Dame: Gorgeous sunlit café in a museum serving hearty brunch with a local twist

Time Out

5 days ago

Ever walked out of an exhibition feeling strangely exhausted? Gallery visits can be overstimulating at times, which is why museums now make it a point to have 'quiet rooms' for visitors to reset. The folks behind Dame seem to have taken that idea and ran with it, which is why this new café in the National Museum of Singapore is the calm, considered space that it is. Think soft colour tones, natural textures and a warm, unhurried vibe. The menu follows suit – no culinary theatrics here, just comforting brunch faves with a thoughtful local twist.
The sun-drenched main dining atrium steals the show, with natural light filtering in through the glass-panelled high ceilings. But if the café gets busy, there's also an adjacent dining area that's just as cosy, with a takeaway coffee stand in the following room. It's easy to pass off the interiors as Scandinavian-inspired, but it turns out the owners of Dame wanted to incorporate subtle Southeast Asian touches in the use of rattan fixtures and dried rice stalks throughout the space. Even the menu is beautifully designed – courtesy of local artist duo Ripple Root.
We order the hua tiao chiew clam linguine ($22), the café's take on a classic vongole, amped up with a good douse of Chinese rice wine for added depth and flavour in the broth. The pasta lands just past al dente, not without intention, though. This level of doneness – neither firm nor overly mushy – caters to those who might find true al dente a tad undercooked. It goes the same for the other pasta dishes on the menu, including the black pepper crab linguine ($25), tomato penne ($18) and creamy mushroom carbonara ($20).
There are also new additions to the brunch list, like the smoked salmon rosti ($22) and P.P.B. (pulled pork eggs benedict, $19), both served with perfectly done poached eggs. The latter sees smoky, well-seasoned pulled pork with a lemon hollandaise sauce, and it even swaps out the usual sourdough base for fluffy brioche bread (read: no more struggling to cut through sourdough slices that just won't budge). We make a mental note to return for the Teochew porridge platter ($18), served with a medley of condiments like braised pork belly, otah and mustard greens assembled in a bamboo basket.
To cater to different diets, Dame also offers two gluten-free options on the menu – the grilled prawn and mango salad ($22) with a chilli coriander lime dressing, and its signature Kerabu bee hoon ($22) with tiger prawns, sakura shrimp and sambal belacan. Vegetarian options are aplenty as well.
Meanwhile, there's the constant waft of coffee coming from the charming sage-green coffee bar. The menu covers all the regular espresso-based drinks, made with beans from the local favourite Common Man Coffee Roasters. You'll also find a solid selection of juices and smoothies (from $6.50), house-made coolers like chrysanthemum lemonade and lychee lemongrass ($7.50 each), and teas from the Singaporean heritage brand The 1872 Clipper Tea Co. (from $5).
Find out more about Dame here.