Singapore’s ever-expansive and ever-diverse food landscape means new eateries will always arrive on the scene, attempting to put their name on the map. But I believe that of the non-exhaustive list of cafes here on our sunny island, there’s one that needs no introduction. And that, my friends, is PS.Cafe!
While I have a list of cafes I keep in rotation, one cafe I’ve not tried but has always piqued my interest is the local F&B brand PS.Cafe, which has seen great success judging from its aggressive expansion to multiple outlets since starting in 1999. This is the one cafe chain that has managed to make a name for itself here at home and on the international scale.
This year, the well-loved cafe brand is hitting its 25th anniversary! Such a momentous milestone calls for an equally grand celebration, and PS.Cafe is here to deliver! During August and September (more on that later), PS.Cafe will offer two Blast from the Past menus, a throwback to some of its most beloved dishes over the decades.
Each month, expect five popular dishes from each specially curated Blast from the Past menu. Bonus points are that the dishes, typically priced above S$25 each, are now available for S$25 each, alongside a dessert and a handcrafted cocktail priced at S$12.50 each!
Curious to know what’s on the menu? I got to try the August seasonal menu myself, so here’s a full review of what to expect this month at PS.Cafe!
PS.Cafe One Fullerton
PS.Cafe currently has 10 outlets spread across the island, but I can’t possibly clone myself to visit all 10 at once, so the outlet I visited was PS.Cafe One Fullerton. PS.Cafe One Fullerton is one of their biggest outlets, spanning a whopping 5000 square feet and accommodating up to 160 people!
When you trace back to its humble beginnings, you’ll learn that the cafe chain was once just a singular F&B outlet nestled within the clothing store Projectshop. This was because PS.Cafe’s founders have backgrounds in fashion but wanted to combine fashion and food into a different lifestyle experience.
Despite the fashion aspect no longer being part of the picture, you can still see the founders’ sense of style shine through in the design of PS.Cafe One Fullerton. Next to a stunning waterfront view of the Marina is PS.Cafe One Fullerton. Cosy seats, lush floral displays, an elegant bar, and even its very own open-air terrace rivalling the best of cruise dining experiences all come as part of the restaurant!
I was initially gutted that the open-air terrace seating area was unavailable. However, the disappointment quickly subsided when we were assigned to a table right against an expansive floor-to-ceiling window with its charms.
This was the perfect picture frame for picturesque views of sparkling blue waves and Singapore’s best-known tourist attractions like the Marina Bay Sand. And hey, I can’t complain as it seamlessly combines indoor, air-conditioned comfort with outdoor scenery!
Now that I’ve talked about how PS.Cafe One Fullerton is a slice of paradise in the form of an up-scale cafe; let’s get on with the menu!
August Menu
The three essential components of a complete restaurant dining experience are starters, mains, and desserts. PS.Cafe’s Blast in the Past August menu fulfils this by offering dishes that fit these three categories, so your decision has already been made!
I highly doubt we would have been able to stomach so many dishes, and I guess PS.Cafe thought the same, so we were only offered half of the August menu. The dishes we didn’t get to try include the Gorgonzola, Pumpkin & Hazelnut Salad, the Maple Roasted Pork Sandwich, and the Chargrilled Calamari.
However, if you’re still curious about what these three dishes promise, here’s a quick summary of each dish! For August, two salads await you, including the earthy Gorgonzola, Pumpkin & Hazelnut Salad (S$25)! Designed in 2017, the big and bold flavours of the soft, sweet roasted pumpkin come with gorgonzola and smoky prosciutto, which are tamed by sweet and crisp Packham pears and hazelnuts and drizzled with aged balsamic glaze.
You can never go wrong with a good ol’ sandwich, and PS.Cafe has the Maple Roasted Pork Sandwich (S$25) to prove it! This sandwich layers maple-glazed pork with thinly sliced Granny Smith apples, drizzled with sweet gin compote and shallot mayonnaise to pack a sweet punch! The sandwich is served with either Portobello Mushroom Soup or Tomato and Basil Bisque soup, which are nostalgic reminders of the classic PS. Soup and Sandwich Lunch Sets from yesteryear.
Finally, we have the Chargrilled Calamari (S$25), a classic starter that began as a seafood special at PS.Cafe East Coast Park in 2019, which matched the outlet’s coastal atmosphere! This version of calamari is served with a mix of pear, couscous, pomegranate, red chicory, lemon with raisins, and tangy currant ham.
