There are always hidden cafes waiting to be discovered, this time near Kallang MRT Station.
Sprouting up at 101 Geylang Road is Knock Knock Café, ready to bloom and delight with its floral-theme aesthetics and fusion cuisine.
For those looking for directions, it is in between Geylang Lor 1 and Lor 3.
In case you find the name familiar, the café is a spin-off of the Knock Knock livestream app.
Like the app that connects content creators with their followers, this work-friendly café is a place for productivity and connectivity.
If you are looking for free high-speed WiFi and modular rooms, it makes Knock Knock quite ideal for some remote work and meetings.
In terms of food, go for their their Asian-inspired pastas and burgers like “Lup Cheong” & Bacon Carbonara, Umami “Laksa” Seafood Pasta, Otak-Otak Burger to Krispy Buttermilk Chicken Burger.
Surf all you want in between sips of your choice of coffee. They have a selection of espresso and fusion drinks. Don’t miss the adorable bear lattes where frozen cute bears or puppies sit atop the foam.
Here are 10 of Knock Knock Café’s recommended food and drinks:
Just Like Grandma’s ‘Hae Bee Hiam’ Aglio Olio ($19)
I would think pasta dishes are the highlight here. Even though Knock Knock is called a “café”, there are quite a number of bistro-type food that can be found here.
These include Knock Knock’s Aglio Olio ($10), Kelong Vongole with Spaghetti ($17), Seafood Marinara ($18), Kreamy Mushroom Spaghetti ($16), to even a locally-inspired “Ga-Na-Chye” Chilled Capellini with Smoked Duck ($16). (Ganachye is a type of Chinese preserved vegetable.)
If you like a touch of spice and nostalgia, go for the Just Like Grandma’s ‘Hae Bee Hiam’ Pasta, and get Grandma feels with its familiar local ingredients.
The aglio olio style pasta is cooked with bouncy fire-grilled tiger prawns – which get a delicious slick of flavoured oil in between the strands of al dente spaghetti.
But unlike a regular aglio olio prawn pasta, this rendition has hae bee hiam tossed into it – give it a good toss and let these spicy dried tiny shrimps add that punch of spicy-savoury-sweet flavours.
‘Lup Cheong’ & Bacon Carbonara ($18)
This is no traditional Carbonara as pasta lovers will encounter an Asian twist to it. The decadent creaminess is still there, thanks to the heavy cream folded in.
Aside from the usual bacon bits, you will also find interspersed in the pasta are pieces of sweet Chinese sausage aka “lup cheong”.
Served with a topping of soft egg yolk for you to break apart, crispy bacon bits, and a sprinkling of fine grated pecorino cheese.
Umami ‘Laksa’ Seafood Pasta ($19)
If you are a fan of seafood and the local laksa dish, look no further and order the Umami ‘Laksa’ Seafood Pasta made with al dente spaghetti.
A house-made spicy laksa coconut broth serves as the base sauce, while a quartet of seafood – Tiger prawns, clams, mussels, and squid – round up the toppings.
Their savoury-saltiness goes well with the spicy creaminess of laksa coconut sauce cooked thick and rich.
Chilli Krab Tacos ($15 for 2 pcs)
For starters, there are nibbles such as the Por Por’s Har Cheong Chicken Wings ($7 for 2 pcs, $10 for 3 pcs), Krispy Chicken Skin ($9), Fried Calamari Rings ($9), Truffle Fries ($8) and Drunken Clams ($12).
The Chilli Krab Tacos is recommended – consider this a neater way of enjoying national dish Singaporean Chili Crab.
This pair of Chilli Krab Tacos are made with soft and warm tortilla tacos cradling a crispy deep-fried soft-shell crab.
A delectable in-house chili crab sauce is slathered over the soft-shelled crab, giving it a jolt of rich, local flavour. Fresh lettuce and shredded red cabbage complement the crispness of the crabs.
Golden Prawn Tacos ($13 for 2 pcs)
Explore another version of the toasty warm and soft tortilla taco, this time filled with crunchy prawns fried tempura-style.
Coating the prawns is a freshly made golden salted egg sauce, topped with a sprinkles of tobiko. Lettuce and shredded red cabbage give the dish that much-needed freshness to contrast the richness of the sauce.
Want a heftier meat?
Go for the Beef Steak Tacos ($16 for 2 pcs) featuring sizzling hot chunks of beef steak wrapped in a soft toasted tortilla. The meat is drenched with homemade roasted peanut sauce for that local flavour
Mad for Mentaiko Fish & Chips ($16)
East-meets-West when a creamy mentaiko sauce dresses up the very British fish & chips.
A whole fish fillet is coated in a light Kronenborg beer batter, then deep-fried to a crisp.
