Chee Soon Juan, a stalwart of Singapore Democratic Party, operates a cafe, Orange and Teal on the second floor of Rochester Mall near Buona Vista MRT. We walked in circles to find the entrance; it was hard to find. But the decor is great, very classy, in teal and accents of orange, almost Victorian. The chair was so comfortable that I sank in it and reminded me of chairs at fine-dining steakhouses.

However, they miss their opportunity to put orange-themed dishes on their menu. The menu is simple, a few dishes in each category of mains, sides, desserts. A cursory glance at the menu indicates Chee’s intention. The food is at least 20-30% cheaper than other cafes, so this cafe isn’t about ripping people off. It’s to create a space for conversations.

Mains are priced from $9.90 onwards and the most expensive main, Creamy Butter Tuscan Salmon (S20.90), consists of asparagus, a sliver of salmon, and linguine in butter. Salmon and asparagus are expensive ingredients, so the pricing is still reasonable. It is an okay dish but I wish that they didn’t snow parmesan all over the dish. Maybe just place the cheese on the table and allow customers to sprinkle by themselves.

The other main, poulet roti ($13.90), is similar to chicken fricassee a French classic, except they roast the chicken leg with rosemary and thyme and placed it in a shallow plate of chicken broth. It’s nice.

The portions of the mains are quite small, so we had to order one side at least. The beef pie ($6.90) tastes like a tomato-based pasta with notes of capsicums. The pastry shell is flaky and crispy.

Dessert choices include a series of cakes such as ondeh ondeh cake and chocolate cake, all priced at $5.90, way more affordable than elsewhere. But the cream on the elderflower cake is still a little hard; they should have defrosted it earlier.

As for beverages, they seem very serious about their coffee. They don’t serve iced coffee because ice may dilute the coffee. It’s a hate crime against gay people because gay men only drink iced black coffee. Kidding! I requested for iced black coffee ($4.90), they didn’t charge for ice but requested that I add an extra shot ($1.50), which I did. My partner ordered latte ($5.90). The coffee is okay, not fantastic, not terrible.

Orange and Teal is great for many things: decor, service, and pricing. The food is acceptable. We spent $59.90 for two persons, no GST, no service charge. Given this price point, which is lower than other cafes’, we would return if we are around the area.

Orange and Teal
Rochester Mall #02-12, 35 Rochester Dr, Singapore 138639
t: +65 6993 1006
11am – 9pm, closed Sun
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Food: 6/10
Price / value: 7/10
Decor: 7.5/10
Service: 7.5/10

You may be interested in…
–5 Senses Bistro, Funan Mall: Much Better Than the Average Cafe
–Knock Knock Cafe, Kallang: Asian-inspired Pastas and Burgers with Beary Cute Lattes for Dog Days Afternoons
–Ice Edge Cafe, Kovan: A Good Alternative to Lola’s Cafe
–Kamome Bakery, Novena Goldhill Plaza: Sold Out by Noon But Poor Customer Experience

Written by Dr. A. Nathanael Ho.