Brunching with the pirate..Arrr!! @ Arbite, Serangoon Garden

I blame SC for his lame pirate jokes.

Objective:
To find brunch near the "kitchen" for lunch.

Qualifying factors:
1. It was noon
2. I haven't had anything since ingesting alcohol the night before
3. We had the car
4. A place to buy ice-cream and cones for dessert
5. It's been awhile since we had a brunch meal
6. It was going to rain, AGAIN!

That is how we ended up at Arbite.

Unusual for a cafe, Arbite (pronounced as "ahr-bahyt") is located on the second floor along the commercial road of Serangoon Gardens. After climbing a flight of stairs, a customer is greeted with minimalistic brown and white decor. I felt like I walked into a party held at my friend's Melbourne studio. The floor space wasn't very wide so your personal space could feel a little invaded.

Arbite lives by the code to bring quality food without hefty price tags. I could see many residents flip-flopping in for food, with their cut off jeans and neighborhood tees. Without the fancy decor, overheads could be kept low (which then wouldn't cut into their running costs) and this translates into affordable food.

We couldn't hang around for long so this was a in and our brunch.

SC's lifeline - his gadgets

I went with Eggs Benedict. I always have a thing for the perfect poached egg. It has to be runny on the inside  but a cooked egg white to hold everything in until the fork pricks it for the cascade of yellowy yumminess. Ahh, the odes I could write to yummy eggs.

Arbite's Egg Benedict dish made the eggs just the way I like them. The brioche was good for soaking up the yolk but the sweetness in the bread got to me after a while. In the end I just ate the eggs with ham and left the bread on the side of my plate. Sweet bread and rich yolk? Not my preference.

Eggs Benedict before and after deflation

SC had the Smoked Salmon Smorgasbord. We were disappointed at the portion as we have encountered other places with a similar price point but had a few more pieces of salmon. He mentioned that it was a little salty for his taste. I am not sure what was added or maybe he had one caper one too many.

As for the serving staff, the "chi" of the particular day was not in alignment with the cosmos.They were flippant towards us as showed us our table and served us our orders. Maybe they were  harried due to the full house. Benefit of doubt given. We shall see during my next visit for pasta.

Personnel aside, it was an affordable brunch with a cosy setting which one could return for.

Arbite's wall hangings

PS: They do takeaway service as well. Not recommended for pasta unless you like your pasta all stuck together after it cools

Arbite
Address: 66 Serangoon Garden Way, Singapore 555962
Tel: +65 62870430
Website:  http://arbite.com.sg/home-s.php
Opening Hours: 11.30am - 3.00pm; 6.00pm - 10.30pm (Tues-Sat)
                         11.00am - 10.30pm (Sat-Sun)
                         Closed on Mondays
Getting there: Take MRT to Lorong Chuan (Circle Line) ► take bus 166 ► Alight at Serangoon Garden Circus roundabout near Chomp Chomp