The golden-brown fried fish is drizzled with mentaiko sauce and served with a wedge of lemon for a splash of sparkling acidity. Enjoy this succulent fish with a side of crunchy fries.
Otak-Otak Burger ($17)
When in Knock Knock, don’t miss this unique dish featuring batang fish. A type of mackerel, batang fish is marinated in different spices to create the most aromatic fish cake aka otak-otak.
Traditionally served fresh encased in a banana leaf, the house-made otak-otak is made into a thick, moist patty for this Asian-inspired burger in soft fluffy buns.
Make it your light lunch, accompanied with fries and a sambal-flavoured mayo dip.
If burgers are your thing, there are also the Ultimate Wagyu Beef Burger ($26), Krispy Buttermilk Chicken Burger ($17), and Krispy Fish Burger ($16).
Party with Pandan Pancakes ($12, available 12pm – 6pm during Sat, Sun, and PH)
Did you just schedule a morning Zoom meeting? Why not have it over Party with Pandan Pancakes?
Make it a beautiful morning with these light and airy pancakes flavoured with pandan. It is all about local flavours – even the condiments are localised. Okay, I would prefer the pandan flavour to be more pronounced though.
Instead of maple syrup, drizzle your green-hued pancakes with a golden gula melaka syrup with vanilla cream.
Ondeh Ondeh Tiramisu ($12)
An ideal pairing with your coffee, the Ondeh Ondeh Tiramisu is a layered cup dessert layered with pandan and gula melaka.
Savour it not with the usual coffee and cream frosting but a topping or toasted coconut flakes.
Crispy Banana Fritters with Ice Cream ($8)
Still has room for sweets? They serve Crispy Banana Fritters with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Slices of banana are coated in a light fritter batter and fried upon order to keep ‘em crisp.
Once you are ready to indulge, drizzle it with caramel sauce – but I would say go easy on this sauce as it can get too sweet overall.
Bear Lattes ($6.50 each)
For visual foodies, this could be the highlight of your meal – Bear Lattes. They are bear-y cute (sorry, can’t help it!) and make it ‘painful’ to watch these iced bears melt into the drink.
Each iced latte comes with an iced bear sitting on top of the foam. Snap a shot before it melts your goodbye.
Choose from three bear flavours: Caramel Bear Latte, Lavender Bear Latte, and Mocha Bear Latte.
The rich and full-bodied Caramel Bear Latte is a blend of Columbian and Brazilian Coffees, sweetened with a swirl of nutty caramel sauce.
To add a relaxing hue of lavender to your eyes, get the Lavender Bear Latte. This delicate sweet pink blend is made with Columbian and Brazilian coffees as well, naturally coloured by lavender.
Finally, the Mocha Bear Latte is for all chocolate lovers out there who can’t give up coffee. A robust coffee mingling with rich cocoa makes one decadent drink.
Knock Knock Café has also introduced a new brunch menu, served during weekends and public holidays from 10am to 5pm.
Recommended items include the Millionaire Bacon Eggs Benedict ($14) with maple-glazed ‘millionaire bacon’ and poached eggs drizzled in house-made hollandaise sauce; Grilled Triple Cheese and Ham Sandwich ($15); Smashed Avo Eggs Toastie ($16) topped with guacamole and eggs of your choice; and Brioche French Toast ($16) of warm buttery brioche slices soaked in sweet vanilla custard.
From 7 February to 31 March 2022, enjoy 1-for-1 pastas on weekdays at Knock Knock Café. The promotion is valid for dine-in on weekdays only, limited to one redemption per table. The promotion is valid for all their pastas:
• “Hae Bee Hiam” Aglio Olio w Tiger Prawns – $19
• “Lup Cheong“ & Bacon Carbonara – $18
• Umami “Laksa” Seafood Pasta – $19
• “Ga-Na-Chye” Chilled Capellini with Smoked Duck – $16
• Knock Knock’s Aglio Olio – $10
• Kelong Vongole w Spaghetti – $17
• Seafood Marinara – $18
• Kreamy Mushroom Spaghetti – $16
• Beef Bolognaise – $16
Terms and Conditions apply:
• Valid for dine-in on weekdays only, excluding Eve of Public Holiday, Public Holiday and special occasions.
• Limited to one redemption per table, no splitting of bill.
• Complimentary item must be of equal or lower value.
• Not valid in conjunction with other types of vouchers, discounts, promotions or offers.
Knock Knock Café
101 Geylang Road, Singapore 389211 (Kallang MRT)
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 10pm (Sat), 10am – 9pm (Sun)
www.facebook.com/knockknockcafe.sg
* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Knock Knock Café.
