Paisley & Cream, The Central

The girls celebrated Diana's 23rd at Paisley & Cream. The first one among the four of us to graduate, sign a job contract and leave our sunny shores for "pearlier pastures". One of my absolute best girlfriends, Diana is almost like my traveling companion on the as-cliche-as-it-sounds Journey of Life. Together, we plan to go from On a Shoestring to LUXE Guide, raise kids on the Shichida Method and hopefully refrain from aging physically thanks to diligent sun abstinence.

As the rest of us had to head back to school for meetings (what public holiday?), the Birthday Girl picked somewhere near school for brunch. By the time we got through the doors, I was seriously crossing my fingers for 'proper food' or something that would help me score low-fat brownie points. However, the mesmerizing cupcake array, chandeliers and hot pink walls screamed 'Dessert Paradiso' and spontaneously set off the sugar detector in my brain.

Warning! Dangerous Terrain Ahead.

Although the cafe's cupcakes were baked in-house daily (thus upping the temptation), I needed PROPER FOOD. In the past couple of weeks, an imbalance diet (high on chocolate, sugar and butter, low on just about everything else) had left me worse for worn. I felt one of the Crash Test Dummies on Downsize Me, thankfully without the horrid orange jumpsuit. You know nutritionists are always telling us to add some colour to our food choices but I'm pretty sure cupcake frostings don't quite qualify in this instance.



To my sugar blood level's surprise, Paisley & Cream did have a substantial 'proper food' menu that included a delectable-sounding spread of breakfast, wraps and salads.



Zee and Joyce kick-started their day with breakfast while Diana and I rolled with the flow with a couple of wraps. In true American fashion, Joyce's New York New York showcased a heavy spread of waffles, bacon and fried eggs, served with a tall glass of fruit juice. Zee's The Sun Also Rises featured scrambled egg and smoked salmon, served in a martini glass, with bagel on the side.



I reckon there could have been only 1 person preparing the hot food as our wraps arrived after the ectomorphs were halfway through breakfast. Diana went for Here, There and Everywhere, a mushroom and cheese wrap while I opted for an Indian Summer.



Creamy boneless tandoori chicken and greens bundled up within crisp wrap, doing away the need for any yogurt-moisturizer. In every biteful, I was treated to a mingler of smoky spice-riddled tandoori flavour and refreshing greens. The wraps were served with either fries or potato salad, and green salad. The potato salad was leaking mayo but the greens, lightly dapped with vinaigrette dressing, was palatable.



We shared the bread and butter pudding that was large enough for the four of us. Chunks of bread skimmed the stodgy pudding, which would have been great if it were served warmer.

It's funny. I've been to The Central a handful of times but always stayed clear of the cafe that looked more like a Hallmark greeting card. As a passerby, I just didn't get the right vibes from the Paris-Hilton pink interior and cream-coloured thrones. Inside, the cafe sits about hmm, fifteen and the imposing front bar made me feel like a hobbit in Sir Ian Mckellen's girlie suite. That being said, aesthetics aside, the wraps are definitely worth coming back for.

Humans

Obviously we know who's really good at candid shots.