The Communal Place injects breath of umami into cafe dining with miso-centric dishes

With the ‘Circuit Breaker’ occurring only a year ago, it’s hard to forget some of the more memorable food deliveries I had ordered—and I’m sure I’m not alone. One of those that stood out is The Communal Place, a cafe in Joo Chiat Road that had barely gotten a sense of the industry when the pandemic hit. Today, it’s still standing strong and has even expanded its menu to include miso-centric dishes that add a depth of umami.

On paper, it’s easy to see why their Foie Gras # Miso (S$21) would lure you to give it a whirl. An ample slab of thick foie gras crowns this creamy glory, but there is something about this dish that doesn’t sit right with me. It could be the overt combination of fish roe and bacon bits that gives it too-salty an accent that I forget that my senses are meant to be courted by nuances of miso. My palate swings between sweet and salty, but never finds a contented spot.

Their Miso Salmon (S$21), I must say, was paired beautifully with a luxurious mash that I could not fault. Luckily, the salmon was cooked just right—right before it crossed the boundary of too dry. Had it been marinated in miso prior to being pan-fried, it would’ve proven to be a much more robust dish than just having the sauce glazed on its skin.

The last dish finally hit the spot as the Miso Pancakes (S$17) treats me to a sweet-savoury dessert that is worthy of recommendation. Don’t let its washed-out chalky hue throw you off; a lick of this and you’ll want to dump the entire pitcher onto the plate as I did.

It’s easy to call the Miso Pancakes as the clear winner here, although I realise this was never a competition. Given my last review of The Communal Place gave a show of promise, you can bet that the pancakes here are one of my favourites.

Date & Time: The Communal Place’s miso-centric dishes are available all day | 11am – 10pm (Daily)

Prices: S$17 – S$21 per dish

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