Thursday, June 21, 2007

Cafe Divine: Spaghetti with Wok Hei?


Spaghetti Carbonara, originally uploaded by Camemberu.

I first read about this on ChubbyHubby's blog and his description of spaghetti carbonara with wok hei (breath of wok, or the much-desired smoky quality in stir-fried food imparted by using a really hot wok) more than convinced me this was something I had to try. I love hole-in-the-wall places that offer great food! But what I encountered was not quite the fairy tale I hoped it would be. The place is a tiny shop hidden in the outer ring on the second floor of Adelphi complex (close to the overhead bridge to Funan Centre). It looked slightly dodgy but hey, if they serve great food, I don't care about ambiance.

So, how was the spaghetti (S$5)? A really large plate arrived, the pasta and bacon bits awash in a sea of watery cream sauce. Wok hei? Hmm, well, the spaghetti was really hot, piping steaming hot. But didn't quite have the smoky, lightly charred taste of wok hei. Now, the Hill Street Fried Kway Teow has undeniable wok hei. This one I had to ponder. But at least the pasta wasn't soggy and soft, which I recently had, at a joint that shall remain unnamed.

Anyway, despite my tolerance for greasy foods, I could not finish the plate. Though it seemed a bit bland and watery, the cream base was deceptively filling and satiating. I told myself to walk it off a bit, but the more I walked, the more nausea I felt. Half a litre of oo-long tea did nothing to quell the uneasiness. On hindsight, I should have taken a cue from what the others were eating - most were having local cze-char style noodles (fried hor fun, Hong Kong mee, etc) which also came in HUGE portions. Looking at the menu, I realised why too. Only S$3! They also offer all kinds of other food, from Western to Japanese, most under S$6.

Well, I'll say that this little shop does serve value-for-money grub in a central city location. It certainly beats the food court in Funan Centre! I just would not go for anything cream-based next time.

CAFE DIVINE
1 Coleman Street, #02-07
The Adelphi
Tel: 6336-5836

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