New to the Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood, 51 Tras is a new cafe at 51 Tras Street, which is located just a couple of units away from Baristart Coffee and Nesuto. Being a creative space, the space is beautifully decked in a minimalistic style that is especially serene and tranquil with natural lighting that beats down into the dining area through the skylight in the roof above. The interior features metallic, wooden and stone elements — a very tastefully designed space; one can also find a tree located towards the back of the space that provides for some form of “life” against the otherwise “cold” environment. The menu available at 51 Tras is somewhat of a curation of items from various F&B set-ups; for pastries, 51 Tras offers a couple of items including a Laksa Quiche and a Heibi Hiam Brioche Feuillete sourced from Tigerlily Patisserie at Joo Chiat, whilst also serving up cakes by Francis Wong; previously the chef owner of now-defunct Non Entree Dessert Cafe. For savoury food, there is the Aburi Chee Cheong Fun from local celebrity Ben Yeo’s SG Chee Cheong Fun, while the list of beverages include specialty coffee, lemonade, and a list of cocktails as well.

Dropped by 51 Tras during a weekday lunch service and we found ourselves going for the Aburi Chee Cheong Fun since we were looking for something filling to have. Having sourced their Chee Cheong Fun from SG Chee Cheong Fun, the Aburi Chee Cheong Fun features elements such as Onsen Egg, Specialty Sauces and Shallots — the addition of the chili is an option here; something which we decided to go for. Having blowtorched the rice rolls, we did feel that the Aburi Chee Cheong Fun does come with a bouncy texture almost akin to the usual; perhaps maybe just with a little bit more bite than the usual — the Chee Cheong Fun coming in rolls similar to that of what is usually served at spots serving the local rendition of the dish, and an aesthetic that sees just a really light char and hence not as smoky as what some may have expected. That being said, the mix of sauces here includes the usual suspects of the trio-sauce Chee Cheong Fun that is typically served at Hong Kong-style Chee Cheong Fun establishments — think a peanut sauce along with a soy mix that provides for a hint of sweetness similar to that of local sweet-sauce; a familiar-tasting item that sees somewhat of a fusion between the local and Hong Kong-style Chee Cheong Fun. The Onsen Egg is particularly well-executed here; runny egg yolk and egg whites, with the former being all flowy with a poke using the fork and gives everything here a silkier texture that binds everything together. The crispy shallots provides a sort of roasty, garlicky note, while the accompanying chili does give that iconic savoury and smoky flavour that pairs up with the Aburi Chee Cheong Fun pretty well.

Having tried other items on the menu such as the Moon Walker — a cake listed on the menu to be by Francis Wong of the now-defunct Non Entree Dessert Cafe that features elements such as Black Sesame Mousse, Salted Caramel and Green Tea Crunch as well as the White, 51 Tras did surpass our expectations given how it is a spot that mostly features curated items sourced from different spots all over Singapore. It is indeed refreshing to see the menu where it features items from other established names in the F&B scene in Singapore, and even gives them due credit — the items also being well taken care of by the folks behind the concept here; it is rather commonplace for such places to put less emphasis in terms of plating or storage, where the latter especially does affect the food quality. All that coupled with a decor that is rather unique to its identity, 51 Tras is certainly a destination for cafe-hoppers to check out for something a little different; not somewhere where we would recommend for a substantial lunch — though somewhere that is definitely fitting for those looking for a light munch or sweet treat over a cuppa.