Food Review: The Populus Cafe celebrates 10th Anniversary with Throwback Specials

Time flies. But when you are in F&B in Singapore, 10 years is quite an achievement. The Populus Cafe at 146 Neil Road has managed to keep the lights on and the food good. through thick and thin, which says something about the quality of the food and their service. I had the pleasure to be invited to try their latest limited edition Wagyu Beef Rendang Donburi, which apparently was one of their first menu items! They will be progressively rolling out other fan favourites from their archives, but the Beef Rendang bowl was fantastic, as is with the other 3 mains I tried.

Like I said, the Heirloom Rendang Wagyu Beef Donburi (S$26++) was fabulous. The wagyu beef did not require much chewing - it was that tender. The spices coating the beef was so flavoursome it went really well with the rice. And the homemade achar tasted so homely and that hit of acidity and crunch really balanced out the dish, which was brought together with the runny egg. This is available only for limited time so go try it as soon as you can! 5/5

My friend picked the Seafood Linguine (S$29), which despite the high price, was actually worth it for the portion size (SUPER generous) and ingredients used. 4 plump and juicy scallops (cooked perfectly) surrounds the linguine, which is topped by fresh crab meat (super fresh and no shells!) and tobiko. The linguine was braised with homemade lobster bisque and you can actually TASTE the umami sweetness from the lobster. Definitely an indulgence worth the calories! 5/5

We also saw the girls at the next table having the Mushroom & Truffle Carbonara (S$24) and it looked and smelled amazing, so we decided to order the same. Since The Populus is halal-certified, the "bacon" in this dish is turkey. Which works because it was not too salty or overpowering. The cream sauce was also smooth but not overwhelmingly creamy or gelat. That allowed the mushroom flavours, including truffle, to really come through, with a burst of additional creaminess from the runny egg. We really enjoyed this dish. 5/5

I thought since we are 3 people who go to the gym, let's have more protein so I also got the Halibut with Leek (S$28) which comes with braised leek with turkey bacon on super soft roasted Atlantic halibut (tastes like a healthier cod fish). The creamy garlic and dill sauce mixed with the chunky potato mash was divine. However, in terms of flavour, this is definitely a bit more muted compared to the other 3, but I would come back for this more regularly because it is healthier. 4.5/5

We also had their new Matcha Creme (S$8.50?) where the creamy matcha layer is poured on top of cold brew coffee. The best of both worlds!

I had their Yuri Matcha Latte (S$6.50) which came with award-winning barista latte art. The poodle was so intricately drawn! It tasted great as well - it was not grassy at all - the milk blended smoothly and the discernible matcha was rich, earthy and fragrant.

 

Here's their menu as of 2025 November in case you are wondering! Their signature item is the Populus Scramble, and their Spring Pancake & Fried Chicken.

Overall, The Populus deserves all the hype and continued popularity for the past 10 years because they have consistently served up good quality food that reflected the tastes of the time. I'm glad they brought back the Wagyu Beef Rendang bowl, but I am also glad to try other mainstays that were equally delicious. I would highly recommend this place if you are looking for halal cafe food that is modern yet satisfying.

🙅 Thank you, next 
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The Populus
149 Neil Road, Singapore 088879
Open daily 9am to 6.30pm (until 9.30pm for Fri and Sat)
Reservations on Chope

Thanks to The Populus for the invite!