Han’s Cafe – an oldie, but a goodie

When we first started work in Raffles Place, Han’s first cafe at The Arcade of Collier Quay was the place to head to when we wanted affordable set lunch. Han’s Cafe at The Arcade is still in the same spot and it does not look too different from how it used to look all those years ago. We visited Han’s Cafe at Marina Square recently. The Marina Square outlet is bigger with slightly more contemporary furnishing. However, the general look and feel of the place is still familiar. In fact, the design and arrangement of the display counters at the “modern” Marina Square outlet looked almost the same as that of the first Han’s Cafe in The Arcade. Well, consistency can be good, especially if it means we can still get decent set meals at affordable prices.

Han’s Cafe at Marina Square is quite big. The decor is neat and functional. Han’s started as a bakery and their colourful cakes, pies and tau sar piahs are still prominently displayed at their outlets. Their current menu is quite extensive – sandwiches, pastas, local favourites and all day set meals are available. Here are some pages of their menu. You can see their full menu with prices stated on Han’s website.

Han’s Cafe at Marina Square have adopted the modern self-service concept. You place your order and pay at the counter and will be given a buzzing device. You collect the food when you are buzzed.

We ordered the Grilled Chicken Chop Set Meal ($12.80) and the Stir-fried Hor Fun ($8.50). The set meal comes with coffee or tea. We ordered another cup of coffee ($1.70).

The set meal included soup with a piece of garlic bread. The mushroom soup was quite good, comparable to those we have had at some cafes where the soup alone could cost more than $12. The soup was creamy with a nice consistency and rather tasty.

The chicken chop was served in a generous portion with boiled carrots and thin fries. The chicken chop was done “local Hainanese style”. The grilled chicken was juicy and tender with a slight charred flavour. The mushroom sauce was tasty and added to the enjoyment of the dish.

The seafood hor fun has been one of our perennial favourites at Han’s. Our latest experience of the dish at Marina Square did not disappoint. The kway teow was well fried and the taste of ‘wok hei’ was evident. If we want zhi char style hor fun in air-conditioned comfort, Han’s would still be one of the places we would  go to.

We were glad to discover Han’s many years back. Han’s is now a household name and has even started a halal chain, cleverly named HANis. We are glad that there are now many Han’s Cafe & Cake House and HANis outlets all over Singapore. We think Han’s Cafe is still one of the best places to go to for a simple meal in air-conditioned comfort at very affordable prices – truly a Singaporean oldie but a goodie.

Ratings:
Food: 3
Service: 3
Value: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 3 TOPs

Han’s Cafe
Marina Square
6 Raffles Boulevard
#02-206 Marina Square
Singapore 039594

Tel: +65 6708-6758

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 0900-2200hr
Sat-Sun: 0800-2200hr

Nearby Stations: Esplanade, City Hall, Promenade

www.hans.com.sg

The Ordinary Patrons
a Singapore food blog by ordinary people looking for places to eat