Tucked away in the unsuspecting, un-gentrified neighbourhood of Jurong East (dear god, it is so out of the way), there's a homely down-to-earth cafe, run by some of the friendliest folks I have ever encountered.

The Usual Place, aptly named, could become one of those regular lepak spots for people to get some comfort food at reasonable prices.

The cafe's interior is very basic, but not without thought. It carries a minimalist design that makes the place feel larger than it is without losing its cosiness.

I had come across the cafe when searching for places to eat nearby home on Instagram (yes, yes, I live that far away...). and I saw the salted egg yolk prawn pasta (S$12.90). I knew I had to bring my little munchkin sister here to try it.

She is a huge fan of food, period. As a chef, her tastebuds can be rather critical too, making her a great companion for food reviews (even when going incognito).

She seemed somewhat pleased with her meal and when I tried it, though not being the biggest fan of salted egg myself, I enjoyed it. You will only run the risk of not being able to finish this dish as it is quite substantial for one and does tend to get jelak-y like most salted egg yolk dishes do.

And since honesty is the only policy I have for foodievstheworld, I have to say that the truffle fries (S$7) was sub-par and should have been called parmesan fries instead.

However, the saving grace and star of the show had to be the Usual Wings (S$6.50). The wings were coated in a lovely batter and deep fried to perfection. It was well-executed in flavour and cooked to a tender inside and crispy outside.

The grilled salmon (S$12.90) was also cooked perfectly and was presented quite nicely, considering this is a neighbourhood joint, hidden between neighbourhood coffee shops underneath a HDB block.

The spaghetti vongole (S$8.90), though not the best I have tried, is done considerably above average and packed a decent depth of flavours to it.

The banana waffle (S$7.50) were a good way to end the meal, though. Overall, the entire place gets a thumbs up from me for giving this neighbourhood a slightly more upscale dining experience compared to your typical hawker centre dinner.

The Usual Place 346 Jurong East Street 31 #01-73, Singapore 600346 Open Tues-Sun 11AM-3:30PM; 5:30PM-10PM (Saturdays 11AM-3:30PM only) Closed on Mondays

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