Marmalade is a classic slow-food experience. The experts say that making marmalade involves cooking the ingredients slowly over a very long period of time so as to draw out every last drop of flavour from the fruits. We had brunch recently at Marmalade Pantry Ion Orchard. The food was good but it was certainly a slow dining experience.

Located on the 3rd level of ION Orchard, The Marmalade Pantry occupies an open space in the wide atrium of the mall. It means that the place feels open and airy but it also means that is no privacy of any sort. All the shoppers and passers-by can see the diners and what they are eating.

Marmalade Pantry ION Orchard is quite attractive – it has a stylish casual look with the clever use of colour graphic elements.

The Marmalade Pantry at ION Orchard has a take-away counter and its cup cakes seem to be very popular.

The Marmalade Pantry Menu

Marmalade Pantry is an afternoon tea kind of place. Cakes & tarts, coffee & tea and other beverages are on the menu. However, they also offer sandwiches and pastas as well as a few meat and fish dishes.

On weekends and public holidays, Marmalade Pantry ION Orchard serves brunch items. Currently, they also have a 2-course dinner specials at $38 per set.

Brunch at Marmalade Pantry ION Orchard

We went to Marmalade Pantry ION Orchard for brunch recently. We arrived just before 11 am and there were a few tables already occupied. We had to stand at the entrance for quite a while before anyone attended to us and showed us to our table. The cafe was obviously under-staffed. We could see that the waiting staff were trying their best to cope but we, as well as other patrons, had a hard time trying to get the attention of any staff when we needed to.

Eventually, we did manage to place our orders – The Marmalade Club Sandwich ($22), Caramelized Pear Bread Pudding ($14) and coffee ($6 for Long Black and $7 for Flat White. Service charge and GST would be added to the bill.

Water was served with asking. The waiting staff also brought side plates and extra set of cutlery when he surmised that we would be sharing our food. We really appreciated the good service and initiative. The service could be a bit friendlier but the staff were probably overworked and too stressed out to put on smiles and have amiable chatter with the customers.

Coffee was served within a few minutes after our orders were taken. We waited for about 20 minutes for our food. When they arrived, they looked nice and the portions were generous.

The Marmalade Club Sandwich came with sweet potatoes fries. The sandwich had the usual fillings of honey baked ham, egg, tomatoes and lettuce as well as a very tasty chicken salad with raisins. The bread was well toasted. It was a hearty club sandwich which was very enjoyable.

The Caramelized Pear Bread Pudding was the prettier of the 2 dishes. It was served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Thin crepes enveloped the toasted bread, soaked with some decadent custard sauce, and  chunks of caramelized pear. The sea salt caramel added a  salty contrast to the dish. It was an indulgent sweet and savoury concoction which was very enjoyable.

The coffee was good too – rich and not too acidic.

Overall, it was a very nice brunch at Marmalade Pantry ION Orchard. If only we did not have to endure all the waiting. As the cashier was also the same person who was attending to the popular take-away counter, it meant that we had further waiting to do after our meal. After asking for the bill, one of us could go shopping while the other sat at the cafe to wait for the bill. The bill was settled some 20 minutes later, during which time the one who had gone shopping had paid for a coat in a neighbouring boutique.

Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: 3
Value: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 3TOPs 

The Marmalade Pantry ION Orchard
Unit 03-22 ION Orchard
2 Orchard Turn
Singapore 238801

Tel: +65 6734 2700

Opening Hours:
Mondays to Fridays 10.00 am to 10.00 pm
Saturdays to Sundays 9.00 am to 10.00 pm

Nearby Stations: Orchard

themarmaladepantry.com.sg/city

The Ordinary Patrons
a Singapore food blog by ordinary people looking for places to eat

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