The U Factory at Gillman Barracks

An overcast Sunday afternoon saw the two cats recuperating at The U Factory after an invigorating road trip with makan kakis in the neighbouring state the day before.    

The U Factory is a curated temporal platform where collaborating
partners are invited to retail their products, conduct workshops and
showcase their creative works. It also plays host to pop-up cafes and
menus specially for this event. Hop between the blocks of restored
barracks for different experiences.

After checking out the exhibits, the intrepid pair headed for the f&b
section to satisfy their hunger pangs. They were surprised that it was
pretty quiet for a Sunday afternoon.

Bulgolgi Beef Ramen Burger with a bottle of Japanese biru.
This hybrid baby was popularised by a Japanese chef
in Brooklyn, NY. Fried ramen noodles are
used in place of buns on top of a secret shoyu sauce.
It did not quite reach the viral status of the sugary
cronuts as predicted though. The Travelling C.O.W.'s
spin on this was decent with noodles fried to a crisp
but nothing orgasmic.  The lions tried eating it like a
normal burger but failed terribly. Ask for a knife and fork!

At the laksa ramen bar named Rakusaba, Preparazzi's Chef Jeremy Nguee
presents a tsukumen-style ramen served with salmon otak otak gratin,
haebihiam egg with a molten centre, pickled lotus root and cubes of
pork confit. Finish off the meal with a rich pork and prawn broth.
This set is a definite must-try! The laksa dipping sauce was so well
executed with the piquant richness of the essence of shrimps. The noodles
were also delightfully springy and chewy. The addictive otak otak tasted
comfortingly familar yet foreign at the same time, the lions could not put a finger
on what was different and wolfed it down. The pork confit cubes, caramalised
with a blow torch before their eyes were wonderfully succulent.

Sitting by the window.

Simple set-up that churns out a beautifully executed meal.

Stack Up by Cera. A deconstructed kueh dadar made up of pandan crepes
layered with sauteed coconut, fresh avocado and gula melaka. Their bakes are
totally vegan. The lioness thought that the texture of the crepes were
a little 'plasticiny'.

Hopped over to the next door  Maison Ikkoku pop-up cafe for a cuppa.

Some sweets available as well.

This local brand of artisanal coffee sure has its following. Quite a number of
fans here.

Coffee served in takeaway cups.

Walking over to the U Cafe and Monocle retail store pop-up
in the adjacent building.

The U Cafe with rotating baristas from different coffee
joints each week. Pity the limited indoor seating (stools).
It was drizzling so the lions couldn't rest on the benches
outside to browse through the good array of magazines.
The Monocle retail pop-up store located behind U Cafe
is a great place for a bout of Christmas shopping
for those with deeper pockets. hohohoho...
The lioness spotted a pretty black Tods wallet.

All in all, a lovely place to spend a lazy weekend afternoon.

The U Factory
9 Lock Road
Gillman Barracks
Singapore 108973