Blue Balls Bike Cafe: 12-inch pizzas, juicy fried chicken burger & truffle fries in cosy bicycle-themed cafe
Quirky names aren’t a rare find in our saturated cafe space but Blue Balls Bike Cafe takes the cake for me, perfectly straddling the line between inappropriate and comical. The cafe owes its origins to a gag gift that one of its founders received — a pair of blue blinking testicles. Specifically, a bicycle accessory that dangles off the saddle.
As a cyclist myself, I was looking forward to dropping by on my new road bike, having been stuck with an old (but sturdy) 27-speed hybrid for a decade. Sadly, I missed a chance to pay Wheeler’s Yard a visit before they closed back in Sep.
The temperamental Nov weather must have it in for me. Despite the forecast giving a full hour before the first sign of rain, we managed to ride into a brisk drizzle. Eventually, the painful pelting and hazardous conditions forced us off the road to seek shelter at the nearest void deck.
We were stranded and left waiting for the storm to pass, soaked to the gills and shivering with one clad in a full-body cycling jersey and the other in just a singlet and shorts. News later came of flash floods occurring in other areas that same afternoon.
Naturally, the bike racks at the compound were empty when we finally arrived. Only 2 idiots would see fit to attempt braving near white-out conditions just for a ride to the cafe.
Blue Balls Bike Cafe was first opened in 2022 by Petter and Stig, both from ‘the frozen tundras of Norway’ and ‘committed to building a haven for anyone passionate about cycling’. Their community spirit extends to both novice and experienced cyclists, and they organise group rides of varying distances under their ‘Blue Balls Cycle Club’.
The iconic penny-farthing and Blue Balls logo were unfortunately obscured by Christmas decorations (already?), especially the tree in the corner. A fully-furnished bar caters to drinkers (hopefully non-riders), with a few desserts on display next to the counter.
The entire cafeteria is decked out in a diverse assortment of bicycles and related paraphernalia, ranging from bikes hung from the ceiling to wheels and artwork affixed to the walls.
Outside of a few occupied tables in the small outdoor area, there was a pleasant quiet to the cafe.
What I tried at Blue Balls Bike Cafe
Because the journey was (much) longer than anticipated, we were quite overzealous with our orders. First up was the Blue Balls Pizza (S$22), one of five 12-inch pizzas offered at Blue Balls Bike Cafe. It smelled divine and doubly so on an empty stomach.
Given the variety of toppings, I was expecting a much heavier profile. Instead, each slice was remarkably light on the palate, noticeably lacking a mozzarella base (almost no cheese pull). Ham and salami as the only proteins gave the pizza a satisfying savoury chew.
The splotches of marinara were hard to make out over the immediacy of the meats, and small, scant strips of bell pepper resulted in a weak peppery kick, if at all on occasion. What I did enjoy were the crispy thin crust and softness of the pizza, so unlike the leathery toughness so common with fast food chain pizzas. We both agreed more toppings would have improved it despite my friend’s preference for light pizza.
We then turned to the Aero Burger (S$22), at the same price point as the pizza. I’d picked this over the Blue Balls Burger (S$24) and Cadence Burger (S$24) that substituted Australian wagyu for the fried chicken patty.
The chicken sandwiched between the brioche buns was no slouch, nearly matching them in thickness. Housemade sauce lines the top layer, with tomatoes, cheddar cheese and lettuce underneath the patty.
At the gentlest squeeze, we were treated to the mouth-watering sight of juices oozing from within the burger, courtesy of the succulent chicken and tomatoes with some oil from the fry. The fluffy brioche buns gave the first touch of sweetness before the spread and tomatoes took over, supplanted somewhat by how moist each mouthful became.
I couldn’t hold back my ‘mmm’s from the sensuous meat. Its crispy skin was in excellent contrast with the other gentler textures (save for the crunchy lettuce), all building up to the meaty goodness at the centre. Somehow, it never encroached into greasy territory, though I did wish the burger leaned more to the sweeter side of things.
Fixie Truffle Fries (S$14) is served as a tower of straight-cut fries, identical to those that come with the Aero Burger. The centre had received a heavier sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese topped with finely chopped parsley.
The thick-cut fries trounced my expectations completely. Their delightfully crisp surfaces somehow struck a good balance with the more voluminous soft insides. And uniformly across each stick at that. Less ideal was the cheese and truffle situation.
They hadn’t been very generous with the parmesan and the weak truffle presence left a bitter taste in my mouth (figuratively speaking). The fries’ actual taste was primarily of salt, backed by the gritty parmesan. This overall package felt like lightly dolled-up fries, though there was no sign of plain fries on the menu.
The Slip Stream Bolognese (S$18) easily overtook the other dishes. Truthfully, it didn’t need to do much after the lows of the Fixie Truffle Fries but the robust flavours made this an instant standout anyway. Our palates finally received a long-awaited payoff in the form of the hearty beef ragu’s sweet tanginess.
We then gave everything a proper toss to evenly spread the meaty bits and allow the watery sauce at the bottom to be re-absorbed. The al dente spaghetti made it all the better.
Our pick of dessert was the Max Watt Creme Brulee (S$9), topped with small strawberry slices and blueberries.
The thick caramelised layer was brittle, shattering like glass as we attacked hastily with our spoons. I was momentarily afraid that the fragments would scratch up my tongue but they were quick to dissolve in a sugary flash.
The custard beneath offered a mellow sweetness that worked great with its creamy consistency alongside the faint tartness of the blueberries as they popped (some were squashed into the custard itself). The few strawberry slices scaled up the acidity factor with a refreshing finish.
Final thoughts
Expect a rather standard cafe fare with neat references to cycling jargon in their menu. The lighter dishes could be catering to health-conscious cyclists, but that remains a speculation. The owners also run a bicycle shop adjacent to the cafe but the main draw is undoubtedly the bicycle-themed dining space.
Do note that prices displayed on the menu are before service charge.
Expected damage: S$12 – S$46 per pax
Order Delivery: Deliveroo
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