The Food Peeps Coffee and Deli: Cosy Brunch with Beef Rendang Toast, Anyone?

This year has seen some promising new cafe openings, and for those of us who enjoy trying new spots all over the island, The Food Peeps Coffee and Deli located at Tanjong Pagar is another fantastic addition to the local cafe scene.

Located on the first floor of Maxwell House, this unassuming cafe occupies a cosy space and boasts some intriguing dishes.

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With about 15 seats available indoors and outdoors, this laid-back and easygoing cafe is a short walk away from the bustling Tanjong Pagar Rd and Tras St areas which are now chockfull with eateries and cake shops, amidst the streets of bridal boutiques and cross fit gyms.

With a pastel peach pink interior, light wood furnishing, and accents of greenery surrounding The Food Peeps, this cafe brings to mind colourful brunch spots in Bali.

Despite the limited seating layout, we managed to snag a table immediately even on a Sunday lunch hour.

I was surprised to find hand sanitisers available on each table upon sitting down. It might be something small, but in these times, I genuinely do think these small gestures make a difference.

On to the food; when I heard that The Food Peeps’ must-tries were the curious Rendang on Toast (S$12) and Spicy Garlic Prawn Burger (S$15), I knew I had to taste these for myself.

I’ve long said that the one thing that’ll keep me coming back to certain cafes is interesting dishes that set them apart from the strong cafe competition in Singapore. Of course, they have to be good and decent value-for-money too. I mean, there’s only so many times I can pay $20 for an avocado toast or carbonara before I start craving for something new and different.

I’m pleased to report that The Food Peeps ticks all those aforementioned boxes.

Let’s start with the Rendang on Toast, which is a more Asian-take on Pulled Pork Toast dishes you might commonly find in other cafes.

The beef rendang that topped the sourdough was plentiful, and I was surprised at how generous they were with the amount of meat, especially considering it’s sub-S$15 price. The rendang had quite the spicy kick, which I happily relished while washing it down with an Iced Matcha Latte (S$5).

Topped with a soft boiled egg complete with a runny yolk and garnished with cilantro, the Rendang Toast was delicious and surprisingly quite filling. The menu did mention that yoghurt is also added to the dish but I didn’t taste any yoghurt at all, perhaps drowned out by the beef rendang and it’s flavourful sauce.

Next, the Spicy Garlic Prawn Burger came with juicy shrimps and sour cream, lemon juice, chilli oil, avocado, roasted garlic cream cheese and lettuce, sandwiched in between two soft brioche buns.

The Prawn Burger wasn’t as spicy compared to the Beef Rendang, and the cream sauce paired with the shrimp beautifully. Any heaviness was eased by the simple but essential brioche buns.

Should these fusion-style dishes not be for you, rest assured as The Food Peeps do have a rather extensive menu, ranging from other toast dishes to waffles, pancakes, pasta and sandwich dishes, not to mention some bakes on the side.

Considering their relatively small workspace, I’m genuinely quite impressed by the amount of dishes and flavours available on the menu, and I particularly loved the unique takes on classic brunch dishes.

The Food Peeps may be tucked away just steps away from the main street of eateries at Tanjong Pagar all foodies would be familiar with, but it was a delightful find indeed.

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WHERE | 20 MAXWELL RD, #01-11 MAXWELL HOUSE, SINGAPORE 069113