Cafe War: The local favourites showdown

The local coffee joints are all vying for the same lunch crowd pie, dishing up local favourites at pocket friendly prices (a notch up from the hawker prices though and convenience really comes at a price!).

Coffee and Toast, Tanjong Pagar Xchange

Perennially crowded, finding a seat over lunch is weedling for a needle in a haystack and to get a table after lunch for a tete a tete, I would suggest taking away as a better option.



Chicken Rendang Nasi Lemak ($4.80)

Fragrant coconut rice laden with achar, ikan billis, belachan and a chicken rendang drumstick. It was a hearty lunch and I should have ordered an otah to go with it. I found the rice slightly grainy and rough.



Mee Siam ($4.80)

This in comparison was a lacklustre attempt on the savoury and sour delicacy. Watered down and it only had dried beancurd and egg as ingredients, not the best dish to attempt.



Laksa

Noodles were somewhat overcooked but gravy delicious and ingredients were limited to the usual tau pok, egg and fishcake. 


 
Otah Bread

Pillowy soft bread sandwiching a mackerel otah, I suppose the priceyness of it comes from the mackerel. I could get an equivalent otah paste bun at half the price in a bakery though. 

Wang Your Local Cafe, AXA Tower

The range includes Mee Siam, Laksa, Mee Rubus and Chicken Curry.



Laksa Set ($6.60)
Laksa, Kaya Toast, Coffee/Tea

A very value for money set with laksa as the best seller. The noodles were cooked aldente but gravy watered down. Lacking in oomph

Yakun Kaya Toast, 100AM



The extensive range includes Curry Chicken Noodles, Nasi Lemak Istimewa, Laksa, Mee Rebus, Mee Siam.I only got down to ordering a steamed kaya bread set that was more than enough to shun me from attempting the others. There are creations like kaya balls - a take on Hongkong's fluffy eggettes perhaps?

Toastbox, 100AM

On top of the local favourites, they also have heartier options like chicken chop noodles and even char siew rice at selected outlets.





Chicken Chop Noodles

Dry indo mie and chicken chop drizzled with nacho cheese, comfort food at cafe prices but I am not complaining.



Fish Ball Noodles

One surprising dish that could rival the hawker centers.

Good Morning Nanyang Coffee, Maxwell Chambers

The range as compared to the rest includes Bak Kut Teh, Nasi Lemak, Chwee Kueh, Soon Kueh and Chee Cheong Fun.



Laksa ($4.50)

Lacking in oomph, this has shredded chicken, fishcake and tau pok in the fiery looking gravy. Noodles were cooked al dente, considerably the best executed amongst the rest. Heartier ingredients and seemingly a better bang of a buck than the rest.



Nasi Lemak ($3.80)

More than decent with the aromatic rice, chicken wing and omelette.

I consider this an underdog with more value than the rest. 

The thing about cafes is, they are still shy of the real deal - I would be surprised to find an Adam's Road Nasi Lemak or 328 Laksa sold at any of these joints. If that were to happen, mediocrity would not suffice.