With the opening of Paya Lebar Quarter (not forgetting about Paya Lebar Square, SingPost Centre and KINEX), there are actually many restaurants and cafes to explore at Paya Lebar.
Interestingly, Paya means “swamp”, while lebar means “wide” in Malay.
Here are 10 cafes for brunch, coffee and desserts over at Paya Lebar: (I tried to include more of the unknown names, or cafes with interesting offerings not found elsewhere.)
Nuevo Café
115 Eunos Ave 3 #01-01 Singapore 409839 (Paya Lebar MRT)
Tel: +65 9632 6045
Opening Hours: 8am – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 10pm (Sat – Sun)
Hidden Gem With Brunch And Rice Bowls At Paya Lebar
Located at 115 Eunos Ave 3, Nuevo Café is a hidden gem at the ground floor not many would know about.
The café is actually not that far a walk from Paya Lebar MRT station. Through the park-connector, getting there is about to a 7 to 10 minutes’ scenic stroll.
Food wise, Nuevo Café serves up all-day breakfast, brunch favourites and rice bowls with a Japanese twist. Good to know that all prices are inexpensive, with no additional service charge.
Come during the weekends (from 10am to 4pm) and there will be a slightly varied menu for a more ‘brunchy’ items.
Offerings include Eggs Benedict ($14.90) – with use of mirin in the hollandaise sauce, Eggs Royale ($14.90), Croque Madame ($15.90), and Prata Benedict ($14.90).
The safe choice would be the Full Breakfast ($18.90) of scrambled or poached eggs, served with grilled bacon strips on toasted brioche, with grilled tomato, grilled chicken cheese sausage, sautéed mushrooms and mixed greens. Nuevo Café (Paya Lebar)
Jimmy Monkey at PLQ
2 Paya Lebar Road #01-10, Park Place Residences at PLQ, Singapore 409053
Opening Hours: 8am – 9pm (Mon – Sun)
Brunch Cafe With Alfresco Dining At Paya Lebar Quarter
Jimmy Monkey has come a long way, from their first outlet at One-North Residences since 2011. It has a new outlet at Paya Lebar’s Park Place Residences (a short walk across the road from the mall side).
Known to be the home of Singapore’s first Slayer Espresso Machine (aka the Ferrari in the coffee industry), the café is well-loved for its coffee blends.
Their breakfast menu runs from 8am to 5.30pm daily, focusing on Australian brunch fare such as The Hulk ($16) with smashed avocado on sourdough, Egg’s n’ Toast ($10) and Maple Granola ($12).
Exclusive to the new outlet at Paya Lebar is their dinner menu available from 6pm to 9pm daily.
Other than small bites such as Slow Cooked Cauliflower ($7), Cracked Rosemary Tots ($9), Pasta ($18-23) and Salad ($19-20), diners also have more filling options including the Boston Bay Mussel Pot ($23), Thai Laksa Beef Short Ribs ($26) and Pumpkin Moussaka ($22) are popular choices. Jimmy Monkey (Paya Lebar Quarter)
Chug Chug
2 Tanjong Katong Road, PLQ 3 Paya Lebar Quarter #01-09, Singapore 437161
Opening Hours: 5pm – 10:45pm (Mon – Sun)
Youthful Bistro Known For King Prawn Tomyum Pasta And Kimchi Buttermilk Chicken Burger
Chug Chug is known to offer diners a selection of Chinese-Korean-Western fusion foods in a homely and lively atmosphere.
There is a more Korean slant here (compared to Tanjong Pagar) in terms of food offerings, with Sweet and Spicy Fried Chicken ($16), Soy Garlic Fried Chicken ($16), Grilled L.A Kalbi ($24), Kimchi Buttermilk Chicken Burger ($18), to even Jjajangmyeon ($12.90) and Army Stew ($39.90).
The best-selling dish at Chug Chug is King Prawn Chug’s Tom Yum Pasta ($24), prepared with linguine in a tom yum cream sauce with XL King prawns, squid, and fried Sakura shrimps.
Co-owner Xinde revealed that this is the one dish that stayed on the menu since the opening days of Chug Chug, and has continually revised the recipe based on customer’s feedback. Chug Chug (Paya Lebar)
Fong Sheng Hao 豐盛號
Paya Lebar Quarter Mall, 10 Paya Lebar Rd, #B2-04, Singapore 409057
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 9:30pm (Mon – Fri), 8am – 9:45pm (Sat – Sun)
Tasty Taiwanese Toast Cafe From Shilin Market
Fong Sheng Hao 豐盛號 is a Taiwanese Toast Cafe which originated from Taipei’s Shilin Night Market 士林夜市.
The savoury toasts include their bestsellers: TW Special Pork Patty ($6.30), Pork Egg & Cheese ($6.30), Spicy Pork Egg & Cheese ($6.30), Pork Floss Egg & Cheese ($6.50), Potato Special ($5.80).
Complete the meal with a choice of cup of coffee (additional $1), Cane-flavoured Black Tea (additional $2.60) or Signature Milk Tea (additional $3.30).
My favourite was the TW Special Pork Patty ($6.30) that came with a thick cut of minced pork patty with a sweeter profile.
The patty was soft and refined in its texture.
The milk loaves are specially created in their own central kitchen using New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra’s premium NZMP butter, sent over to the shop then toasted over charcoal fire before serving. Fong Sheng Hao 豐盛號 (Paya Lebar Quarter)
kómma Social Cafe
10 Paya Lebar Road, #01-20 PLQ Mall, Paya Lebar Quarter, Singapore 409057
Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)
Social Space at Paya Lebar Quarter
kómma terms itself as a “social space” to cater for small workshops and activities (unfortunately, these have stopped due to COVID-19) and merchandise store for local designers to offer their products.
