WangLee Cafe 旺利茶室 is one of those establishments that has really seen quite a loyal following after the hype that has been generated on social media about its existence — having made its debut in the local F&B scene in mid 2024, it does seem like these folks are finally ready for its next phase for the business. Opening their second location within the city, WangLee Cafe has found new digs in Sunshine Plaza around the Bencoolen / Bras Basah neighborhood. WangLee Cafe takes over the former premises of the now-defunct Teng Bespoke Vegetarian Dining — they can be found in the same stretch of stores where one can also find other F&B establishments such as that of the original location of Victor’s Kitchen there and Parklane Zha Yun Tun Mee House. Occupying a shop space that is larger than that of its Toa Payoh outlet, the interior of the new WangLee Cafe at Sunshine Plaza also does feel a little more upscale than that of their Toa Payoh outlet. With that being said, there is a familiar use of mosaic tiles and a shade of green that runs through some of the design elements such as the tiled walls and the lamp shades. This is accompanied by brick walls that features a number of their menu offerings, while dining furniture comprises of booth seating lined against the walls on the left, matched with dining tables and stools with wooden accents. Most of the dine-in seating are configured to fit patrons visiting the establishment in groups of four (4) pax, though there are some dining tables that would work for pairs, while some do accommodate for larger groups of six (6) pax. WangLee Cafe is an establishment that is modelled in a way that follows that of Nanyang Kopitiam-themed eateries; the menu comprises of a mix of both rice and noodle dishes, with other sides such as Home Made Kaya Toast also being made available — there are some dishes that are offered at their Sunshine Plaza location which are not offered at Toa Payoh. Beverages offered at WangLee Cafe will include Nanyang-style Kopi & Teh, as well as items like Milo, Home-made Lemongrass / Barley and canned drinks.

Noting that WangLee Cafe serves up a variety of new dishes on its menu at Sunshine Plaza, we thought it would be good to give the new items a go. Amongst the items that are newly-introduced, we found ourselves going for the Curry Chicken Bee Hoon. WangLee Cafe does not describe the elements that goes into their various dishes; that being said, it could be observed from our order of the Curry Chicken Bee Hoon that the item does come with items like braised vegetables and stewed curry potatoes alongside the curry chicken drumstick and the fried Bee Hoon on the plate. WangLee Cafe’s offerings has always been known to be simple but comforting — here, we liked how the fried Bee Hoon isn’t doused in too much curry gravy; whilst there is some notes of the curry chicken that lingers at the back of the tongue, the fried Bee Hoon which is being executed much in the same way as how mixed economic Bee Hoon stalls do it does still carry the savouriness from the soy sauce that goes into the cooking process. The fried Bee Hoon does come springy; not too wet nor was it underdone, while the flavours are not overwhelmed by the curry gravy at the same time. The curry chicken drumstick itself has absorbed the flavours of the curry gravy that it is being stewed in; the flesh being tender, juicy and moist, whilst carrying a hint of curry spices whilst not being exactly spicy — pretty manageable for those whom are not accustomed to even light levels of spiciness. The curry potatoes do seemed to be stewed for an extended period of time; the potatoes carrying a soft texture that almost disintegrates in the mouth without much effort to chew — also have absorbed a lot of that curry gravy for flavour. The braised vegetables on the side were a good respite to the heavier flavours / elements of the dish; these carried a soft crunch with a sweet and savoury note similar to that found with the braised cabbage that is being typically served up with Hainanese-style curry rice.

One of the highlights during our previous visit to WangLee Cafe at their Toa Payoh outlet when they had first opened their doors was actually their Home Made Kaya Toast — this would be available in both ala-carte or as a set. Opting for the ala-carte option, the Home Made Kaya Toast, the Home Made Kaya Toast is plated in the same unique plating that is being done at the Toa Payoh outlet — the triangular halves being placed parallel to one another on the rectangular plate. Here, the white toast is toasted in full view of the patrons in the open-concept kitchen; the toast comes with beautifully browned surfaces that gives it that crisp texture — the toast is sliced just about right that it doesn’t feel too thin nor too thick, whilst it is being spread with a homemade Nonya Kaya that features a green hue from the use of Pandan during the preparation process. It also comes with a decently-sized slab of butter in between. The homemade Nonya Kaya appears in a shade of solid light green; carries an evident Pandan fragrance without being too sweet — the consistency also being a little bit more on the runny side. The portion of butter was also adequate enough to give it a saltish balance of flavours as well. Visiting a Nanyang Kopitiam-themed dining establishment also means not giving their Iced Kopi a miss — and especially so if said establishment is serving the Malaysian-style rendition with the frothy and overflow aesthetic. The rendition of the Iced Kopi that bears that look at WangLee Cafe would be the Volcano Kopi; we liked how the Volcano Kopi is quite an aromatic cuppa being all thick with a good caffeinated kick, whilst well-balanced with the level of sweetness at the same time.

WangLee Cafe has been drawing crowds for a number of reasons — they are pretty much an earnest and down-to-earth establishment behind all of that appearance on being a Nanyang Kopitiam-themed dining establishment that has become quite commonplace in recent times. With that being said, WangLee Cafe does serve up pretty good quality fare for its price, while keeping prices low and reasonable enough — therefore being able to garner its own following even though they had been occupying a spot within Toa Payoh that isn’t necessarily as accessible especially for those whom tend to only explore areas situated close by the MRT station. The Sunshine Plaza location of WangLee Cafe stays true to the concept that WangLee Cafe was first founded upon in Toa Payoh — we do notice how the staff to pay extra attention to more elderly patrons in the same way that they did at Toa Payoh, whilst also observing closely their patrons from within the open-concept kitchen to ensure that orders are fulfilled despite the dining establishment being of a self-service nature. The quality of the food being served up at Sunshine Plaza is also pretty consistent to what we we have previously had at their Toa Payoh location. Prices have also been kept at a rather reasonable price point with the prices of the noodle and rice dishes being in the range of $5.90 to $7.80 — still a decent price that makes it a friendly dining destination even for a daily lunch option for those working in the area. We do expect queues forming up at their Sunshine Plaza location just like how it is already the case with their Toa Payoh outlet in due time — definitely a more convenient location for those whom hadn’t check them out to do so!