Update Nov 2015: This cafe has closed.
The husband and I had an enjoyable Indian vegetarian lunch at Upper Dickson Road and decided to take a walk in the vicinity when we spotted this retro-looking cafe along Dunlop Street, just beside Zsofi Tapas Bar.
Needless to say, it was the decor that really caught my eye as I love anything old school especially if the stuffs are from my generation in the 80s.
Glass door mimicking shophouse metal gates. Cute!
And as we were studying the menu, a friendly lady by the name Cat came out to greet us. Even though we already had lunch and weren’t hungry enough for a second round, we couldn’t resist entering the cafe. I told the husband, we could just order drinks and rest our feet.
The cafe interior is like a junkyard of an eclectic mix of ‘antiques’ from the little games and toys that I had played with in my childhood days to the iconic figurines that I had grew up with. Everything evoked memories of those good old days.
Tables made from old-fashioned sewing machines
Cinema seats next to the entrance door! Such a private corner too.
I want to put this sign up on my main door too! Love it!
There are also retail box spaces that carry different kinds of knick knacks. Shopaholics, satisfy your dose of retail therapy as you sip coffee here!
Iced water with fresh mint leaves is available near the counter where you have to order and make payment first.
Here’s a look at their menu:
As the cafe wasn’t crowded when we were there, we couldn’t make up our mind where to sit because there was something interesting to see in every corner of the cafe. I couldn’t help but walked everywhere to snap shots with my LG G3. In the end, we plonked ourselves onto the orange cushioned cinema seats by the window just so we could watch people and the traffic go by. Cat came over and offered to take a pic of us 🙂 By the way, want to know what’s on my lap?
Lao Fu Zi comic book that I took from the table behind us where there was a small collection! Oh my god, this is so nostalgic! I loved Lao Fu Zi since my primary school days! It was just nice to sit here, sip tea, read Lao Fu Zi and laugh out loud. I let out a few chuckles as I immersed myself in the book. Totally enjoyable!
Mango Mint Iced Tea ($5) and Curry Puff ($0.70)
Obviously we wouldn’t just be ordering drinks! Lol.
Initially I was worried the iced tea might be too sweet for me but after taking a sip, I was totally hooked onto it. It was a pretty hot day so this iced tea was extremely cold and refreshing. It tasted like a mix of mango juice or cordial with brewed green tea, infused with fresh mint leaves. I loved the aroma from the mint that really lifted the senses. Best of all, it wasn’t saccharine sweet or artificially flavoured at all.
Cat told us it was her first time making the beef curry puffs so we ordered one to try.
I liked how thin the crust was and that the puff was packed with pieces of diced potatoes, ground beef and hard-boiled egg. The filling was aromatic with the essential curry spices but wasn’t hot at all. And overall, it didn’t ooze oil or felt greasy to the touch. I told Cat she should definitely have this permanently in their menu. It was a curry puff that I’d come back for next time. Plus it wouldn’t hurt the pocket at just $0.70 a piece!
Le Char Kuey ($15.50)
Flee Away specialises in Le Char Kuey – such a Frenchy-sounding local delight which is basically a fusion sandwich made from you tiao (fried dough fritter) with fillings. I picked the Chicken Bak Kwa with Crushed Cracker & Wasabi Mayo because it had two elements which the husband would definitely like – the bak kwa and the wasabi mayo.
A queer combination but everything worked together to our surprise. The dough fritter was crispy on the outside and airy on the inside, a little like ciabatta bread so it wasn’t heavily carb-loaded which was good as this was supposedly our second meal for lunch, lol. The portion was ample for sharing between 2 people if you just want a light bite.
The salad greens were crisp and lightly dressed with vinaigrette. The mini papadums were light and crunchy and because they were bite-sized, it was easy to just pop each one into the mouth. Very addictive!
The crumbled crackers tasted lao hong (soft). Most likely because we took too long to eat as we were just taking our time. The wasabi mayo on the other hand was perfectly balanced so while the taste of wasabi was strong, it wasn’t overpowering for our palates.
Banana Peanut Butter Milkshake $7.50
The husband’s milkshake took a while to come but it was well worth the wait. It was rich and creamy and tasted a lot like Snickers. There was a hint of banana but overall, it was more nutty in flavour which we really liked. Apparently, the ice cream used in the milkshake was from Sugalight (low-fat, low-carb, zero-cholesterol) which was why this milkshake didn’t taste cloyingly sweet despite being packed with flavour. A very satisfying and delicious treat indeed!
We were two satisfied patrons who totally enjoyed our time here as well as the food and drinks. Some cafes could only be excellent in a certain aspect i.e. if the food was good, the coffee might not be great. Over here, perhaps we were lucky to pick the right stuffs from the menu so all turned out pretty well. Even the service was flawless as Cat made us feel very much at home. She’s a warm and friendly lady with a cheerful disposition and always carries this big smile on her face. It was a joy chatting with her.
Flee Away is a befitting name for this cafe mainly because of its location which is a rather quiet and quaint street in Little India. It’s a cafe that we would love to unwind in and relax over a good book and some light refreshments.
Can’t wait to come back again soon to try Cat’s new ‘localised’ milkshakes with flavours like pulut hitam and chendol. Genius ideas!
Flee Away Cafe
70 Dunlop Street
Tel: 6341 7843
Website: http://www.fleeawaywith.me/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/fleeawaycafe
Opening hours:
11.00am to 9.00pm (Mon-Thu)
11.00am to 10.00pm (Fri-Sat)
10.00am to 5.00pm (Sun)
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Thank you for visiting us and so glad you love our little space!
Thank you too! We will be back 🙂
Hi Geri. Was delighted to read this today. Hubby and I had gone to Little India on Monday. I have not been to this spot before. It was exciting to look at the photos that you took. The milkshake is calling out my name…….lol. I like the cinema seats in the cafe, too. Very nice 🙂
Hi Chitra, you should really check out the cafe with your hubby. They have other milkshake flavours that seem equally tempting! 🙂