“Sorry, this café is only meant for hotel guests.” We were initially turned away by the hotel receptionist, when Plane Daze was supposedly opened to the public.
Every often, we hear stories of young budding entrepreneurs reaching out for their dreams, especially in the aspect of opening a café.
The truth is, some succeed, many do not.
Making things work can require a combination of good food, ambience, service and the X-factor, but not forgetting marketing, network and perhaps deep pockets.
Three important lessons to note:
1) Some do not realise that cooking at home in a kitchen, is extremely different from going commercial.
2) Getting family members to critic the cooking – in a café setting, may not provide the most reliable gauge.
3) Open your doors to the public, terming it “soft launch” or otherwise, would indeed mean the cafe is ready for business.
Okay.
Plane Daze is located within The Nobel Hotel along Jalan Besar, which is within walking distance from the likes of Chye Seng Huat, The Tiramisu Hero and 20F Speciality Coffeehouse.
There is no prominent sign of the café, so look out for The Nobel Hotel, if you do intend to go down.
The Mains served include TomYum Pasta ($14.90), Thunder Tea Rice ($12.90), Teriyaki Don ($12.90), Beef Stew ($15.90), Chicken Stew ($13.90) and Roasted Chicken ($11.90 for half, $19.90 for whole).
The story goes that Plane Daze is opened by 2 friends, both first-timers in F&B. The ‘chef’ in the kitchen also has no relevant cooking experience, and well… happens to be the wife of the owner of The Nobel Hotel. (I shall not speculate, but leave it to you to draw your own conclusions.)
Perhaps the kitchen can start with getting some of the basics right first. For example, defrosting the meat thoroughly before cooking, marinating the meat long enough, adding the right amount of water when cooking the rice, amongst others.
To its credit, the roasted chicken drumstick was well, palatable, if we compared to the earlier dishes. Actually, similar to my cookhouse versions.
At the end of the meal, we were thought that the café was focusing on breakfast items for the moment, and a chef would arrive soon. Hope so.
Wishing them, the best of luck, and a pleasant journey ahead.
Plane Daze
The Nobel Hotel, 407 Jalan Besar Singapore 209012
Tel: +65 9818 2243
Other Related Entries
Dose! (Tyrwhitt Road)
20F Speciality Coffeehouse (Foch Road)
Non Entrée Desserts (Rangoon Road)
The Coffee Academics Singapore
The Plain Jane (Serangoon)
* Daniel’s Food Diary pays for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
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