Mention Kovan and most people will think of the famous Punggol Nasi Lemak and the popular food stalls at Kovan 209 Market & Food Centre. But residents in the Kovan and Lorong Ah Soo neighbourhoods will tell you that the area is more than that. It is also home to many eateries and cafes that are worth exploring.

Here is our guide to the cafes in Kovan and Lorong Ah Soo to visit for brunch, coffee, ice cream and desserts.

ICE EDGE CAFE

One of the oldest cafes in Kovan, Ice Edge Cafe has been around for a decade and has gained a huge following with its hearty savouries and stellar sweets. Dishes served here are very affordable and generously portioned.

You might have heard of their legendary Mao Shan Wang Lava Cake, Waffles and Homemade Brownies, but Ice Edge Cafe is more than that. It offers a menu of wallet-friendly dishes (most mains are priced under S$20).

2 Kovan Rise
Simon Plaza, #01-10
Tel: +65 6858 5729

HOOLOO

The Mad Hatter-inspired cafe, Hatter Street in Kovan has rebranded to Hooloo—a new cafe serving rice bowls, bagels, desserts, waffles and ice cream.

Hooloo is having a soft launch and serving only desserts, waffles and ice cream for now. It will officially open on 10 October 2021 and the new menu will include savoury mains as well.

212 Hougang Street 21, #01-333, Singapore 530212
Tel: +65 6988 4591

CIEL PATISSERIE

Situated in Lorong Ah Soo—near to the Kovan neighbourhood—Ciel Patisserie’s location might seem unlikely for an artisanal French bakery, but their cakes will make a special trip worthwhile.

Their Lemon Meringue Tart nails every component, from the sturdy meringue down to the buttery crust. Their bestselling Strawberry Shortcake boasts a light sponge cake interspersed with sweet whipped cream and dewy strawberries.

124 Hougang Ave 1, #01-1444
Singapore 530124
Tel: +65 6383 0803

FATCAT ICE CREAM & COFFEE BOUTIQUE

Known for its charcoal waffles with salted egg yolk sauce, FATCAT Ice Cream Bar is a popular ice cream shop in Bedok and it has just opened a new outlet, FATCAT Ice Cream & Coffee Boutique, at 15 Simon Road which is just a short walk from Kovan MRT Station.

The new outlet in Kovan is for takeaway only and there is no dine-in area. As such, they will not be serving their signature charcoal waffles here. Other than ice cream, the new boutique will also be offering coffee (S$4 for black coffee, and S$5 for white coffee) using a blend of Ethiopian and Colombian beans, as well as Milkshake cold brews (S$8) and refreshing Yuzu soda (S$7).

FATCAT Ice Cream & Coffee Boutique
15 Simon Road
Singapore 545900

FLAVOUR FLINGS

Flavour Flings at Lorong Ah Soo near Kovan is a halal-certified café specialising in American-French cuisine. The people behind the first raclette salted egg yolk croissant in Singapore, the eatery has garnered a fair bit of regulars stopping by for their hearty all-day-breakfast and brunch menu.

Hougang Ave 1, Block 121
#01-1348
Singapore 530121
Tel: +65 6286 0051

LICKERS

Next to Ciel Patisserie is Lickers Ice Cream, a hipster ice cream cafe which opens until 2am from Tuesdays to Sundays.

Serving up the usual fare of ice cream and waffles, the flavours vary depending on the fresh produce they can find that day.

124 Hougang Ave 1, #01-1446
Singapore 530124

LOLA’S CAFE

Known for its brunch fare, coffee and cakes, Lola’s Cafe is one of the more popular cafes in Kovan.

Just don’t go during peak periods over the weekend, as you might end up waiting up to an hour for your food. It is also one of the few dog-friendly places in the Kovan and Serangoon neighbourhoods.

5 Simon Road
Singapore 545893
Tel: +65 6343 1808

MAISON KAYSER

Artisanal French Bakery Maison Kayser has opened its 6th Outlet at Stars of Kovan in the Kovan neighbourhood. The new outlet is located at Stars of Kovan and it has taken over the former premise of Sugartree Gelato.

There are a few seats in the small bakery cafe and you can enjoy a cup of coffee/tea with your bread and pastries.

Maison Kayser
988 Upper Serangoon Rd
#01-28 Stars of Kovan
Singapore 534733
+65 9010 7389
Daily: 7.30am – 5.30pm

NAKED ICE CREAM

Located along the same stretch as Yaowarat Thai Kway Chap, Punggol Nasi Lemak, Ding Te Le and Qi Wei Chicken Claypot, Naked Ice Cream is a new waffle and ice cream cafe in Kovan which opens until 2am daily.

Like most ice cream cafes in Singapore, you can have your ice cream in a cup, cone or with a waffle. There are two waffles to choose from—Plain Waffle (S$3.80), or Charcoal Waffle (S$4.80). For drinks, you can choose from coffee, tea and house special fizzies.

957 Upper Serangoon Rd
Singapore 534717

THE BREAD SHOP

Other than freshly-baked bread and pastries, The Bread Shop in Kovan serves up the usual brunch works, but of great quality at affordable prices. Most of the dishes on the menu are priced under S$16.

953 Upper Serangoon Rd
Singapore 534715
Tel: +65 6581 7461

THE HUMBLE SCOOP

Known for its locally-inspired ice cream flavours including Orh Haw (hawthorn berry), Orh-Bee-Good (pulut hitam) and In-Kueh-Dible (salted coconut & gula melaka), The Humble Scoop has opened its second outlet at Stars of Kovan.

