Supernova — Restaurant in Singapore

Have been seeing this place all over social media and it looked pretty nice so decided to check it out.

Met up with friends on a Friday night and we decided to go early as there was no reservations available. Arrived at 630pm and there were quite a lot of vacant tables, managed to get ourselves a comfortable sofa table spot.

Went with 3 starter-ish items and 4 mains to share for 4 pax. The menu is relatively simple, all in 1 page so you can pretty much try everything if you’re sharing with a small group. We went with their recommended starters items, burnt Brussels sprouts and scallops & potatoes. I love eggplant so I also tried their eggplant okonomiyaki which turned out to be my favorite item, super crispy and eggplant was well cooked (soft and crispy kind), served with ponzu aioli. Never had it before but it was good. Brussel sprout was normal, I felt it would be nicer if there was some acidity to balance it out like a lime/lemon or some mint mayo dip. Scallops and potato was pretty spicy, all good flavors.

Next on to the mains. There wasn’t that much variety if the menu is scrutinized. Healthy options weren’t considered so we were left with 2 unique options, 3 pastas all using rigatoni and 2 burgers. Hence, choice was easy we went with the fisherman stew, steak and shrooms, chicken rigatoni and wagyu burger. Seafood stew felt too heavy imo, as if it used a pork broth instead of a seafood broth and weirdly there were chorizo inside. Dill rice was a nice balance though. Steak and shrooms were so good! Imagine mcwings batter but used for oyster mushrooms, and the steak was cooked to perfection, thinly sliced and very tender. The burger was like any good beef burger, the buns were soft and patty sufficiently thicc. Also served with coin hash brown which was funky. Likewise I would like to see it served with a dip (garlic aioli please). The only letdown was the pasta, and there’s 3 of this on the menu. I’m not sure how different the others would be but the pasta doesn’t hold the flavors very well. The chicken on top was also very poorly grilled, pretty tasteless and colorless (no color no flavor).

Ended off with some cakes which were on display. Their dessert menu otherwise didn’t look impressive. The cakes were very good I must say, both dark chocolate cakes.

The cafe uses modern day technology to order and pay, which is commendable. Free flow water, quick service and nice plates is also appreciated. Finally, we have to talk about the ambience. The ambience at night is a totally different vibe. With the warm retro dimmed lights and ratten chairs, you’re almost transported to another part of the world. Or perhaps another part in the universe.

Edit: 3rd time here this time on a PH midday around 4pm. Place was pretty quiet and even around dinner time at 645pm there wasn’t many people. I only ordered drinks this time round, essentially it was a jasmine oolong macchiato. We worked on our laptops from 4-7pm...

TLDR: Wouldn’t recommend coming here, better establishments with more affordable prices. hygiene and food safety is a concern.

After placing my order, I went to the restroom, which required walking by the kitchen. The smell was overwhelmingly like sewage. While the dining area itself had no odor, walking past the kitchen was unpleasant enough to make me question the hygiene standards. I don’t know the cause, but I sincerely hope management investigates and resolves it if it’s a sanitation issue. The kitchen should not smell like that and food should not be prepared in such a smelly environment.

As for the food, I ordered the Steak Okonomiyaki, expecting at least a medium doneness by default. However, the steak was served rare—so chewy that I couldn’t finish it. When we asked about it, the staff initially said we should have specified our preferred doneness in the order. If that’s the case, it would be helpful for the restaurant to indicate the default doneness on their online ordering platform and let customers know they can request a different level.

That said, after clearing our plates with the three slices of underdone steak, the service staff checked with the chefs. The chefs acknowledged that the steak was actually undercooked by mistake and was not their usual standard. The server was very apologetic and kindly offered two slices of cake to make up for it, which I appreciated. We tried the Key Lime Tart and Sea Salt Caramel Carrot Cake—both were decent but overly sweet.

As for the Okonomiyaki, it was enjoyable but didn’t taste like authentic okonomiyaki. It was more similar to rosti with onions. If you’re expecting the traditional Japanese dish, this may not be what you’re looking for. On the other hand, the Pumpkin Bacon Pasta was quite good—rich, flavorful, and generous with the bacon. i would rate it 8/10. The cocktail we got was also pretty nice.

Overall, I appreciate the customer service, but the hygiene concern and the food preparation issues made the experience less enjoyable.

There should be better and more consistent service, food and dining experience given the prices. Wouldn’t recommend coming here, better establishments with more...

Popularised by its stunning interior design, Supernova was founded by the team behind Instagram-famous cafes like Atlas Coffeehouse and Neptune.

[What it's good for]

Best known for its fried chicken French toast (S$24.50), it consists of a thick and fluffy caramelised shokupan (Japanese milk bread), topped with a crispy, succulent piece of battered chicken leg and garlic butter. The steak hash (S$26) — an appetising plate of juicy sirloin with crispy potatoes drizzled with herbaceous green sauce and two sunny side ups — stood out as well. For those with a sweet tooth, we recommend the mouthwatering pistachio honey mascarpone cake (S$9.10), a slightly dense layered cake with honey mascorpone buttercream sprinkled with crunchy ground pistachios. Another great option is the s'mores brownie pie (S$8), adorned with torched marshmallow meringue with a hint of salt and a tight crumble base.

The Magic (S$5.80) — milk poured over a double ristretto — wowed us with its expressive beans which invoked nostalgia. Tea lovers can consider the photogenic iced tea with milkstache foam (S$8), a pleasant jasmine oolong that is faintly sweet and foamy. What's also striking is its customised range of orange wines like the Austrian skin-contact Meinklang Graupert Grauburgunder 2020 (S$88 a bottle) and the cheekily named Obi wine (S$84 a bottle) from wine producer Domaine Geschickt in the French region of Alsace.

[What it could improve on]

The eggs in meurette (S$24) had a sauce that tasted slightly sour, and it could be improved if it was a little richer in dimension.

[Our quick takes]

Is it conducive to conversation? — Supernova is typically bustling with activity, so you might want to take your heart-to-heart talks elsewhere.

Is a reservation necessary? — Seats fill up relatively quickly, so make a reservation.

How to get there? -- It’s situated towards the tail-end of Tanjong Katong Road, not far from East Coast Road. Take a bus down from Dakota or Paya Lebar MRT stations.

[Things to note]

Expect to spend around S$80 for two mains, coffees and desserts. It’s pet-friendly so feel free to invite your furry friends.

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