One doesn't usually expect to find Vietnamese food in the enclave of Jalan Besar. After all these days the zone is popularly known for its millennial-influenced cafes that serve good coffee, waffles with ice cream, scrambled eggs with French toast and specially crafted beer in the evenings.
But step out a bit further past the Tibetan temple towards the main road where the back of Hoa Nam Building is, turn left. and along a row of shop houses you'll find this little nook that takes you out from the bustling street of Jalan Besar and somewhere onto the streets of Vietnam.
I've not been to Vietnam- not yet- but sitting here in this café it is easy to imagine how the street food vibes of Vietnam might be.
The space is well organized with the tables, chairs and even bins placed neatly beneath, yet so well calculated and so effectively maximized that if you were to close your eyes, you might feel the noise and atmosphere of a street side stall around you, Never mind if you are the only one in the shop.
Maybe it is the tables and chairs. They are as low as it can be- very much like a low stool- that there is no other way to sit than to crouch in some sort of position with your elbows on the table. Adding to the vibe is the rest of the décor, with a grey smooth concrete floor. walls painted a warm shade of brown, or orange and distinctive decorative pictures hung at strategic positions.
It is altogether a very warm, cosy vibe.
The space is well organized with the tables, chairs and even bins placed neatly beneath, yet so well calculated and so effectively maximized that if you were to close your eyes, you might feel the noise and atmosphere of a street side stall around you, Never mind if you are the only one in the shop.
Maybe it is the tables and chairs. They are as low as it can be- very much like a low stool- that there is no other way to sit than to crouch in some sort of position with your elbows on the table. Adding to the vibe is the rest of the décor, with a grey smooth concrete floor. walls painted a warm shade of brown, or orange and distinctive decorative pictures hung at strategic positions.
It is altogether a very warm, cosy vibe.
Over here they serve Vietnamese BBQ, which I haven't tried, because it was afternoon when I went there and it was pho that I wanted. But I took a look at the menu and it was quite extensive, with a variety of soup choices, the seafood platter which had clams and mussels and the meat platter which had pork, beef and tripe. And there were lots and lots of vegetables.
My meal was beef pho that day, and it was good. The bowl was large, the portion was huge, the noodles springy and light. The beef slices were tender, and there was the warmth of the soup which I especially loved. It might have been the fish sauce, I don't really know, but I got this distinctly rounded taste that gave me the sensations of umami.
And then we had spring rolls too.
I have a special love for Vietnamese spring rolls. They're filled with minced vegetables, have a little bit of meat and are fried so well that the skin is crispy and crumbly and the flavors make you feel at once healthy, clean, light and fun all at the same time.
What I like about this place is the homeliness, and how they not only offer you the satisfaction of great, wholesome food in a lovingly decorated setting, they also grant you a memory to take along.
Near the entrance are shelves displaying local produce from home like instant rice noodles, bottles of fish sauce, leaf-wrapped packets of seasonings and herbs, and boxes of Vietnamese coffee.
And swinging proudly from the ceiling in the middle of the café are the full sized flags of Vietnam and Singapore.
And swinging proudly from the ceiling in the middle of the café are the full sized flags of Vietnam and Singapore.