The new ice cream takeaway shop in Kovan prides themselves on locally inspired ice cream flavours and they do not use any colourings, flavourings or additive in the ice cream.

988 Upper Serangoon Road
Stars of Kovan #01-02
Tel: +65 8803 5981

SEE YOU LATTE

See You Latte is an Indonesian-fusion cafe at Stars of Kovan

Beef Rendang Rice (S$11.90), Indonesia Curry Chicken Rice (S$8.90) and Grilled Chicken with Rice (S$8.90).

All the ingredients in our café are fresh from the market and do not contain any MSG.

988 Upper Serangoon Road,
#01-15, Stars of Kovan, Singapore 534733

Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/twocranes.sg/

TWO CRANES

For brunch and coffee with a Korean twist, Two Cranes is one to visit. This Korean-inspired cafe offers an eclectic mix of coffee beverages, savouries and desserts.

Some of the Korean mains you can try include Wonda Army Stew (S$16.90), Fu Bimbimbap (S$13.90), and Kimchi Fried Rice (S$12.90).

Block 211, Hougang Street 21, #01-291
Singapore 530211
Tel: +65 8166 0140

Read our guide on the cafes in Serangoon neighbourhood.

Nestled amongst private housing estates in the Lorong Ah Soo neighbourhood, Purist Patisserie is a beautiful boutique patisserie tucked away on the end of shop houses of The Promenade @ Kilat. Primarily opened for custom cake orders and collections, this boutique patisserie is on a journey to make exquisite pastries fun and delightful for everyone.

With an assortment of exquisite cakes and French bakes, you can expect to indulge in creative desserts that are put together with quality ingredients and a whole lot of heart.

Decked in pastel pink and featuring rose gold and marble elements, Purist Patisserie exudes a serene ambience which makes an ideal spot to unwind over a good book or an afternoon tea with friends in Kovan. Only open for walk-ins from Friday to Sunday, Purist Patisserie is the next place you should pop by this weekend.

The boutique patisserie’s delicate Fleur (S$8) is aesthetically pleasing to the eyes and definitely made for the ‘gram. Expect a luxurious raspberry mousse sandwiched between a crispy thin waffle biscuit and a layer of delicate white chocolate, and topped with freeze-dried berries, popping lychee bobas and blue cornflower.

Much like your mango sticky rice, the Cebu Surprise (S$8) features similar components but with a slightly different flavour profile. Made with coconut and Jasmine rice mousse, the cake is filled slightly with mango gelatin and it sits above a base made of puffed rice and crushed cookies that is laced with white chocolate.

The aromatic mousse went really well with the mango filling but it was the crunchy texture from the base that brought the entire dessert together and made it simply addictive.

Apart from what we have tried, Purist Patisserie also offers a selection of single cakes and French bakes such as madeleines, financiers and chouquettes.

Purist Patisserie offers interesting and unique cakes which are worth a try. We would highly recommend this new patisserie for some sweet fix over the weekends and away from the bustling crowd.

Purist Patisserie
183 Jalan Pelikat
#01-01 The Promenade@Pelikat
Singapore 537643
Fri to Sun: 12pm – 6pm
(Closed on Mondays to Thursdays)
Nearest station: Kovan MRT Station

Putian Flavor Food—not to be confused with the Putien chain of restaurants—is a small, humble restaurant hidden in Lorong Ah Soo which serves authentic and delicious Heng Hwa food from the Fuzhou province in China at a fraction of restaurant prices.

In a nutshell, what you can expect to find in this hidden gem is comforting, light and tasty food at its best. The one dish that you surely must order is the Fried ‘Hing Wa’ Bee Hoon, an umami-packed noodle dish that brilliantly encapsulates the qualities of Heng Hwa cuisine—light, healthy but packs serious flavour.

The eatery itself is rather small and can probably only seat 20 people on the inside and 10 to 15 people outside at a time. Nevertheless, service here is pretty efficient so, despite a crowd, you will never have to wait that long for a table.

Boasting an extensive menu of authentic dishes from Fuzhou—from cold and warm starters to comforting mains—this is the perfect spot for a casual family dinner.

A simple dry noodle dish, the Fried ‘Hing Wa’ Bee Hoon (S$5 for small) is a common staple in many restaurants dedicated to Putian-style cooking. The strands of bee hoon were springy and soaked up the briny flavours of the clams and prawns well. The addition of dried seaweed and peanuts added nice umami and textural quality to the dish as well.

For those who find this noodle dish a tad bland or dry, we highly recommend that you add in a dollop of their homemade chilli sauce that you can find in the condiment tray—it really heightens the dish tenfold!

The ‘Putian’ Lor Mee (S$5 for small) was an absolute showstopper. Served in a rich and creamy broth, the noodles were cooked till soft and the aroma of the soup alone was enough to get us salivating. Besides the noodles, this dish comes chock full of other ingredients such as clams, prawns, mushrooms, pork belly and vegetables.

For a real treat, stir in some of their chilli sauce.

For a decent tummy filler, consider the Fried Oyster Egg (S$10). The oysters are plump and fresh and the egg is expertly fried without being oily.

When it comes to pig innards, it is either you adore it or regard it with disgust. For us, we absolutely love it to bits and the Halogen Large Intestine (S$8) served here did not disappoint. Braised in a sweet and lightly spiced gravy, the pig intestines were tender and oozing with delicious porky flavours.

Putian Flavor Food
121 Hougang Avenue 1
#01-1350
Singapore 530121
Tel: +65 9225 9418
(Closed on Wednesdays)
Mon to Sun: 11am – 3pm, 5pm – 11pm
Nearest Station: Kovan