Orchard Road’s highly anticipated sidewalk cafe Small Tables Singapore debuted at Pacific Plaza on 3 September 2022, serving signature Ipoh dishes, white coffee and other scrumptious Asian flavours. With long-booth couches and seats overlooking Orchard Road, the modish cafe invites you to engage in light-hearted conversations with friends, watch the world go by and savour delectable Ipoh flavours. The menu is designed by Executive Chef Sandra Sim and features 26 dishes, ranging from hearty mains to small bites, with a drinks menu offering coffee, tea and wine.
An updated, modern approach to Ipoh’s lifestyle of gatherings over meals and languid days, the cafe features a modern minimalist interior with dark hues invoking a relaxed mood and antique mirrors creating a sense of space. Adding character are artful decorations reminiscent of a simpler era, such as retro grill gates and condensed milk tin cans.
Menu highlights include its Ipoh Curry Mee (S$20++) that’s proudly authentic and enhanced with gourmet ingredients and Sandra’s dash of progressive flair. To bring comfort food to new heights, Sandra went through months of research and development before landing her winning recipe for Small Tables’s signature dish. Served dry or with soup, the bowl comes cram-full with ingredients that are the hallmark of Ipoh-style curry noodles, including poached chicken, caramelised char siu, crispy siu yoke, braised pig ears, pig skin, poached prawns, bean sprouts, and mint leaves. Fresh prawn stock enriches the spice-heavy curry base, giving it a great depth of flavour. The hor fun in the Ipoh Curry Mee is also made fresh daily in Ipoh with natural spring water that bestows its silkiness.
Diners can further fulfil their Ipoh cravings by ordering the Ipoh Chee Cheong Fun (S$12++); silky rice noodle rolls served with Ipoh curry, special chilli sauce, fried beancurd skin and green chilli. Enjoy an explosion of flavours with every bite, as the silky smooth rice noodle rolls soak up the rich sauce goodness.
Another Ipoh hawker dish executed with sophistication is the Cuttlefish & Water Spinach (S$12++). Presented as a delicious salad, the kang kong and tender cuttlefish perfectly absorb the piquant, robust flavours of the special sauce made with the essence of the Ipoh curry.
Other small sides that deserve a spotlight are the Small Tables Sliders (S$16++); fluffy scrambled eggs and fragrant house-made luncheon meat are sandwiched between buttery brioche. Served in a trio, you can also choose from other combinations such as braised spicy beef tongue with avocado or pork belly with mui choy.
Great for sharing with friends are the Whole Fish Otah (S$28++) featuring a whole deboned yellow croaker stuffed with housemade Otah, then baked in banana leaf; and
White Chopped Kampong Chicken with Sand Ginger (S$20++ half, S$36++ whole). The white poached kampong chicken is served chilled on white ginger scallion oil and topped with sand ginger. Elevate the flavours of the aromatic chicken further by dipping the chicken into the accompanying spicy chilli sauce infused with curry flavours.
At Small Tables, the coffee beans are roasted in the traditional Ipoh way. Unlike local Singapore kopi served with evaporated milk, the signature Ipoh White Coffee (S$7.50++) is made with the perfect ratio of condensed milk to coffee, delivering the right amount of sweetness and smokiness. Each cuppa is also served with a side of freshly grilled kaya taiyaki.
Whether you want a little “me time” or a space to chill with friends, Small Tables is the newest kid in town to mark on your list of ‘to-go’ cafes. To get the latest updates and food visuals, follow Small Tables on Instagram.
