Robert Timms Coffee : Good Food and Convenience.

I don't know whether is it just me, but I have thing for Australian (and Australasian) cuisine. The simple fare showcases, quite simply, a certain robustness and wholesome culinary experience with the food - the flavors are simple and organic, and quite impactful. It's like looking at an artistic masterpiece - when it's good, it's really good. Nothing else matters. 

I like how Australians (and New Zealanders, I know how they feel when they're left out) like the simple, laid-back vibe of wholesome cuisine. You can taste how a fish is like a fish, and not something else. Flavours are not hidden beneath "layers", everything just jumps out at you like a happy macarena dance. That philosophy behind their food is what explains their freshness and the robust flavors of all-natural ingredients, giving it that wholesome, au-naturel feel-good vibe. 

So this is a franchise. While I normally am quite suspicious about franchises, especially when it's under TCC, there is no doubt that they serve pretty decent food here at Robert Timms actually. When I visited on both occasions, the service was generally attentive and acceptable, with some lapses here and there, but given the time (weekend evening), it's okay I guess. 

On my first time there, I had the turkey parcel, which was stuffed full of cheese and ham and what I think to be mushrooms. The turkey itself was a little on the dry side, but after eating it for long, you could taste a burnt aftertaste which was bitter and wasn't too easy on the palate. The criss-cross fries were great though (crisp and full of flavour), and the coleslaw, though heavy on the mayo, was passed off as good bistro fare. Not outstanding though. 

I also tried a little bit of my friend's Oven-Roasted Spring Chicken, which was moist and decently tender for breast meat. The sauce was, needless to say, sufficiently savory and had a soy-sauce sweet twang to it, which made for a very interesting accompaniment to the chicken. As mentioned above, both the fries and coleslaw were good as well. 

I subsequently tried the Beer-Battered Fish & Chips. Portion-wise, it looked promising and pretty good actually. The batter was crisp and not oily at all, with the right amount of crunch, although I couldn't taste much of the beer taste. The tartare sauce served with it had a slight beer-ish twang though, and it was lovely with the fish - the fish tasted fresh, wasn't covered up by copious amount of batter, and needless to say went very well with the fries and coleslaw. It was a meal that was full, happy, simple and sufficient, on top of being delicious. I walked away feeling contented, warm and fulfilled.

Robert Timms is pretty good at desserts too, I have to say. The Super Chocolate Brownie Stack was super thick with fudge-like chocolate all over, and although the brownies weren't warm enough, you could feel indulgent richness overflowing and swirling all over your mouth. Pure. Decadence. Thick, rich, creamy, smooth sweetness frolicking around with cool ice-cream. Add some nuts and you get a nice break in texture too. It made me want more, although I felt really guilty thereafter. 

I had the Lemon Big Baby Bundt with Ice Cream, which was awesome as well. The fresh zing of lemon with the faintest hint of sourness you could taste, this light, moist and super delicious bundt cake packs a punch, with the pool of lemon icing and copious amount of sugar syrup in the centre. It complemented the ice cream very well, in neutralizing the lemon zing. 

So there you have it. If you want fuss-free, consistently good and convenient bistro fare, come to Robert Timms. There's a 1 for 1 promotion going on for mains, pastas and steaks till end of this week, so do hurry! 

(It sounds like a advertorial, but no, it isn't.)

Robert Timms House of Coffee

1F Wheelock Place 
501 Orchard Road
6735 9201


Opening Hours: 8AM-1AM Daily
1 for 1 promo ends 22 July!