightly sour mango and tang from the calamansi dressing. The prawns were unfortunately mediocre, if not I believe it would have further added a sweet seafoody dimension to the dish.

For peeps that need their carbo, there are 6 different types of pastas served in a variety of cream, tomato and aglio olio bases. Kudos to Egg3 for plating their pastas quite nicely and being generous with their portioning. The pastas are cooked al dente but I found their sauces somehow lacked a certain depth. Both the mixed seafood and the crab in pink sauce creations featured a good balance in terms of the pasta to ingredient ratio with hints of garlic and oregano that unfortunately didn’t manage to fully pull through the entire dish.

Sweets to conclude the meal are also kept simple with several key classics featured. There is the carrot raisin, which according to the grapevine is the best cake at Egg3, a cheesecake, lychee or champagne cookies, the brownie with or without ice cream and the lava cake with ice cream. I couldn’t decide between the carrot raisin and lava cakes so I tossed a coin and after ten minutes, sat down to  begin on the lava cake. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, the cake was moist with a nicely crisp exterior and a creamy molten chocolate filling. It was on the whole a good attempt at recreating the classic molten chocolate cake but I felt, being the die hard chocaholic that I am, that it lacked a little intensity and could have done with a bit more cocoa richness.

The Egg3 cafe has definitely got the formula right in recreating a gem of a place in terms of vibe and atmosphere. The food at the moment is somewhat ordinary but I should be back just to get a way from the maddening crowd and curl up in a corner with a coffee and a book or with a group of gal pals just to catch up over some tea.

Egg3 Cafe . 231 Mountbatten Road . #01-06 Block D Mountbatten Centre . (65) 6241 3823

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