Yet another one of the cafes that had been making its rounds in social media the last week is Supernova — a newly-opened establishment located at 266 Tanjong Katong Road where some may remember as the address of the now-defunct The Laneway Market before its move to King George’s Avenue. The space was briefly occupied by yet another now-defunct establishment named Katong Kanteen, before being what it is now. For those whom are unaware, Supernova is a concept by the same folks behind Atlas Coffeehouse, who are also behind other establishments such as the now-defunct Assembly Coffee (Evans Lodge), Lunar Coffee Brewers (OUE Downtown), Colombus Coffee Co. (Upper Thomson), Apollo Coffee Bar (Serangoon Gardens) and The Neptune (East Coast Road). Their latest concept is a bit of a steer away from their previous ones — Supernova being more of cafe in the day, but switches up as more a wine bar during the evening that also serves up sharing plates, Okonomiyaki, pastas, proteins and burgers. As such, Supernova does serve up two different menus during brunch/lunch service between 8am to 5pm, and a dinner menu from 5pm to closing from Tuesday to Saturday. That being said, the cafe only serves its brunch/lunch menu on Sundays where they are only open from 8am to 7pm. For those looking for non-alcoholic beverages during its dinner service, it is noted that Supernova still serves coffee, chocolate and teas amongst other non-alcoholic beverages in the evening as well.

Given how Okonomiyakis have a dedicated section on the dinner menu at Supernova all by itself, we thought that it was a must to at least order one to try — that is also especially given how the Okonomiyakis are just a few of the many new items that are only available exclusively at Supernova. Skimming through the description of the various types of Okonomiyakis offered, we found ourselves settling for the Miso Eggplant Okonomiyaki which comprises of elements such as miso eggplant, ponzu aioli, bonito flakes, and spring onions. Supernova has actually taken a fusion approach for their Okonomiyaki here — rather than serving it in the classic form, the Okonomiyaki at Supernova can be said as one that is a hybrid between the Japanese Okonomiyaki and a Swiss Rosti; featuring the same mix of vegetables that one would find in the Japanese Okonomiyaki, it comes with that all-familiar Japanese Okonomoyaki sauce drizzled but it comes crisp to the point that it almost seems deep-fried. Topped with the bonito flakes, the Okomoniyaki is savoury yet umami. The Miso Eggplant here is essentially their take on the Nasu Dengaku — miso paste spread atop eggplant that makes for an earthy note with a soft, juicy bite; pretty matching with the Okonomiyaki beneath. Overall, a dish that one could tell is a product of a long development process — no doubt carrying that usual brand of uniqueness of Atlas Coffeehouse and the other establishments that they run, but also one that seems to have checked the relevant boxes where attention to detail is of concern.

Being one of the brands at the forefront of the cafe scene, Atlas Coffeehouse was one of the few cafes that started what some would dub as “progressive contemporary cafe fare” — something which they had also pulled off in their multiple concepts as well. Supernova is no different from their other concepts; that being said, it is also their most ambitious yet — shifting away from being just “another cafe” and with an emphasis on alcohol as well to blend in with the demographics and surrounding of the neighbourhood that it is located in. This is pretty telling on Supernova’s menu as well; unlike the other establishments run by Atlas Coffeehouse where a big proportion of menu items are carried over from its previous concepts, the menu at Supernova features more outlet exclusives than ever before — yet quality of food remains at a level consistent with their other establishments. Sure; there may be some teething issues that one may experience whilst making their visit here since they are still pretty new (they were already pretty packed during our visit made within the first few days of their opening), but Supernova is probably going to be just like any other establishment run by the same folks — a destination of choice for residents nearby to dine at, and also one that avid cafe-hoppers will make a beeline for just to check out which is pretty much a testament to their popularity and prominence in the local cafe scene here.