Small Tables: A New Sidewalk Café in Orchard Serves Up Delectable Ipoh Food and Coffee

When people talk about great places to eat in Malaysia, Ipoh is often mentioned as one of the best places to go. What happens when you crave a little taste of Malaysia when you’re in Singapore?

We recently discovered a little gem of a café right here in Orchard that serves up delectable Ipoh food and drinks. Featuring Ipoh Curry Mee, Ipoh Chee Cheong Fun, Ipoh Shredded Chicken Hor Fun, Ipoh White Coffee, and more.

Relaxed Ambiance and Hearty Food

Small Tables is a charming sidewalk cafe situated in Pacific Plaza with an extensive menu featuring flavours of Ipoh. It’s within walking distance from Orchard MRT station—perfect for when you’re taking a break from shopping or want a quick bite before your movie starts.

With its modern, minimalist interior, cosy lighting as well as long-booth couches and seats overlooking Orchard Road, Small Tables has become one of our favourite places to dine and catch up with friends. The menu is thoughtfully designed by Executive Chef Sandra Sim and it features 26 dishes ranging from tantalising starters to hearty mains, teatime snacks, as well as an extensive drinks menu that has traditional Ipoh coffee and more. The dishes are ideal for sharing, allowing you to experience the delicious flavours of Malaysian cuisine. We can think of no better spot for a long lunch!

What to Order at Small Tables

The Ipoh Curry Mee (SGD$20++) is the signature dish of Small Tables and it can be shared among 2 to 3 pax. The spice-heavy curry base made with fresh prawn stock whets our appetite. You can order it dry or with soup and even decide on your choice of noodles. We recommend pairing it with silky smooth Ipoh Hor Fun, which is made fresh every day in Ipoh with natural spring water. The curry mee is delicious and reasonably priced, with ingredients like char siew, siew yoke, braised pig ears, pig skin, and poached prawns. Those who prefer a more robust flavour should opt for the soup version.

Good things are meant to be shared, and our personal favourite is the Whole Fish Otah (S$28++). Made with a whole deboned yellow croaker stuffed with housemade Otah and then baked in banana leaf, it has a good dose of aromatics and spice, with the texture remaining moist and tender.

We would also recommend these small bites that will get your dinner catchup with friends off to a delicious start, particularly the Pork Belly Satay ($16) which is a Chinese-style satay with a spicy dipping sauce, and the Dace Fish Toast ($16) made with dace fish paste and prawns on toast.

For vegetables, there is the Cuttlefish & Water Spinach (S$12++), which is presented as a delicious salad, the water spinach and tender cuttlefish perfectly absorb the piquant, robust flavours of the special sauce made with the essence of the Ipoh curry.

The next dish may look simple but it’s packed with flavours. The Ipoh Chee Cheong Fun ($12++) is silky rice noodle rolls served with Ipoh curry, special chilli sauce, fried beancurd skin, and green chilli. We could taste all the different flavoursome components mixing together in every bite! It’s hard to resist this dish!

Now when it comes to drinks, we highly recommend getting the Ipoh white coffee ($7.50++). At Small Tables, the coffee beans are slowly roasted in the way that has always been done in Ipoh. This gives the coffee a slightly bitter and nutty aftertaste. It tastes smoky and has a smooth, rich texture. Overall, it has a good balance of coffee and condensed milk. Each cuppa comes with a side of freshly grilled kaya taiyaki.

If you’re wondering where to go for your lunch or dinner with families and friends, this is a sign you need to check out Small Tables.

Small Tables