Symmetry

Reservations highly recommended for this place. Parking was also hard to find. Has a healthy buzz and a relatively dark interior (probably because it is a bar at night), so not the best place for personal conversations.
Food’s decent but not great — very pricey for the quality. Coffee ($ 5.50) is cute, with the gingerbread cookie, but not fantastic. Matcha ($ 6.50) could be richer and less milky.
We got the salmon on toast ($ 24) and the minute steak ($ 29). For the salmon on toast, eggs were perfectly poached, the components went very well together. Special mention to the artisanal toast which held the salmon, avocado and eggs well. Particularly enjoyed the beetroot yogurt on the side. The minute steak was ok, but the sausage wasn’t anything to shout about.
Food is more photogenic than delicious.
The bill came up to $ 76 in total. Pricey.

My wife and I were staying in Singapore for a few days so don’t know what the usual cost is like but i would have given this place 3 $$$ instead of the 2 it had on Unilocal.
This place has a nice relaxed feel, and even though we arrived about 830 on a Saturday it was only about ¹⁄₃ full. Wait staff were attentive and helpful and recommended a few dishes off the bat which was good as it’s a fairly long menu and were terrible at ordering. My cutlery was dirty though and had to ask to get it replaced.
The pork belly was great, simple and delicious, and my wife had the salmon, which was a tiny bit undercooked but excellent otherwise. Cocktails were amazing — worth the spend, try the Symmetric.
Annoyingly GST or whatever its called in Singapore is not included in the price on the menu, so if you’re a kiwi, aussie or brit factor that in. Personal bugbear — i really hate when places do this.
TL;DR: Food really was excellent, as were the cocktails, but expect to pay a premium for it.

Hipster ambiance, beautifully presented and delicious food, and great service!
The four of us came for lunch and shared the Pan Seared Hokkaido Scallop, Super Brunch, Duck Leg Confit Croissant, and Saikyo Miso Cod & Mentaiko Carbonara.
Pan Seared Hokkaido Scallop:
— Though it was a good combination of potato and scallops, the dish would have been more appreciated if more than 2 scallops were given… especially since it was a whopping $ 21 for a starter.
Super Brunch:
–I loved the quinoa, 2 eggs smiling sunny-​side up, and mushroom in this dish! The chicken sausage was a bit salty but the veggies helped complement it.
Duck Leg Confit Croissant:
–Bravo to its scrambled egg and duck confit!
Saikyo Miso Cod & Mentaiko Carbonara:
–The cod was absolutely delicious! It was cooked perfectly, giving it the right moist texture. The carbonara was not too creamy too, making it a light and hearty meal!
I adored the chai latte and and gingerbread man that came with – which is now happily settled in my tummy… oops!
Note: Brunch is only available on weekends and wifi is available upon request for password. Also, when using the sink around the restroom area, you have to step on the lever in order for the water to come out.

Dropped by here on a public holiday and like minded customers decided to stroll in here after realizing that most of the cafes around this area are not open for business on that day — dinner.
We walked in and there were still quite a number of seats available and so we were ushered to one of the seats near the entrance. As it was my first time as well as my friend’s, we had to ask the waiter and waitress for the recommended dishes. Foie Gras burger and the risotto was one of the recommended ones but since two of us are sharing the meal, I decided to go for Symmetry beef short ribs as the main dish and crispy baby squids and black pepper aioli as the appetizer. It was almost 8.30pm when we stepped into this café and we were pretty hungry. By just looking at the menu, we do not really know what to expect as some unfamiliar ingredients popped out from the menu. I was glad that the waiter and waitress were able to give similar recommendations which aided us to choose the dishes pretty quickly.
As I continue to checkout the design of the restaurant, I also noticed that the menu we were holding were in symmetrical order as well (opening and closing). While waiting for the foods to arrive, more and more customers trickled in and we were asked whether we could switch tables and we gladly did (it was a better move as the next space was spacious). The orders started to come in a few minutes after our switch.
The squids came first. It looked rather normal besides the black sauce next to it. I tried the squids without the sauce first and I could taste the crispiness from the flour of the squid. The squid itself was chewy. And adding it to the sauce it added more interesting taste to it. Light on the tastebud but the black pepper in it were pretty strong. Great combination.
The beef ribs came next. The tenderness and juiciness from the beef were beyond words to describe. The fats were «melting in the mouth» according to my friend’s comment. The mashed potato on the dish were creamy and good mix with the edamame provided. Instead of a café kind of dish, I will consider this dish to be like fine dining’s.
After clearing up what’s on the plates, one of the servers came over and checked with us whether we would like desserts to conclude the day. I was eyeing on the Hazelnut and chocolate Mille Feuille for awhile and since we are there, decided to give it a try. Like I mentioned earlier, I was clueless on what’s on the plate even though we were still holding the menu. For this dish, I like the chocolate ice cream and the crumbles beneath the ice cream. The others were not too satisfying for my taste palates (too bitter or too sweet).
Overall, the dishes here are very interesting. They even have brunch menu available on weekends and lunch menu on weekdays. One thing I have to minus a star is the pricing. 1 main + 1 appetizer + 1 dessert added up to around $ 85. Try out those recommended dishes and let me know what’s your inputs :) Bön Appetit!

