The Place Jalan Riang is a small stretch of road near Serangoon and Babba is an exciting new cafe and restaurant to open recently. This stretch has been dominated by Wimbly Lu for years, and I was excited to check out Babba simply because it is opened by the same team behind The Brewing Ground, one of my favourite cafes to open in Joo Chiat Place last year. 

The space of Babba is cosy and ample natural light in the day. No reservations are taken for brunch, though you can reserve for dinner. 

The Food The day menu is split into Breakfast (until 4pm) and Lunch (12pm to 4pm), where Dinner is from 6pm onwards with a focus on Peranakan dishes. I visited the cafe for brunch, and can’t help but to start with the Homemade Kaya Butter & Eggs (S$12). Love that thick French butter here, along with the crispy brioche. The homemade Kaya has a very distinct flavour, really good. This dish is a must order! 

From the lunch menu, I tried the Crab Omelette (S$25) where the portion is really generous. You get sautéed crab meat topped with ‘hae bi hiam’ floss, pickled shallots, and served with slices of crispy toast and salad. I like the sweetness of the crab meat along with the egg, though The Rantee quipped that he would prefer the ‘hae bi hiam’ serving to be even more generous. 

Another dish I had was the Dry Laksa Pasta (S$26), where the spaghetti is served with pan-seared Hokkaido scallops, tiger prawns, fried beancurd puffs and curry leaves. The flavour is tangy, not too spicy, and overall, it is quite ‘lemak’. For the price, the portion is relatively generous and I suggest to share this dish as it can get too overwhelming for one person. 

The coffee is a must have too, which is a partnership with The Glasshouse. 

Rants Relatively small and open concept space where there is not much to do or linger around should you need to wait for a table in the day. 

Will I Return Again? The dishes I had at Babba are good and I can imagine that Babba will gain popularity over time, and who knows, it might be the next The Brewing Ground. I am definitely back for the Kaya Toast again. 

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Babba 
15-9 Jalan Riang 
Singapore 358987 

Opening Hours 
Mondays to Sundays 
Brunch: 8am to 4pm 
Dinner: 6pm to 10pm 

Ranted by The Ranter