PoTeaTo

PoTeaTo
78 Yong Siak Street

http://poteato.sg/


Of Tea And Spuds

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Ambience & Setting: 6
Food & Beverage: 6
Service: 3
Value for Money: 5
Spent about SGD $18 per person.

Surrounded as it is by much more famous cafes, I'm actually rather surprised that PoTeaTo has lasted till now. First opened in August 2012, PoTeaTo is a privately run cafe, not operated under a group like the other cafes nearby, and as it's name suggests, specialises in potatoes and tea.

Ambience at PoTeaTo is rustic urban, with red brick and concrete walls flanking the interior, small tight spaces where wooden tables are laid out, and minimal decor. Yet, the place exudes a cozy, relaxing vibe, as evident by diners who linger over conversation and cups of tea here.

Service at PoTeaTo is largely self-service, with ordering and payment over the counter, though staff will serve orders to your table. I do commend them for being rather quick and efficient at clearing away tables, as well as being able to offer recommendations from the menu. However, there is very little other interaction with staff here.

Food at PoTeaTo is mainly Western style, with a focus on sandwiches, potatoes, and tea. I generally find the taste of dishes here to be hit or miss, mostly ranging from below average, to average at best. Sadly, there's nothing terribly exciting about the food options. Portion sizes are decent, and prices are comparable to most other cafes, budget about SGD $18 per person for a meal here.

PoTeaTo Menu

The Sweet Potato Fries (SGD $7) here are very good! Thick cut and warm, you can taste the natural sweetness in the orange strips of sweet potato, with a lightness to the texture. Sprinkle a little salt and cracked black pepper, and it's good enough to eat on its own!

Sweet Potato Fries 01

Sweet Potato Fries 02

The Party Platter (SGD $18) is a decadent plate of fried stuff, but a combination of hit and miss. Of the items here, the Popcorn Chicken stood out for its crisp yet meaty chunks, with a nice savoury flavour. The Home Made Fish Balls were quite good, you can see it's tightly packed, and the flavour is akin to a Thai fish cake, some slight heat and good use of spices. The Potato Wedges were average, simply deep fried using the frozen version you can get in a supermarket, and the Spicy Mid-Wings were overseasoned and salty.

Party Platter 01

Party Platter 02

Popcorn Chicken

Potato Wedges

Home Made Fish Balls

Spicy Mid-Wings

There is quite a variety of dipping sauces available on the menu. The Nacho Cheese sauce is pretty good, thick and cheesy yet not too salty. The Tomato Salsa sauce is a little too thin and watery, but it's hand made with fresh tomatoes. The Salted Caramel sauce is an interesting, albeit weird, pairing with savoury food, the thick, rich, and sweet sauce goes better with desserts. The Wasabi Mayo sauce was decent, lacking the sharpness of wasabi, but also lacking the strong fragrant flavour, it ends up rather muted.

Dips - Nacho Cheese, Tomato Salsa, Salted Caramel, Wasabi Mayo