Savour succinctly named dishes such as Octopus and Potatoes
Photos: .elia/Weekender
Located along Jiak Chuan Road mere steps away from its trendier neighbour Keong Saik, .elia lures with not only a charming setting of wooden-chic decor, but also its curated menu of comforting, cafe food.
During the day, natural sunlight fills the 30-seater bistro that occupies the lower floor of a beautiful Peranakan-inspired shophouse, before transforming into a casual restaurant by night with its lunch and brunch offerings swapped out for a refined dinner menu.
While most of the dishes here are not entirely new to the culinary realm, owner-chef Clint Seah has placed his own unique twist that reflects his travels, inspiration and personal journey.
Another thing to note is that all the breads and pasta are freshly made. How's that for honest cafe grub?
Here are five dishes that we recommend:
3. Octopus, $29
The dinner menu also features the Octopus, a single grilled octopus tendril served with sautéed kale, caramelised chilli, macadamia nuts, and a generous dollop of mashed Japanese pumpkin. While most octopus tendrils out there are served, while not hard and tough, chewy with a gentle texture, Chef has cooked his very soft, requiring only a couple of chews before the meat disintegrates completely.
ADVERTISEMENTS