LESHAN CAFE

For those whom are around the Central Business District, the name Museum Cafe might come across as familiar to some. Located within the Singapore Musical Box Museum that is within the well-known Thian Hock Keng Temple situated along Telok Ayer Street, these folks had recently gone through a bit of rebranding — they are currently known as Le Shan Cafe, and has seen a bit of revamp of their operations. Some may also recall this space being taken up by yet another operator named Chong Wen Ge Cafe some time back. Hidden behind the arches of the Chinese temple that it is housed in, one can probably tell that an eatery exists within if they notice the promotional posters that are located outside the temple. One can find Le Shan Cafe hiding within the blue-coloured building towards the left of the entrance of the temple. There hasn’t been too much of a change within the interior of the space — for one, Le Shan Cafe does still retain much of the look that Museum Cafe used to have. The mosaic floors, dining tables with mosaic surfaces, old-school lampshades and bright orange plastic dining chairs — all these being familiar touches to those whom have been to Le Shan Cafe before; the interior colour scheme still being quite bright and vibrant as it used to be. Considering how these folks had re-branded and revamped their operations, there are significant changes done in terms of the food that they have to offer as well; the menu at Le Shan Cafe comprises of sections dedicated to Mains, Sides, and Cendol. There is also a range of Peranakan Kueh that are prominently displayed at the counter in which are also available to be ordered. For beverages, Le Shan Cafe offers a variety of Nanyang-style Kopi and Teh — all that with the usual variety of concoctions like Iced Lemon Tea, Lime Juice, Sour Plum, Milo, Sou Milk and canned drinks.

Serving up a limited number of main dishes, we were fairly intrigued with the Ayam Tempra which we hadn’t quite heard about that was listed in the “Mains” section of the menu. As it turned out, Ayam Tempra can be described as a Peranakan dish — one that is a braised dish that features dark soya sauce. The Ayam Tempra at Le Shan Cafe is paired with a serving of blue pea-infused rice, as well as Nyonya Achar on the side. It wouldn’t be too wrong to say that the Ayam Tempra carries a certain likeness to Ayam Panggang — the Indonesian-style grilled chicken that usually comes with Kecap Manis; there is a different in the sauce used during the preparation of Ayam Tempra however, with the soy sauce here being more nuanced in its sweetness being more akin to a braised dish while the sweetness of Ayam Panggang is usually harsher. The flavours of the dish could perhaps be attributed to the use of soya sauce and onions, giving it a more well-rounded flavour profile in general. The infusion of blue-pea flavour helps to increase the aesthetic appeal of the dish — that being said, it is more akin to that of white rice anyway; the Nonya Achar which comprises of a mix of pickled carrots, cucumbers and peanuts provide a tangy and refreshing crunch with a slight zing and nuttiness. We had also managed to give their Cendol a go since there was an ongoing promotion on the day that we made our visit there — whilst coming with red beans, Cendol jelly, coconut milk and Gula Melaka, there are add-on toppings such as Cream Corn Kernel and Attap Seed that one can opt to go for at a top-up. Which actually did find that the Cendol was one which is well-made; ignoring that stray shard of ice that came with our bowl, the shaved ice otherwise carried a pretty consistent texture throughout. There was sufficient coconut milk and Gula Melaka going around the entire bowl of dessert, and the red beans provided an earthy sweetness that adds on to the rich flavours of the coconut milk and Gula Melaka that went atop the bowl of shaved ice. We liked how the Cendol Jelly also does not seem to be of the artificial, mass-produced sort — they come in a nice hue of dull green and did carry a very slight hint of Pandan aroma as well.

During our visit, we also went for the Kopi; the Kopi at Le Shan Cafe is one of the better brews around – one where we could definitely feel a caffeinated kick whilst suitably sweetened. This is especially considering the many locations serving up local Kopi around the Central Business District that tends to serve versions that tend to lean towards the sweeter side of things. We did recall Museum Cafe’s food offerings are priced on the steeper side of things and the price point of the food at Le Shan Cafe are priced slightly lower; though still considerably at a premium when one considers their fare to be local food nonetheless. The lowest-priced main dish from the Mains section of the menu is priced at $12.30, while the priciest would be the Sing Laksa that comes with Ramen noodles that is listed at $16.30. Perhaps a spot that is more aimed towards visitors than the locals, Le Shan Cafe is one spot that still carries a different sort of vibe from the typical cafes we are used to seeing around — one with an air of nostalgia and heritage not just in the food that they serve, but also in its surroundings as well.