This Cafe Wants You To Drop Your Dessert

The Communal Place

The Communal Place is to a go-to place for great food and drinks at a casual and homely setting. We were blown away by this new establishment’s main dishes and desserts. It’s more than just ordinary cafe food. Read more to find out why.

The Communal Place is a new cafe situated along Joo Chiat Road, and it is not too far away from 112 Katong Shopping Centre. Its large prominent signboard can be spotted from a distance.

Be greeted by characters of We Bare Bears as you walked into the cafe space. The cute soft We Bare Bears plushies were placed on every table. You will not even feel lonely even if you’re dining here alone. And to kill some time, you can grab some game cards from their games corner near the front of the entrance.

The owner of this cafe wanted to set-up a comfortable dining space for casual gatherings with families and friends. And most importantly, he wants to ensure that the quality of food is maintained at high standards so that his customers will keep coming back for more.

We’re so glad to say that this cafe performs way beyond our expectation. It might not look very fancy or appealing, but they dishes have made the mark.

Let’s start with the drinks first.

Hami Melon Sencha ($5.50)

This tea blend is exceptionally fragrant, and I do not usually order tea from cafes unless it is a unique tea blend which you can’t get anywhere else in Singapore.

The freshly brewed tea is served in a glass cup, and once the tea is ready, you would have to glass strainer to drink from the cup.

Flat White ($5.50)

This cuppa has that caffeine kick which is somewhat too strong for me. The coffee itself leaves a bitter, astringent taste in my mouth and it isn’t my kind of coffee, but for those who love that strong coffee taste, you might fancy this.

For the mains, we asked the owner of the cafe for recommendations, and so we went with his recommendations which all turn out to be our must-try dishes as well. They could be more amazing dishes, judging from the ones we had that afternoon. Not that I’m exaggerating or anything, but the food here is excellent.

You’d be surprised that their kitchen is helmed by a 20-year-old chef who has curated The Communal Place’s menu as well.

Bouillabaisse ($15)

This traditional Provençal fish stew is nothing short of spectacular. The spiced seafood broth has a right balance of the spiciness and sweetness from the seafood. The flavours are delicate, and it makes a great appetiser. The additional of the toast slices are a perfect touch to the dish.

Beef Cheeks Ragu ($15)

The linguine is cooked to al dente, and each strand of linguine is coated evenly with the rich red wine tomato sauce. The beef cheeks are soft and tender. The portion is just about right too.

Miso Salmon ($18)

The Miso Salmon took me by surprise because the salmon which I had elsewhere tends to be overcooked and dry. However, this slab of moist caramelised salmon is cooked to perfection. Its flavours are further enhanced with the sweet and savoury Miso sauce. I like that the cooked baby carrots were glazed with Bouillabaisse foam which adds just a touch of savouriness to the vegetables, without turning them soggy.

We were pleased with our meal, but we knew that we couldn’t leave without trying their signature dessert – Chocolate Dome.

Chocolate Dome ($16)

Looks can be deceiving. I thought it was simply just scoops of ice cream with fruits and sponge cake. I can’t help to think that this dessert might be another ‘Instagram-worthy-but-diabetic’ kind of dessert.

This dessert, however, came with an element of surprise. To first indulge in this dessert, you would have to lift the dome up and drop it onto the plate. Disposable gloves are provided for you to enjoy this interactive dining experience without worrying about dirtying your hands.

I love the different layers of textures as I took a scoop of the ice cream along with the crunchy bits and pieces. As to what ingredients were found in the dome, the owner of the cafe prefers to stay hush-hush. You will also discover them when you taste it.

By the looks of the photo above, can you tell what’s in the dome?

Rating: 4.5/5

The Communal Place

465 Joo Chia Road

Singapore 427677

Tel: +65 62823359

Opening Hours:
Tue-Thu: 11 am to 10.30 pm
Fri & Sat: 11 am to 11 pm
Sun: 11 am to 10.30 pm
(Closed on Mondays)
*Brunch Menu available on weekends and public holidays: 11 am to 3 pm