Ah, this rather inaccessible hidden gem in the heart of Bukit Timah… Not many people seem to know about it, apart from the regular expat customers who frequently drop by to buy loaves of freshly baked bread.

Their shop is rather small, tucked away at a corner, with both indoor and outdoor seating. If you choose to sit outdoors, the food will be served on disposable paper plates/boxes similar to the kind you get at KFC.

I simply love how there are piles and piles and piles of freshly baked goods on display. Seriously, what could be more welcoming? Cakes, tarts, muffins, bread fresh out of the oven… all calling out your name.

Do excuse me as I go on a little more about their wide variety of goods. Look at the glorious display of colours… the fresh fruits studding the fruit tart at the bottom right, the little blobs of yellow custard and raspberry jam peeking out the donuts on the left.. I could go on and on.

Here, I tried their Basil Pesto and Tomato Tartine (Ok, i confess that I forgot the actual name of the dish, but the name I came up with pretty much sums it up) which was delicious! Crusty bread topped with freshly made pesto (I hope), and chopped tomatoes dressed in herbs. It was refreshing and was complimented perfectly by the sharpness of the cheese and the tang from the drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

For you instagrammers, this picture would no doubt fall under the hashtag #onthetable
Don’t mind the half eaten croissant, sometimes I get too excited and forget about documenting perfect pictures for you guys.

Of course, I did take a photo of the Almond Croissant before I tried it. It was pretty huge! Topped with a generous dusting of caster sugar, and flaked almonds, this was one of the better croissants I’ve eaten. I can’t really say which is the best given the crazy number of bakeries sprouting up around Singapore — Tiong Bahru Bakery, Maison Kayser, PAUL, to name a few.

I also had a glass of Orange Juice which was normal. I mean, how memorable can a cup of OJ be?

Alas, before I show you more food photos…. I have a story to tell you!
This is the story of the cute Caucasian boy who stole my bread, not that I minded in the least.

Meet C. Well, i don’t know his name, but C shall stand for Cute and Caucasian.

See the piece of bread he’s holding on to (and happily munching on)?
Well, that piece of bread came from my bread basket! C came hopping into Baker&Cook with his mum on that same morning that I was there, and came over to where I was sitting while his mother placed their orders.

He grinned cheekily at us, and swiftly snagged a piece of bread (he knew what he was going for) from our Bread Basket, before running back to his seat to devour his most recent prized possession. His mother apologised for his behaviour, but I didn’t mind at all! He was so adorable and his childlike innocence made my day. He was hungry, and he ate what he wanted. That’s how we should all be like. We need to go back to the days of our childhood, instead of overthinking everything. We should just eat what we want, when we want. Eat when we’re hungry, stop when we’re full. It sounds so simple, yet so many of us struggle with our relationship with food. Maybe if we look at things with a similar childlike innocence, life would be so much easier and enjoyable.

Now, back to the food! Check out the lovely Bread Basket that I mentioned earlier. That is one heck of a basket. With 4 types of bread, and a croissant, let’s just say I was a happy camper.

Hang on, before you judge me for eating so much… this bread basket is for TWO to share. Please don’t attempt to polish this off on your own. At the very least, get the help of a sweet little caucasion boy, if you get my drift.

The bread basket comes with butter, but you could always enjoy it with the homemade jams on the communal table. The jams that day were Mixed Berries Jam and another jam which was rather citrusy, I forgot what it was though. Both were delightful, nonetheless.

Even freshly baked white bread can be good, with just a dab of jam. Their jam was different from the usual storebought kinds which are laden with sugar. You can taste, and see, the little chunks from the fruits, and actually taste the fruit, rather than just eating a sweet spread.

If you’re like me and can’t decide, have a little bit of both!

This was the third type of bread. I found this one a little tough.

This was my favourite, since the seeds added a nice texture contrast to the bread. It was so good, I could even eat it plain. (and remember the little boy earlier? Well apparently he has good taste since he chose this bread as well!)

Before I end off, let me allow you to indulge in more photos of this small cafe.

Here’s their Mixed Berry Tart, and Carrot cake which I have yet to try. I heard that they add crushed pineapples to their carrot cake for added moistness and sweetness! That’s something unique. A pity that the slices are so small though.

Rows and rows of sweet treats. You know the saying, a moment on the lips, forever on the hips? Yeah well, you may want to forget that, just for the time you spend in Baker&Cook. No point indulging half-heartedly while worrying about your muffin top eh?

Ah yes, they have a savoury section as well. They sell pies, quiches and savoury pastries in addition to a small selection of freshly made salads.

To end off on a sweet note, hence the picture of these ginormous meringues which I have saved for last, Baker&Cook is a nice cafe to swing by for a quick breakfast or tea. I say quick since their seating is limited, and you would not want to rid another hungry customer of a seat would you? A hangry person is far from pleasant. (Hangry = Hungry + Angry) Its rather quiet, with several expats coming in to stock up on fresh loaves, with their adorable little ones tagging along. Its actually a nice place for people watching! Food isn’t amazing, but it isn’t bad either… but the cosy ambience makes the trip worth it. I recommend visiting Baker&Cook at least once!

Rating: 7/10