The Twenty Cavan is many things. It’s a place to eat at, a place to work while you sip coffee. Ultimately, is it worth the price of admission?
The Twenty Cavan is a pretty little place set in the cool shophouse-laden Jaan Besar district, 7 minutes walk from Lavender MRT. It’s a beautiful place that serves everything with a twist, and boasts a menu that runs the gamut of Brunch, Lunch, Dinner and even alcohol for an evening tipple. But how does this 8 month old eatery stand when ranked against all the other food places (Chye Seng Huat, AEIOU, The Tiramisu Hero, etc) in the Jalan Besar area?
Opening Shots
We had some appetisers to taste, and I must say that the stand out for me was the Mushroom Skewer ($8). I liked the peppercorn flavoured Portobello and Shiitake Mushrooms that came on the skewer, mostly because they were juicy and friendly on the palate.
I did think that the Quad Seafood dish which comprised of top shell, scallop, prawn, baby octopus tossed with mint hot bean sauce served with jellyfish was a little too much for an appetiser. It’s not that the seafood wasn’t tasty. Rather, the flavours assailed my tongue and left me a little overwhelmed. If that’s too much, you can always opt for the Garden Green Salad with pan-fried prawns, cashew nuts, fresh berries and green chili dressing ($12)
Main Meals
The mains were slightly better. From a set of 6 dishes, there were 3 surefire hits in my opinion.
The Canton Roast Chicken ($18) was easily the top pick of the table. Think juicy chicken drum, encased in crisp skin and you’ll know exactly how the chicken is like. I thought the combination of slightly oily skin with homemade Thai chili sauce and black rice was a joy to taste.
The Cavan Breakfast ($18) is a no-brainer Brunch option. It’s got brioche, bacon, pork bratwurst, sautéed button mushrooms, corn kernels and your choice of eggs. I love mine scrambled, so this was quite the treat. Also: Who doesn’t love bacon? (If you don’t, I don’t want to hear it.)
I felt that the most unique of all the mains served was the Chicken Galangal Rice Bowl ($16). Now, while it just looks like a rice bowl, it’s so much more. The diced chicken is tossed with rice in a very special and fragrant blue ginger sauce with zucchini, tomatoes and edamame. Love the fragrance that it emitted once it hit my table.
If you really really lie stronger flavours, then the Red Rice Braised Pork Ribs ($18) is your go to dish. This adaptation of the classic Hakka chicken dish is too heavy for me, but I know it’d be a treat when when placed in front of the right person.
It is a little unfortunate that I could only recommend these three items. While the rest of the items were not bad, they lacked that strength that these 3 dishes displayed clearly, so i felt that it was only fair that I highlighted those which were worth your money.
Sweet Endings
Ok, so this is where The Twenty Cavan really shines. Dessert is their thing, and I can tell you I was super impressed by the Pumpkin Yam Puree ($8). You know that classic Orh Nee that Teochew Restaurants love to serve? This is a modern version with aloe vera and pandan juice. It’s extremely well-balanced, and I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the sweetness at anytime. Usually, a dessert like this would end up cloyingly sweet, but I didn’t experience that.
The other dessert star was the Matcha Pudding with mixed berries, black sesame cream and a dollop of pulut hitam ($7). Yes, the matcha flavours came through, and worked well with the sourish berries, while the black sesame cream gave it a sublime fragrance. I am not one for sweet treats, but this made my evening!
1-for-1 with The Entertainer!
Since The Twenty Cavan is one of the merchants on both the Entertainer Singapore and the add-on Cheers Singapore 2017, all the main items that I recommended come under the 1-for-1 deal on the app. Additionally, the three Cheers 1-for-1 vouchers will quality you for:
- 1 for 1 on bottle of house wine
- 1 for 1 on house beverages
- 2 for 2 on house beverages
Of course, there are plenty of other choices on the Entertainer App, spread all over the island. All you need to do is switch on your Location Service on your phone, and open the app!
If you’re looking for a place to chill, relax and have a bite, then The Twenty Cavan works as a stop gap measure. Plus, having a 1-for-1 food/alcohol with The Entertainer App certainly makes the decision to walk in much easier. Bring a friend or two, have a drink and spend some quality time reconnecting.
Details
What: The Twenty Cavan
Where: 20 Cavan Road
Contact: 6612 6024
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 11am – 11pm
