Kooka Cafe – Cuckoo for Kooka CLOSED
PUBLISHED July 5th, 2012 05:59 pm | UPDATED March 28th, 2016 06:00 pm
CLOSED
One of the great things about being a Nomad is the constant rambling around and discovering of new places that you might otherwise not hear about. So a couple of weeks ago, on our lunch excursion to visit Saveur on Purvis Street (review here), I decided to go for a little walk about, and after just 100 meters, on the corner of Purvis Street and Beach Road I discovered Kooka Cafe.
Upon realizing that the owners and founders of Kooka are also the husband and wife team behind restaurant Chalk, I was keen to go back…and so next week with a ravenous appetite and camera in hand, I paid Kooka a visit.
Kooka is a cute place..It has a relaxed, simple atmosphere…It feels like the kind of place you could have lunch and then comfortably spend an afternoon sipping coffee and reading the papers.
Moving over to the counter, I eyed up some tasty desserts (note to self – save room!) and poured over the menu of home-style grub. Finally, G and I decided to go for a mixture of salads and sandwiches that looked particularly appealing…
And first to arrive was the Tuna wrap…
Despite looking somewhat dry on arrival, it was actually surprisingly succulent and well seasoned. Served with a healthy portion of salad and veggie fillings it makes a good option for lunch. My only complaint is that it lacks a closed bottom so had a tendency to oozing.
Moving on to ‘salad’, the Nicoise salad was served next….
and what a salad it was! For a start, it was enormous…as someone with a prodigious appetite, I can tell you this will fill even the largest of stomach and won’t leave you feeling cheated. In fact, best to share this so you can order some other dishes…
Such as the Lasagne….
Oh lasagna…even the thought takes my imagination to a close-knit family having dinner in some small Italian village…. What I loved about Kooka’s version was that, true to form, it was very home-style…Honestly, it almost tastes like the one I make at home! I can’t help but feel like this was would be the perfect hangover lunch/brunch meal.
Finally moving on to some dessert (which believe me was quite hard as we were already rather full)..
The Kooka carrot cake…..Utterly gorgeous.
I know I’m probably in a minority saying this, but I hate chunky walnuts in my carrot cake so when I bit into to Kooka Carrot cake, I had to smile. Yes, there were walnuts, but unlike the standard chunks, these were finely blended into the mixture…along with some raisin gems to sweeten the treat. Just remembering makes me crave another!
We also decided to indulge in a slice of Blueberry cheesecake.
A thick cookie base, fresh, ripe fruits and a creamy texture. The desserts are made in-house and it really shows – in a good way!
As for the coffee, it wasn’t superb but it certainly hit the spot, enough that I ordered a second.
Now, would I go back? Without doubt! The food here is tasty, generously portioned and is not pricey at all with most of the dishes costing between $7-15. As for the service? Friendly, efficient and knowledgeable of the fare on offer.
So if you do find yourself in the City Hall/Bugis area and need a respite plus a good cuppa, check out Kooka for a spell. You won’t be disappointed.
Written by The City Nomad