I like the place and the hipster ambience but the food is not impressive.
It is definitely more than decent with good thick robust coffee. And the portions are very hearty. They also have items on the menu that are good for sharing.
They do take reservations so that makes it easier if you are a big group.

Corn beef and hash was delicious! I recommend this place for a funky vibe with yummy food. Book though, it gets busy on Saturday’s

Hate to need to deduct a point so fast, but tonight the nachos were made with what seems like very low quality cheese sauce made from a jar. Like frito lay style. And they were not cheap.
The quinoa salad was good but small.
Today’s meal was three stars, last one was five, averages out to four. Stick the the breakfast food would be my advice.

I love corned beef hash and Symmetry’s Hickory Corned Beef & Hash just tops my list! The waffles are also good so make sure you save some stomach space for them. Great coffee and indeed this is as good as it gets

I love brunch but hate boring brunch places. Ultimately it comes down to the food but its a bonus when its a fun atmosphere. I really enjoyed symmetry. The food was great. I found the menu to be interesting and well put together. Its not standard and they seem to be trying to make interesting dishes. I liked everyone’s plate except my own. It wasn’t that it was bad. I had the symmetry eggs sur le plat. It just had a little too much sausage and not enough flavor. But the eggs ben was awesome as was the pork collar croissant. They have a nice selection of beer and the prawn popcorn and bacon cheese balls were super tasty. The staff were very nice and attentive. They could give nice suggestions aside from the usual blank stare when you ask whats good. The food came quick. Everyone at brunch enjoyed it and I would recommend it easily. I didnt feel the price was that bad. Its a little more than average but not any more than a place like PS Café and I find the food to be more interesting. I’ll be going back to check out dinner.

Ambience is good, food was tasty and really friendly staff too! Accessible location, only downside I feel is that it is a little pricey (:

good, delicious brunch, in a very cool hipster hangout in the still-​cool neighborhood of kampong glam. so this place, it’s imminently likable. is it weird that I think that someplace this cool ought to be rather irritating? it’s done up in concrete, the hostesses are young trendy females, the baristas wear baseball hats and graphic tees, and the menus are all done up illustration-​style. but the food is delicious, the wait isn’t long — and there’s a good, orderly queue system.
very, very likable.
the portions are pretty reasonable. a big breakfast came with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, sauteed mushrooms, and a mushroom with toast — and my breakfast trio was a cereal parfait, softly-​cooked truffle egg en cocotte and toast with some sort of berry butter. the eggs were soft and delicious, and while I would have preferred a more oaty muesli in my parfait, it was all good.
that same crunchy flake and cluster cereal mélange made another appearance in my order of granola — but this time with a dark purple berry compote and deliciously creamy greek yogurt. mix it up, let it sit and soften slightly, and it’s plenty breakfast for a cereal lover.
so great food, and good sizes.
they also have one of those electronic queuing systems where you take a ticket number and they text you when your turn arrives, so while you might have to wait outside in the abominable heat for a bit (I did say this place was trendy and popular, right?), at least you know there’s a system behind getting your seat (amongst the things I brought back from london was an obsession with queues and an immense annoyance when queuing norms are flouted).
very, very easily return-​able.

