Recently opened and located just outside International Plaza, The New & Old Cafe, as the name suggests, offers a fusion of modern and traditional cuisine in a similarly themed setting.
I was immediately sold on the menu, which features a varied array of local, Hong Kong, and Japanese-inspired dishes, desserts, and beverages.
The Croffle (a croissant baked like a waffle) was one of the first things I tried here. These are premade and reheated on order, but retain their crunchy exterior when served. You can choose to have them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of maple syrup. While I prefer regular waffles over croffles, this is great for a light snack to go with your coffee or tea. 3.5/5
The Bolo Bun at New & Old is a little bigger than what you’d normally get at most bakeries. The crispy top and fluffy interior were both nailed to perfection (they have an in-house oven that allows it to be toasted to your preferred level of crispiness), but it was the generous pat of butter that helped this bun stand out. The staff were even happy to oblige when I requested some condensed milk be slathered inside to max out the indulgence factor. 4.5/5
The Cappuccino was smooth and aromatic, but maybe a little too intense for my liking. Boncafe beans are used, which probably explains why, as I always find Boncafe blends to be too intense or overroasted. 3/5
The HK Milk Tea was silky smooth and had strong Ceylon notes, but I was a little underwhelmed by the level of sweetness, so I asked for more sugar (I’m usually the sort of person who asks for less sugar, so the under-sweetened-ness of this tea was a surprise). 3.5/5
If you want the best of both worlds, go for the Yuan Yang, which pairs their HK milk tea with a shot of espresso. Liberally sweetened with condensed milk, it pairs well with the bolo bun. 4/5
Special Multigrain Beef Rice: I had more of a gripe with the price than the meal when it came to this dish. The beef was excellent. Its succulent flavour could be attributed to the sauce (the chef’s own secret recipe), as much as it could be attributed to the beef’s tenderness. At $10.90, though, I expected more beef, so I added a slice of luncheon meat to fill me up (this was reasonably priced, at least, at an extra dollar). 3.5/5
Okonomiyaki: A Japanese pizza-like pancake topped with a variety of veggies, meat, and savoury sauce. This is considered more of a snack in Japan, and while it was a hearty and flavourful one, the portion was definitely too big for me. It also became too mushy and jelak halfway through, and I think adding easing up on the batter and adding some yakisoba on top would’ve provided more texture. 3.5/5
Fried Dry Laksa: This was the only thing I’ve tried so far that I was seriously underwhelmed by. But then I’m rarely impressed by dry laksa, so I wouldn’t say this reflects badly on New & Old. Considering how the dish usually sells out by the end of the day, others might love it, but to me it suffered from all of the problems I tend to have with dry laksa (eg. soft noodles, blandness, lack of a rich coconut broth, etc) and wasn’t worth the $8.90 price tag. 2.5/5
Kaya Butter Toast: A serviceable rendition of a local breakfast staple. The toast was nice and crispy, but the kaya was rather generic and forgettable and tasted a lot like Glory’s standard-fare stuff. The fat slab of butter was definitely a plus, though. 3/5
Peanut Butter Toast: This fared a little better than the kaya toast, since they use Skippy (ever a reliable brand) and give you a choice between creamy and chunky spreads. There’s no beating Toast Box for cheap and good peanut butter toast, though, and you’re better off spending your calories on the far superior bolo bun instead. 3.5/5
Baileys ‘Gao’ Tiramisu: This Irish Cream-based tiramisu, made with a liberal amount of Baileys, was as thick and creamy as you’d expect (hence the ‘Gao’ moniker), though I would’ve preferred more coffee for a stronger caffeine kick. Also, if you don’t like cocoa powder for whatever reason, you have the option of asking them to leave it out. (But what sort of monster doesn’t like cocoa powder?) 3.5/5
All in all, New & Old is a cafe worth coming to even if you don’t like croffles or bolo buns. The varied, ever-expanding menu almost guarantees something for everyone, and the bright, classic-contemporary decor makes this a fine place to chill.
Address: 10 Anson Rd, #01-11 International Plaza, Singapore 079903
Contact: 6223 0849
Website: www.thenewnold.com
