Rokeby (Day Café | Night Bistro Bar) @ Jalan Riang, Upper Serangoon

Café by day, bistro + bar by night, Rokeby definitely passes as one of those hidden gems you find nestled within a quiet residential estate. Located along a modest row of shophouses at Jalan Riang, the place sits pretty in a suburb surrounded by private houses, away from busy streets and imposing high rises. Priding itself as a modern Australian bistro, Rokeby offers its customers a decent, wide-ranging menu that clearly promotes the use of fresh seafood and high grade meats, along with a variety of Australian wines, beers, teas and artisan coffee.

In the span of two weeks, we visited the place twice – once for brunch and once for dinner. Both times, we left feeling incredibly satisfied with our meals, with full bellies and happy smiles on our faces.

Their brunch menu offers hearty fare such as the Eggs Blackstone (streaky bacon, poached eggs, wild rocket, tomato, hollandaise sauce & brioche toast, SG$14.90) and the Rokeby Full Monty Brekkie (scrambled/sunny-side/overeasy eggs, pork bratwurst, streaky bacon, sautéed mushrooms, hash brown, tomato, baked beans, wild rocket & multigrain toast, SG$18.90).

We had a go at their Eggs Benedict (SG$13.90) and Foie Gras Benedict ($21.90) during our brunch visit, which we washed down with a surprisingly fantastic Cappuccino (SG$5) and Flat White (SG$5), both made using a special blend from Western Australian coffee roasting company 5 Senses Coffee.

Eggs Benedict
Lovely poached eggs served on a bed of honey baked ham and cushioned by a shockingly glorious piece of brioche toast. I say shockingly glorious because the huge, thick slice is sinfully fluffy-soft on the inside, with a thin outer layer that is ever so perfectly crisp. A brilliant hollandaise sauce smothers the eggs, finally sprinkled with herbs and spices. The dish is wonderfully plated, with a generous amount of balsamic-dressed rocket leaves framing the colourful creation in the middle. Delicious and very filling.

Foie Gras Benedict
Similar to the Eggs Benedict in terms of presentation and base ingredients, but with a large piece of pan-seared duck liver and some bold truffle oil added to liven up the flavour game. At SG$21.90, it is the most expensive item on the brunch menu, so only go for this if you’re willing to treat yourself! Otherwise, trust me, the Eggs Benedict alone will more than satisfy you!

For dinner, we spoilt ourselves with their Truffled Parmesan Fries (SG$8.90), which came in a large bucket, filled to the brim. Yes, the whole bucket was full. I get disappointed when restaurants sneakily stuff the bottom part of the serving container with paper so that it only seems full. I’m glad that Rokeby isn’t one of those places. The fries themselves were salted perfectly and flavoured surprisingly well, with a good balance between the strong elements of parmesan and truffle.

Their Golden Calamari Rings (SG$10.90) were a pleasant surprise as well. Served with an addictive chilli mayo and a side of rocket leaves, the calamari rings were graced with delicately crisp and golden battered shells, and were in no way rubbery or overcooked inside. Always a good thing!

We also shared a bucket of Rokeby Chilli Mussels (SG$19.90), which came with a generous amount of toasted multigrain bread to soak up the chilli. They have four levels of spiciness that you can choose from: zero, mild, hero and legendary. I’ve gotta say, their “mild” spicy is actually pretty darn spicy, even for me! So, go for no spice if you can’t handle the heat!

Rokeby is one place we wouldn’t mind becoming regulars at! The staff greet you with a smile and the food, although not exactly cheap, is impressive and well-presented. The interior is light and airy, making it a good spot for a weekend brunch or early dinner, and the restaurant itself is fairly easy to get to from Lorong Chuan MRT Station and Serangoon MRT Station.

ROKEBY (DAY CAFÉ | NIGHT BISTRO BAR)
15-9 Jalan Riang
Singapore 358987
Opening hours: 9am – 10pm (Tuesday – Sunday)
www.rokeby.com.sg

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