[Review] Savour Traditional Singapore Coffeeshop Delights at CAFÉ O by Soup Holdings

CAFÉ O is a fast casual traditional Singapore coffeeshop concept that serves up authentic Singaporean flavours. It is a brand under Soup Holdings, the home-grown F&B group behind the popular Soup Restaurant chain. Designed to celebrate Singapore’s rich food culture, CAFÉ O is poised to take on other similar, established chains like Breadtalk group’s Toastbox and Yakun.

To differentiate itself from the highly saturated competition, CAFÉ O offers freshly prepared mains using locally sourced ingredients. They also made some slight adjustments to local favourites to have their own versions of the dishes. CAFÉ O is currently available at three locations in Singapore – Bugis (standalone building beside Bugis+), Changi Airport Terminal 2 and Raffles Holland V Mall.

Dive into a menu boasting a variety of Singapore coffeeshop classic dishes, from Chicken Rice to Roti Prata, each with a slight flair of its own. For instance, CAFÉ O’s take on the ubiquitous prata includes a Hae Bee Hiam version and a Salted Egg version.

We were invited for a dinner tasting and these were the items we savoured:

We were not expecting much from this tasting, given that the items served are mostly stuff you can find at most regular coffeeshops and hawker centres across Singapore. Instead, we were wowed by the carefully calibrated refinement or improvisation made to each of the classic dishes to bring out something unexpected, yet familiar and delicious. This is not an easy feat and kudos to the culinary team behind CAFÉ O for pulling this off.

Our favourite dish was the Malay Ginger Fried Chicken which gives you the best of both worlds, bringing out the best from the Malay Ayam Penyet dish and the Chinese Hainanese Chicken Rice. The chicken was fried to perfection and the accompanying chicken skin gives added crunch, paired with the fragrant Hainanese-style chicken rice.

The Nasi Briyani was another standout dish, with the well-cooked, fluffy long grain rice, paired with the aromatic chicken or mutton curry.

Whether you’re craving a nostalgic treat or seeking comfort in familiar flavours, CAFÉ O invites you to savor the essence of Singaporean cuisine. Expect to see more outlets popping up all over Singapore to give their competitions a run for their money and to step up their game.

CAFE O Bugis

Address: 229 Victoria Street, Bugis Village, Singapore 188023
Operating Hours:
Sundays to Thursdays 10am to 11pm; Fridays, Saturdays & Eve of PH 10am to11.30pm

CAFE O Terminal 2

Address: Changi Airport Terminal 2, 60 Airport Boulevard, Singapore 819643 #02-07, 08, 09
Operating Hours:24 Hours

CAFE O Raffles Holland V Mall

Address: 118 Holland Ave, Singapore 278973
Operating Hours:7.30am-8.30pm