Checked out the new Bella People & Coffee situated at Tanjong Katong Road; the cafe takes over the former premises of the now-defunct LICK Little Ice Cream Kafe. The space has seen a complete revamp from its former operator; now sporting a porch with a small outdoor dining area. Walking into the cafe, the cafe sports a interior decor that can be described as clean and a little Balinese-inspired; the use of coloured cushioned seats and pairings do provide a welcomed contrast of colours against the otherwise white and minimalist interior. Bella’s menu is segmented into various sections — includes a section that is dedicated for all-day breakfast, lunch (served from 10am to 5:30pm), sides, sandwiches, salads and desserts. The selection of drinks at Bella People & Coffee includes espresso-based beverages — the usual suspects one would expect at a cafe serving up specialty coffee, tea and smoothies.

There were quite a number of items that caught our eye here, including the Spinach Truffle Risotto as well as the Soft Shell Crab Waffle but we found ourselves settling for the Asian Salmon Roulette, which consists of elements such as torched rolled salmon confit, deep fried kale,
sautéed broccoli & carrot and asam balsamic dressing. The torched rolled salmon confit was pretty delicious on its own — the consistency of the salmon confit was flaky and carried a distinct hint of the natural flavours of the fish; the texture really similar to that of cured salmon that is done to medium-rare; possibly torched to the said level of doneness. Meanwhile, the deep-fried kale is actually prepared in-house here — these were incredibly crisp and actually pretty addictive to have on their own; sprinkled with onion powder, they were also saltish though we did feel that a smaller sprinkling of the same could bind better with the overall flavours of the dish that lean towards the cleaner side. The sautéed broccoli and carrot are actually cooked with butter and garlic; whilst still carrying a crunch, they were savoury with a garlicky touch — just the way we like it and how mum prepares a western-ish meal at home. Personally wasn’t a fan of the alfalfa sprouts that they have included since we aren’t too big of a fan of them — carried a note that is particularly “green” though it’s pretty inherent from the sort of vegetable it is, while also though the asam balsamic dressing wasn’t quite needed here. For one, we do see why they have included it — it does introduce a slight tang to cut through the salmon’s natural flavours but we personally felt it just took away much of the otherwise clean and simple flavours of the dish that we found comforting.

Whilst we hadn’t managed to try most of the other items on their menu, Bella People & Coffee does seem to offer the folks of Tanjong Katong yet another choice for a cafe to dine at — this is apart from Little Rogue Coffee and Carry On; both of which are of a walking distance away from Bella People & Coffee. That being said, we found the Asian Salmon Roulette to be a dish that is simple and comforting; close to the heart though does showcase somewhat the skills and execution of the kitchen crew to get most of the details right. Being situated away from the main stretch of cafes located at Joo Chiat Road and East Coast Road, Bella People & Coffee does offer the residents around Tanjong Katong a spot to chill slightly away from the heart of the cafe scene in the area — somewhere which I would not mind dining at again.