From Tiktok to Instagram, The Neptune is one of the most commonly seen places that people love to visit in the Joo Chiat area. With all the hype surrounding it, we definitely had to head down and try it.
The Neptune is one of the newer cafés helmed by the founders of Columbus Coffee Co., Atlas Coffeehouse, Apollo Coffee Bar and Lunar Coffee Brewers. Having tried the other cafés owned by them, I had high expectations for The Neptune.
We were at the café at around 5pm so we had dibs on their dinner menu. Their menu included their classic pasta menu, found across all their cafés, but one thing unique to The Neptune was the type of pasta used. The Neptune uses Tagliatelle, a thicker version of Linguine. The thicker pasta allows it to be coated more generously with sauce with every bite you take!
We got in total of 2 mains and a side: Shrimp Scampi ($22.50) , Seafood Somen ($23.50) and Burnt Brussels Sprouts ($14.50).
We were really excited for the Seafood Somen ($23.50) but, in our opinion, it did not live up to the hype. The noodles tasted oddly similar to Indomie and did not really compliment the seared seafood on the top. On the bright side, the seared seafood was wonderfully done. Each salmon piece was thick enough to feel satisfied with each bite taken yet not "jelak" (cloying) and allowed us to fully enjoy it. [Ratings: 2/5]
In contrast, the Shrimp Scampi ($22.50) really took the spotlight for this visit! The lemon zest and lemon juice cuts through the creaminess of the pasta. This kept us going for more even after we were really full. Furthermore, the shrimps were plump with a slight crunch, which adds another dimension of texture to the al dente pasta. Highly recommend this dish for anybody looking to visit The Neptune! [Ratings: 4/5]
Last but not least, the famed Burnt Brussels Sprouts ($14.50). To our disappointment, this dish did not live up to its hype. It is not bad tasting but just not worth $14.50 for it. It tastes like what its name suggests -- burnt brussels sprouts. Maybe there wasn't enough parmesan cheese evenly spread out on the day we visited but it was just a little too normal tasting, especially upon reaching the end of the plate. We would not go back for it again. [Ratings: 2.5/5]
There were hits and misses but all in all still found a gem in this cafe! Will definitely be back for the Shrimp Scampi the next time!
Overall Ratings: 7/10
Location: 237 East Coast Road, Singapore 428930