I chanced upon Benjamin Browns when I was shopping at Forum The Shopping Mall a few weeks ago.  I was rather impressed with its European bistro and bakery inspired interior decoration. But it was only yesterday afternoon that I had a chance to lunch at the bistro and bakery.

Benjamin Browns offers a Weekday Express Set Lunch menu at SG$28++. For that, you get a soup of the day, a main course (selected pasta or sandwich), a slice of cake, and a drink. And with an additional $2, you get to have either the Steak Sandwich or Pork Belly Burger for the main course.

Yesterday, the featured soup was Cream of Broccoli. The soup is full of finely diced broccoli, unfortunately, it is too runny and lacks flavour. It is also very lightly seasoned which some people might find it rather bland. I didn’t like the soup very much.  The only consolation is the thin slice of toast bread with garlic spread. The bread is crispy and the garlic spread gives it much flavour.

I made the right decision to go with the Steak Sandwich.  The beef is very tender and juicy.  The mayonnaise dressing gives the sandwich an additional dimension. The fries and salad that accompany the sandwich are very nicely done as well.

The cake of the day was Black Berry Chocolate Cake.  The texture of cake is very light but I couldn’t tell whether it is a carrot cake or chocolate cake. There is a thick layer of chocolate on the top of the cake. But there are walnuts and spices in the cake, which are the key ingredients of a carrot cake.  It’s a confused cake. I didn’t even finish the cake partly because it didn’t taste nice and also, I was rather full after the sandwich.

Personally, I would like to have the option of having either the soup or cake of the day.  It is very filling to finish all the three dishes.  With the option of soup or cake, the price could be reduced to make it more competitive.

Nevertheless, I was disappointed with both the soup and cake. And the set menu is mediocre. If I were to return to the bistro, I think I will just stick to the sandwich and a drink.

Benjamin Browns
Forum The Shopping Mall,
583 Orchard Road #01-20/21,
Singapore 238884