Ice-cream parlours are ubiquitous in Singapore, but you won’t want to waste your calories on the wrong choices. For all the night owls who are ice-cream lovers looking for a place to hang out at night, No Horse Run has opened a second outlet in Choa Chu Kang offering not only handcrafted gelato made only with premium ingredients, but also all-day breakfasts and brunch items like pastas and baked rice.
This cafe’s quirky name “No Horse Run” is inspired by this hokkien phrase “bô-bé-cháu”, which literally translates to “no horse can outrun”, and comes from a horse-racing idiom that means “in a league of its own”.
Pick from Buttermilk Waffles ($5.50) and Pandan Gula Melaka Waffles ($6.50), which comes with a sauce of your choice. While both choices were delicious in their own ways, I preferred the Buttermilk flavour as it was addictively good without overpowering the gelato taste.
The Pandan waffles, on the other hand, reminded me of the waffles from bakery shops but of a premium version. Though it was undeniably fragrant, it might be a little clashing to some of the exotic flavours. The best part of the waffles was the crispy and fluffy texture though.
I was also enticed by the unique gelato flavours such as Green Apple Yakult, Sea Salt Matcha, Oolong Osmanthus and many others.
Here are the flavours I’ve ordered: Kopi Guyou, Roasted Black Sesame, French Vanilla and Sea Salt Horlick. My favourite is Kopi Guyou which had a very intense coffee flavour that came with a lingering buttery taste. Black Sesame was smooth and creamy, but it did get a little gelat slightly towards the end.
You won’t be disappointed with their affordable brunch and all-day breakfast menu items.
The NHR Signature Carbonara ($9.8) was creamy and decadent, topped with an onsen egg. The ratio of cream to pasta was close to perfection and it is always an extra bonus when there is a runny egg in your pasta! No doubt about that.
If you’re looking for breakfast options, give the Smashed Avocado Toast ($12.8) a try- Toasted Multigrain zested up with Avocado, Poached Egg, Tater Tots, Bacon and Cherry Tomato Salad. The overall flavour and texture were very on point, and with that runny yolk oozing out, it tasted like a dream.
Boxing Chicken ($6.8) was one of my favourite dishes of the night. Chicken drumlets are usually not what I fancy as the meat is usually drier and tougher to chew on. Surprisingly, this was very juicy and tender with a crispy exterior, and complemented very well with the Sriracha mayo sauce.
Sadly, the drinks were slightly mediocre as compared to the food items. The Hot/ Iced Chocolate did not have a prominent chocolate taste. It might be ‘your cup of tea’ if you don’t prefer your drink to be too chocolatey though.
Honestly, they serve mains that taste better than some cafes which charge $20 for a pasta. Definitely a worthy visit!
Address: 50a Choa Chu Kang Loop, #01-21, Singapore 689959
Contact: 8189 4456
Opening Hours:
Mondays to Fridays: 9:00am to 1:30am
Saturdays to Sundays: 8:00am to 1:30am
*This article is written in collaboration with No Horse Run, but all opinions are of my own.
