Fusion fare is all the rave, especially in a food haven like Singapore. Hidden in Biopolis in Buona Vista, Long Black Cafe specialises in handmade pasta and freshly roasted coffee beans, as well as hearty Japanese-Italian mains at affordable prices. If you’re looking for a place to chill with great coffee, affordable cafe fare and a cosy ambience, this cafe might just be the place for you.
Long Black Cafe is hidden behind blocks of office towers in Biopolis — if you’ve ever been there, you would know that it is truly a maze navigating your way around. Thankfully the cafe has a large black and white sign to make it stand out amidst the concrete jungle.
They’ve also got a large classy outdoor dining space which is great for a nice and chill lunch or coffee break. Inside, you’ll be greeted with the aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans — a coffee lover’s paradise indeed.
For starters, we had the Roasted Cauliflower (S$7.90) which was a bold choice considering that I am not a cauliflower lover. I don’t quite like cauliflower because of its taste and texture But, to my surprise, the roasted cauliflower was loaded with seasoning and cheese which helped to mask most of the raw vegetable taste — turns out everything really is better with cheese. My only gripe is that I wish they had made the florets slightly crispier.
We also had the Grilled Halloumi Salad (S$13.50) which had thick cuts of cheese, pomegranate pulps, pistachios and slices of dried apricot.. The greens really helped to cut the saltiness from the cheese cubes and the pomegranate pulps gave a nice burst of sweetness.
Moving on to the mains, we had the Oxtail Stew (S$18.80) and the Salmon Mentaiko Pasta (S$15.90). The oxtail was fall-off-the bone tender and it came with a serving of mashed potato topped with a serving of well-toasted carrots and broccoli —- a unique pairing for oxtail stew.
I love that the dish had large chunks of meat, although the mash was a tad too salty for my liking. The surprising thing is the toasted broccoli was really crunchy and tasty —- similar to those you would find at lok kok places. Overall, it was a pretty decent attempt at oxtail stew.
Fun fact: Long Black Cafe’s pastas are all freshly made in-house daily, so you know you’re getting the best quality ingredients. The Mentaiko Pasta came served with a generous slice of salmon (with a nice crispy skin_ that was coated in a creamy mentaiko sauce which had a prominent fish roe taste — which is what you would expect in mentaiko sauce.
For dessert, we had the Tiramisu (S$7.50) which was creamy and very coffee-heavy. The lady’s fingers (the pastry not the vegetable) were generously dosed in espresso which really hits at first but eventually balances out with the cream. All that was missing from this was a dash of alcohol and it would have been perfect.
Drinks-wise, you should definitely get the Passionfruit Spritzer (S$4.90) which is a spakling passionfruit and cold brew earl grey tea mix — super refreshing on a hot and humid day. The Iced Fragola (S$4.90) is also another noteworthy mention, comprising a mix of cold brew earl grey tea, strawberry and kiwi. It was sweet with a slightly tangy finish— kinda like a zhng-ed up version of Ribena.
Overall, the mains served at Long Black Cafe are pretty affordable and they have vegetarian-friendly options on their menu as well. Fun fact, their coffee beans are freshly roasted in house, so make sure to grab a cuppa while you’re here.
Looking for a quiet and chill place to enjoy your brunch or an afternoon coffee? Reservations can be made here.
Long Black Cafe
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???? 20 Biopolis Way, #01-02, Singapore 138668
???? 8am—8pm (Mon to Fri), Closed on Sat & Sun
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