Frederick Law
Juxtaposed against the lifeless brick-and-mortar of a nondescript HDB flat in Everton Park, Chew The Fat’s bright yellow signboard makes it hard for you not to take a second glance at, especially with its bespectacled mascot beaming down at you.
Mag (Aunt M) and Flo (Aunt F), both in their late twenties, are the ones behind this particularly cheery addition to café mecca (a.k.a. Everton Park). Despite being first-time café owners, and having officially launched only two months ago, Mag says that the eatery already has its fair share of fans and regulars.
Singaporeans like us often find huge question marks exploding within our Singlish-saturated craniums when we are faced with obscure English idioms such as ‘chew the fat’ (I can imagine the same scenario playing out when a foreigner first encounters Singlish). Chew the Fat’s namesake actually comes from the idiom itself; ‘chew the fat’ is used to describe friendly chitchat – or as we Singaporeans like to put it, “Talk cock, sing song, play mah-jong”.
Chew The Fat is big on tea, with 14 premium tea blends from local brand Green Pot Tea in their menu. The Japanese Cherry Blossom Sencha ($3.50) is a popular choice; the fruity blend is light on the palate, and not too sweet. Rose leaves give the tea a slight floral tone, making for very interesting sipping.
There are also caffeine-free options, one of them being the Osmanthus Green Rooibos ($3.50). Its flavour – a mild herb-like taste – is not as apparent compared to the other blends, but it has high anti-oxidant content that the menu claims, is known to reverse the effects of aging. That’s some honest tea right there.
Ironically, there is no fat to chew in Chew The Fat’s wholesome main courses. The Orange Halibut ($16) sounds like the title of a Roald Dahl storybook, but it sure doesn’t taste like one. The baked fish is succulent and manages to be flavourful without tasting overtly fishy. It is topped with a homemade orange sauce with the same sticky consistency and taste of marmalade.
Although the concept of this combination is interesting, the sweetness of the sauce clashes with the already sweet fish. Instead, the accompanying sautéed potatoes and broccoli go with the orange sauce much better.. The Chicken Roulade ($16) comes with the same sides, sans broccoli.
The chicken is tender and moist; its spinach and tomato stuffing tastes organic and complements the meat very well. The dish comes with a dash of mysterious sauce on the side, which we dub the “maybe-curry-mayonnaise sauce” due to Mag’s reluctance to reveal its ingredients. The sauce is so savoury; it enhances the flavours of anything it goes with.
Besides offering the typical – and we’re sure, utterly delectable – spread of baked confectionaries seen in your average café, Chew The Fat has a separate section titled ‘In-House Bakes’, supplied by a mysterious ‘Uncle A’. We say the ‘A’ stands for ‘A-bsolutely delicious’. The Wicked Brownies ($7) come in bite-sized cubes of dense, moist, chocolaty goodness. This edible paradox leaves you puzzling over how something so wicked can taste so heavenly.
With its teas, brownies, special sauces, and homely elements, Chew The Fat refuses to fit into the cookie cutter stereotype of Singaporean cafes. If you’re tired of pretentious eateries, this café is for you.
(*The owners of Chew The Fat do not wish to reveal their full names or ages. That’s just how life is; sometimes you are the one creating secret maybe-curry-mayonnaise sauces, and sometimes you are the one wondering how the secret sauce is created. If you are reading this, you fall in the second category together with us.)
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Information:
Address: Block 6, Everton Park, #01-18, Singapore
Contact Details: (+65) 9873 8122
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chewthefatsg
Instagram: @chewthefatsg
Opening Hours: 1130am – 9pm (Tues to Sun)
Photos courtesy of Renald Loh