Laurent’s Café is an underground gem in the heart of Orchard Road offering a menu of brunch items and desserts.
The cafe by renowned French chocolatier Laurent Bernard might be easy to miss as it sits on the basement level of a mall, but if we told you The Heeren, would you know where already?
Beautiful and authentic French fare and world-class desserts are what you can expect from this cosy and inviting space. Laurent’s Café is indeed those under-the-radar spots in town and it might easily be our favourite cafe in the Somerset area already!
And the best part? You can now enjoy 50% off your second main course every day from 6pm to 10pm when you quote ‘ladyironchef’ upon making a reservation. This offer is valid till 31 May 2016. More details at the end of this post.
AUTHENTIC AND HEARTY FRENCH FARE
A decade ago, French chocolatier Laurent Bernard founded his first desserts cafe here in Singapore and ever since, he has been winning everyone over with his artisan chocolate desserts, especially the popular Dark Chocolate Soufflé.
Today, his love for the kitchen has extended to culinary, and Laurent Café is where you can savour his very authentic French fare that are both hearty and affordable. In their menu, expect all-day brunch items, sandwiches, salads and even full-on roasts. You will be spoilt rotten for choice.
The Croque Monsieur Sandwich (S$19) comes in a really generous portion. The toasted breads are stuffed with gruyere cheese, ham and silky béchamel. The exterior has a nice crunch from the toasting, and the filling is a burst of classic French flavours that is no less comforting. Fresh green salad is also served on the side.
The Iberico Eggs Benedict (S$22) has got to be our favourite. While Eggs Ben are becoming all too common, Laurent Bernard improvises his and uses premium Iberico ham instead of the ubiquitous ham types. Together with sautéed forest mushrooms, organic eggs, Hollandaise sauce and homemade English muffin, every bite was an explosion of flavours.
If Eggs Ben ain’t your thing, you have The Farmers Breakfast (S$24) that is a combination of everything delicious.
Organic scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, sausages, baked bacon, sautéed mushrooms and toasted bread. It was an odd thing but we actually really loved the baked bacon and sausages in this dish. Comforting and lip-smackingly delicious, this dish can do no wrong.
There are pasta choices too, and they include selections such as Spaghetti Carbonara (S$18), Spaghetti Bolognese (S$18) and Spicy Linguine Aglio e Olio (S$19).
We tried the latter and very generous amounts of chilli bits were actually tossed in, so if you love your pasta fiery, this should please! Lots of juicy prawns and plump garlic chunks accompanied the pasta, making it a really filling dish!
Out of all that we’ve tried, the classic French Crispy Duck Leg Confit (S$26) took our breath away. Boy, were we left speechless!
Crispy skin and a warm interior, the duck fats left the meat still juicy, and the baked Lyonnaise potatoes on the side looked more than unassuming but were surprisingly very flavourful. If you are not the biggest fan of duck, this might covert you to one.
Other mains to choose from are Braised Pork Belly (S$25), Burgundy Beef Stew (S$22) and Provencal Chicken Thigh (S$23), so there is something for everyone, no matter what meat you prefer.
SIGNATURE CHOCOLATE TREATS & MORE
No matter how full our tummies were, we will not pass up any chance of getting some of Laurent’s chocolates.
A classic dessert dish that is well-loved by many is the Homemade Waffle (S$13) that is served with ice cream, berries and cream. The Liege waffles are baked to a lovely texture that is slightly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
And how can we leave Laurent’s Café without a serving of the famed Dark Chocolate Soufflé (S$18.50)?
If you haven’t had Laurent’s soufflé, you haven’t really had a soufflé. Perfectly puffed up and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and cream, the eggy dessert is definitely the best rendition you can get in town.
Laurent’s Café also has a selection of desserts and cakes on display to have in-store or to go. Of course you have to try the signature Strawberry Tart (S$11.10) and Pure (S$11.10) if it is your first time.
The former had the sweetest Korean strawberries surrounding it and the reason Korean strawberries were used, is because they are currently in season. The chefs at Laurent’s Café will only use strawberries that are in season for their desserts at any point in time to ensure the best quality and freshest sweetness. We were also told that they will not sell this tart completely if no good strawberries are in season.
Well, what can we say? Just one bite and we were completely sold.
The Pure (S$11.10) chocolate mousse cake is basically every chocolate lover’s dream. Made from Chuao beans (a kind of high quality cocoa beans from Venezuela), the cake wins our heart with the rich but balanced chocolate center.
Take 50% off every second main dish every day from 6pm to 10pm* only at Laurent’s Café when you quote “Ladyironchef” and ‘like’ Laurent Bernard’s official Facebook page. This promotion is applicable for any main course on the menu and the 50% off promo code only applies to the second dish that is of same or lower value.
*Reservations are required for dining on weekends and you have to quote “Ladyironchef” upon making your reservation. For walk-ins on weekdays, you have to quote “Ladyironchef” upon seating to enjoy this special offer.
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Laurent’s Café
260 Orchard Road #B1-02C
The Heeren
Singapore 238855
Tel: +65 6235 2340
Daily: 9am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Somerset
This post was brought to you by Laurent’s Café.