PS Cafe is one of the first few chains to start the cafe scene as we know it, having been in the cafe game for more than 20 years (since 1999!).
Knowing this, I had high expectations when we paid a visit to their Great World City outlet on Boxing Day. We had hoped to get a reservation with their more unique Dempsey & Raffles City outlets, but these were booked out. Do remember to make reservations early to avoid disappointment! 🙂
Here’s a list of 10 dishes we tried with the verdicts.
What’s Good?
These dishes (in no particular order) really impressed us.
1. Crispy Seafood Basket ($16)
This basket of goodness is a surefire winner, consisting of of light battered whitebait, shrimps and calamari fried to perfection. It manages to deliver a crisp exterior without being too oily. A touch of lemon and the two savory house-blended sauces; chipotle mayo & szechuan pepper salt.
2. Mushroom Soup ($14.50)
I cannot recommend this savory, hearty mushroom soup ($14.50) enough. The soup is really balanced with the taste and texture of freshly blended mushrooms coming through, enhanced with just a dash of truffle oil. It is not overly creamy and stays delicious throughout.
It also comes with a nicely toasted, buttered slice of baguette which is absolutely perfect for dipping. Must order.
3. Kashmiri Lamb Chops ($32)
I know, I know – this one is really pricey! But trust me it’s worth it. The lamb has a perfect juicy doneness and char as well as being packed full of flavor. I don’t typically enjoy lamb as it can have a gamey taste, but there was none of that in PS Cafe’s version.
The accompaniments of roasted long beans, potatoes and tomatoes were well seasoned and al dente as well. We enjoyed this very much. The price is steep sure, but you typically pay these prices for lamb/grilled meat elsewhere.
4. PS. Profiteroles ($16)
I have a soft spot for dessert. These glorious little ice cream-stuffed pastry shells, soaking in a rich chocolate sauce, really made my day. The vanilla ice cream is creamy and decadent and enhanced when mixed with the almonds and chocolate sauce. It is somehow not overly sweet which is a huge plus.
These are enough for perhaps 2 people to share, so I wouldn’t be deterred by the price (it’s really somewhat like $8 per person).
5. Golden Banana Butterscotch Bundt ($15)
This was more towards the sweet side but lovely as well. The bundt cake had a delicate sweetness from the banana which contrasted well with the butterscotch sauce.
PS Cafe certainly knows how to do their desserts!
What’s Okay?
These dishes were alright but didn’t stand out all that much.
6. PS. Truffle Shoestring Fries ($16)
Ah, this dish probably suffered from high expectations. Truffle fries are a staple in any self-respecting cafe menu by this point and I have tried many good ones. PS Cafe’s version was just satisfactory, not bad but not mind-blowing either.
7. Tandoori Chicken Sandwich ($26)
The portion was large and generous and the chicken was succulent as well. The bread was also done well and full of flavor.
The main issue was that the tandoori spices were not coming through enough so it felt quite flat. Maybe this is overly catered for foreign tastes and hence the spice mix was toned down which is a shame. Also, $26 for an average chicken sandwich is pretty pricey.
8. Singapore Chilli Crab & Prawns ($32)
I really liked half of this dish and that was the sweet & savory chilli crab sauce (perfect!!), crisp mantou and springy king prawns. What was disappointing was the ‘jade rice’ and the tiny portion of soft-shell crab.
The jade rice was simply some vegetable mixed rice with barley. It had an odd consistency as most of the rice grains seemed to be overcooked/ broken and bits of overcooked veggies (for the green tint?) were found throughout the rice. As for the soft shell crab, for $32, they should have been wayyy more generous vs the two to three pieces given.
What’s Meh?
I had pretty high expectations considering PS Cafe prices are almost daylight robbery and there are so many amazing cafes out there these days. Unfortunately, these items disappointed.
9. Sangria ($19)
You are better off ordering a glass of wine instead. PS Cafe’s Sangria is apparently made with rosé but you wouldn’t be able to tell given the amount of ice and soda added that makes it taste like fruity soda water. 🙁
10. Crab Tart ($32)
This is one of the items we were hoping to love. Unfortunately it is simply a pastry stuffed with crabmeat which became too much after a while. The prawn bisque that surrounded the tart only served to make the pastry shell soggy.
So that’s it – our take on 10 dishes from PS Cafe. Do you agree? Let me know in the comments below.
PS. Cafe Great World City
Address: 1 Kim Seng Promenade, #01-155, Singapore 237994
Opening Hours: 8am to 10pm every day
