Creamy Smoked Chicken Pasta Was scrolling around social media and got to learn about the recently-opened van kafe that had just sprouted up in the Jurong neighbourhood — van kafe is an establishment that would likely be easier to locate for Jurong residents; they are one of the few businesses being located within Jurong Play Grounds; this would be the compounds with a pickleball court that is situated right across the overhead bridge from the shuttle bus pick-up / drop-off point at IMM. van kafe should be fairly easy to locate within the compounds, considering how they take up a space that is immediately after the entrance of Jurong Play Grounds. van kafe takes up quite a big space within Jurong Play Grounds — the establishment can be split into three (3) different sections where one would be dedicated for the cashier, beverage counter (including espresso bar) and the kitchen, while the establishment also boasts of two (2) dining spaces; one being an air-conditioned space and the other being a non air-conditioned space that would work well for those whom are bringing their furry friends along. The establishment is decked out in a way that can be described as fairly European / Scandinavian — the large use of stone and timber elements creates a warm and inviting look for diners visiting in the day, yet also being an intimate space suitable for dates with yellowish lighting in the evenings; exudes a rustic charm yet with a modern appeal. The air-conditioned space does see the use of plants that spruce up the whole space, providing the interior with a sense of “life” — the majority of the dining tables within the air-conditioned space comprised of proper dining tables, though there is a high table that seats six (6) pax located at one end of the space; otherwise, the tables are configured in a manner that would work best for groups visiting van kafe in six (6) to eight (8) pax. van kafe is an establishment that distinguishes itself from most of the other dining establishments in Jurong East by being a cafe in the day and a bar in the evening; its food offerings can be described as more bistro-like — the menu features sections that are dedicated to Small Plates, Appetisers, Asian (Rice), Asian (Noodles), Western, Pizza & Burgers, Pastas and Dessert. There is also a Midday Menu section where the dishes are only available from 4pm to 6pm, while beverages are split into categories such as Beer (Tap), House Wine, Coffee, Teas from Gryphon, Refreshment, Cold Pressed Juices, Sparkling Teas and Homemade Sodas.
One of the dishes that we were somewhat craving for during our day of visit made to van kafe was a creamy pasta — van kafe offers quite a number of creamy pasta dishes on its menu, and our item of choice was the Creamy Smoked Chicken Pasta. van kafe describes their Creamy Smoked Chicken Pasta to come with elements such as smoked chicken and a rich, velvety cream sauce over pasta. It does seem like van kafe uses spaghetti by default for their Creamy Smoked Chicken Pasta. Other elements observe to have come with the Creamy Smoked Chicken Pasta that are not mentioned on the menu would include that of shaved cheese and spring onions. Digging into the Creamy Smoked Chicken Pasta, the cream sauce does deliver on the description of being rich and velvety; the Creamy Smoked Chicken Pasta does not fall short on creaminess, with sufficient cream sauce going around the entire pasta. The cream sauce does carry a slight sweetness to it; whilst this does sound a little weird on paper, it does balance things quite well from the additional savouriness provided from the shaved cheese, as well as that of the smoked chicken chunks that came aplenty. The spaghetti on the other hand does come al-dente with a good, firm bite without being brittle; the strands of noodles seeing cream sauce clinging onto it pretty well to carry the intended flavours throughout the entire dish. The smoked chicken pasta does come diced in small cubes; these do come with a smoky and savoury note — the overall flavours of the dish when the smoked chicken pasta is being had with the other elements do come across as something that seems to mimic that of Carbonara somewhat, and adds a much needed savouriness and meatiness to cut through the richness of the cream sauce. With all that being said, we still do think that the dish does get fairly jelak rather easily given the portion size and the heaviness of the cream sauce here, though it would work well enough if shared amongst two pax.
