10 New Restaurants & Cafes In Joo Chiat And Katong To Visit Now
Yet another reason to head East
By Michelle Lee SM -
The Joo Chiat and Katong area has been a veritable hive of activity. Not that it wasn't already. The trendy estate has already been humming with fitness studios, hip cafes, lifestyle stores, and famed hawker fare, but it hasn't stopped a slew of new dining spots (and a couple of takeaway concepts) from sprouting up anyway. Here are the new restaurants and cafes in Joo Chiat and Katong piquing our interest.
Restaurants And Cafes In Joo Chiat And Katong To Check Out Now
The Olive Door is a collaborative effort between coffee place The Narrative Coffee and bakery Pelle and Pepe. The cosy space, located at Joo Chiat Place, operates primarily as a takeaway store, with standing counters indoors as well as a few seats outside.
The offerings from Pelle and Pepe are centred around plant-based and wholegrain ingredients, including sourdough bread, Strawberry and Green Apple Dill Donut, Ground Cardamom Bun, alongside savouries like Brioche Feuilletee.
Pair your pastry with the drinks from The Narrative Coffee, which sources its coffee beans from Brazil, Ethiopia, Guatemala, and Kenya. Outlet-exclusive options include Matcha Lemonade, and Sparkling Cold Brew with Moustache Foam.
It's the first brick-and-mortar place for Pelle and Pepe, which mostly sold its bakes online and at different pop-ups. The Narrative Coffee has an outlet at Bras Basah.
The Olive Door is at 83 Joo Chiat Place,#01-01, Singapore 427800.
Be whizzed away on a culinary journey through South East Asia at Province, an intimate eight-seater fine-dining restaurant helmed by chef-owner Law Jia-Jun.
Here, you can look forward to a seven-course prix-fixe menu ($138++) that's a celebration of ingredients sourced from around the region, with a focus on seasonal produce.
Start with snacks — for now, it's rice 'toast' with charcoal-seared prawns and popiah — then make your way through grilled squid with betel leaf and pickled onions, King Blue oyster mushrooms, local halibut and clams from Ah Hua Kelong, and poulet with yam and black vinegar.
Province is at 153 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427431. Visit its website for reservations.
Following the opening of its first bagel shop at Rangoon Road, the Muslim-owned Wooly's Bagels opened the doors to its second outlet at Joo Chiat in July 2023.
Sink your teeth into its hearty loaded sandwiches, such as the Get The Freak'n (GTF) Bagel layered with chicken ham slices, scrambled eggs, crisp hashbrowns and truffle mayo. Ther are also creative renditions that include Szechuan Sunrise with mala-infused chicken, and Otah Kau, a locally-inspired creation with otah and gochujang mayo.
For a sweet indulgence, try the Bagel S'mores that comes slathered with Nutella and oozy roasted marshmallows.
Wooly's Bagels is at 162 Joo Chiat Road, #01-02. Opens daily from 9.30am to 7.30pm. Visit its ordering page for more information.
While it's not new, Kings Cart Coffee has debuted a new concept that turns it into oyster and cocktail bar Joo Chiat Oyster House when dusk falls. Dimmed lights mark the transition, harkening to the days of the “red-light district of East Singapore”.
Slurp down plump creamy Japanese oysters from the Hyogo prefecture, which you can enjoy naked or with various toppings, like tart red wine mignonette or herbaceous chimichurri.
Bivalves aside, you can fill your belly with Eastern-Western fusion plates sporting Singapore-inspired influences like The Blur Like Sotong Fritters with housemade lemon mayo, the Chili Crab & Mantou with tangy spicy crab meat sauce and crisp mini mantou, and the 8-hour slow-cooked beef cheek.
Pair the nosh with locally-inspired tipples. Sip on the likes of the cheekily named East Coast Plan that blends Hendrick’s gin, mint, lime, and prosecco, or the Solero, a boozy rum-based iteration of the nostalgic lime-flavoured vanilla ice cream.
King’s Cart Coffee is at 328 Joo Chiat Road, #01-05, Singapore 427585. Joo Chiat Oyster House opens Mon to Tue, 5pm to 10pm, and Wed to Sat, 5pm to 11pm.
Salt & Palm opened its doors in March 2023, welcoming guests to dive into its contemporary take on modern Asian haute cuisine. Here, executive chef Natasya Soetantyo serves up playful and progressive day and night menus.
Dinner highlights to order: the signature Prawn Bisque Pasta with succulent king prawns, Australian pork belly porchetta in a rich coconut gravy scented with Balinese spice, and Konro Beef Short Ribs that melds buah keluak, cardamom sauce, and sambal ijo chimichurri.
During the day, dig into plates like Fried Quinoa, a healthier take on the beloved nasi goreng, Duck Confit Coconut Salad, Indonesian-style Grilled Pork Woku and Pandan Ricotta Hotcakes finished with hand-whipped pandan ricotta, shredded coconut, seasonal fresh fruits and palm sugar syrup.
Salt & Palm is at 467 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427678. Visit its website for more information. Closed on Tuesdays.
If you're wondering about the origin of the cafe's name, it's because the duo behind the 12-seater dining spot wants it to be known for its "beastly-sized" food portions. It's also a tribute to co-owner Lynn Heng's 'beastly' pet felines.
All-day breakfast highlights include The best Breki, a hearty platter of nitrite-free chorizo sausage, scrambled eggs, hashbrowns and more, with a side of brioche toast. Then there's the crowd-favourite Tokyo Drift all-day breakfast platter with Norwegian smoked salmon, scrambled cage-free eggs, and furikake.
For sandwiches, try the Beastly Girl 2.0, which sees tender beef tongue and caramelised onion jam, sandwiched between fluffy potato buns, or the Hot Bird, a fried chicken stack with grapes and Peruvian herb sauce. The vegan Magic Mushrooms sandwich is recommended, too.
Beastly Girls Sandwich Bar is at 11 East Coast Road, #01-18 The Odeon Katong, Singapore 428722. Opens Wed to Sun (8am to 3pm). Visit its Instagram page for more information.
The well-known Lunar Rabbit Boulangerie, which first opened on Hamilton Road, has done well enough to open the doors to a second space in Tanjong Katong this year. The airy and brightly lit 40-seater cafe is larger than its sister cafe, and comes dotted with adorable rabbit-themed paintings and sculptures.
Go there for the French viennoiserie and tarts, from croissants to a chocolate Danish with an adorable bunny cookie. There are also inventive creations like the cube-shaped Croque Monsieur with baked ham, creamy Mornay sauce, scrambled eggs and oozy melted cheese, as well as the Le Delice de Poire, also in the shape of a cube with honey pear puree and caramel chocolate ganache.
The Lunar Rabbit Boulangerie is at 350 Tanjong Katong Rd, Singapore 437116. Visit its website for more information. Its Katong outlet is closed on Tuesdays.
If stuffy fine-dining establishments aren't your sort of thing, then pay a visit to 808 Eating House, which professes to put the fun in dining.
Chef Eugene Chee presents novel interpretations that champion Southeast Asian cuisine and regional produce. Some of the must-try items include Buah Keluak Pork Belly that's braised overnight in buah keluak, soy sauce and garlic, Barramundi served with garam masala-spiked pumpkin puree and an intense shellfish broth as well as chef Eugene’s Signature Duck Fat Financiers, made with rendered duck fat and served with a creamy chicken liver mousse.
808 Eating House is at 153 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427431. Visit its website for reservations or more information.