Gems can be found at unexpected places. In this case at Ang Mo Kio Ave 5 near Yio Chu Kang Road.
Located at the heart of a matured estate, Grillhood Café is the place to visit if you are looking for a ‘chillout’ spot with home-recipe cafe dishes at affordable prices.
Some of the prices you are looking at: Veggie Pasta ($7.90), Classic Tuna Sandwich ($7.90), Spicy Chicken Burger ($8.90), Cajun Chicken ($9.90), and Pan-seared Barramundi ($12.90).
Maybe they are a dollar or two more expensive than the kopitiam Western food stall, but portions are good and this is an air-conditioned environment.
Well, it isn’t the fancy kind of place with instagrammable décor and aesthetically-pleasing dishes.
As the name “Grillhood” suggests, the menu serves up mainly grilled items in a neighbourhood.
The idea behind the café’s line-up is straightforward – “cook what customers want to eat, exactly how they love it”.
The owner “Chef Song” has decades of experience working in different kitchens, having improved and served up his mostly Western cuisine every step of the way.
What was recommended included the Chicken Quesadilla ($8.90) with sautéed onions and capsicum; Pan-Seared Barramundi ($12.90) served with wedges, garden salad and salsa; and Spicy Chicken Burger ($8.90) with sides of side of tortilla chips.
In addition, you can top-up $5.90 to get a soup of the day or coffee with a single scoop of ice cream.
The Buffalo Wings ($5.90 for 6 pieces) were doused in an appetising sauce; and while not overly-fiery, it was considered finger-licking tasty.
The inner meat was also well marinated, and I liked that there were some greens given to cut the richness.
Its signature dish to order is the Grillhood Pasta ($8.90), a carbonara-style dish with homemade creamy sauce, added with oven-baked bacon, onions, and crunchy capsicum.
While I won’t say that it is the best pasta ever, I was pleasantly surprised because this is definitely better than most average pastas served in run-of-the-mill in terms of the balance of flavours, finer details (crispiness of bacon) and price-point.
If you stay around Ang Mo Kio, and looking for café food which is homely, comforting, and reasonably-priced.
Grillhood
603 Ang Mo Kio Ave 5, #01-2661 Block 603, Singapore 560603
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
Other Related Entries
The Workbench Bistro (Ang Mo Kio)
Wild Wood Café (Yishun)
Two Cranes (Hougang)
Mod Café (Ang Mo Kio)
Acoustic Café (Ang Mo Kio)
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