Hankering for good zi char food, away from the boring usual coffeeshops? Now, you can dine in an animal-themed setting at Cafe 566, a hidden zi char spot in Woodlands!
Cafe 566 offers affordable and delicious zi char dishes near Mandai Zoo. One can only wonder if it was purposefully (and cleverly) set up to attract visitors and tourists to dine here after their trip to the zoo.
Just a five-minute drive from the zoo and a 15-minute bus ride away from Woodlands MRT Station, this spacious restaurant can seat 100 – 200 pax comfortably. Did we mention that parking is free?
The person-in-charge shared that the restaurant is also big enough to hold events such as company dinners and birthday parties. According to her, the unique animal statues at Cafe 566 were sourced from the boss’ friends and others were from China.
We loved the quirky ambience and unexpected finds within the dining area, you’ll find gorillas, parrots and dinosaurs, all in statue-form, of course. Outdoor seating is also available.
We tried three signature dishes that were recommended by the staff.
The first dish was the popular Sliced Sotong with Salted Egg (S$15 for small), which came in a generous portion. The staff commented that almost every customer would order this dish.
The crispy golden salted egg crust was very fragrant and crunchy, carrying a very subtle tinge of saltiness. The sotong was perfectly cooked through and was easy to chew.
P.s. do not confuse this dish with the Deep-fried Sotong with Salted Egg!
Our next dish was the 566 Signature Hor Fun (S$12.80 for small). Don’t let the price tag deter you from ordering— the hor fun was cooked with superior seafood claypot stock, which was deep and rich in colour. Other than having sliced fish, prawns and squids in the dish, we also uncovered more premium seafood, such as scallops, pacific clams, and sea cucumber.
The hor fun was also fried with a distinct wok hei taste, and the seafood was tender and fresh. We highly recommend this dish to anybody who loves a good plate of hor fun!
The last dish, Honey Pepper Pork Ribs (S$12 for small), was a tad too sweet for our liking — we felt that the pepper taste could have been stronger. While some ribs were cooked perfectly, others were overcooked and hard to bite through. The gooey and sweet sauce also made me feel jelak after a few ribs.
Bonus: Beer Garden
Under the same establishment, the Beer Garden sells alcohol and is open from 4pm to 12am. Head over next door for drinks after a delicious meal. You can also unwind to a game of pool or engage in a round or two of darts.
Expected Damage: S$10 – S$30 per pax