Unfortunately I feel like Symmetry has become a victim of it’s own success. I arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed and left absolutely raving… the first time around. The subsequent visit? Not so much. The space is so quaint and lively, but wasted on the fact that it’s a little too obvious that squeezing more customers in, is more important than making sure that everybody is comfortable. Sitting outside in the heat actually turned out to be a much better option!
However, one thing remained the same both times — I think their Truffle Fries are outstanding and from what I’ve had, the best in Singapore. The coffee is also great and I’m sure we’ve all tired to «drown» our little gingerbreads in latte foam every, single, time.
The breakfast dishes that I’ve tried were so excellent during my first visit, but unfortunately second time around — nothing stood out. The Aglio Olio was downright crucified and frankly, considering the serving, a bit of a rip off. The Wildberry Waffles weren’t much better either; all the components were overly sour and there was no balance or hit of sweetness.
I’m really rooting for Symmetry to shape up and return to it’s former glory, it was definitely well worth the hype back then and here’s hoping that they can keep improving!

Oh Symmetry. Why have you fallen so far so fast? I remember when you first opened. I bounced in all wide-​eyed and innocent, was seated promptly and fed delicious coffee and scrumptious food in a timely manner. I felt like this was a standout for Singapore’s crowded brunch/​café scene. I felt like I’d discovered a new world full of wonder, magic and beauty.
Fast forward 6 – 12 months and cynical business management and poor execution have sunk an otherwise promising business. It was Chinese New Year and Symmetry was one of the few places open. I’m not complaining, I still need places to go on public holidays. But when a restaurant remains open it’s a warning sign. It’s more difficult to get produce, there are less places open so crowding is a danger. But none of those things should be an excuse to provide a sub-​standard service or product. Which on this occasion Symmetry most definitely did.
Let’s see. Configuration of the tables had changed to cram in more diners so we were cheek-​by-​jowl. I felt like I needed to execute a triple somersault to get from my table to the door and back. Not comfortable.
Then it took 45 minutes to get two plates of moderately fancy eggs. We’re not talking about slow-​roasted ox-​cheek and duck confit here. Just some slightly fancy modifications on poached eggs, that’s all.
Hey your kitchen can’t handle a full restaurant at lunchtime? That’s a problem for you. If you have 30 covers and you can’t feed 30 covers on a limited lunch menu with simple dishes then you shouldn’t have 30 covers. Maybe you shouldn’t be in business. Just sayin.
So how’s about those poached eggs? They were frankly pretty terrible. I ordered the «sur le plat». Hey everyone — don’t give your dish a fancy French name, it raises expectations. The sur le plat was like virgin sex: quick, uneventful and unsatisfying. It was subtle like beating someone over the head with a fire extinguisher. Maybe it gets the job done but it isn’t worth the effort.
I was promised «artisanal bread» and good quality sausages. I got a crusty piece of butter-​slathered cardboard and what tasted like supermarket-​quality frankfurters chopped up and served lukewarm in a saucepan. And the eggs. Oh the eggs. How do you undercook poached eggs? You know those half-​boiled eggs you eat with kaya toast? They have a very unique consistency somewhat reminiscent of what one might use for inseminating the *other* kind of egg. Y’all know what I’m talking about.
And that’s fine. I love half-​boiled eggs. But I ordered poached eggs. And these eggs were definitely not poached.
I’m sorry Symmetry but even a halfway passable coffee and service with a smile did not save my abominable experience. Never coming back.

the service staff is amazing — Iqbal. he remembers my clique by name and our orders too! and the food is delicious — a tad expensive but worth every cent. coffee is alright.