During the same visit to van kafe, we had also given their Chicken Chop (Fried) a go; there are actually two variants of the dish that van kafe offers — one variant sees the fried chicken chop coming with Creamy Onion Gravy served with Crispy Fries, whilst the other variant comes with a “Classic Chicken Chop Sauce” served with Thai fragrant rice. We found ourselves opting for the variant of the Chicken Chop (Fried) that comes with Creamy Onion Gravy served with Crispy Fries. We were initially expecting something that isn’t particularly out of the ordinary since the description of the dish on the menu wasn’t one that would necessarily make the dish stand out — the dish does come with coleslaw on the side as well; something which was not described in the description of the dish on the menu. The portion size of the Chicken Chop (Fried) with Creamy Onion Gravy served with Crispy Fries can be described as pretty generous — digging into the Chicken Chop (Fried) itself, we did notice how the fried chicken does come with a slight hint of umami-ness from the batter; it does seem that there is a very light touch of either prawn paste or fermented beancurd used during the preparation process, especially since some parts of the meat were dyed in a shade of red when sliced apart. The fried batter was reasonably crisp, though the meat within does come tender and juicy. The Creamy Onion Gravy was one that felt almost akin to that of a burnt onion puree; one that carried the sweetness of caramalised onions, whilst also coming with a roasty, smoky and earthy note that provided the fried chicken a complexity of flavours when had together with the gravy. The fries were well seasoned with salt for flavour, though they are a little bit on the crunchier side of things, while the coleslaw that came on the side was sufficient creamy and providing a refreshing crunch amidst all the fried items on the plate. Nonetheless, given the portion of the dish and how it is an item that comes full of fried elements, this is also yet another dish that can easily go jelak and would work best to be shared amongst two (2) pax as well.
The Prawn Toast was a dish that is being listed in the Small Plates section of the menu and does feel like an item with a slightly more Asian influence being one that seems to be derived from the Korean Menbosha — the menu simply described this to be “juicy prawns stuffed in toast, deep-fried to golden perfection”. This turns out more to be regular bread that is being spread with prawn paste and being deep-fried before being served — it also comes with a dip on the side that is similar to that of a tartar sauce, though more runny and does seem to feature more variety of herbs with a lighter note that better suited the Prawn Toast that they serve up. One thing we liked how their Prawn Toast was being executed would be the how the prawn paste was being marinated; there is a refreshing zing that came along with it whilst it comes in a slight yellowish-greenish hue that gives it a taste more familiar to South-East Asian palates. That being said, given how this is a fried item that also sees the toast being a little dense and fried to a crisp, it is yet another heavy dish that would likely go well as a light snack to have with some alcoholic drinks on the side.
Visiting van kafe for brunch on a weekend, it is needless to say that we would not be missing out on our usual Flat White. The Flat White at van kafe does come with latte art, and is a cuppa which we found to be decently pulled — the cuppa does come with a medium body that is a little heavier on milk, but does come with a rather distinct nutty and earthy flavour profile that provides sufficient caffeinated kick for a weekend perk-me-up. Jurong hasn’t been a spot that is well-noted for its indie cafe scene but things does seem to be set for change with the opening of van kafe — its unique setting within Jurong Play Grounds does set it apart from other indie cafes that are situated elsewhere. Its menu attempts to be diversified enough where it features a mix of more conventional dishes amongst those that comes with a slight twist — there are little elements in some of the dishes that also comes as a surprise as well; that being said, the dishes at van kafe does come at large portions that whilst it does gel well for the price point, the food does come a little heavy for a single pax to finish. The price point of the food at van kafe also varies quite a bit for their individually-sized dishes listed on the Asian (Rice), Asian (Noodles), Western, Pizza & Burgers and Pastas section of the menu — the lowest-priced dish being at $19.60 which is the Vegan Buddha Bowl in the Western section of the menu, while the Wagyu, Roasted Baby Potatoes, Jus also from the Western section of the menu is the priciest dish at $56.40; most dishes are priced in the range of $20 to $35. Whilst being an establishment that is priced a little higher than the average indie cafe, van kafe is a spot that feels suitable for dates in the evening as well as for friend gatherings in the day — all within a location that is situated away from the main hustle and bustle of Jurong East; a rarity of a dining establishment in the Western side of Singapore. Looking forward to return to give some of their more fusion offerings from the Starters section of the menu and also to give their desserts a try another time!
