The New Restaurant and Hot Supper Spot for Great Thai Food @ Warm Up Café Grantral Mall Macpherson
Warm Up Café has become a beloved destination for Thai food lovers, offering a comprehensive range of authentic Thai dishes, from street food favorites to sizzling Mookata. With three locations in Singapore — at Mackenzie Road, The Star Vista, and the newly opened Grantral Mall in Macpherson — this restaurant promises a truly immersive dining experience for anyone craving traditional Thai flavors.
A Hidden Gem in Macpherson
The latest addition to the Warm Up Café family, located at Grantral Mall Macpherson, is a welcome change for this area, which is not exactly synonymous with great food. Tucked away outside the main mall area, the Warm Up Café outlet is located closer to the Playfair Road end of the mall, rather than near Upper Paya Lebar Road or Breadtalk HQ. If you’re exploring the mall itself, be sure to head towards the exterior to discover this hidden culinary treasure.
An Ambiance Like No Other
Among the three outlets, the Macpherson location stands out for its breathtaking and unique design. With an ambiance that transports diners into a whimsical forest setting, this outlet features faux trees, cascading overhanging foliage, and twinkling LED “Meteor Shower” lights that create a cozy yet magical atmosphere.
Adding to the charm are Japanese-style tatami low tables, perfect for intimate gatherings or a laid-back meal.
The outlet also features a live music stage, where you can enjoy performances in the evening while indulging in your favorite Thai dishes. It’s a space that’s not just about food but also about creating memorable experiences.
A Feast for the Senses
At Warm Up Café, the menu is extensive, offering a wide variety of Thai dishes to cater to every craving. From rich and flavorful boat noodles to hearty rice dishes, sizzling meat platters, the choices can be overwhelming — in the best possible way. Each dish is meticulously prepared with fresh ingredients, ensuring a delightful burst of authentic Thai flavors in every bite. For those with a sweet tooth, the dessert offerings are equally impressive, featuring classic Thai sweets that will leave you coming back for more.
Perfect for Late-Night Cravings
One of the standout features of Warm Up Café is its late-night opening hours. The Grantral Mall Macpherson outlet stays open until 3 a.m., making it the perfect destination for supper or a late-night hangout. For those closer to the city center, the Mackenzie Road outlet offers a similarly indulgent late-night menu, staying open until 6 a.m., allowing you to enjoy your Thai favorites at any hour of the night.
Whether you’re looking for a place to enjoy a leisurely dinner or craving a late-night snack with friends, Warm Up Café offers a vibrant, comfortable space to unwind and satisfy your Thai food cravings.
Thai Green Milk Tea $3.90
Warm Up Café’s Thai Green Milk Tea is a refreshing take on the traditional Thai milk tea, offering a perfect balance of sweetness and creaminess. Served at an affordable price of just $3.90, it’s an excellent choice for those craving a cool, satisfying drink to complement their meal or simply enjoy on its own.
The drink has a smooth, milky texture with a gentle green tea flavor that isn’t too overpowering. The subtle bitterness of the green tea blends beautifully with the sweetness of the milk, creating a balanced flavor profile that isn’t overly sweet, making it enjoyable for a variety of palates. The ice is finely crushed, ensuring that every sip is chilled and refreshing without watering down the flavor too quickly.
The Thai Green Milk Tea pairs perfectly with spicy Thai dishes, offering a soothing balance to the heat. The sweetness and creaminess of the milk tea help to mellow out the spice, while the subtle green tea flavor adds a refreshing contrast. It’s an ideal drink to cool down and enhance the overall dining experience, making it a great complement to bold, flavorful Thai meals.
Thai Green Curry With Chicken $16
This is a vibrant and flavorful dish that truly embodies the bold, aromatic qualities of authentic Thai cuisine.
The green curry itself is a harmonious blend of fresh ingredients, with a base of creamy coconut milk that gives it a smooth, velvety texture. The green curry paste is well-balanced, bringing a fragrant mix of spices and herbs that add depth and complexity to the dish. There’s a mild yet unmistakable level of heat that lingers without overpowering the other flavors, making it a perfect choice for those who enjoy a bit of spice but don’t want the heat to dominate the meal.
The chicken in the curry is tender, juicy, and succulent, absorbing the flavors of the curry while maintaining its natural taste. Each piece is cooked just right, offering a satisfying bite with every spoonful. The aubergine (eggplant) in the dish is a wonderful addition, its soft, tender texture soaking up the curry sauce. This gives the dish a slightly earthy, melt-in-your-mouth quality, which complements the richness of the curry and the texture of the chicken.
The dish is best enjoyed with steamed rice, allowing you to savor the creamy sauce with every bite. The rice absorbs the curry, making each spoonful a comforting and filling experience. The dish strikes a perfect balance between the sweetness of the coconut milk, the spice from the green curry paste, and the freshness of the herbs, creating a satisfying meal that leaves a lasting impression.
Stir-fry Chicken With Basil $16
The chicken is the star of the dish, tender and juicy, with each piece cooked to perfection. As the chicken stir-fries in the hot pan, it soaks up the rich, savory sauce, infusing each bite with deep flavor. The stir-fry sauce, made from a blend of soy sauce, fish sauce, and a hint of sweetness, creates a well-rounded base that complements the meat beautifully. The addition of garlic, which has been lightly caramelized during cooking, adds a fragrant depth of flavor that ties everything together.
What truly elevates this dish, however, is the fresh basil leaves. The basil imparts an aromatic fragrance that fills the air as soon as the dish is served, adding a burst of freshness that contrasts perfectly with the richness of the sauce. Its slightly peppery flavor gives the dish an added layer of complexity and balances out the savory and sweet notes of the sauce. To top it off, fresh red chilies are scattered throughout, providing a subtle heat that builds gradually with each bite. The spice is well-controlled, ensuring that it enhances rather than overpowers the other flavors.
