A cafe situated along the sidewalks of Orchard has brought Ipoh flavors to Singapore.
Small Tables on the ground floor of Pacific Plaza feature 26 dishes including some signature Ipoh dishes – from appetizers to mains – and white coffee.
The cafe really does have small narrow tables with long-booth couches that might be uncomfortable for those with larger groups. Its outdoor seats, on the other hand, are perfect for watching the hustle and bustle of Orchard.
From the outside, the space adopts a dark but homely theme with mirrors expanding the space and traditional touches of retro grill gates and condensed milk tin cans as decor.
Its signature is the Ipoh Curry Mee (S$20) served either dry or soup, and put together with poached chicken, caramelized char siu (barbequed pork), siu yoke (roasted pork belly), braised pig’s ears, pig’s skin, poached prawns, bean sprouts and topped with a generous amount of mint leaves.
Its thick curry is further enriched with rich prawn stock. Choice of noodles includes the classic hor fun, which is made fresh daily in Ipoh, yellow noodles, bee hoon and Konjac noodles.
There’s also the Ipoh Chee Cheong Fun (S$12) which is silky smooth rice noodle rolls drowned in curry, and topped with chili sauce, fried beancurd skin and green chili.
Weirdly under the menu’s “Asian Salads”, there’s the Cuttlefish & Water Spinach (S$12) that serves cuttlefish doused in a special sauce atop a bed of kang kong – a twist on the traditional cuttlefish rojak.
Sharing plates include the Whole Fish Otah (S$28), a yellow croaker that is deboned for easier consumption and stuffed with homemade otah. It is then baked and served in a banana leaf.
The cafe’s signature Ipoh White Coffee (S$7.50) is mixed with condensed milk just like in Ipoh, instead of some evaporated milk ones served locally. They also come with a side of grilled kaya taiyaki.
FIND IT
Small Tables
Open 11:30am to 10pm Monday to Thursday; 11:30am to 11pm Friday and Saturday; and 11am to 10pm on Sunday
9 Scotts Road, Pacific Plaza, #01-09/10/11/12, Singapore 228210
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