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We love sharing good food recommendations with you, but for now, keep these recommendations as bookmarks—visit them only when the COVID-19 situation ends. Stay safe!
One of the many things I’ve missed during this period of social distancing is being able to enjoy a leisurely brunch on the weekends at a cafe. The experience of dining out is one that, I feel, we have all taken for granted and the social aspect of dining will certainly not be the same, even as the social distancing measures gradually ease.
It was when I stumbled across The Communal Place on Facebook—I swear, social media has been a goldmine of new food places to try and support—that I knew that I had my answer to my cafe cravings.
Located in the heart of Katong, The Communal Place currently delivers islandwide and accepts self-pickup as well. If you’re curious enough to try it for yourself, they’re currently running a 2-for-1 Stay-home promotion!
What makes their dishes so worth it isn’t only their flavours, but their generous portions. When they arrived at my door and I snuck a peek into the containers, I knew I would need to do the dishes justice by re-plating them on bigger plates.
Starting off with their Seafood Cream (S$19), it was still warm when it arrived and there was no shortage of an assortment of seafood like prawns, mussels, and squid, all slathered in bouillabaisse sauce. The linguine was cooked al dente and the sauce was rich, subtly creamy and had ample seafood sweetness.
The prawns were plump, the mussels weren’t gritty and all in all, this really hit the spot for me, as it’d been some time since I had pasta since the ‘Circuit Breaker’ period.
First off, I have to apologise for not snapping an overall shot of their marvellously done Yuzu Chicken (S$18); in my haste and hunger, I just wanted to savour the succulent bird as the yuzu fragrance was alluring. For its price point, it can certainly serve two not-so-hungry people.
The yuzu glaze proved to be a great balance of sweet and sour, and the chicken was impressively juicy—even the parts that are usually notoriously dry turned out really well. I really relished in stripping the chicken of every bit of flesh, but made sure to make sufficient room for the next tantalising dish.
Have you ever seen a Pork Chop (S$20) this beautifully thick? You might think, at first glance, that it’d be a dry bite, however, it was anything but. In fact, it didn’t have the unsavoury smell that pork sometimes gives off, and neither was it too tough, in spite of its hefty size.
It was seasoned well and even when I couldn’t finish it in one sitting, I was looking forward to it for lunch the next day. The only feedback I would have to give is the dismal portion of luscious mashed potatoes it came with.
The mash was silky smooth and buttery, so it was pretty upsetting that there was about two tablespoons’ worth accompanying the Pork Chop.
There aren’t many places that can create decent Fish & Chips (S$16), but The Communal Place has done it right. The beer-battered dory fillets are quite massive for only S$16 and if you have two kids with smaller appetites, this could very well be a great way for them to share one dish!
The deep-fried dory fillets were flaky and there was a good batter-to-fish ratio, so you won’t get an overwhelming amount of greasy batter. With just a squeeze of lemon juice on the fillets and a generous dip of tartare sauce, you’ll be satiated in no time.
Speaking of satiated, if you still have room for dessert, you absolutely have to order the Pancake Tower (S$16). It comes with a stack of three fluffy pancakes and a sprinkling of blueberries, strawberries, cookie crumbles, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Each pancake was at least a centimetre-thick, making this dessert structure something you’d certainly want to share with the family. It comes with butter and maple syrup, but of course, if you have additional condiments at home you’d like to add on, I say, go crazy!
Just look at those scrumptious layers—just trying to remember what it tasted like is making my mouth water. The fluffiness of the pancakes balanced beautifully with the crunch of the walnuts and cookie crumbles, and because the pancakes themselves already had a subtle sweetness to them, you don’t have to go overboard with the maple syrup.
The Communal Place was supposed to be a cure to my cafe craving, and cure, it did. All the flavours were on point, and the portions were hearty enough for a family of four to five people. I also have to add that the prices (both for the food and delivery fees) are kind on your wallet, so you don’t have to worry about splurging too much on food delivery.
Plus, with their current 2-for-1 promotion, now’s the best time to try them if you haven’t already!
Expected Damage: S$20 – S$30 per person
