The vibe: The latest addition to the slew of new cafés in Tanjong Pagar, this casual entry from Molly Roffey’s takes you down memory lane with updated Singaporean comfort food favourites. Dimly lit with Edison bulbs, the shophouse unit has walls embellished with postcards designed by local graphic designers Jocelyn Sie and Chang Meizhen (sold at $2 each) and a hanging bicycle forming part of an ‘I feel good’ wall quote.
The food: The chef’s signature of sambal belacan shrimp linguine ($10.80) packs an aromatic punch, but is deceptively spicier than your nose will let on. We recommend it over the edgy-sounding kiam chye aglio olio ($9.80), which just comes with oil-drenched Chinese preserved olives – more aptly called ‘kana chye’ – replacing the olive oil in the oft garlicky pasta dish. Otherwise, try the chef’s other specialty of bacon and bakkwa alfredo ($12.80) that is in the cards for the coming months.
<p>Hoping to ignite memories of primary school canteen fare, the har jiong gai sandwich ($9.80) unfortunately falls a little short. Thick slabs of characterless focaccia spread with teriyaki sauce, which sandwiched a shrimp paste grilled chicken steak, could have spent some time in the oven for more textural contrast. We liked the rolled ham & cheese sandwich ($8.80) that comes in a trio of bread deep-fried in panko that holds a bright core of sundried tomatoes.
The Instagram-worthy eggs benedict ($10.80), served toadin- a-hole style with two baked eggs sitting in Gardenia-like bread, touts looks over substance – its taste is more reminiscent of a ham and egg bread from a local provision bakery, with an unexpected sweetness from the soft buns and maple syrup drizzled on the surrounding salad. There’s no hollandaise either.
For desserts, don’t miss the homemade sea salt and caramel Bonafudge sandwich ($10.80), named after its inventor, local musician Mark Bonafide. Only a dozen servings leave the kitchen each week, so stalk the café on Mondays to get the sticky wedges cemented with melted marshmallow and chocolate ganache.
Besides the one-plate fillers, Miss Molly’s also offers comforting bar bites like tempura mushrooms, aubergine and capsicums ($8.80) and spam fries ($7.80).
<p>The drinks: The pub grub goes well with Monteith’s crushed pear or summer berries ciders ($9.50) and Fruli strawberry beer ($9.50). For something sweet, try the slushy Reese’s-like peanut butter and chocolate frappe ($4.50).
The coffees are a milky disappointment, however. The Gielletto espresso base of its latte and flat white ($3.80) is lackluster and comes overpowered by copious amounts of milk. The iced latte ($4) tastes slightly better, if not for the thick layer of clear sugar syrup that looms at the bottom when served.
The verdict: Like most other hipster cafes of its ilk, Miss Molly’s is a quiet, homey space to while away the hours in comfort, if only the food and coffees were a bit better. Wong Pei Ting