Rider's Cafe

Thanks to a friend with a car, this cafe is finally checked off my bucket list 2 years after I saw it as a must-go on The Smart Local! We were there for dinner so you won't find any brunch items here (I'll be going back for their brunch one day for sure).

This is what you'll see outside Rider's Cafe (: So much greenery and horses - stables, riding grounds, etc. We saw a horse being walked by its handler along the road right outside Rider's Cafe towards the riding school. I was so awed I took a video. #lifeofacitydweller.

I had the Seared Scallops Risotto ($26) with shimeiji mushrooms and kale. It was my first time trying kale, THE superfood that everyone's talking about. The mushroom flavour masked whatever taste kale had, not that I'm complaining. The scallops were slightly salty, but the risotto was gooey enough to be satisfactory - more so since it was infused with the shimeiji mushroom flavour.

My companion had the Pan Fried Snapper ($26) with 'miso-creamed' kale and oregano roasted potatoes. What does miso-creamed mean? My undiscerning tastebuds couldn't distinguish between the kale on my plate and on his. The snapper was great, my companion had no complaints about it.

We also had the Buffalo Chicken and Mozarella Meatballs ($12) for a starter. I didn't expect them to be deep-fried. The outside was crispy, and the taste was not remarkable. This dish was very oily - from the standpoint of someone who avoids deep-fried foods. My companion doesn't, but we both had difficulty finishing all the meatballs. It ended up being a 'You-should-eat-more' thing between us.

The Soup Du Jour ($10) was just like minestrone soup - tasted great.

Death by Chocolate Cake ($13) was completely worth it. It was thick, indulgent, and chocolatey dense cake served drench in chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream. Oh My Gosh. Perfect for sharing.

I tried the Peanut Butter and Jelly Milkshake ($7.50). The jelly taste was stronger than the peanut butter taste, I'd have preferred it the other way! #peanutbutterfan

I tend not to finish my milkshakes because they're too sweet most of the time, but I made decent progress on this (: Nothing can beat the Peanut Butter Chocolate milkshake I had at Denny's in the US!

My companion obviously chose the Strawberry Milkshake ($7) - he's a total fan of strawberry-flavoured things although he doesn't like actual strawberries (another one of those mysteries). He loved this.