Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
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!
It’s 2020, and those of us who have been around since the café-hopping trend started are probably finding it harder and harder to be impressed by the new ones popping up. How many minimalist flat-lay shots of croissants and coffee can you take, after all? Besides, the ‘Circuit Breaker’ measures put a dampener on café-hopping.
That said, new cafes with intriguing dishes are certainly welcome, and I wouldn’t say no to an opportunity to check out a new spot. Imagine my disappointment, when I found out about The Food Peeps just before the ‘Circuit Breaker’ started.
Fortunately, this café located in Tanjong Pagar is pretty handy with delivery—they deliver island-wide (with a minimum order of S$20), and they’re available on Deliveroo and GrabFood as well. The Food Peeps is right opposite Maxwell Food Centre, so it’s actually rather central.
I placed my order for a hearty Saturday brunch, and anticipated the lovely spread to come.
One of the dishes that caught my eye from the menu had to be the Rendang Toast (S$12). Tender, spicy beef rendang and a perfectly poached egg came together atop tangy, hard crust sourdough.
Asian fusion dishes seem to be a trend that’s going strong, but when it’s done well, the contrast and unexpected flavours really make the dishes pop. I have to admit, I was a tad sceptical when I first unveiled the dish from its takeaway container. Isn’t it just toast, topped with spicy beef?
I’m glad The Food Peeps proved me wrong with this hearty breakfast dish. While not spicy to the extent of burning, this rendang packed enough heat to leave a tingling sensation lingering on my lips and tongue.
I was pleasantly surprised at how juicy the beef was too, since pulled beef and pork dishes tend not to survive deliveries very well. Most have the propensity to dry out, especially since I took 10 minutes or so taking photos.
And who could forget the money shot? I simply had to break the poached egg, to let the yolk dribble down the sides. Paired with the mild, tangy sourdough, the rendang beef and poached egg went delightfully with the hard crust and soft, chewy bread.
If beef isn’t your protein of choice, what about a taste of the Spicy Garlic Prawn Burger (S$15)? Sandwiched between buttery brioche buns, chunks of prawn and avocado complete this burger. The toothsome combination of sour cream, dill, lemon juice, roasted garlic and cream cheese certainly whetted my appetite, and lettuce added simple, fresh colour.
I particularly enjoyed how refreshing this burger was. You’d expect burger dishes to be hearty and heavy on the palate, but the combination of prawn and avocado was easily brightened by the sour cream and lemon juice.
Crispy and fluffy, the brioche buns really helped to bring the whole burger together.
The Rendang Pasta (S$15), unfortunately, paled in comparison. The eight-hour cooked beef rendang was certainly tender and juicy enough. It held the same flavourful spice and tingling heat as the beef rendang from the Rendang On Toast.
Alas, the delivery process must have caused the pasta to dry out, because while the pasta was al dente, it was dry and slightly tacky. I’ll have to swing by The Food Peeps once the ‘Circuit Breaker’ period is over to give this dish another try.
My favourite part of every meal is always dessert, so I was looking forward to the Peanut Butter Jelly (S$11). Served with a whole banana sliced in half and generous amounts of creamy peanut butter, this waffles dish also came with maple syrup on the side.
At first, I wondered where the ‘jelly’ part of the dish was hiding. The Food Peeps actually baked the blueberries into the waffles! Sticky, chewy, and sweet, I could probably just eat the blueberry waffles itself for dessert.
Be sure to spread the peanut butter into each square on the waffles. And drench it with maple syrup—there’s nothing quite like syrup-soaked waffles. The Food Peeps actually offers ice cream (+S$3) on the side for this dessert, but I’m afraid it wouldn’t have translated well to delivery. Another reason to re-visit this café!
The Food Peeps also offers a selection of beverages, from the usual café offerings like an affordable Espresso (S$3) and Chai Latte (S$5.50), to more trendy drinks like Acai Smoothie (S$8.50).
While we can’t go out and visit cafes right now, I’m glad that cafes like The Food Peeps offer island-wide delivery—and the cafes can come to us! Some of the dishes might not be exactly the same as if you enjoyed it amongst the lush greenery in the café, but it still intrigued my tastebuds, and that speaks volumes.
Expected Damage: S$20 – S$30 per pax
