Prince
Coffee House got its namesake from the now-defunct Prince Cinema at
Shaw Towers where both were located some thirty years ago.
As with most Hainanese-run coffee houses, this coffee house serves both Western and Chinese fare.
This has to do with the majority of Hainanese being employed as chefs by the British during the colonial days. After the British troops withdrew from Singapore, these Hainanese set up their own coffee houses with the east-meets-west culinary skills that they have acquired.
When the original owner wanted to retire and fold up the business, four of his staff decided to take over and they had kept the coffee house running till this day.
This has to do with the majority of Hainanese being employed as chefs by the British during the colonial days. After the British troops withdrew from Singapore, these Hainanese set up their own coffee houses with the east-meets-west culinary skills that they have acquired.
When the original owner wanted to retire and fold up the business, four of his staff decided to take over and they had kept the coffee house running till this day.
Through the years, the
coffee house had relocated from Beach Road to Coronation Plaza along Bukit Timah for over
twenty years before moving again, this time, back to Beach Road not too
far from their first location at Shaw Towers.
I got to know about this shop when I walked past it while on my way to Blanco Court Prawn Noodle which is only a few doors away. I did not think much about it actually but the next day, I happened to watch a re-airing episode of the food program Timeless Treats (老字号) on TV featuring this coffee house.
I was like, "Hey, isn't that the place I walked past yesterday?"
This piqued my interest and I decided to visit this establishment.
I got to know about this shop when I walked past it while on my way to Blanco Court Prawn Noodle which is only a few doors away. I did not think much about it actually but the next day, I happened to watch a re-airing episode of the food program Timeless Treats (老字号) on TV featuring this coffee house.
I was like, "Hey, isn't that the place I walked past yesterday?"
This piqued my interest and I decided to visit this establishment.
I was taking pictures of the shopfront when I
was received warmly and shown to a seat by the very hospitable
staff.
I took a look around the premises which does not have elaborate furnishings or decor. However, the table settings emanates a 80s vibe that gave me a very homely feel.
I have actually come for the weekday set lunch and I intentionally waited till Tuesday because Tuesdays are pork chop day. And not just any ordinary pork chop but Hainanese pork chop which is a western dish with an Asian touch.
The set ($9.90) comes with a main course, a soup with garlic bread, a drink and a dessert.
When my order came, the pork chops were served on this vintage pyrex plate which must have been at least thirty years old! This is the same plate which they had been serving customers since their Shaw Tower days.
So how does the food fare?
Firstly, the soup and the garlic bread felt like they had been left sitting in the open for some time. It would be nice if they had been served hot.
As for the mains, the pork chop is of a decent size and tasted moist and tender. I have eaten pork chop with black pepper sauce and brown sauce but this is my first time having it with Hainanese sauce and I love it!
I am not exactly sure what is the "Hainanese" sauce made of but I have never tasted anything quite like it! It goes exceptionally well with the pork and garden vegetables. The vegetables were simply parboiled in water which would have been tasteless if not for the sauce. I even dip the fries with it instead of chili sauce!
The dessert was a slice of apple pie filled with apple chunks. I think it tasted decent but nothing to shout about.
On the whole, the pork chop with the Hainanese sauce is the only saving grace of my entire meal but I will not let that stop me from coming back to try the other dishes on the menu.
So how does the food fare?
Firstly, the soup and the garlic bread felt like they had been left sitting in the open for some time. It would be nice if they had been served hot.
As for the mains, the pork chop is of a decent size and tasted moist and tender. I have eaten pork chop with black pepper sauce and brown sauce but this is my first time having it with Hainanese sauce and I love it!
I am not exactly sure what is the "Hainanese" sauce made of but I have never tasted anything quite like it! It goes exceptionally well with the pork and garden vegetables. The vegetables were simply parboiled in water which would have been tasteless if not for the sauce. I even dip the fries with it instead of chili sauce!
The dessert was a slice of apple pie filled with apple chunks. I think it tasted decent but nothing to shout about.
On the whole, the pork chop with the Hainanese sauce is the only saving grace of my entire meal but I will not let that stop me from coming back to try the other dishes on the menu.
It was a pretty long time ago but the coffee house have receive some very famous celebrities like Taiwanese movie stars Chin Han and Lin Feng-Jiao, leads of the movie "He Never Gives Up" (汪洋中的一条船) when it was showing in the cinema at that time.
Other notable stars that have dined at the coffee house in the past included Liu Wen-Zheng and Lin Ching-Hsia as well.
Other notable stars that have dined at the coffee house in the past included Liu Wen-Zheng and Lin Ching-Hsia as well.
PRINCE COFFEE HOUSE 太子咖啡座
249 Beach Road#01-249
Singapore 189757
Business Hours
Mon - Sun: 11am - 9.30pm
Google Map: https://goo.gl/maps/zDVq7RyDY7N2
GPS Coordinates: 1.3004817,103.859343