Flippin' Good

Got to find out about the new Flippin’ Good that is located in the Simpang Bedok neighbourhood when going around The Bedok Marketplace recently — turns out, Flippin’ Good takes over the former premises of the now-defunct Lao Li Da Pao Dang which had quite a fair bit of exposure on social media when they had first made their appearance in the local F&B scene. Whilst it does seem like Flippin’ Good does look like an establishment that is seemingly more cafe-like given how they portray themselves on their social media accounts, the dining establishment does feel a little more like a mamak-style establishment in terms of how it is being decked out — the entire set-up looks pretty fuss-free with a fairly open beverage preparation area; the kitchen being hidden at the back of the entire shop unit, while the dining hall features rather basic dining tables and plastic chairs that are definitely more for function than for form. Despite being an establishment that has a focus on their pancakes / flapjacks offerings, Flippin’ Good serves up quite a decent variety of dishes — the menu is being segregated into sections dedicated to Starters, Flapjacks, Pastas, Baked Pastas, Gourmet Fried Rice, Grills & Fry, Pizzas, Kids Menu, Desserts: Pancakes, and Dollar Pancakes. Beverages available at Flippin’ Good includes Hot Drinks / Iced Drinks, Freshly-Brewed Coffee, Ice Coffee and Tea.

Skimming through the various items that Flippin’ Good has to offer, it can be described that the dishes served up at Flippin’ Good are a little more predictable — very predictable combinations of elements that can be said as “safe” for most tastebuds. Since we were looking for something lighter without having to stray away from their main focus, we decided to go for the Smoked Salmon Flapjacks. Whilst the name of the item can be said as rather self-explanatory, the menu does describe the various elements that come with the dish; this would include elements such as Zucchini and Spring Onion Pancakes, Smoked Salmon, Scrambled Eggs, Avocado, Sour Cream, Lemon Wedge and Butter — the maple syrup does come in a separate pitcher on the side, which allows patrons to drizzle the maple syrup over the pancakes to their desire. We initially didn’t really have too much of an expectation for the item but we were actually quite surprised by how these folks had seemingly went through a thought process in the making of their flapjacks that came with the Smoked Salmon Flapjacks. The addition of zucchini and spring onions certainly helped in making the pancakes that came with the dish skew towards one that is better paired with savoury fare — there is also light crunch and a soft bite provided by both the zucchini and spring onions as well; all that amidst the fluffiness of the flapjacks which was done at a consistency that wasn’t greasy. In fact, the pancakes did carry a very slight crispness around the edges, but was otherwise was fluffy and not too dense.

Perhaps it was also that inclusion of zucchini and spring onions along with sour cream, avocado and smoked salmon that worked for the dish — when having all of the elements together, this was rather near to that of what one would expect of a Lox Bagel; the sour cream being the element that gelled everything together, while the smoked salmon adding a slight saltishness typical of cured fish for a good flavour. The scrambled eggs that came with the dish came with a runny consistency; despite the slightly pale colours of the egg, we did like how it did carry enough savouriness and eggy-ness. Meanwhile, we felt that the slab of butter and maple syrup aren’t elements that are quite required with the Smoked Salmon Flapjacks — sure, the combination of butter and maple syrup with maple syrup is one that would most certainly work and is also one that we find comfort in; that being said, the sweet-ish and saltish notes does cover off a little bit of the notes provided by the zucchini and spring onions that are also in the pancake batter here. Overall, not something that attempts to re-invent the wheel here, but an offering that does showcase some effort in making a creation that is truly their own with an unexpected touch that seems to be worth mentioning. It is a little bit of a pity that we didn’t get to try any of their other dishes such as the ones listed in their Pastas and Grills & Fry sections of the menu a go during our visit — that would probably give us a more well-rounded view on the offerings of what Flippin’ Good has to offer to its patrons. That being said, Flippin’ Good does work out to be a decent spot for those whom are craving for both savoury and sweet pancakes without being too fussy about the dining environment and the food that is being served up in general.