This dish is often served with steamed jasmine rice, which complements the stir-fry and soaks up the flavorful sauce. The rice helps to mellow out the heat from the chilies while providing a satisfying base to carry the savory and fragrant sauce. The result is a harmonious balance of textures and flavors, from the tender chicken and aromatic basil to the slightly crunchy red chili and garlic.
Kailan With Oyster Sauce $9.90
Warm Up Café’s Kailan with Oyster Sauce is a simple yet flavorful vegetable dish that showcases the natural freshness of kailan (Chinese broccoli) while adding a rich, savory depth through its sauce.
The kailan is perfectly cooked, with a crisp-tender texture that retains its natural bite, offering a satisfying crunch with each forkful. The leaves are vibrant and full of flavor, providing a refreshing contrast to the rich sauce. The oyster sauce is the star of the dish, providing a deep, umami-packed flavor that perfectly coats the greens. The sauce is not too thick or too salty, but just the right consistency to enhance the kailan’s natural sweetness while giving it a savory finish.
Garlic is lightly stir-fried and added to the dish, infusing the oyster sauce with an extra layer of aromatic depth. This additional flavor element brings a savory warmth that pairs beautifully with the fresh taste of the kailan. The dish is subtly seasoned, with a delicate balance between the saltiness of the oyster sauce and the earthiness of the vegetables.
This Kailan with Oyster Sauce is a great complement to any of Warm Up Café’s heartier dishes, particularly those with more intense flavors like their curries or stir-fries. It’s an ideal side dish to add freshness to your meal while maintaining a delicious depth of flavor.
Steam Squid With Lime and Garlic $31 (MUST TRY! On The Menu)
I fell in love with Warm Up Café because of the Steamed Sea Bass with Lime and Garlic at the Mackenzie Road outlet. The soup must be tasted to be believed — it’s an explosion of vibrant flavors, with the perfect balance of tangy lime, savory garlic, and a touch of heat that lingers. It’s unforgettable, and every time I visit, I find myself coming back for that incredible broth.
The Steamed Squid with Lime and Garlic is no exception. This dish is another perfect example of how Warm Up Café masterfully combines fresh ingredients with bold, aromatic flavors. It brings together tender squid and a zesty lime and garlic sauce that’s bursting with flavor.
The squid is cooked to perfection, tender and succulent, with a slight bite that makes each piece enjoyable. It’s delicately steamed to retain its natural sweetness, which balances beautifully with the bold, tangy sauce. The lime and garlic sauce is the star of the dish, offering a sharp citrusy kick paired with the savory depth of garlic. The light heat from the fresh chili adds an extra layer of complexity, building gradually with every bite.
The dish is served with a flavorful broth that is light yet deeply satisfying. The combination of lime, fish sauce, and garlic creates a refreshing and aromatic profile that perfectly complements the squid. If you’ve experienced the Steamed Sea Bass, you’ll understand the magic of the broth — it’s just as delightful here, offering a unique blend of tanginess, richness, and a little kick from the chili.
This dish pairs wonderfully with steamed rice, allowing you to enjoy every bit of the flavorful broth. If you’re a fan of seafood and enjoy dishes with a balance of freshness and spice, the Steamed Squid with Lime and Garlic is a must-try. It’s a standout dish that showcases Warm Up Café’s ability to craft unforgettable flavors, and it’s one I’ll keep coming back for, alongside the sea bass.
Tom Yum Seafood Fried rice $9.90
Warm Up Café’s Tom Yum Seafood Fried Rice is a tantalizing, flavorful dish that brings the essence of Thailand’s famous Tom Yum soup into the form of a hearty fried rice. This dish offers great value for money, especially with its generous portion of fresh squid and prawn.
The fried rice is fragrant and perfectly seasoned, with each grain of rice well-coated in the rich, aromatic Tom Yum seasoning. The dish has that signature balance of tangy, savory, and spicy flavors that make Tom Yum so beloved, but it’s also light and not overly oily, allowing the natural flavors of the seafood to shine through. The heat from the chili is mild, providing just the right amount of kick to elevate the dish without overwhelming the other flavors.
The squid and prawn add an incredible depth to the fried rice, each cooked to perfection. The squid is tender, not at all rubbery, and absorbs the Tom Yum flavors beautifully, while the prawn is juicy and sweet, providing a nice contrast to the tangy and savory notes of the rice. The combination of seafood, along with the zesty lime, lemongrass, and fragrant herbs, makes each bite an exciting mix of flavors.
What’s especially great about this dish is the way it brings together the comfort of fried rice with the vibrant and bold elements of Tom Yum soup. The tangy lime and the umami from the fish sauce add a refreshing twist, making it a perfect choice for those looking to enjoy the rich flavors of Thai cuisine in a familiar, comforting dish.
If you’re craving something flavorful but not too heavy, this Tom Yum Seafood Fried Rice with squid and prawn is an excellent choice. It’s a unique and delicious take on traditional fried rice, full of vibrant flavors that will leave you coming back for more.
All three outlets are delicious, with each offering the same high-quality, flavorful dishes. However, the Mackenzie Road outlet remains the most delicious. That said, I truly appreciate the new outlet at Grantral Mall, as it provides Eastsiders with the perfect opportunity to enjoy the fabulous food of Warm Up Café without having to travel across the island.
Warm Up Cafe @ Grantral Mall Macpherson (Open till 3am)
601 MacPherson Road Grantral Mall, #01-37 Grantral Complex, 368242
Tel: 8903 2232
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