If you were confused initially by The Assembly Ground’s presence at The Cathay, you’re not alone. This newly opened cafe is the F&B counterpart to The Assembly fashion store, and it bears no relation whatsoever to its namesake, Assembly Coffee in Evans Road.

It also breaks the mould of not being situated in an out-of-reach, hole-in-the-wall kind of neighbourhood.

Aesthetically, The Assembly Ground (whose name is also a wordplay on a process of coffee preparation) screams hipster chic: exposed brass pipes, naked night bulbs, brick walls and bicycles suspended over diners.

Oh, and let’s not forget the classic dried-bouquet-in-a-used-glass-bottle as a table marker. No complaints though, as the industrial meets homely decor totally works on its diners, who were boisterously cheerful with company, conversation and good food amid loud pop songs that permeated the 64-seater space. 😉

Food-wise, The Assembly Ground delivers. On its menu are the usual suspects of all day brunch, salads, pizzas to share and artisan drinks and desserts that would make the avid Instragram diner totally snap-happy.

We split two appetisers (served in rustic mess tins, no less) among a group of five, one of which was the Fried Calamari. Though generous in portion, I found there was way too much batter, which overwhelmed the herbs and spices that the squid was seasoned with. The squid itself was distinctly fresh and chewy, making it overall a satisfactory pre-meal bite.

Not to be missed are its Truffle Fries, which we found ourselves eagerly grabbing forkfuls of after the first bite. Straight cut fries deep fried to a crisp perfection, with an intense aroma of truffle oil that made our mouths water in anticipation. Dipped in tartar sauce, those fries just hit the spot. A straight 5/5 for me. 😀

I decided to put their all-day brunch to the test, so I ordered Eggs Zoey for my main, which is essentially Eggs Benedict but served with smoked salmon instead of honey baked ham.  Hollandaise sauce is generous, and the poached eggs oozed with runny, yolky goodness. Crumpete was verging on the oily side, but I guess you can’t have it all.

We were too full to order any drinks or desserts, but I’ll certainly keep my eye out for them. And yes, The Assembly Ground passes with flying colours for me. Orders close at 8.30pm, which was a bit strange, but atmosphere and service was on the whole, awesome. Don’t forget to check out The Assembly Store next door, too! 😉

Website/ Facebook: http://www.theassemblystore.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Assembly-Ground/746424518712396

Address: The Cathay, 2 Handy Road 01-21

Contact: 6733 3375

Opening Hours: 
Tuesday to Friday: 11am – 10pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10am – 10pm
Closed on Monday
Kitchen closed: 3pm – 6pm (weekdays) and 4pm – 6pm (weekends)

chueonit.