1933 Cafe by BreadTalk in Capitol Piazza Singapore

The first time I stepped into Capitol building was in 1967. My dad brought me here to watch the blockbuster sword fighting movie 龙门客栈. 龙门客栈 was the definitive precursor of fast paced Chinese martial arts movies.



The iconic Capitol building recently underwent a major facelift complete overhaul and redesign. I am glad that they still kept the theatre/ cinema hall.

I am back at Capitol after decades, at Janet's invitation to visit 1933, a retro themed cafe by BreadTalk.



Capitol Building was first opened to the public in 1933, hence the cafe is named 1933.



Everything is spanking new at 1933, yet this "street scene" picture still gives me the feel of a photo out of a 1950s vintage Life Magazine (Tony is delusional ;-p  ).



1933 opens till 10:00pm everyday, so it's a good, comfortable place to chill at the bar over a couple of drinks.



BreadTalk has it's roots as a pastry maker, so there must of course be cakes and breads in the house.



1933 is a two storey cafe/ restaurant. The upper level overlooks the "street" below - it's a great cosy space to hold small private parties.



You can also opt to experience al fresco dining and relaxing in 1930s style.



The kitchen at 1933 is helmed by Chef Keith whose background is in French fine dining. He is also one of BreadTalk's R & D chefs.

During it's heydays, Capitol building is the dating hotspot of trendy hipsters of the time. There was a mix of local fare and Western food in the old Capitol building. 1933's eclectic menu is an effort to recreate the cosmopolitan experience of that era.

Janet who hosted the tasting, started me off with a leafy salad known as Sawadee Greens (SGD14.90++).



Thai inspired salad of fresh leafy vegetables, minced chicken and shrimps doused with a gentle Thai style sweet, tangy, spicy sauce.



If you are a visitor and want to taste an example of good Singapore style chicken rice without having to travel out of the city, get it here at 1933.

1933's chicken rice (at SGD16.80++) has all the elements of a good representative of the Singapore unofficial national dish.



The chicken was deboned, chopped in quite thick juicy chunks (thus keeping the natural juices in). The skin was smooth, the meat was moist and tender, and there was that much coveted layer of jiggly jelly (fat) just under the skin. Made from "kampung" chicken, the meat had that pleasant natural chicken flavour and sweetness. The splash of gentle savoury sweet sauce complemented (not masked) the chicken's natural flavours. 



The good quality long grains had a nice soft yet nutty texture and separate easily. The grains cooked in chicken stock together with ginger and pandan leaves etc were infused with chicken flavour and had a nice aroma.



The hand pounded ginger dip and chili sauce had the right grainy texture, and spiciness balanced with savouriness and chicken flavour. They were good enough for me to eat neat.



Japanese seafood roll (SGD9.90++).

Fried tau pok (form of tofu) stuffed with a paste of blended fish, prawn and squid with diced water chestnut, carrot and celery.



Nanyang Curry Chicken (SGD14.90++).

Chunks of "kampung" chicken, potato and carrot in a rich, aromatic, mildly spicy curry of coconut milk, herbs and spices served in a bread bowl (like a ball or coconut). The crusty bread bowl is crispy outside while the fluffy white inside sponges up loads of delicious curry and flavours. This is a great way to eat curry.

Another Must Try dish from the British Malaya era, especially for overseas visitors.

As a British possession since the 1800s, Western cuisine was very much part of the Singapore (and Malaya) food scene of the 1930s.



Grilled pork loin (SGD28.90++).



The grilled pork loin is served with a choice of Hainanese, pepper or mushroom sauce.



Gula Melaka Pandan Cake (SGD8.90++).

Traditional pillowy chiffon cake flavoured with fragrant real pandan, sweetened with gula Melaka (palm sugar) and topped with fresh whipped cream.

I can easily eat two of these with my coffee ;-D



Berry Bliss (SGD8++).

Lemonade with freshly muddled berries and mint.



Looking for a comfortable, well appointed place in the city to hangout where the menu is fairly extensive, and the food and drinks are nice, 1933 is a good option (though prices are at a premium it's reasonable for what we are getting).

I especially enjoyed the Singapore chicken rice and curry chicken dishes here.

Restaurant name: 1933
Address: 15 Stamford Road #01-83 Singapore S178906 (across the road from City Hall MRT station)
GPS: 1.293559, 103.851999
Hours: 10:00am to 10:00pm
Tel: +65 6348 3660
Non Halal

Disclosure: Please note that this is an invited tasting <- click

Date visited: 30 Jul 2015

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