Jolene LeongSingapore’s oldest flour mill Prima, collaborates with Japanese pastry chefs to launch its first upscale bakery, iBake at The Star Vista.
UrbanWire was invited to try some of these home-baked, crackly breads with soft interiors that are an interfusion of classic European and Japanese breads, at the 2-month-old al fresco dining bakery similar to the likes of Maison and Kayser .
You may be in for a treat when you sink your teeth into iBake’s signature batard– similar to the baguette, except wider and easier to bite into. The bread adds life to their range of sandwiches with its flavourful bread—a total of 8 for your picking.
We recommend the Smoked Ham Swiss Cheese sandwich ($12).
Slices of blind Swiss Cheese give the bread a savoury and almost nutty kick, complementing the generous slices of smoked ham very well. Finished with a drizzle of honey mustard, the sandwich is definitely a good pick for meat lovers. For $12, it is a little steep on the pricing considering that sandwiches of this quality cost about $9 dollars at Simply Bread for the ordinary ham and cheese sandwich. However, judging by the portion and the copious amounts of ham and the incorporation of swiss cheese, it is worth the extra $3 top up.
And who says vegetarian sandwiches have to be boring and soggy because of the tofu? Tofu Avocado ($8.50) surprised UrbanWire with its combination of avocado, enoki mushrooms and tofu in sesame sauce reminiscent of Japanese goma salad dressing.
Bits of peanut within the sandwich as you bite into it, giving more texture and flavour to the eatery’s only vegetarian dish. Don’t blame us if your non-vegetarian friends sneak more than a bite of this.
Apart from the dine-in sandwiches, customers can snack on a wide range of pastries. UrbanWire sampled the bite-sized featured items such as the Petite Gruyere Cheese, Petite Anchovy Croissant and French Stick with Milk cream.
The Petite Anchovy Croissant ($1.50) is a salty treat within the flaky and buttery pastry.
The tiny preserved fish wrapped in a fresh basil leaf contains enough flavour to enhance the croissant quite disproportionate to its really diminutive size.
If you’re in more of a cheesy mood, the Petite Gruyere Cheese ($1.50) is easy on the palate since it tastes so mild.
The warm cheese coating in the center of the batard is a well-suited combination of texture and taste.
The closest thing to dessert here is this French Stick with Milk Cream ($2.50). This one’s a unique, sweet treat that reminds one of condensed milk on a bread stick – definitely a childhood favourite and hence a comfort food.
If you’re rushing for time or feel about to burst from that filling meal, feel free to pack any of your leftovers. iBake even tells you how to best enjoy your food with a step-by-step guide on reheating your takeaways which is printed on the side of the take away bag.
iBake went with a clean concept by furnishing the place with simple white chairs and wooden tables, putting more focus on the food rather than the décor. Glass panels with pictures and text of the history of Prima’s four milling origins (Prima’s main business), line the sides of the café. With the alfresco dining open concept, the place can get a little warm on sunny days even with the fans in place so it is not recommended for those who can’t stand the heat.
Another thing we like is the complimentary wifi. Just request for the access code (valid only at 30-minute intervals) from the counter, then snack on your sandwich or pastries while contemplating life on a lazy, quiet afternoon.
Address: 1 Vista Green Exchange, Star Vista, #02-28
Tel: 6694 4718
Opening hours:
Mondays to Fridays 10 am to 10 pm
Saturdays to Sundays 9 am to 10 pm
Price rating: $-$$$
