The Place Taking over the space of what was previously Hustle, 11 Hamilton is a brand new cafe in the Jalan Besar and Lavender precinct around the corner from Chye Seng Huat Hardware. There are two entrances to the cafe, with the main entrance from Hamilton Road, as well as a backdoor entrance. The space is split into an events space, as well as the cafe space proper. 11 Hamilton is joining an area crowded with cafes including the likes of Chye Seng Huat, Apartment Coffee and Mahota Pantry, despite the recent closure of Liberty Coffee Bar just across the road at Jalan Besar.

The interior of the cafe is simple and contemporary, including some seats over the counter which face the open kitchen.

The Food Brunch and dinner service are available at 11 Hamilton, where I checked out its brunch offerings in the day. There is a very good variety of dishes on the menu for brunch, which I feel would cater to a huge audience. I started with the Shakshuka (S$14), a Middle Eastern inspired dish with baked eggs served in tomato stew, baked beans and feta cheese. Served with sourdough bread, this dish is quite hearty and easy to understand. The fresh bread and tomato stew is a combination which can’t go very wrong here.

The Breakfast For Champs (S$22) is great if you have a big appetite. This Spanish inspired dish is essentially Huevos Estrellados, presented in the form of a broken egg yolk splashed across the plate along with potato cubes, jamon slices and scrambled eggs. The element I enjoy most here is the crispy potato cubes, so addictive! It is also served with wild rocket salad and tomatoes.

One dish I had which could be better in my opinion is the Umami Mushroom (S$14). There are a few types of mushrooms here like the shiitake and oyster mushrooms atop the sourdough bread, served along with fried enoki mushroom. The bread was a tad too tough and was difficult to slice through, while the overall flavours of the mushrooms here lack the umami factor of the dish name. It might be more aptly coined as mushroom on toast. A creamy mushroom version may work better in terms of delivering the umami factor in my opinion.

For desserts, the cakes here are worth saving space for as the cafe collaborates with local baker InTheBrickYard. I tried both the Banana Loaf Cake (S$5) and the Ondeh Ondeh Cake (S$7). The textures for both are moist, and at a sweetness level which I find acceptable. The coffee is by local coffee brand Alliance Coffee, which was the first time I had it and I did enjoy the medium acidity coffee flavour.

Rants It would definitely be more inviting if there is ample natural light in the cafe, a constraint on the space unfortunately.

Will I Return Again? Considering the relatively reasonable prices by cafe standards, 11 Hamilton is worth checking out. Competition is stiff especially when there is the perpetually buzzing Chye Seng Huat right around the corner. A good cafe hopping itinerary maybe?

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 3.5/5
Hole in the pocket: 3/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 3.5/5

11 Hamilton
11 Hamilton Road
Singapore 209182
Tel: +65 98223580

Opening Hours
Tuesday to Thursday: 9am to 10pm
Friday to Sunday: 9am to 12am
Sunday: 9am to 5pm
Closed on Monday

Ranted by The Ranter