toby’s estate cafe

for the love of coffee.

our collective comment when we entered the industrial, sleek-looking, sun-lit space was… “wah.. all ang moh one…”. it was as though we were transported to australia and had entered some cool cafe by darling harbor. well, i guess you get such experiences especially when you choose to dine at restaurants and cafes along the robertson quay area (read: kith cafe, eM by the river, toby’s estate etc) but i guess the feeling is still kinda surreal to walk in and feel suddenly as though you have entered a different country.

i rest my case.

anyways, toby’s estate has a really cool interior that has that pared down, industrial minimalist vibe to it. the walls have that stark unfinished feel and you get to see most of the ventilation shafts and pipings on the really high ceiling. natural light comes beaming in from the large windows sited high-up on the walls and gives the entire place a natural sun-lit feel. the furnishings continue the theme of this industrial-sparseness, the tables being constructed from sturdy wood and steel pipings used as support. its the exact aesthetic i want to design my future house with.

ok la.. we talk food here, so here goes.

baguette with bacon and eggs ($12)

toby’s estate is known for their coffee blends, but their brunch efforts ain’t too shabby as well. its essentially typical brunch fare with a slight ozzie influence, hence you see alot of bacon, eggs, ham, bread and the likes.

toby’s big breakfast ($16)

i got the toby’s big breakfast, which honestly looks pretty darn awesome and smells very good as well. i was commenting to my friends how i loved the way the bread had been grilled/toasted perfectly to have that a golden-brown crisp and skillet marks and how it really whetted one’s appetite to see such inviting hues of golden, yellow and reds. the bread was crispy, the bacon utterly sinful but delicious, the tomatoes fresh and not oily/greasy. what could be improved could be the mushrooms (kind of blah..) as well as the eggs (a little light on taste). but overall, this is a really good rendition of a typical big breakfast, and at a decent pricepoint.

to be honest, i think with brunch places that serve common brunch fare, what really sells the ambience and crowd. tobey’s estate has this down pat, drawing the expat and well-dressed/well-heeled crowd, and also creating an inviting, expansive place for people to just sit back and while away their weekend mornings. what’s nice is that there also is free wifi and free flow of water to go with your meal (but of course, get some coffee).

i used to (well i still do) grumble about how singapore’s brunch scene is so limited in terms of food variety, serving up the most basic of brunch dishes that lack inspiration or creativity but i guess i’ve come to appreciate that brunch in singapore is not that much about food creativity but about eating wholesome comfort food in a chillax environment. there’s still some places that serve inspired brunch dishes (my friends mentioned wild honey, spruce and hatched) though, so i’ll still be on the hunt for inspired brunches. =)

till then. 7.75/10

toby’s estate cafe | 8 rodyk street #01-03/04, singapore 238216 | brunch, coffee, chillax