Starters
Big Nihon Salad (Weekend Special)
To kick off our meal, we had the Big Nihon Salad (Weekend Special) (S$25). I’m not big on salads, typically dismissing them as what my family jokingly dubs “rabbit food”, but from here on out, journeying through the Blast in the Past menu will be like unwrapping a series of surprise packages cause this salad was a showstopper that defied expectations!
My biggest complaint when it comes to salads is that they lean towards being unfulfilling and plain. But PS.Cafe’s Big Nihon Salad is a step above the rest. Consisting of soy-cured salmon, julienned kabocha (a type of winter squash of Japanese variety), edamame, cha soba (cold green tea soba noodles), cucumber, tofu with tomato, and wafu dressing (Japanese-style dressing), it’s a no brainer where the salad’s name comes from.
From the first bite, I was hit with just how light, fresh, and delicate the salad tasted. Green tea tends to have a fresh, ‘veggie’ taste with grassy notes and can lean towards being bitter, but I detected zero bitterness and was appreciative of how the soft cha soba’s vegetal flavour complements the freshness of the greens!
The interplay of textures was also just as gratifying. From the crunch of the cucumber to the soft tofu and the creamy and smooth soy-cured salmon, every bite was a sensory delight. This salad is overall the perfect definition of what a starter should be, so if you need a lighter, healthier start to your meal, I’d say it fits the bill!
Crispy Typhoon Calamari
Before I forget, we were also offered to try a starter, side, dessert, and drink outside of the Blast from the Past menus, so if you’re not keen on the August specials, these are some alternatives not from the special menus you can try.
For the non-Blast from the Past menu starter, we got the Crispy Typhoon Calamari (S$22). Initially, I had eyed the icon of PS.Cafe — aka the PS. Truffle Fries — as this was the starter the brand introduced to Singapore and has been known for ever since.
However, I think this fact has already been well-established, and we’ve heard enough pieces waxing lyrical about it, so the Crispy Typhoon Calamari it was! Not only that, the August menu offers another kind of calamari, namely the Chargrilled Calamari, so this was the closest we could get to seeing how good their Chargrilled Calamari is with the Crispy Typhoon Calamari. And this starter’s name is marked with a star next to it on the online menu, so I can only assume it means that it’s another star piece of PS.Cafe.
PS.Cafe’s version of the classic battered squid appetiser includes the crispy batter coating of potato flakes, Szechuan pepper, crispy garlic, fermented black bean, scallion, and chilli flakes. On the side, it comes with a lemon and chilli dip.
After squeezing a healthy drizzle of lemon and dipping it into the chilli, I popped a piece in, and boy, was it instantly a favourite! Normally, most battered dishes like calamari tend to be disproportionate because the batter is thicker than the meat, which often leaves you with a hollow inside. On the other hand, PS.Cafe’s batter is just right in crispiness, thickness, and flavour!
I loved how the batter was just thin enough not to overshadow the squid, which, by the way, was tender excellence. The spices in the batter, such as the sweet and hot chilli, coupled with the bright tanginess of the lemon, made the Crispy Typhoon Calamari a hit in all our books.
Mains
Almond & Sage Crusted Duck Confit
The starters set the bar pretty high, so it’s time for the mains to either maintain it or go even further! On the Blast from the Past menu, you’ll be served an Almond & Sage Crusted Duck Confit (S$25).
I’ve had vague memories of trying Duck Confit, but a quick search on the Internet tells me that it’s a classic French preparation that’s supposed to produce silky, tender meat which can be preserved (hence where the French word “confit” comes from) owing to the rendered fat the duck is submerged and cooked in.
Aside from the main ingredients listed in its name, this dish also has mashed potato, red wine-poached pears, broccoli, and red wine orange sauce.
To start, I tasted the components individually so of course, diving into the duck confit first was an obvious choice. Taste-wise, I expected an extra tender and silky meat but found myself experiencing a twinge of disappointment as it tasted like your standard cooked duck. Maybe it’s because I’m no duck confit connoisseur, so I can’t make out the nuances, but I couldn’t exactly see how this was any different from a regular duck dish.
The meat, however, was still tender (it could be more juicy, though!), and the crushed almonds added a nice crunch. Moving over to the other components, the broccoli was nothing to shout about, like the duck, but surprisingly, what I discovered to be my favourite part of the plate were the mashed potatoes and red wine-poached pears!
