First impressions are not always what they seem to be.
We were initially wowed by Cafe Mondo's smart settings and overall environment, only to be rudely taken aback by the long wait at the entrance despite staff standing at the counter. They took no notice of us, and when we asked if we could be seated, one girl replied, "Sure, go on in" and continued talking to her co-workers.
As there were two empty 2-seater tables, and we had a group of four, we requested if we could join them together to make enough room. The staff again said ok, but that was it - they did not attend to us at all and we had to move the tables ourselves. It left me wondering if they were attempting to see how far they could take the self-service label...not that there was such a notice around. My colleague, who used to work as a waitress, was fuming at their actions (or lack thereof).
Service non-withstanding, the main courses were actually satisfactory.
One of these was the Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Prawn ($11.50), which was served with just the right layer of cheese and contained many large, succulent prawns. Surprisingly, the macaroni had a 'clean' bite to it; the cheese didn't seem to have penetrated it.
The warm and flaky Chicken Rendang Mango Wrap ($10.80) was also a good choice, filled with melted mozzarella cheese and partially shredded chicken meat brushed with mango spread. The sides were plentiful and I liked the crispiness of the flat, elongated fries; a departure from the standard cuboid shape.
Consisting of tender beef and warm cheese sandwiched between two soft pieces of bread moistened with tomato sauce, the Foccacia Beef Mondo ($11.80) made for a spicy experience. The meat was trimmed free of fat, which is good news for the health-conscious.
The House Iced Sorbet Tea ($6.80) dazzled with its originality. The black tea was superb in flavor, and the lychee sorbet imparted a cooling, delicious aftertaste. A drink truly deserving of its chef's recommendation label!
As the photo looked appealing and the name sounded beautiful, we thought the Snowy Maple ($10.90) would be a wonderful finish to our meal.
Our expectations were dashed in the most terrible way possible. If not for the description and shape, I would not have thought them to be pancakes at all. Hard, dry and tasteless, they also had floury centers which made them extremely difficult to consume when the cream, butter and maple syrup ran out. The sole bright spot was the raspberry sorbet, which was wonderfully icy and fruity.
The other dessert, Chocolate Indulgence ($15.50), was slightly less disappointing, though we had a moment of surprise when the "brownie cubes" turned out to be waffles. Looks like the menu hasn't been updated?
They were crunchy but had little to offer otherwise. The two accompanying scoops of ice cream, the milky Double Cookies and Cream and After-Dinner Mint, and the chocolate sauce edged into the dangerous territory of insipidness.
All in all, almost everything at Cafe Mondo was subpar. Don't even bother trying the desserts; they are among the worst I've ever had.
Orchard Central
181 Orchard Central Road
#02-31/32, S238896
Overall Rating:
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