So one side, you get to shop for items ranging from scents, candles, accessories, preserves, to chocolate bars.
They also serve a small range of pastries, bakes, and coffee which is supplied by Huggs Coffee.
Tuk Tuk Cha
PLQ Mall #01-K4, 10 Paya Lebar Road, Singapore 409057
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
Thai Milk Tea Specialist with Thai Breakfast Toast Delights
Tuk Tuk Cha should be a familiar brand with many Singaporeans who love their Cha-Yan, a fuss-free casual Thai café which specializes in Halal Thai food, beverages and trendy desserts.
They have just opened this new outlet at PLQ, located outside quite near to the MRT station.
The PLQ exclusive are the Thai Breakfast Toast Delight, with selection of savoury butter toast with Thai-inspired flavours such as Tom Yum Prawn, Green Curry and Basil Minced Chicken ($4.90 – $5.50).
It also has an expanded menu which include modern Thai casual food such as Beef Boat Noodles ($9.90), Tom Yum Noodles ($9.90), and Yammama ($8.90) – cooked using the famed Mama Instant Noodle with a dry twist, topped with prawns, squids and house-concocted chilli sauce to give a zesty and fiery kick.
For rice lovers, you can go for the Thai Green Curry with Rice ($9.90), Garlic Chicken Rice Bowl ($8.90), and Tom Yum Chicken Rice Bowl ($8.90).
Morphine Coffee
10 Paya Lebar Road, #01-K5, PLQ Plaza, Paya Lebar Quarter, Singapore 409057
Tel: +65 6802 2321
Opening Hours: 11am – 8:30pm (Mon – Fri), 12pm – 9pm (Sat), Closed Sun
Specialising In Cold Brew Coffee With Prices From $2.10
Morphine Coffee already has an eye-catching name with its use of “morphine” (taken in directed medication to remove pain).
This may look like another next-door coffee place, but how they brew their coffee is varied from the usual typical practices. Their drinks could therefore taste different from the norm.
In terms of pricing, there are some inexpensive drinks such as the Cold Brew Coffee O ($2.10), Hot Coffee O ($1.80), Coffee C ($2.00) and “Tea C” ($1.80), slightly cheaper than the average chain store.
Also available are other specialty drinks such as Specialty Black Cold Brew No. 18 ($5.50), Iced Ginger Ale ($5.00), Hojicha Latte ($5.00), and Matcha Latte ($5.50). Morphine Coffee (Paya Lebar Quarter)
The Providore PLQ
1 Paya Lebar Link, PLQ #01-01, PLQ1 Singapore 408533
Tel: +65 6970 1887
Opening Hours: 8am – 10:30pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 10:30pm (Sat – Sun)
First Providore In The East With Al Fresco Dining
This is The Providore’s first foray into the East of Singapore, with large seating capacity of both indoors and alfresco.
Come during breakfast hours (menu till 11:30am during weekdays, 3pm weekends), and there will be choices such as Smashed Avocado on Toast ($19.50), Spanish Baked Eggs ($18.50), Eggs Benedict ($19.50) and Ricotta Pancakes ($18.50).
Other mainstays include Pappardelle Pasta ($28), Lobster Mac & Cheese ($27.50), Crab Linguini Pasta ($29) and Risotto with Duck Confit ($28.50).
Worthy to mention is the Strawberry Shortcake ($8.50), with cream made from Lescure whipping cream from France, which has a milky-creamy taste which complements the thin strawberry slices.
The shortcake sponge is made from Japanese flour for a fluffier texture, and I enjoyed that there was a certain pillow-like lightness to the overall texture.
Knots Cafe and Living
160 Paya Lebar Road #01-07 Orion@PayaLebar, Singapore 409022
Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm (Mon), 9am – 9pm (Tues – Thurs, Sun), 9am – 10pm (Fri, Sat)
Garden Café In Singapore At Paya Lebar
We were greeted by multiple pots of green plants at the entrance and woody elements of the furniture at this undiscovered, under the radar café at Paya Lebar Road.
There were glimpses that reminded us of Karmakamet Diner in Bangkok. Emphasize, glimpses.
Knots Living is a one stop furniture showroom where everything there is for sale, including the table we were sitting at for our meals. Of course, at a discounted rate.
Coffee sets are available at $6.90 with a Muffin, $7.90 with a Pastry and $8.90 with a slice of cake. A decent deal. Knots Living (Paya Lebar)
Pâtisserie CLÉ
Paya Lebar Office Centre, 29 Paya Lebar Road, #01-01, Singapore 409005
+65 8127 3925
Opening Hours: 12pm – 4pm (Mon – Sun), Closed Sun
Located within Paya Lebar Office Centre, Patisserie CLÉ (which means ‘key’ in French) has shifted from an online platform to a brick and mortar shop within the compound.
This is more for takeaways rather than sit-down.
It didn’t come as a surprise to me as the tarts here had a stark resemblance to the ones at Tarte By Cheryl Koh, since co-owner Germaine had worked directly under Pastry Chef Cheryl Koh herself.
The selection of Tarts ($8) include Lemon Meringue, Orh Blanc (Orh Nee + Mont Blanc), Strawberry, Tropico (Mango and Pineapple), Passion Sesame (passionfruit curd with black sesame) and Cognac Caramel Chocolate.
The Orh Blanc Tart ($8) caught my attention with the uncommon combination of oriental Orh Nee (Yam) and French tart pastry.
Piped with fresh yam on top in a single stranded hairlike structure like a Mont Blanc, a layer of vanilla chantilly is laid beneath it with another layer of yam on top of the tart shell that is baked with coconut cream. Patisserie CLÉ (Paya Lebar)
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10 Best Strawberry Shortcakes In Singapore
* Compiled by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary and Nicholas Tan @stormscape.
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