For a dose of Melbourne in Tanjong Pagar
The rundown
Melbourne’s cafe scene often has visitors waxing lyrical for ages. There’s great coffee, good food and personable service, but also a certain je ne sais quoi that sets it apart and makes it both hip and welcoming at the same time. Lucky for us, that’s exactly what new Melbourne inspired cafe, Bearded Bella, brings to the Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood.
The vibe
Set within a shophouse along Craig Road, this whitewashed cafe is spacious and welcoming, both thanks to the comforting earthy tones of the decor as well as the bright smiles from the hip service team. While only in its early days of service (so new that when we visited, they were operating on a tips basis for their entire menu), there was already quite a crowd when we visited over the Chinese New Year weekend, and the cafe has also already garnered pretty great reviews from foodies in the know. This laid-back all-occasion place is suited for coffee runs, casual business discussions as well as weekend brunches with friends.
What’s good
For those who must have their eggs, the Bearded Eggs is their quirky take on classic poached eggs, and one that pretty much ticks all our boxes. Expect slow-cooked pork jowl, poached eggs, herbed hollandaise and pickled radish on baguette, with an option to add on Pommes Anna (a French dish of sliced layered potatoes) if you’re reaalllly hungry. We appreciated that the service team alerted us to the fact that pork jowl is on the fattier side — plus points for thoughtfulness, especially for diners who aren’t familiar with the cut. Biting into the seared coins reveals tender meat and a whole strip of melt-in-the-mouth fat. It's not for everyone, so if that doesn't sound like something that'll make you drool, skip this. The eggs were beautifully poached and oozing liquid gold (good quality eggs too!), slathered in dill and parsley-infused hollandaise sauce. The pickles were helpful in cutting through the unctuousness, but we would have loved a touch more acidity.
Other dishes that the Burpple community are enjoying include the Virtuous Mushroom — confit and pickled mushrooms, hummus and dukkah on sourdough toast, as well as the Dill Cured Salmon, a truly refreshing dish combining expertly prepared salmon with fennel and orange. The coffee here is really good too (just ask Burppler Veronica Phua, who easily downed two cups in a seating) and makes this spot a worthy coffee run contender. Made using a combination of 60 percent Ethiopian and 40 percent Honduran coffee beans, their in-house roasted house blend is balanced and aromatic, resulting in a really smooth, fragrant cuppa. We’re not sure how long they will be operating on a tips basis until, so bring enough cash, just in case.
Read what the Burpple community says about Bearded Bella here!
