Cherry & Oak – Smoked Meats Galore at an Intimate Cafe at Farrer Park

Looking for a cosy place to have brunch with friends or an intimate date night? You might want to consider Cherry & Oak. Run by the same folks behind steakhouse ASAP & Co and Asian Western fusion restaurant Walaku SG, Cherry & Oak is their latest venture specialising in artisanal wood-smoked cuisine. The Muslim-owned cafe, which is situated at Farrer Park, offers a wide range of dishes — from a variety of meats to seafood and freshly-shucked oysters. 

Nice, breezy days call for a seat in their airy al fresco dining. If you’re looking to dodge the blazing heat, you will enjoy the air-conditioned indoors which give off a warm, classy atmosphere with wood-toned decor and furniture, and elegant, cushy chairs. 

The menu is fairly extensive but most dishes have one thing in common: cuts of meat smoked with cherrybark oak, and a mixture of Asian and Western influences. Signatures include familiar cafe fare like Shakshuka ($18), Smoked Open Toasts such as Salmon ($16) and Portobello Truffle ($18) and sweet and savoury choices such as Baby Dutch Pancakes ($16). 

There’s also a whole range of Smoked Sharing Platters that come with Nasi Lemak Bakar and Mango Slaw with protein choices that include Beef Rib ($68), Salted Crusted Smoked Barramundi ($38), and an impressive 1.8kg Wagyu Tomahawk ($288) which requires an advance order of at least 4 hours. 

The first order of business began with the Brisket Smoked Open Toast ($18) with a side of fresh, mesclun greens. A thick slice of sourdough was topped with mango slaw, on which lay a large slab of Black Angus brisket. 

The brisket was smoked to perfection, with a satisfyingly tender texture and just a little bit of fat. It was very fragrant and smoky, with its flavours being further brought out by the BBQ sauce. Combined with the crunchy sourdough and slightly tangy slaw, the brisket presented a complex mix of flavours that hit all the right spots. 

Among the sharing platters offered, I went for the Rainbow Sausages ($16) that featured a vibrant mix of colours and flavours. The natural hand-made sausages are made with growth hormone-free antibiotic-free chicken with zero additives, colouring, fillers or preservatives. And in case you’re wondering, yes it’s gluten-free too. 

There are four different flavours — original, beetroot, spinach and curry. Out of them all, I found myself going back to the original one. After all, nothing beats the classics and this one was full of smokiness. Interestingly, the curry one reminded me of otah. The slightly sweet and peppery dipping sauce added another depth of flavour to the smoked meats. 

The nasi lemak bakar was also smoked and even though it lacked the usual creaminess you would get from your typical nasi lemak(with coconut milk), it was nicely light, fragrant and made for a good accompaniment with the strong flavours of the sausages. 

We ended things off on a sweet note with the Cempedak Creme Brulee ($9.50). Okay, hear me out but it tasted a lot like those yan-yan biscuits – in a good way! Of course, once you make your way towards the centre of the dessert, the taste of cempedak becomes more apparent thanks to bits of the actual fruit hidden within. This was a very creamy and decadent dessert to round off our meal of smoky delights. 

Cherry & Oak is a place that will definitely be a nice change of pace, especially if you’re a fan of meat. There’s a lot more on the menu that I’ve yet to try, but if they’re anywhere as good as what I’ve had today, there’s no doubt I’ll be coming back!

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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