Sarnies, Telok Ayer Street

This was quite a nice place (136 Telok Ayer Street, tel : +65 6224 6091) for an early day bite. It is unfortunately also quite out of my reach under usual circumstances, but I think they're open on Saturdays too. Coffee's decent, but the foam for the cappuccino was so insubstantial that it was measured by my eyes just marginally thicker than one of a rich latte. But it tasted better than it looks.

Sarnies as I've read is a British slang for sandwich. Strange that I was born in an era when children were mostly educated by people who had learnt the Queen's English and that I had spent some very formative years of my life growing up in pursue of "literature based" hobbies that are of English origins and I've never heard of such a term of theirs until very recently. Well, we live and learn. Place seems to be known for their sandwiches and even their friendly competitor acknowledges so.

Here's a look at their Australian grass fed steak sarnie with mixed greens, mushrooms and balsamic onions. I think it was ok. The meat was well done. I meant that as a description of the doneness and not as a quality of the cooking. Flavour from the meat was minimal and mostly imparted from the onions, dijon mustard and what I believe to be mayo. The state of the meat hence, was the connective tissue (no pun intended) to half a disaster in construction, considering that the bread was airy and soft and didn't quite do the job of holding a bunch of heavy fillings that were spilling out as I tried to rip of bits of sliced cow that couldn't be severed by my teeth. The chewy crust didn't help neither.

Maybe I'll try this again another time with a request for a less well cooked beef on rye instead.

The Sarnie's Fry Up was good. I loved that it was 2 eggs (at least), that the salty and crispy bacon were sodium glazed mouth watering and that the mushrooms were savoury and tasty. Certainly enjoyed a difference of the warm juicy tomatoes were not burnt and tasted fresh, sausages that were meaty and macho, the airy toasts that were soaked in butter and the delicious spicy beans that reminded me of chilli con carne. The ultimate platter of salt, protein, fat and vitamins with that swab of spice that was packaged into a breakfast of champions. For those champions hungover as well.

I liked the vibe from the people in this place. Their toasted buttered bread was a whole world of bread-y difference with the un-toasted sandwich covers. Will definitely be back again.