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Situated in the far East, in the heart of Changi Village lies a cozy cafe serving home-style country cooking. They have a huge following of loyal customers, willing to travel out of the way just to enjoy country charm and amazing food Jacob’s Cafe provides.
The interior has a classic facade of a British bar and restaurant setting, perfect venue for a quick chat over snacks and beer. The alfresco area is tastefully decorated in deep brown furniture coupled with faux vineyard adornments. It exudes – especially during off peak hours – an impeccably charming countryside vibe you rarely get to enjoy in Singapore.
Jacob’s Cafe’s cuisine originates from the owner’s mother’s experience cooking in one of the many British camps in the old days, serving the British soldiers and officers alike. They started off serving English breakfasts, and as their customer base got larger, so did their menu selections which started to incorporate Chinese influences.
The kitchen team has slowly expanded their menu under the supervision of their passionate owners, concentrating mostly on time-intensive oven baked recipes. The owners are Hainanese and has lived in Canada for years before moving back to our sunny island. Their family history is reflected onto their menu, with an array of Hainanese cuisine and Western selections.
Baked Macaroni with Minced Beef and Tasty Cheese ($15.90).
Wonderful composition of tangy bolognese sauce and flavorful minced meat. My only issue that the macaroni was slightly overdone, the cheese itself isn’t enough to hold the dish together as a whole.
Hainanese Mutton Stew ($13.50). Hainanese style version with the notable beancurd skin and black fungus. Mutton meat was used instead of the usual pork, giving a alternate experience of the traditional Hainanese dishes. They have homemade chilli specially to go with the stew, but frankly you can put the different chillis in front of me and I wouldn’t be able to guess which was which. Really reminds me of the dishes my Grandmother used to cook during festive occasions.
German Pork Knuckles ($43.90, subject to availability). German style pork knuckles that is baked to a perfect outer crisp. Requires about a 30 minute wait, but it is definitely worth waiting for. Comes with 4 different sauces – apple sauce, homemade garlic chilli, mustard and brown sauce.
Mouthfuls of tender meat and crispy skin dipped in the sauce of your choice. The crackling is to die for. This is ‘wonderful’ for the health conscious eater, and for your cholesterol. But you know, you only live once so heck let’s feast. An absolute delight to pair this with an ice cold bottle of Erdinger beer.
Braised Pork Knuckles ($41.90, subjected to availability). Served together with fried codfish tofu. This is the Asian style cooking of pork knuckles that is the hot favorite for the older generation who identify it as Teo Chew braised pork trotters. Slowly braised for hours, the meat tears off easily and is very succulent. They were very generous with the mushrooms and roasted chestnuts. The pork knuckle dishes are big portions that are definitely meant for sharing.
Their menu is so extensive I am sure there will be at least one item on the menu that you and grandma will enjoy. Jacob’s Cafe evokes nostalgia with their country style cooking, using premium ingredients and specially crafted recipes. Quite a different ambience, located in the less urbanized, forested area of Singapore for you to enjoy a bit more tranquility rather than the city buzz we’re so used to. Do try to make reservations because they do get surprisingly pretty crowded during peak hours despite being in such an ulu location.
Just a note: Google map has marked Jacob’s cafe in the wrong spot nearby, so don’t follow it like some blind delirious madman cursing in at heat for 10 minutes.
Expected Damage: $25 – $50 per pax
