After reading about the 6 new bakeries in Singapore, and having a big hit with Bread King, we went to check out Artisan Boulangerie Co. at Killiney Road after Sunday gym session. Artisan Boulangerie Co. is a contemporary bakery, helmed by award-winning artisan baker, Eran Mayer. When Eran Mayer was in Paris, he was a member of the Paris Chamber of Commerce for Professional Artisan Bakers,  which sounds very pro.

The food and bread are no doubt, good. I had the Chicken Fusilli ($10.50) with extra Scrambled Eggs ($4). The chicken fusilli serving was small, but the fusilli was fresh, chewy and served cold. The scrambled eggs were well textured and milky. N had the ABC Breakfast (18.50), with the standard – sausage, Mesclun salad, eggs and mushrooms, which was tasty too.

They also served their famous Baguette bread basket with the mains, which is their best seller bread. The baguette is a lot harder than the local ones, and a lot more chewy. I would say this is this is a very European way of baking bread because breads in Singapore are typically softer and more fluffy. I also packed the Cereal Baguette ($4.70) for my parents to try and they also found it harder than usual but definitely flavourful; I liked the sesame infused taste and scent!

For dessert, we shared the Lemon Tart ($6) and Flat White ($5.50). The tart had citrus finesse and solid yet crumbly bottom. Their Flat White beans are from Toby’s Estate 100% Arabica Beans – good strongly flavoured cuppa.

However, I feel that Artisan which is in a very nice neighbourhood and has a clean modern look, with good food to boot, lacks a heart and soul. What I really didn’t appreciate was their permanent staff who raised her voice from the kitchen scolding what 4 workers (who look like part timers) very sarcastically. All the 4 workers were trying to dry cutlery to turn the tables, and one of the managers just yelled at them from behind the counter asking them to “open their eyes to look around” quite sarcastically. But the part timers weren’t even slacking.

Also, when I asked the server what bread was in the bread basket, she didn’t even know it was their signature baguette and had to ask someone else – I guess this means they didn’t even let their staff have food tasting and menu understanding. This is a far cry from Bread King or other hipster cafes where the people in the cafes are really passionate and knowledgeable about the food they are serving. Their queue is also an incredibly long wait for the number of people working. Even though I was already seated on a table, I had to re-queue and re-order my dessert and coffee; they should consider taking orders with almost 10 people working in the cafe on the frontline.

I enjoyed the food quality at Artisan Boulangerie Co., though I feel it is a little pricey. I hope the next time I go back, they would have improved the “warmth” level in their service, and also get better at communicating the heritage of their breads and pastries.

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Artisan Boulangerie Co.
Address: #01-01, 118 Killiney Road, Singapore 239555
Phone: +65 6444 8130
Open Daily from 8 am to 10 pm