singapore: tong shui café

The garish walls painted pink and green welcome you to Tong Shui Café on Zion Road. At first glance, the décor is reminiscent of a Shanghai Tang store. But upon closer inspection, one finds that the store is more akin to a Shanghai Tang franchise gone awry…the 70s chandeliers, fake potted flowers and the unappetizing food photos say it all. The place is positively kitschy, but somehow it feels like home.

And why not? Tong Shui Café bills itself as the place to get comfort food. It has over 300 items on its menu ranging from Nissin instant noodles with egg and luncheon meat (for all you Ma-ling lovers out there) to thick toast with condensed milk and peanut butter to spaghetti with ham and hot dogs to hot Coke with ginger. It’s an eclectic selection that usually doesn’t disappoint.


I ordered thick toast with peanut butter and banana and washed it down with ice cold eight treasures tea. The toast was about 2 inches thick and smothered with peanut butter. It was topped with thin slices of small sweet banana, my favorite kind. I expected the eight treasures tea to come in a mug like most drinks do, but instead I got a whole pitcher to myself!

For Singapore standards, Tong Shui Café is very reasonable. True to its Chinese roots, all the items are priced at $X and 88 cents: $2.88, $3.88, $4.88, etc. Eight is an auspicious Chinese number and the owners aren’t taking any chances. But buyer beware, the small appetizer plates (nuts, pickle, etc.) they automatically place on your table when you sit are not free. If you don’t want them, say no.


The other cool thing about the place is that it is equipped with flat screen TVs playing classic Hong Kong movies. For non-Cantonese, non-Mandarin speakers out there, not to worry, the movies carry English subtitles. Unfortunately, you might struggle with the waitstaff as they don’t speak English and you don’t come with subtitles…

All in all a great place to go when you're hungry (or lonely) late at night. Check it out if you are in Singapore. And no, Tong Shui Café did not pay me to write this!