Food Picks: Housemade kaya and hearty mains at Wanglee Cafe

SINGAPORE – Wanglee Cafe is a no-frills cafe which offers housemade kaya and hearty mains, such as its signature Chilli Pan Mee, in Lorong 4 Toa Payoh.

The 36-seat cafe, which fills up quickly around lunchtime, opened in June 2024. The focus is on the food as the three brothers behind the cafe are chefs. A fourth partner handles the administrative part of the business.

Zi char chef Hoong Boon Leong, 48, who co-owns coffee shop stall Wanglee Seafood with his brother Hoong Boon Hui, 47, teamed up with their youngest brother, Mr Hoong Boon Foo, 40. Mr Hoong Boon Foo used to run Yu Huang Premium Seafood Soup at a coffee shop in Jurong before closing it due to rental woes. 

The brothers take pride in preparing ingredients from scratch, right down to the kaya, which is prepared daily. 

A standard kaya toast set costs $5.20 and comes with four triangles of old-school toast, a hot drink and two half-boiled eggs.

The eldest brother suggests upgrading the drink to a Volcano Kopi Peng for an additional $2. The a la carte price of the tall iced drink – with a foamy top and coffee spilling down one side into the saucer – is $3.50. The coffee is roasty without being bitter and the amount of milk does not overwhelm the brew. I like how the coffee is low in sweetness by default.

No food colouring nor emulsifiers go into the kaya, which is a pale, creamy shade of jade. Pandan essence – made from juicing pandan leaves – is used instead. 

Bowls of Chilli Pan Mee can be seen on almost every table, even after the peak lunch hour. It costs $6.80 with chilli and $5.80 without. A highlight of the dish is the dollop of housemade chilli, crispy from fried garlic, white sesame seeds and dried prawns. The chilli is made using dried chilli flakes and is steeped in oil.

The curly broad handmade noodles are tossed in a housemade seasoning, which includes dark soya sauce and oyster sauce. I like the slippery texture of the noodles, but I would prefer they were cooked more al dente. 

Ah Ma Nasi Lemak ($6.80) is a meal to fill you up with its hefty portion of fragrant coconut rice, cooked in small batches throughout the day. The slow-fried sunny side up has a tender white and a gooey liquid yolk.

The large fried chicken wing has a crispy and well-seasoned exterior with a slight peppery taste, while the juicy interior is well-marinated and tasty. The ikan bilis and nuts are crispy but a little small in portion. The sambal chilli, sweet from the use of onion, is punchy but not overly fiery. 

Where: 01-274 Block 92 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh
MRT: Braddell
Open: 7am to 5pm (Fridays to Wednesdays), closed on Thursdays
Tel: 8731-5597