Carrara Cafe

Few desserts in the world are as enduring as ice-cream and gelato, which have been enjoyed by generations and remain hugely-popular after-dinner or tea-time treats. Gelato cafes and ice-cream parlors have also sprouted up all over the island, particularly in the heartlands, serving new and refreshing flavors catering to millennial and Gen Z taste buds. Getting a gelato is now so convenient, it is probably more difficult to come up with an excuse not to get one than to actually get one.

It was during a recent foray to ABC Brickworks food centre that I chanced upon Carrara Cafe, located just below an old HDB block beside the main road. Admittedly, they have been around for many years now but I had driven by this block countless times and yet was unaware of its presence. Right across its frontage, there is a whole line of potted plants, with an overhead shelter slanting downwards that slightly obscures it from street view. It does not help that the colorless, lighted signboard above the shop simply says "Carrara" without any tagline or icons to indicate the presence of a gelato cafe.

But what do I know? They have 2 outlets (the other one is in Toa Payoh), and this one at Jalan Bukit Merah has been around since 2018, with almost 600 reviews on Google - so I'm more likely the ignorant one. 

The Food

Fried Chicken Waffle ($12.90)

Chicken and waffles has its origins from the US back in the 1930s, where it is considered "soul food" and southern cuisine. Many cafes here offer this on their menu, though I feel not many do it well. The chicken must be well-marinated with a crispy crust and the waffle lightly-scented with vanilla extract with just enough sweetness to provide the an ideal contrast to the savory fried chicken. The chicken here has a garlicky aroma (which I liked, but my daughter didn't) with just a light crisp on the outside. The waffles here score okay on taste but is definitely not as light as the ones I've had elsewhere.

Salted Egg Fried Chicken Waffle ($13.90)

We also tried a version with the salted egg yolk sauce, essentially the same thing with an added sweet-savory, full-bodied salted egg sauce drizzled atop the fried chicken. It's not a revolutionary item of course, as many eateries offer this on their menus as well. But something as rich as salted egg on something as heavy as fried chicken is definitely not for the faint-hearted, so I'd recommend this more for sharing.

Sausage Swiss Rosti ($15.90)

I love my rosti. Coucou, the Swiss restaurant at Craig Road, does a very good version which I think is still the best I've had so far. But when it comes to cafes, the standard of the rosti here is not too shabby either. The coarsely-grated potatoes are seared such that it has a crackling golden-brown crust, yet still moist and soft inside. It's an interesting contrast in texture, and the black pepper flakes certainly helped enhance the flavor as well. The accompanying jumbo sausage is pretty average, but still, I'd certainly recommend this for the rosti!

Chicken Bolognese ($12.90)

I'm not a pasta person, but my daughter is big on spaghetti, so this was an item I was compelled to order. The spaghetti came steaming hot and slathered with a rich chicken bolognese sauce. I appreciated that the pasta noodles were cooked till just about al-dente (you'd be surprised by how many eateries just overcook them - even those that supposedly specialize in pasta).

Truffle Fries ($8.90)

I’ll be nastily honest and say that the truffle fries are a little flat here. It could be that the shoestring fries served were fried with an earlier batch, but they just didn’t come off as freshly-fried (i.e. neither piping-hot nor crisp). Plus they skimped on the truffle-flavoured spray, as the truffle smell wasn’t pronounced. The parmesan flakes on top were paltry, to say the least. I’d give this a miss on my next visit. 

Signature Waffle ($6.50, $2.70 for additional scoop of gelato)

But the litmus test of a gelato cafe must be the standard of its gelato and waffles. Arriving in the standard size with the iconic grid-like surface impression, they were fresh off the waffle iron and emitted a nice fragrance. Lightly-dusted with sugar icing and a drizzle of chocolate syrup as a finish, it was crisp and light. The gelato was impressive - rich and creamy with a milkier taste. We selected were the After 8 chocolate mint and salted caramel (both were good), though they have many other interesting flavors such as Oolong Osmanthus, Bluepea Lemongrass Pandan and Ispahan (rose, lychee & raspberry). 

With the recent crazy-hot weather, it's probably a good idea to head on down to an ice-cream or gelato cafe and avail yourself of one. Carrara Cafe offers a good variety of gelato at a convenient location - do check them out the next time you are in the vicinity!

You can also check out the reel below to have a closer look at what we tried here.

Address: Blk 2 Jalan Bukit Merah #01-5148 Singapore 150002

Opening Hours: 

Sun-Thurs: 11.3am to 9.3pm

Fri-Sat: 11.3am to 10pm

(Last order for hot food at 9pm)

Date of Last Visit: 11th May 2023