Cafe Pandan in Outram Road is a modern kopitiam for good nasi lemak and cendol. Kaya toast and eggs as well as traditional local coffee and tea are also on the menu.
Cafe Pandan @ Outram
Tiong Bahru Pau is a heritage dim sum shop known for its handmade paus and snacks. It has a shop in one of the shophouses along Outram Road where other eateries, such as Kampong Chicken Eating House and Voyage Patisserie, are also located. A few years back Tiong Bahru Pau opened a cafe, Sam Tat Coffee, a few doors away from its Outram snacks shop. It was like an air-conditioned kopitiam selling brewed Hainanese coffee, toasts and eggs and a few local dishes. Sam Tat Coffee was rebranded Cafe Pandan Nasi Lemak.
The decor of Cafe Pandan Nasi Lemak is basic and functional. The seating arrangements are suitable for the solo diner as well as fairly large groups.
Menu of Cafe Pandan Nasi Lemak
The main item on the menu of Cafe Pandan Nasi Lemak is of course the coconut milk rice dish. You can order standard nasi lemak sets or pick your favourite combination. Mee Siam and Laksa are also on the menu.
The menu can be viewed online (link at the end of the post) and below is a picture of the menu board of Cafe Pandan.
Nasi Lemak at Cafe Pandan
We had the Nasi Lemak Galangal Set ($9.50) which came with a choice of hot or cold drink. We opted for a hot kopi C.
The rice was almost completely hidden by the sunny side up egg, a big piece of fried ginger chicken thigh, vegetables, peanuts and ikan bilis.
The rice was nice and fluffy with sufficient coconut milk to give it the good lemak taste and a pleasant fragrance. The sambal was sweet and spicy. The peanuts were really crunchy. All those things already added up to a winning combination for nasi lemak. The fried chicken was delectable – tender and flavourful. It was a very good and enjoyable dish of nasi lemak.
French Toast & Cendol
We also had French Toast Set ($8.90), which came with a hot drink, and cendol ($3.50).
Thick slices of brioche bread was used for the French toast. They had a nice golden brown colour – soft on the inside and had slightly crispy golden edges. Add a bit of butter or kaya to taste and you would have a lovely version of the kopitiam French toast.
The coffee at Cafe Pandan was good – strong and robust taste.
Our favourite item of the meal was the chendol or cendol ($3.50). There was a big mound of crushed ice sitting on top of kidney beans, attap seeds and the green rice flour jelly. The ice was drizzled with a generous amount of fresh coconut milk and gula Melaka. It was a delightful version of the iced dessert. We had visited Cafe Pandan again just because of the cendol.
Good Local Cafe
Cafe Pandan Nasi Lemak is like a kopitiam plus – a neighbourhood coffee shop with air-conditioned comfort and a slightly elevated menu, such as using brioche bread for French toast. Their prices are reasonable. It is a good place for breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks. Those who like nasi lemak, iced cendol and local brewed coffee would not be disappointed with a visit to Cafe Pandan Nasi Lemak in Outram.
Ratings:
Food: 4
Service: 3
Value: 3
Atmosphere: 3
Overall Rating: 3 TOPs 
Cafe Pandan
241 Outram Road, Singapore 169044
Opening Hours:
Tue-Sun: 8.30 am to 5 pm
Closed on Monday
Nearby MRT Station: Outram
The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog
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