What do you get when you combine two of Singaporean’s favourite things?
Old Habits Cafe is a retro-themed family-style cafe at SAFRA Mount Faber, where you can enjoy quality cafe food and thrift for retro toys and furniture.
Comforting and affordable dishes
For a simple yet flavourful dish, we recommend The Prawn Burger ($13.9). Before even diving into the taste, it’s super affordable for a cafe main dish. Now the construction of the burger might be simple — just a prawn patty and a slice of cheese, this burger packed a punch. The patty is coated in a glossy, umami sauce, that is heightened with a variety of finely-diced vegetables. It adds a bit of freshness, but most importantly, a kick from the slightly raw onions to counter the rich sauce.
We also tried the Wagyu Beef Sandwich ($18.9). A generous portion of sliced beef was packed between two slices of perfectly toasted multigrain bread. While the steak did come in a disappointing shade of grey, it was surprisingly tender. It’s definitely not the best wagyu, but for it’s price, this was justified.
Both dishes come with a side of fries and greens.
While we didn’t try it, we heard that their Sesame Crusted Tuna Steak ($19.5) was a crowd favourite at Old Habits Cafe. The tuna is crusted with sesame seeds which adds a layer of texture, and some nuttiness to fish. It’s cooked to a perfect rare, which retains its succulence in the middle.
A dish you have to get
Dessert was shocking. Almost all the family-style cafes I have been to would serve simple desserts. Old Habits Cafe had them on the menu, such as the Brownie with Ice Cream ($8.9) and Chocolate Molten Lava Cake ($11.9). But if you scroll down their online menu a little more, you’ll find one of the most unique desserts you’ll ever see in Singapore — a pouffle.
Essentially a cross between a souffle and a pudding, this dessert starts off with the light and fluffy texture of a souffle, before transitioning into a moist, and slightly denser pudding texture. Cook it with coconut flakes and milk, and you’ll get the Old Habits Coconut Kueh ($9.9).
As this dessert is made fresh to order, it comes with a 20-minutes wait time, but it’s worth the wait.
Retro thrift store or vintage museum?
The answer is both!
While your food is being prepared, take a trip down memory lane — or for the younger generation, take a peek into the past. Old Habits Cafe is packed with all things retro: toys from the 90s, vintage rings and bags, old records, discontinued furniture…
If anything catches your eye, you can purchase them, and the good news is, it’s not too pricey. Old toys and keychains start from as low as $2, and fashion enthusiasts will be pleased to learn that vintage accessories average at $8 per piece.
Location: 2 Telok Blangah Way, Mt Faber, #01-04 Next to the Swimming Pool, SAFRA, 098803
Tel: +65 8864 3343
Opening hours: 11am-9pm (closed on Monday)
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*This article is written in partnership with Old Habits Cafe, but all opinions are of my own
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