Tucked away in a corner of Plaza Singapura’s new extension, Typhoon Cafe is a newly opened establishment that offers you classic Taiwanese soul food with a twist.
Step into this aesthetically-pleasing establishment and you’ll instantly feel as if you’re about to have brunch in a quaint indoor garden.
The lush greenery and the abundance of flora around the cafe successfully replicate the alfresco dining experience indoors — what a perfect way to start your meal!
And what do you order at a Taiwanese cafe? Oyster mee sua, of course. We tried two different renditions of the dish at Typhoon Cafe and needless to say, we were absolutely blown away.
The Signature Taiwanese Oyster Mee Sua ($14.90++) might seem like an ordinary bowl of oyster mee sua but I can assure you, you’ll never quite find something remotely close to being this good. At least, not in Singapore.
The mee sua was cooked to perfection, having absorbed the flavours of the broth yet retaining its firm texture. Slurp-worthy for sure! A good bowl of oyster mee sua boils down to the quality of the noodles as well as the broth.
The proportion of noodles and broth was just right, and you’ll be able to taste the lightly-starched vinegary broth in every bite.
On to the highlight, the flavours of the fried pork intestines were beyond amazing. The lightly-fried innards were crisp on the outside, and tender and chewy on the inside. These savoury fried pieces were a delight to have together with the tangy mee sua.
If you were looking out for the namesake of the dish, the oysters are actually served separately. And they’re not any ordinary oysters either — Typhoon Cafe serves up crispy oyster fritters.
While it might have been an innovative concept to replace the regular oysters with fritters, I have to say that they were a little disappointing as the oysters seemed to have lost their flavours altogether. The crispiness definitely added another dimension to the dish though, and this is still a must-try when you’re there.
The Pan-seared Bee Hoon Pancake ($12.90++) that we tried next is literally the mee sua version of an oyster omelette. The dish smelt exactly like the slightly-charred fragrance that’s characteristic of orh luak.
That golden-brown bee hoon might look crispy and inviting as is, but it gets even better as you work your way into the dish. The noodles are soaked in a thick eggy gravy on the inside, giving rise to quite a moist consistency.
The dish also comes with a portion of marinated stewed pork belly and braised eggs. I thought the additions were a lovely touch and a nice homage to Taiwanese braised dishes, but I would have preferred if they were served on the side instead to maintain the crispiness of the pancake.
Once you have your fill of mee sua, you absolutely must try something from the dessert section of the menu.
If you can’t decide, go for the light and tarty Typhoon Pavlova ($13.90++). Doesn’t this look too pretty to eat?
Typhoon Cafe’s version of the Russian Pavlova dessert comes with an assortment of berries, cookie dust and passion fruit curd.
You’ll be reminded of cotton candy and nougats when you get cracking on the Pavlova.
The best part comes when you work your way into the depths of the dessert. What lies in there is a sweet abyss of creamy and delicious custard!
And of course, we absolutely had to try the Hell Valley Volcano ($14.90++) which definitely had the X-factor.
A member of staff will drown this dessert in liquid nitrogen directly at your table for that volcano effect, right before your very eyes. Quick! Catch that Instagram-worthy moment before it’s over!
After that, you’re gonna want to get smashing at the semi-melted chocolate pieces because, the real dessert is sitting right within that volcano.
Ready yourself for cubed pieces of butter cake coated with chocolate, and layered with vanilla ice cream and thick caramel sauce. Now that’s what we call a dessert.
My initial thoughts were that this dessert was going to be too heavy for my liking, but when you have the chocolate with the ice cream and mixed fruits, it balances out into a pretty flawless treat.
We had a very satisfying meal at Typhoon Cafe from start to finish, and I’m so glad we stayed for the elaborate desserts. This new cafe deserves all the hype it’s getting and I will definitely be back when I’m craving a solid bowl of mee sua.
Hurry down to Typhoon Cafe and get 50% off desserts when you follow their Facebook page and tag them in your food posts!
Expected damage: $15 – $30 per pax
