Alto Cafe probably does not need much of an introduction these days — being a cafe that is known to be situated within the compounds of the condominium named Bayshore Park, Alto Cafe had since opened yet another outlet that is also located within a condominium — its latest outpost is at Sims Urban Oasis; the cafe being situated at the side gate of the condominium along Aljunied Road which is just a stone’s throw away from the bus stop outside the condominium. Occupying just a single shop unit, the space features two levels — the main dine-in area being located on the first level, while an outdoor dining area meant for condominium residents only is situated at level two alongside the counter for orders that is located within the shop unit itself. The space is decked simply though features a lot of plants and rattan furnishings to achieve a Balinese-style look that is makes the cafe look close-to-nature. Alto Cafe’s menu here is largely similar to the one that they serve at Bayshore Park, and features items split into sections that include Signature Open Toast, All Day Brekkie, Pasta, Shakshouka & Salads, Waffles, Croissantwich & Smoothie Bowls and Kids & Ala-Carte. Beverages include specialty coffee brewed using beans roasted by Dutch Colony Coffee Co., teas, milkshakes and other special concoctions such as Mango Chocc, Choco Rose and Rose Latte, whilst they also do offer various danishes, croissants and muffins that are displayed in a shelf on the counter as well.

Going through the menu, we found ourselves being pretty interested in the Shakshouka, which features elements such as stewed tomatoes, capsicums, feta cheese, poached egg, Zaatar, and coriander — it also comes with two slices of sourdough toast on the side. It is noted that their variant doesn’t include any sausages or meat unlike those that are served at other cafes; this also makes their rendition vegan-friendly as well. Giving everything a good mix, we note that the poached egg here could be done a little better — the poached egg came served with the egg yolk being a little bit towards being more solid; otherwise the entire dish was bright and tangy from the stewed tomatoes, with bits of tomato and capsicum giving it a good bite and the poached egg and feta cheese providing some sort of richness. The sourdough toast used here is on-point, crusty on the exterior yet comes with a tension when one chews it apart — also had its own slight tanginess from the fermentation process that makes a sourdough what it is; a perfect pairing with the Shakshouka itself as one mops up the entire bowl with it.

Alto Cafe’s offerings may be simple, but there is something pretty comforting with the fare that they are serving up — the food, which is Muslim-friendly, does feel hearty and healthy, and does seem to have a lot of colour that makes it also pretty appealing to the eyes. We were, however, really impressed by their specially-concocted drinks here though — the Dirty Rose (which consists of double shots of espresso, rose syrup and milk) and the Mango Chocolate we had were equally memorable; the latter does sound like a weird combination but the sweetness of the tropical fruit went surprisingly well with the bittersweet chocolate — a showstopper worth mentioning on its own. While Alto Cafe’s Sim Urban Oasis does suffer from a being just a small space that fits 12 pax within its indoor public dine-in area on the ground floor, its newest outlet is also probably the most convenient for those who are deterred by having to go through the hassle of registering themselves at the security post just to patronise the cafe at their Bayshore Park location; probably just a small sacrifice for those cafe-hoppers who are eager to give Alto Cafe a try!

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