Minion Café, Clarke Quay: “The Wagyu is a winner I’d return for”

Bello, everybody! The inner teenager in me is screaming with joy because my favourite yellow buddies are back in Singapore. When it comes to these banana-lovin’-Gru-worshippin’ little fellas, I am not ashamed to turn into an adult-baby. So, please, just bear with me and my bouts of excitement till the end of this write up. 

Obviously, when I heard the news of the first-ever immersive Minion Café opening right in the heart of Clarke Quay, I knew I had to make my way down. 

I made my way towards the café and there they were; it felt like Minion-mania all over again. I was overwhelmed with a truckload of emotions. I never imagined I’d be reunited with the boys again. The gang was back. 

Whimsically brought to life by Universal Brand Development, PARCO, and 1-Group—AKA my guardian angels—the café is plastered with Minion-inspired artwork, creating the perfect backdrop for fans and friends to go shutter-crazy. 

What I tried

Being around the yellow characters certainly got me craving bananas but more than anything else, I was starving—and also secretly hoping I’d find a banana milkshake on the menu. 

Ask and you shall receive, which is how I got my banana milkshake in the guise of a Minion Banana Drink (S$9) and another glass of Yellow Bellow Pineapple (S$9). 

The Minion Banana Drink is essentially a banana milk drink with banana fruit slices and cornflakes while the Yellow Bellow Pineapple was a mix of pineapple and lemon juice with pineapple compote, passion fruit, digestive biscuits, and whipped cream. Both drinks were refreshing with a chock full of bananas and complete with an explosion of tropical flavours—just the way I like it. 

Like a true Singaporean, I’m drawn towards local takes when it comes to what’s on my plate—which explains my excitement when I was graced with a plate of Minion Pumpkin Mantou with Chilli Crab Meat Dip (S$14 for four buns). 

The Minion-looking buns were light and airy, akin to the traditional tau sar pau you find at your neighbourhood coffee shop. Alone, it tasted bare, completely missing the essence of pumpkin. Before you ask, yes, the minions plastered on the buns are edible.

Forget about the taste of the buns alone because once you have it with the chilli crab dip, you will be blown away. A bite into the combination was as good as having a huge dish of chilli crab in a seafood restaurant. The flavourful sauce was sweet and a bit spicy, making it kid-friendly and effortless to eat. 

Next up, Minion Waqyu Lunch Plate (S$28); a dish that comes with two cute Minion-looking rice balls with a black pepper-glazed Wagyu strip loin patty, fried ebi, sunny side up egg, steamed broccoli, cherry tomatoes, a mini chicken sausage with a side of creamy potato purée, and bananas. 

I mean, come on. Can you ever go wrong with a Wagyu patty? Pairing the soft and juicy, well-seasoned meat with the creamy potato purée brought me immense joy. This isn’t your typical café fare and I was truly enjoying myself. 

The Western-Asian fusion confusion, however, didn’t do justice to the meat and other ingredients. The rice balls had a weird herbaceous taste which didn’t sit well with me, just as the crunchy-on-the-outside-and-mushy-on-the-inside fried ebi failed to impress. However, the Wagyu is a winner I will return for. 

Another dish that caught my eye was the Minion Keema Chicken Curry (S$28). A first look at the dish and its presentation reminded me of Japanese curry. The dish comes with a side of turmeric-flavoured rice, sautéed portobello mushrooms, crispy lotus root, and banana chips. 

The curry had the same viscous consistency as its Japanese counterpart as opposed to the traditional Indian curry. What struck me as odd was the flavour profile of the entire dish; the turmeric rice had its usual musky and earth flavours while the curry had an overwhelming burst of garam masala with the absence of other spices. It’s nothing like the usual keema dishes I’ve had but it could well be a favourite among kids—and some adults—due to its lack of heat.

After a slew of savoury dishes, it was only sane to end with something sweet, hence the Minion Banana Boat (S$18). It’s essentially filled with bananas, corn flakes, mango whipped cream, blueberries, and scoops of pink strawberry and blue cotton candy ice cream sitting atop a bed of soft sponge cake. 

One look at the sweet dish and you won’t know where to start. The cotton candy ice cream gave me childhood flashbacks as it tasted eerily similar to a Rainbow Paddle Pop ice cream. All in all, you can never go wrong with ice cream and the Minion Banana Boat was a sweet end to a Minion-manic day. 

Final thoughts

If you love the Minions, you will absolutely love a visit to this pop-up café when they officially open their doors on 28 October 2021 till 2 January 2022. Apart from offering a delectable Minion-inspired menu, they also have an exclusive outlet selling Minion-themed merchandise and collectibles from Japan and around Southeast Asia that currently aren’t available anywhere else in the world. 

One thing’s for sure, I had an enjoyable time hanging out with my yellow pals. 

Expected damage: S$25 – S$50 per pax

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