Individually, both tasted delicious, with the potato being creamy, melt-in-your-mouth goodness, and the peach being sweeter than usual owing to the red wine. Since the peaches were stacked atop the potato, I put the two together and enjoyed how the similar smooth and soft textures matched nicely.
Sadly, I can’t give similar praises when this combination is eaten with the duck. The extra sweet and juicy peach overpowered the meat, so it was as if the boat tipped in favour of the peaches being the star of the show rather than the supposed centrepiece, aka the duck confit.
Overall, the dish felt akin to a mismatched wardrobe with decent components, but the puzzle pieces simply didn’t fit into a perfect bigger picture.
Mushroom & Fennel Sausage Penne
Despite the blips, I still held my hopes high for the next dish I was eager to try: the Mushroom & Fennel Sausage Penne (S$30)! This was listed as a “One Fullerton Exclusive” on the menu, so I can’t say no, am I right?
And as a self-proclaimed pasta expert, this was right up my alley! In this pasta, you’ll find fennel sausage, king oyster mushroom, cherry tomato, broccoli, and rocket leaves. It sounded like pasta with no frills, so that only meant I would have elevated anticipation for its taste.
Why is it exclusive to just this outlet? What makes it so special? These were the questions I pondered over when I took my first bite. But after the first taste, I was a little confused.
There is no doubt that the dish as a whole was inoffensive and delicious, with the pasta being mostly well cooked (albeit when you dig deeper into the pasta hidden below, I found them chewier) and the other ingredients working together seamlessly. However, I couldn’t wrap my head around how this dish is the exclusive item. An exclusive dish conjures up the idea that this represents the outlet it was in, but after tasting it, I still did not get that aspect. But alas, the lack of answers did not detract from the execution.
Desserts
Lemon Steamed Pudding
What better way to end your meal than with dessert? Indulgent cakes, puddings, and tarts are other highlights that PS.Cafe is known for, so of course, the Lemon Steamed Pudding (S$12.50) takes centre stage for the dessert offered in August.
Now, don’t get steamed pudding mixed up with your custard-like pudding. That’s what I did, so I did a double take when I saw what seemed like cake served to us. Instead, steamed pudding is a soft, moist, cake-like British treat traditionally served during Christmas!
But it’s understandable if you’re like me and thought it was a sponge cake at first glance cause the resemblance is uncanny.
Aside from the bright yellow pudding, a scoop of ice cream acts as a crowning jewel atop the dessert, bathing the pudding in a shallow pool of homemade lemon custard sauce. And how about the taste?
Well, the Instagram photos were a must for such an aesthetically pleasing dessert, so I thought it would have turned cold, but scooping in and taking a bite, the middle was still warm as it was meant to be!
I’m a fan of how the cold, sweet, vanilla ice cream contrasted and balanced out the sour lemon pudding. My colleague thought it was a tad too sour, but she’s usually averse to lemon-based desserts, while I enjoyed it. However, I will say that this dessert is more on the indulgent side, so after a few bites, I could imagine some might get sick of the pudding’s richness.
Chocolate Red Velvet Cake
From talking with my parents, what I learnt from their singular, fond memory of PS.Cafe is sampling one of their decadent desserts and falling in love with, more specifically, their cakes.
So, instead of living vicariously through their memories, I went ahead and got a slice of one of PS Cafe’s cakes!
The cake in question is their Chocolate Red Velvet Cake (S$16). There wasn’t an exact reason for choosing this specific flavour, and red velvet cake might seem a little basic, but I suppose it’s good to go back to the basics.
Like the Lemon Steamed Pudding, this beauty came with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on its side. This dessert was garnished with an unidentifiable pinkish-red sprinkle, but after searching online, I can only assume that it’s crushed, freeze-dried raspberries.
Unfortunately, taste-wise, I couldn’t sing as much praise as I hoped. While it’s true that red velvet cake is essentially chocolate cake dyed red, I couldn’t get as much chocolate flavour as I had hoped for.
As for the freeze-dried raspberries? They were more of a visual treat than a taste enhancer. In fact, this was my one main gripe with the cake: the hard and incredibly sour raspberries didn’t match the sweetness of the cake.
And finally, what was supposed to be one of the main draws of the cake, the cream cheese, didn’t exactly impress me. The layers of cream cheese were thinner than I liked, so I couldn’t get as much tangy, creamy goodness as I would prefer.
Drinks
Rosé & Berry Sangria
As for the drinks offered during their 25th anniversary, the drink being thrust into the spotlight is their Rosé & Berry Sangria (S$12.50)!
