Jones the Grocer at Dempsey Hill

I must be the last person or foodie to explore Dempsey Hill. I have my reasons. Apart from the hefty S$30+ return cab costs, the other deterrent is the steady stream of stories of how the eateries there are merely expensive hangouts for the well-heeled. But hubby had a chance to experience Jones the Grocer one day via work, and he liked it enough to bring the family there.

We came for lunch at noon. Only to find they serve breakfast til 3pm, so we did not get to try the open-faced wagyu sandwich we were aiming for. Still, breakfast looked good. We sat ourselves down in the indoor tuckshop amidst the eclectic clientele. Though it was quite crowded and bustling, the tall roof ceilings gave the place spatial respite.


I'm glad I can't resist smoked salmon. This was quite delicious. The Woodbridge smoked salmon - so smooth, so meltingly soft and light - is probably one of the most delicate I've had. The greens provided crunch and a peppery aftertaste. Incredibly, the toasted bagel was soft and easy to chew. I could even feed Nadine some (but Jolie will have to wait). My only grouse was that the avocado was not fresh - it had turned a messy goop of brown. Haven't these guys heard of lemon juice? On hindsight, I should have sent it back to the kitchen instead of pretending it was vegetarian foie gras. Sometimes I need to be more fussy! Quality control ought to be better at S$13.50.


Hubby had the Jones English Breakfast (S$20). It comes with a most sunny, crusty slice of sourdough bread, butter, delicious curls of smoked bacon, two pork sausages, sauteed mushrooms, roasted tomatoes and a whole lotta scrambled egg. The works, literally. My, the eggs were so lush and satiny, it must have been scrambled with heavy cream instead of milk!


Mmmh. The iced mocha with devilish swirls of chocolate at the bottom and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top is to die for. Not overly sweet but rich nonetheless. S$6.50 well spent.


Ah, the artisanal cheeses in their temperature and humidity controlled walk-in room. I did not dare go in. My credit card would take a severe beating if I did. Jones has some fairly interesting premium products in the deli, charcuterie and butchery. It really makes Cold Storage look like Shen Shiong, the discount supermarket. There were so many things we wanted to take home but in the end, we decided the breakfast alone was enough of a treat.

JONES THE GROCER
Blk 9 #01–12
Dempsey Road
Tel: 6476-1512
Open daily: 9.30am to 11.00pm (up to 6pm on Mondays)