I decided that I liked Symmetry when i first set sight on the café but by the time i left, i decided that i was in love with it. You know that feeling when you met someone for the first time but felt comfortable talking about everything and anything like you’ve known each other all your life? That was Symmetry for me. It knows me inside out.
Café by day, restaurant bar by night, Symmetry is a cosy and laid back spot in the Bugis area, situated within Jalan Kubor. The décor, the vibe and the music were all too familiar to me. We have the same great taste in music for the songs they played were all on my favorite playlist. ;)
The lunch menu isn’t as extensive as the brunch one but the selection is still wide. I had to have my eggs regardless so it was the Poached Eggs for me. The waiter recommended this over the Croque Madame and i must say that i was very pleased with this.
These were runny as though they were more soft boiled than poached. The creamed potato mash went nicely with the sunshine yolk. The spicy chorizo and caramelized shallots were amazing with the sweet and smoky flavors. Bacon was honey glazed but still maintained the saltiness. Oh and the blueberry butter cream was a nice touch to the entire dish. I really loved how the different flavors came together.
The coffee tasted good but the foam wasn’t made well. As i was trying to get a good shot of the latte art, i noticed that my foam started to sink and bubbles started popping. Hmm… They took quite a while to get our coffee and it was only served after our mains have arrived. Something needs to be done about that.
I will probably be back to try the other items on the brunch menu. They look too good to be passed over. See you guys there sometime!

First up, I’m not as discerning in the taste bud department as some others. I’m actually rather plebeian so subtle, nuanced eats and I don’t really click. Next, I view hipster/​indie joints with a morbid fascination. On one hand, it’s revolting. I can’t cycle so I don’t see the allure of a bamboo bike. On the other hand, I quite like cement/​brick walls and exposed pipes.
Anyhow. You need reservations for this place. They write your name, time slot and number of pax on a rock so you know which table is yours, which is. interesting because it looks like a bible verse. You know– Timothy 3:16 that kinda thing.
Eggs are supposed to be done well here, so eggs it was. I had two eggs in a pepper purée sauce populated with an incredible amount of chopped sausage, while the other diner had eggs ben with maple glazed bacon. And because we were greedy, we had a cold cut platter to share too. And the eggs. Oh the runny eggs. My inner auntie frowns upon ordering a pair of eggs for $ 20 when you can get 10 for $ 2, but she’s easily placated with cold cuts. Which were ok, really. Smoked salmon, parma ham and some cured meat thing that came with blue cheese and another slab of even smellier cheese. I do love me some smelly cheese. The mains fared much better though, and the other diner was pretty happy with the nosh. As the day wore on (we were there at 11), the place was absolutely buzzing with activity, but happily we were free to just chill.
On the downside, the place is really cramped. Every time someone walks behind me, I get bumped, which is all the time. You can’t really tell wait staff from diners, which can be a bit confusing since everyone’s wearing those tortoise shell rimmed spectacles, sporting a tattoo or turned up pants. And the price point is on the high side for a place located opposite a cemetery (cemetery. symmetry. is there a link?). Would I return? Well, yes, but only when it’s pay day.

Initially, I was hesitant to try this place because of the mixed reviews I’ve read. On one end people raved about their brunch & ambiance and on the other critics condemned their steep prices and mediocre food. After trying it for myself last night I see the merits of both sides’ arguments.
Firstly, it does have a beautiful ambiance! We went there on a rainy night and it seemed almost as if you stepped into someone’s house. Someone with a good vintage/​indie taste, of course. The contemporary art pieces mixed with the occasionally 1960s pin-​up posters creates an atmosphere of old world meets new world. The wooden furniture and shelves contrasted against modern cutlery and crisp white plates. Even the toilets are candle lit and decorated with old books (for your reading pleasure).
Now onto the food, the subject of much controversy. Yes, I agree most dishes are overpriced especially for a little hole in the wall on some unknown street. It is not exactly the city center but they are commanding city prices. Why? Because some of their food is really THAT GOOD. Mainly, the beef flank! It was heavenly! I bet many restaurants in the city could not even whip up beef half this good. It was truly amazing. Recently, I ate at Valentino’s, at turf city, arguably one of the best steaks I’ve tasted in Singapore at a whopping price tag of $ 288! Good beef don’t come cheap! Compared to the prices out there, Symmetry’s beef flank is a steal (though not in quantity)!!! I was pleasantly surprised that a humble little café could whip up such a delectable dish! I’ll definitely be back for more. Other than the beef flank, I heard that their Lamb shoulders ($ 49) was highly recommended but one of my dinner companions did not take lamb so we passed on this dish. If it’s anything like the beef flank… I can’t wait to come back to try it (although I am not a big fan of lamb).
To the critics’ merit, the other dishes paled in comparison to the beef flank. Despite the cod and chicken both being very fresh (and the chicken surprisingly more tender than it looked), the style of cooking and sauces that accompanied them were quite average. Kudos to the chef for trying to spice up the chicken dish with truffle sauce but the combo didn’t hit it off with me. The chicken pan-​fried was simply too blend for me and even though I love truffle sauce, it could not save the dish. The cod was average. Simple, Safe, Tried & tested. Nothing special.
For desserts we had the milkshake and compressed baby carrots. The milkshake was rich and flavorful :) but at $ 9 a pop… I rather get mine from OnceAUponAMilkshake. A good attempt at trying to conjure up a new creation with carrots but unfortunately this dessert was disappointing. Served with a small scoop of what tasted like bread-​pudding ice-​cream and some crumbs of what we speculated were nuts, oatmeal, cookie crumbles and crust of carrot cake? This was indeed a weird concoction as if the chef raided the fridge for last night’s left overs and toss it all together in a bowl. Last but not least… the carrots!!! They were served raw! it was so strange to munch on real, life-​sized, baby carrots with ice-​cream??? Not a good combination at all! Vegetables do not belong in my ice-​cream :(
Food Recap: 5 stars for the excellent beef flank & delightful ambiance — 2 stars for the mediocre other dishes.
1. Cod $ 32 — OK
2. Corn fed chicken $ 28 — OK
3. Beef flank $ 38 — LOVE
4. Strawberry milkshake $ 9 — LOVE
5. Compress Baby Carrots $ 15 — Pass!
Overall, if you order the right dishes, don’t mind spending $ 50+++/pax on a café in an obscure location and enjoy a nice indie café this place can be a treasure for you.

