Gemmills: All-Day Dining at Your Favourite Watering Hole
PUBLISHED June 12th, 2017 07:00 am | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 04:26 pm
You’re in the CBD and you’ve got some time to kill before your next appointment. What you need is a hideaway – air conditioned, of course. Preferably dishing out caffeine, food, and perhaps alcohol too. Well, Gemmills crouches in the back alley of Amoy Street, its presence only announced by a deep green awning and a wooden door. The quaint Mediterranean-inspired cafe is strangely reminiscent of ‘Friends’, with vintage couches and wooden tables arranged to fill up the cosy space.
Surprisingly, even with the new, amp-ed up food menu, the lunch crowd came and left Gemmills pretty quickly on a Thursday. By around 1.30pm, the café was almost empty. We started with a platter of house-baked focaccia ($5), which we smelt before we saw due to open concept of the cafe. It’s served with creamy home-made ricotta, which complemented the warm garlic-and-herb-infused bread. For our carb-counting readers, their grilled chicken, cauliflower & quinoa tabouleh salad ($16) makes for a light but flavourful alternative.
For mains, my personal favourite, by far, was their lamb lasagna ($22). I’ve had my fair share of lasagna, and this hearty dish definitely checks all the boxes. Melting layer of cheese infused with a zesty tomato base to prevent cloying and succulent chunks of lamb meat between the pasta – perfect.
If you’re looking for something vegetarian friendly, why not go for the zucchini, black olive, tomato and mozzarella pizzette ($12)? This works as something substantial for yourself or to share with friends as a bar snack. Plus, on Monday nights, all pizzettes at Gemmills go for just $9! Other flavours include salami and roast pepper ($15), tomato and burrata ($16), and smoked salmon with caper, dill and crème fraiche ($16).
Those staying away from cheese can try the squid ragu ($16). Squid is usually not my first option, but I really enjoyed this dish. The squid itself was bouncy and not overly chewy; the peppery tanginess of the sauce made it ideal for a mid-meal appetizer. We soaking up every last bit of it with the accompanying house-baked sour dough.
Desserts can be found in Gemmills’ range of pastries. If you’re constantly nursing a sweet tooth like I do, come early; from 8am to 11am, Gemmills offers a pastry set with coffee or tea for just $6.50. That said, prices here are quite affordable at $4 for a flat white and $6 for a refreshing glass of freshly squeezed watermelon juice. Wines start at $11++ (psst, happy hour starts from 3pm).
We had their pecan pie with lemon whipped cream ($9) with our coffee. Once again, the juxtaposition of flavours, the sweetness of the custard and maple syrup against the lemon zest, played a huge part in toning down the richness of the overall treat, making it delightful (and possible) to finish.
Gemmills is located at 110 Amoy Street, #01-02, Singapore. Open Mon-Fri 8am-12am. Closed Sat & Sun.
