Forced to quit dream job after heart attack, ex-Hilton executive chef now serves S$7 souffle pancake and croissant sandwiches at cafe

Opened in November, Croissand Cafe is a casual 23-seat joint at City Gate, a mixed development mall at Beach Road. For William Lim, 54, the cafe is a “dream come true” following a career-altering setback about a decade ago.

Back in 2014, William was appointed as the executive chef of Hilton Singapore – a crowning achievement for the SHATEC-educated chef. “I was very happy when they called me [with the job offer]. I was their first Singaporean executive chef,” he tells 8days.sg.

Unfortunately, within a year of taking on the role, William suffered a heart attack at home. After undergoing bypass surgery, his doctor urged him to resign due to the stressful nature of his job. “It was a shame. I felt like I haven’t even had the time to achieve what I wanted. But my family also said to me, it’s better to leave [my job]. My health comes first,” says the chef, who is married with two adult children.

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Today, he runs Croissand Cafe with his wife and younger daughter, who declined to be interviewed. The joint serves croissant sandwiches (the name “Croissand” is a portmanteau of these items), as well as pastas and desserts. “When I was working at hotels, most of the time when I reached home, my family would be asleep. On off days, sometimes I’d be too tired [to spend quality time together]. Now, we get to work together every day,” he shares cheerfully.

Transitioned to consulting roles after health crisis

Following his heart surgery, William – who had been an executive chef at five-star hotels including Hilton Singapore and Grand Park City Hall – shifted to less demanding positions. He served as a corporate chef for homegrown restaurant group Violet Oon Singapore, contributing to projects like the launch of their iconic National Gallery outlet. 

After the pandemic, however, he started to consider opening his own cafe instead. “I wanted a place that I could run with my family and build something for the future. My [younger] daughter has always wanted to open a cafe like this, so it’s a good start for learning the ropes,” explains the devoted father.

William and a silent partner invested $180K to set up Croissand. He cooks at the cafe daily, with his wife assisting in the kitchen and their 22-year-old daughter attending to customers. Their support has made work more manageable for the chef, and his heart health has also stabilised.

Cooked for F1 driver Lewis Hamilton & billionaire Ong Beng Seng

The veteran chef has cooked for many VIPS throughout his career – including Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton (see above pic) and billionaire businessman Ong Beng Seng. The latter remains a regular client for William’s ongoing side gig – private dining. “When I was doing consulting roles, I missed hands-on cooking a lot, that’s why I started to take on private events. I plan to continue running it on the side while managing the cafe,” he adds.

Simple, calming decor

“We kept it simple due to lack of budget,” quips the owner, referring to his 23-seater’s minimalist decor. Joke aside, we found the joint to be rather tasteful with its monochromatic palette and cement accents. The air-conditioned joint, which overlooks the busy traffic along Jalan Sultan road, provides a pleasant respite from the city’s bustle.

Croissants from a supplier, fillings made in-house

The cafe gets its freshly-baked croissants from a supplier. Despite not baking the croissants in-house, the chef explains that he decided to sell these elegant sandwiches because of their popularity, particularly among the younger demographic – an observation echoed by his daughters, who are in their twenties. “It’s easy to eat and people just love croissants,” he adds.

Given his current workload managing the cafe’s entire menu, William shares that he does not have the bandwidth to bake the croissants on-site. However, he is keen to eventually make them from scratch and has been experimenting with recipes in his spare time. “It’s been a long time since I’ve baked pastries,” he said in a Whatsapp message to 8days.sg while sharing photos of his recent croissant baking attempts, which looked promising to us.

Toasted before serving, Croissand’s supplier-sourced pastry has a crisp crust and soft, flaky interior. While not super buttery, the croissant’s lighter flavour makes it suitable as a sandwich base. 

All fillings are prepared from scratch and feature a mix of Asian and Western flavours, with fun pairings like otah with ikura (salmon roe), and minced beef cooked with Japanese yakiniku sauce and truffle oil. “I always try to incorporate local flavours in whatever I cook,” says the former hotel chef who is skilled in international cuisines. 

The cafe also carries a selection of pastries and baked goods from the same supplier, including bagels and sourdough loaves.

Truffle Caviar Wagyu Minced Beef with Japanese Sweet Sauce & Emmental Cheese, $9 (8 DAYS Pick!)

The minced meat filling is made from wagyu brisket slowly cooked with Japanese yakiniku sauce and truffle oil. Shredded mozzarella is stirred into the ragu to further enhance its richness. Bulked up with a fried egg, lettuce, tomato and melty emmental cheese, this is a hearty ’wich that can satisfy those with moderate appetites. The Italian truffle ‘caviar’ - not roe, but pearls of black truffle juice - add a luxe touch, though we found their delicate flavours drowned out by the punchy meat filling.

Seafood Otah Mayo with Salmon Roe & Cucumber, $8 (8 DAYS Pick!)

While not as substantial as the beef option, we enjoyed the rather novel flavour combination of spicy otah and umami notes from the salmon roe and crispy sakura ebi. The house-made mackerel otah boasts a lemak fragrance and is well-balanced by the creamy mayo dressing. A lovely, refreshing sandwich.

Japanese Inspired Carbonara Fettuccine, $16

This isn’t your traditional carbonara - for starters, there’s no parmesan or raw egg yolk involved. William’s version gets its creaminess from heavy cream and a sous vide egg, plus a jolt of saltiness from salted egg powder, which also gives the creamy sauce a light buttery fragrance. Cooked al dente, the premium Italian dry pasta offers a lovely chewy texture that surpasses most casual cafe versions. Seared prawn and bacon complete the dish, while bonito flakes and furikake (Japanese rice seasoning) add a tinge of smokiness. Not as indulgent as proper carbonara, but nice in its own way. Worth a try if you’re into Japanese fusion pastas.

Fluffy Castella Pancake with Maple Syrup & Butter, $7

Also known as a baked Japanese soufflé pancake, this soft dessert has an airy, moist and custard-like texture. Like a lighter, fluffier giant hotcake from McDonald’s. Sorta comparable to some pancakes from Japanese cafes, but served in its baking dish. Presented simply with butter, maple syrup and icing sugar, we recommend digging into this item right away as the pancake will begin to deflate after it’s brought to your table. The portion is big enough for two to share. Each order takes about half an hour to prepare, but it’s worth the wait.

Earl Grey Peach Foam Tea, $7

Brewed from TWG earl grey tea and peach syrup, this is a refreshing, sweet pick-me-up.

Bottom line

Though the decor isn’t as Insta-worthy as trendier cafes in the Arab Street area, we actually enjoyed the laid-back charm of this no-frills joint. The menu offers pretty standard fusion cafe fare, but the food is comforting with chef-y touches and well-executed flavours. We enjoyed the robust beef sandwich and Japanese soufflé pancake – priced below $10, these are tasty and offer good value as a brunch option in the neighbourhood. We hope the cafe will live up to its croissant-centric branding by baking the pastries in-house in future.

The details 

Croissand Cafe is at #01-14 City Gate, 371 Beach Rd, S199597. Open daily except Mon 8am – 7pm. More info via Instagram.

Photos: Kelvin Chia