The eggs benedict was kind of blah. They have a caramelised onion under the poached egg that gave the dish a really confusing flavour– sweet and savoury and not in a good way. I was not able to finish it. And I was hungry. Hmmm…
The tables and chairs were really close to each other. You were either pressed against the wall, pressed against your dining companions or the other patrons seated behind you. And you have to squeeze to get to your table, to the washroom and also on the way out. This would probably be very acceptable if the food was good but this was not the case.
Now on to the not so bad. I guess the pluses are that you can actually reserve a seat, the above average service and the cute woody décor of the café. But this would not be bringing me back anytime soon.
Hence, the below average food and uncomfortable environment earns Symmetry 2 stars!

(Note — this review and rating relates to coffee only).
Espresso — dark reddish brown crema, roughly correct volume for an espresso shot, maybe a little high. First impressions were of a slight acidity, which faded slightly. and is tempered by the flavour of a more earthy, darker roasted bean in the mix. The end result is a balanced shot.
Cappuccino — latte art, which is always a good sign — microbubbles give a smooth mouthfeel, but the underlying characteristics of the espresso were still present — they were muted but not eliminated. This was a combination of milk, foam and espresso that complemented each other.
The shots are quite potent though, I definitely felt the effects afterwards. Symmetry is also home to a Slayer espresso machine, which can pack a double ristretto into each shot — if you are in any way sensitive to caffeine, please bear this in mind when ordering drinks!
It’s slightly more expensive than other café’s, with an espresso and a cappuccino costing roughly $ 12, but the quality of coffee is good. Staff were attentive and happy to talk coffee, and made a good effort to ensure that the coffees served were ok.

I echo the previous review. I don’t often give one stars out… maybe I should give 2 because the staff were more than attentive.
This place is for you if you like superficial and vacuous hang outs — its got the stereotypical hipster décor, nice music and cool looking people hanging about. But I am not here for that. The food is apt for this place: it delivers high on presentation and very little on substance.
I ordered the ‘flan’ which was anything but. A thin crust tray with slimey mushroom sauce, with 2 pork cheeks and an egg sitting in it. When asked if the food was ok, I said this wasn’t a flan and their explanation was a ‘deconstructed’ flan. I don’t expect bar staff to go post-​modernist on me. Surely the point of a deconstructed flan is that one is such a master of flans that one can improve upon it? Its not an excuse for not being able to make a decent flan — one that would send you back to the days when your culinary mum would have made for you after playing a game of football. It was also pointed out that the pork was tasteless and should have more flavor which was presented as feedback to the chef. But there was no attempt to satisfy the disappointed customer. Think it was around 23 dollars plus service charge plus tax for the Duchamp of dining.