Those familiar with sangria would know this alcoholic beverage is traditionally made of red wine and chopped fruit, often with other ingredients or spirits. So the inclusion of berries in PS.Cafe’s own sangria is perfectly befitting!
Presented in a giant glass, the red-tinted Rosé & Berry Sangria was brimming with slices of lemons, limes, and oranges. This drink also consists of Marqués De Riscal Verdejo, mixed berries, and Sprite before being topped with a garnishing of rose petals.
Each sip of this well-chilled drink was incredibly refreshing, with the sweetness of the berries, the effervescence of the Sprite, and the citrusy notes of the citrus fruits blending effortlessly.
As a drinking novice, I can say that this drink is an excellent starter for anyone just getting into alcoholic beverages! It had even slipped my mind that this drink was alcoholic in the first place once I kept taking sip after sip.
A feast for the eyes and a tantalising treat for the palate, PS.Cafe made the right choice to crown the Rosé & Berry Sangria as their star drink for their August menu!
Wild Berry Cooler
Those not keen on an alcohol-laced drink can try the Wild Berry Cooler (S$11)! Consisting of forest fruits, mint, and soda, the Wild Berry Cooler had a much stronger berry flavour but was incredibly fizzy. The fresh and cool mint also made this drink a great thirst quencher and refreshed our palates whenever we moved from one dish to another.
However, while the ice assisted in making this drink an icy cold treat, it also caused it to be a little more diluted than we would have liked. Nonetheless, the Wild Berry Cooler is a solid option should you want to skip the sangria.
September Menu
While we didn’t taste the September Blast from the Past menu, I can give you a sneak peek into what to expect for that month!
For PS.Cafe, September calls for a seafood feast, and the brand absolutely delivers it! Begin your meal with a throwback to 2016 with the Crispy Soft Shell Crab (S$25), which features a guacamole base topped with juicy crab meat encased in a crispy beer batter. This dish is accompanied by tomato salad, sweet balsamic notes, and zesty wasabi dressing.
Introduced in 2016, this dish was made to reflect the growing trend of Japanese cuisine and is undoubtedly a testament to PS.Cafe’s innovativeness!
Another king from the ocean being brought to your plate is the crowd-pleasing King Prawn Paella (S$25), which first appeared in 2018 at the PS.Cafe One Fullerton. Spotlighting two succulent 10/12 king prawns bathed in garlic butter and oven-baked to perfection, it’s infused with smoked paprika oil, corn peppers and tomato, alongside mussels and chorizo for an irresistible mix of seafood and aromatic spices!
To explore PS.Cafe’s past even further, we have the Chicken Tau Kwa Burger (S$25), which debuted in 2006 at the inaugural Paragon branch. This burger sandwiches chicken breasts between crispy, deep-fried tofu, topped with chopped enoki mushrooms and a tangy honey lemon vinaigrette.
This dish is the oldest dish on the September menu to be recreated, so it is certainly one to try if you want a taste of PS.Cafe’s humble start!
As for weekend brunch specials, we have the Croque Madame (S$25), which combines smoked ham and a Gruyère cheese sandwich crowned with a sunny side up and is served on the signature house-baked Ash White Sourdough.
Another dish not to be missed is the Bacon-Wrapped Cornfed Chicken (S$25), which has tender chicken filled with honey ham, mushrooms, and creamy mozzarella before they are all wrapped in smoky bacon and served on red cabbage stew, red wine jus, and crispy smashed potatoes.
What’s September’s very own drink, I hear you ask? Well, it’s the invigorating Grapefruit Caipiroska (S$12.50), which blends vodka, lime, and grapefruit for that extra zesty kick! September also sees the Lemon Steamed Pudding being served once again as the main dessert for the month.
Celebrate with PS.Cafe!
Since opening 25 years ago, what was once a cosy and understated cafe spot has transformed into an internationally renowned and well-loved homegrown brand. The Blast from the Past menus in August and September accurately and deliciously trace PS.Cafe’s great journey, while also being a testament to the brand’s commitment to innovation and its signature fusion dishes.
To make a reservation at PS.Cafe to try these special menus for yourself, head over to PS.Cafe’s official website! For more information, check out PS.Cafe’s socials on Facebook and Instagram.
🗓️Date:
- 1 to 31 August 2024: August menu
- 1 to 30 September 2024: September menu
📍Location: Multiple locations
⏰Opening hours: For all locations’ opening hours, please visit PS.Cafe’s official website.
Photos by Pauline Caoile of the DANAMIC Team.
