MEMO By Studio M Hotel Singapore [Review]

Located in Singapore’s bustling, hipster Robertson Quay area, MEMO by Studio M Hotel Singapore is a modern bistro for the neighbourhood that is billed as the ultimate meeting point for casual workaholics to socialise and network within a connected environment.

Offers hearty bistro fare and innovative coffee beverages

Formerly a casual self-service deli, MEMO has recently been transformed into a full-service, all-day dining cafe offering hearty bistro fare, new menu offerings and innovative coffee-based beverages, together with a new look consisting of modern-day amenities and brightened interiors – to bring about a rustic artsy vibe across both its contemporary indoor and al-fresco seating set-up.

And with the introduction of their brand-new look, MEMO hopes to become the meeting ground for both locals and tourists alike and cater to the needs of both groups of people.

MEMO have rebranded and revitalised their food offerings

Said Pjey Mayandi, General Manager of Studio M Hotel Singapore, “With a brand new menu and a creative culinary team helming MEMO, we have revitalised our offerings in response to the evolving tastes of our guests, not just from around the world, but around the neighbourhood.”

Mayandi continued, “Today, MEMO has become an urban-chic neighbourhood bistro that combines creativity, food and drinks.”

Invited for a food tasting at the new-look MEMO

I was invited to a food tasting session at the new-look MEMO Cafe. Hidden within the ground of the Studio M Hotel Singapore, I have to admit that MEMO is not the easiest place to locate, but thanks to help from Google Maps, I managed to get there on time.

The food items at MEMO includes an extensive gourmet menu of light bites ranging from brunch items to hearty meals, promising an indulgent experience that is bound to hit the spot.

I tried a few items across MEMO’s menu and these were as follows.

Grab N Go Menu

Truffle Fries (S$8.00)

Basically French Fries that are tossed with truffle oil and truffle salt, I always love indulging in my Truffle Fries and MEMO’s version was no exception, with the mouth-watering Truffle flavour hitting me immediately when I stuffed some of these into my mouth.

I thought that these Fries had been salty yet addictive, and even when they were slightly cold, I noted that they still retained their crunch, too, which was good. In fact, I had found myself munching on these throughout the tasting session – even when I was no longer feeling hungry.

Soup Menu

Creamy Smoked Tomato Soup (S$10.00)

As the name suggests, this is a tomato soup that is prepared with cherry tomatoes, basil and confit garlic puree and served with a slice of bruschetta bread.

When I first tried this soup, the tangy tomato flavour hit me immediately, and this then gave way to a slight aftertaste of basil. I thought that it was a rich and filling soup that was flavoursome and delicious.

The bruschetta bread, though it had been no longer hot by the time I began munching on it, also packed a punch in terms of its flavour. This had been toasted with butter, herbs and spices, and it tasted great both ways – that is, whether it was eaten on its own, or dipped into the tomato soup.

Brunch Menu

Chum Chum (S$18.00)

This item is an intriguing fusion East Meets West dish consisting of streaky bacon, beef rendang, side salad, fried egg and chicken rice.

At first, I didn’t quite know what to think of this unusual combination but I have to admit that it had definitely turned out to be more tasty than I had expected.

The beef rendang was good. The meat tasted rich, soft, spicy and flavoursome and it almost melted inside my mouth. It was already tasty enough when eaten on its own, but when eaten together with the rice, a very slight hint of chicken flavour comes out too, and I had interestingly thought that this seemed to complement the beef rendang quite well, rather than fighting for attention with my taste buds.

As well, I have to add that the bacon had been cooked rather nicely. It was deliciously crunchy but at the same time, it was not too dry.

However, due to the intense flavours coming from both items, I have to say that eating the beef and the bacon together may feel quite rich after some time, so you will need to eat these in between spoonfuls of the rice and the fried egg, in order to balance out the flavours and cleanse your taste buds to some degree. Thus, this is probably why this dish had been prepared in this manner.

Noodle/Pasta Menu

Prawn Penne (S$18.00)

As the name suggests, this is a penne pasta dish served with garlic confit, cherry tomato, prawn bisque and coriander. It is then topped with a few pieces of sliced half prawns.

I would say that the prawn flavour is definitely strong here, when I took my first mouthful of this dish.

At the same time, there was definitely a hint of spiciness here, which I felt went quite well with the prawn taste.

But it had been quite delicious, though, and as a result, I found myself nibbling on this pasta dish throughout the course of the night. Overall, I would consider this a rich and flavoursome dish, and will certainly appeal to seafood lovers.

Mains Menu

Grilled Herb and Lemon Baby Chicken (S$18.00)

This dish consists of chicken and potatoes served with herb tomato, spinach, sesame seed, spices and then topped with smoky chipotle sauce.

Upon taking a bite of the chicken here, I was immediately hit by a strong smoky-spicy note, which then gave way to a hint of a tomato flavour.

The chicken was soft and I thought the combination was tangy and flavoursome and arrested my taste buds, however, I did feel that the chicken meat could still have been more moist, though. But perhaps it was because I had taken my share from the breast meat.

Desserts Menu

Apple Custard Tart

This is a new item on MEMO’s dessert menu, and is supposed to be a twist on the timeless custard tart dessert, with a layer of crushed apple puree on top of the custard filling.

Taste-wise, however, I thought that the tangy flavour that I would have expected from the apple did not come out as strongly as I would have liked. Though I could taste a hint of apple when I took a forkful of this tart, this would nonetheless have been good in terms of balancing out the sweetness from the custard filling.

That said though, the custard tart was quite nice, with the custard being sweet, soft and moist and melting inside my mouth. And the pastry was also quite buttery and crumbly, and with a hint of fragrance to it too.

In fact, I even found myself breaking off additional pieces of pastry to nibble on even though I had already been feeling quite full by this stage of the food tasting session.

Chocolate Cake

This is basically a standard slice of dark chocolate cake, and MEMO’s version of this classic dessert is very rich, gooey and dark. It resembles a mousse-like texture.

And when I took a forkful, the richness of the cake hit me immediately, before gradually melting inside my mouth. It is delicious and not too sweet and it would certainly appeal to chocolate lovers like myself.

However I would have to add that this cake is probably a dessert that is best shared, because after several bites, I started to feel a bit queasy, as eating the cake began to get quite jelak. Nonetheless, it was still a nice way to end off the meal.

Drinks

From the cafe’s drinks menu, I had the Avocado Smoothie (S$7.00) and the Mango Smoothie (S$7.00).

I had thought that both smoothies were deliciously rich and thick, but unfortunately, the actual fruit taste was not as apparent and I would have liked.

I felt that this was especially so for the Avocado Smoothie, probably because the fruit does not have a strong taste on its own. I could detect a slight hint of avocado flavour, but that was about it. Nonetheless, it was still cold and refreshing.

The Mango Smoothie had fared a little better in terms of the flavour, but I thought that this one was also slightly sweeter than the Avocado Smoothie, probably because Mangoes are naturally a sweeter fruit.

Coffee, Wines and Craft Beers

Besides the food and the smoothies, MEMO also serves a wide selection of wines and craft beers as well as innovative coffee beverages that include offerings such as gingerbread, popcorn and peppermint lattes, to pep up those who are looking to get a good caffeine fix.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to try the coffees during the tasting session, though, because I know that I can’t sleep when there is caffeine in my system at nights.

Definitely A Great Place to Relax

But that aside, though, the MEMO Cafe would definitely be a place that I will have in my mind for the future – whenever I am looking for somewhere to get downtime from any hectic work schedule, or else when I wish to spend some quality time catching up over conversations and food with my family members and friends.