Lunch at Joe's Corner Cafe @ Kovan

25 Simon Road, Singapore 545912

Tel: 6280 0855

I went to collect my cream from the Doctor's, then decided to head to Lola's Cafe, but when I saw the crowd and queue outside, I knew I didn't stand any chance. Hence, I walked further down the row of shophouses right to the end and stopped at Joe's Corner Cafe & Bar, looked through the menu, and stepped in.

It was a simply-furnished cafe & pub concept , with framed pictures lining up the walls to add some vibrancy and well-spaced tables. I like the relaxed settings suggesting seeming to invite patrons to unwind, sit back and just enjoy a good meal or chillout session without worries. The cafe was empty at lunchtime on a weekend, which surprised me, so I got all the attention of the service crew.

The moment I sat, I placed my order. The Vanilla Latte (SGD$7.00)  was served shortly after I sat down. It was an iced-blended drink, slightly frothy, but very smooth and light for a blended drink. The light-creaminess of the drink belied the taste though - the vanilla flavor was prominent and the coffee's taste was also distinctive, both rising up to greet the palate with a pleasant sweetness. I loved it.

My main course took a while to be served, so I entertained myself on my Ipad, and good things were often worth waiting for. Finally, they served my Soft Shell Crab Spaghetti (SGD$16.80). The sight of the entire soft shell crab (tempura style) sitting atop my pasta perked me up. When I lifted it, there was an entire pool of fluffy egg topping the pasta, surrounding by red hot chilli sauce.

I took the first bite of this pasta cooked ala Chinese chilli-crab style, and enjoyed it immensely. The soft-shell crab was no doubt crispy and soft at the same time, almost melting in my mouth. The spaghetti was prepared to the correct level of not-too-hard softness I liked, and the eggy chilli sauce was simply fabulous. It was a tad spicy in my opinion, but I love spicy food so this was right up my alley.

I was glad that the original cafe I'd wanted to go was overcrowded, frankly. If not, I might not have discovered the great food and coffee here. Service was not excellant, but nothing to rant about as well, so all in all I had a good lunch for SGD$26.20 in all.