Cottage Kitchen and Bakery

Got to learn about the existence of Cottage Kitchen & Bakery whilst scrolling through social media — if anything, Cottage Kitchen and Bakery is probably an establishment that truly fits the definition of being “hidden”; these folks are actually tucked in basement three of a mixed-use (residential-cum-commercial) property within the Upper Thomson neighbourhood named Thomson V Two. The same building is also where one can find other F&B establishments such as The Plant Kitchen, Yen Izakaya, as well as Ciel Patisserie. For those whom are somewhat familiar with the building, the level of which that one can find Cottage Kitchen and Bakery would be the very same one where AhMah's Legacy that is best known for their Ang Ku Kueh, Shallot Oil Muah Chee and Shallot Oil Orh Nee are also located — Cottage Kitchen and Bakery takes up a prominent shop unit that is located directly at the landing of the travellator linking up basement two and basement three. Cottage Kitchen and Bakery is a concept by the folks behind COTTAGE by The Straits People Cafe (TSP Coffee) and which is located at Jalan Pemimpin around Marymount; their space at Thomson V Two is a pretty tiny one when compared against the location at Jalan Pemimpin however comprising of only three outdoor tables that seats two (2) pax each being available on site just along the aisles of the retail gallery; the shop unit being entirely used for the preparation of food while the counter as well as some of the food that they have to offer being situated along the aisles with the dine-in seating space. The food menu at Cottage Kitchen and Bakery is fairly limited; its food offerings are all listed in the Homemade Sandwiches section of the menu, while beverages will include that of espresso-based specialty coffee, as well as a line-up of “frothy” lattes and drinking chocolate to go along. A small selection of freshly-baked breads can also be found displayed near the counter as well.

Skimming through the menu, one of the items that we had taken an interest in would be the Ham ‘N Oozy Egg Sandwich; this is being described on the menu as a sandwich that comes with lean turkey ham, oozy sunny side egg, melted cheddar and mozzarella; the default type of bread that comes with the sandwich would be a light wheat bread which the folks behind the counter had also mentioned is “Hainan-style bread” — patrons do however have the option to swop this out with their homemade Focaccia or Sourdough at a $2 too-up. We went with upgrading our order of the Ham ‘N Oozy Egg Sandwich to come with Focaccia instead. All sandwiches are made-to-order and therefore orders for sandwiches will require some waiting time to be prepared — this is especially so since the operations of Cottage Kitchen & Bakery is pretty much a one-man show. It is also observed that the Ham ‘N Oozy Egg Sandwich also comes with a salad on the side. Taking a bite into the sandwich, the Focaccia is truth the highlight here; having been toasted, the Focaccia comes with a crusty exterior — all that whilst the bread within comes sponge-y with a bit of chew; there is a bit of density to allow for some tension as one chews on the bread, but not causing it to feel particularly heavy at the same time. Despite the mention of the oozy sunny side up egg for the sandwich in its description on the menu, the egg yolk was done to a near fully-cooked stage — still wet in some areas, though perhaps done so to allow for easier consumption for its patrons especially if they choose to so enjoy their sandwich by hand. The inclusion of mozzarella adds that stringy texture that melted cheese usually comes with; gels the focaccia, turkey ham and sunny side-up altogether whilst providing a savouriness that provides a slight contrast to the saltishness of cured meat that the turkey ham carries — quite a classic combination of its own.

During our visit to Cottage Kitchen and Bakery, one of the two (2) bakes that they were offering as part of the freshly-baked breads selection at the counter would be that of their Garlic Braid. This is a braided bun that sees the use of what seems to be garlic spread and fried garlic alongside kale(?). Liked how the bun wasn’t too dense being more towards the light and airy side; pillowy when we sunk our teeth into it, whilst the garlic spread helps to add a garlicky fragrance to the bread — further elevated by the even stronger garlicky notes from the fried garlic that added a crisp texture to provide a contrast of textures. Quite a value-for-money eat especially if one considers how it is being priced af $2.50. We also managed to try the Frothy Taro Latte — while the namesake of the beverage mentions Taro, the description interestingly mentioned the use of sweet potato; the Sweet Potato Latte does come in a lightly purple hue just like how one would expect a purple sweet potato latte will turn out to be. The Frothy Taro Latte does deliver on the Frothy part; being served in a manner that is reminiscent to that of a cappuccino, there is a soft, earthy and sweetness that goes around the entire cuppa which would hit the hearts of those whom love sweet potato-infused beverages and desserts.

Our visit to COTTAGE by The Straits People Cafe (TSP Coffee) was made quite a long while ago and it does seem that these folks have definitely come a long way in the local F&B scene; albeit in a more low-profile manner compared to others whom have been in the scene around the same time as them. Still, it seems that Cottage Kitchen and Bakery has wow-ed us with the quality and execution of their breads that seemed to have surpassed what we had remembered them to be during our visit to COTTAGE by The Straits People Cafe (TSP Coffee) years back. We also liked how homely Cottage Kitchen and Bakery felt; the sole lady running the place being passionate not just with the food that they are serving, but also made their patrons feel welcomed in the space and well taken care of despite having to bake whilst preparing and taking orders — always greeting anyone passing by the area coming down via the travellator. The items listed in their Homemade Sandwiches section of the menu are priced from $6.00 to $10.90; the lowest-priced being the Toast & Eggs and Mushroom Melt Sandwich, while the priciest being the Eggs, Salmon and Sourdough. With so much passion and sincerity in the folks running the space that translates to the quality of the bread it serves, Cottage Kitchen and Bakery is that hole-in-the-wall spot that is worth making the way down just to check out what they have to offer — one of the very few cafes out there these days with a lot of soul and character behind its operations.