Making a wrong turn into a carpark and assuming it would not take long to walk over to 112 Katong Mall turned out to be a blessing in disguise as thirsty and sweaty aku (me) was in severe need for an air-conditioned place to cool and replenish the water content in my body!
The retro signboard of Sinpopo Brand (by the same people that gave us Awfully Chocolate) caught our attention and we eventually walked in after deliberating on the available choices; trust me, it's not an easy decision when the entire Joo Chiat Road was decked out with many cafes.
Grab a copy of the attendance register while waiting for your seats; yes, they didn't appear to be from my time and my bet was that the design likely hailed from the 60s or even 50s.
Decor inside - screed flooring that had a few sections laid with tiles popular in the old days. I am especially loving the plastic stringed chairs; it's been a while since i last seen one.
So what are you supposed to do with the attendance register? Not to write your name of course; it's your menu although there were quite a few pages and the menu can only be found right in the centre fold. I shall share the menu in the later part of this post.
Two snippets of menu items were also slotted in the rusting tin cat together with paper serviettes; "ang moh"gourmet coffees were listed although i wonder on the rationale for drinking westernised kopi in local, retro setting! Go for kopi lah!
Sng Muay Pop
I needed something cool and opted for the nice sounding sng muay pop even though i didn't even know what it contained except for sour plum!
A good choice; essentially soda water with lime and sour plum encased in small balls of ice, it was so thirst quenching given my dehydrated condition and extremely refreshing! That small cup was hardly sufficient but for S$5 a pop, i think i can make do with a scoop of ice cream from Island Creamery next door.
The price didn't stop Vanessa from buying another pop for takeaway. Judging from the size, i think i will get a slightly better deal for takeaways next time!
Katong Jelly
Another soda based beverage with strips of jellies on the bottom; i found out later that they came from the red agar agar often sold in fruit stalls! Definitely a nostalgic moment! By the way, it wasn't as sour as the waitress had cautioned when we ordered.
Gula Melaka Cake
Priced at S$7 a slice, this wasn't easy on the wallet although it's hard to resist when the words "gula melaka" were used for the dessert; and i couldn't deny anything that's gula melaka based!
Look at that beautiful layer of gula melaka glaze on the other side! I couldn't wait to stick my fork in and devour as fast as possible for that sweetness rush!
Moist just like a good piece of banana cake and lip smacking good; the gula melaka was honestly rather toned down in the sugar section but i am not complaining; i need to cut down on sugar intake!
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Location
458 Joo Chiat Road
Map
As above
Operating Hours
Mondays - Closed
Tuesdays to Thursdays - 12pm to 10pm
Fridays to Saturdays - 12pm to 12am
Sundays - 12pm to 10pm
Website
Menu
As above.
Pricing
Sng Muay Pop - S$5.00
Katong Jelly - S$7.00
Gula Melaka Cake - S$7.00
(subject to GST and Service Charge)
Additional Information
Salted egg yolk cookies were available for sale! Aside from the cookies, i am looking forward to having the gula melaka jelly in my next visit!