With international branches located all over the world, such as New York, Beijing and Tokyo, Coffee Stars by Dao is a newly set-up restaurant in probably one of the more popular shopping malls in Singapore. The restaurant offers a fusion between both Thai and Western cuisines. Despite setting up just a couple of months ago, Coffee Stars by Dao has generated much hype among the locals, and that included some of my counterparts.
We were fortunate enough to find seats the moment we arrived at the restaurant; while we were taking our time to browse through the menu, a steady line began to form outside the area. Coffee Stars by Dao has an ‘open area’ setting which might be rather uncomfortable to some, with many shoppers passing by, observing the dishes a table would have ordered. Nonetheless, with a hanging chandelier, cushioned seats and elegant-looking tables, the restaurant exudes a rather classy feel to her diners.
Thai Iced Tea ($4.50)
Our first impression was that a tad too much of ice might have made up the concoction of the beverage; though I have to admit that the tea did remain full-flavored irregardless. The precise amount of milk was added to complete the sweetness and there was a subtle taste of jasmine which made the beverage even better.
Aromatic Beef & Aniseed Soup ($6.80)
The waiter had recommended their traditional Tom Yum soup but as I would have preferred a less spicy soup, he recommended their Aromatic Beef and Aniseed Soup. A rather generous serving was served and I believe the soup could be shared between two or more since my friend and I had difficulties finishing the dish.
With generous chunks of beef which were chewy and tender, the relish of the soup was deliciously sweet and the peppery taste went really well with the original flavors of the broth. I would say that this is probably one of my favorite dishes from our visit and I would highly recommend this variation from the Tom Yam soup we are often so used to ordering in a Thai restaurant.
Nachos Beef ($8.80)
Although it was the only dish we attempted beyond the Thai cuisine; not only would I find the creation more of a lackluster visually, the dish had also failed to excite my tastebuds in any way. The cheese was too light to be distinguished while the beef lacked of seasoning and of any flavor. What was even more disappointing was the fact that the Salsa sauce failed to add any excitement to the Beef Nachos as an accompaniment too.
Green Curry Chicken with Roti ($11.80)
One would be able to choose either Chicken, Shrimp or Beef to accompany the Green Curry and we decided on the former in the end. In my opinion, the Green Curry was rather spicy and I believe it overwhelmed the distinct definite sweetness most green curries would tend to have. Moreover, the dish was not rich enough to bring about any strong flavor (other than the spiciness) to lay any significant impact on my tastebuds. On the other hand, the chicken was at least enjoyable to the bite for it was rather tender.
Pad- Thai Rice Noodles with Shrimps ($12.80)
A signature dish from Coffee Stars by Dao and definitely the highlight of our meal, the Pad-Thai Rice Noodles was slightly moist while the texture of the stir-fried rice noodles was rather smooth. The grounded nuts added a certain crunch to the dish and the shrimps were rather succulent. With a slight tinge of spiciness, the Pad- Thai Rice Noodles brought about a full-flavored experience to the tastebuds.
A small setting with rather petite dining tables, our dishes came rather promptly and there was hardly any available space to settle them down; I felt that this did deduct merit points away from our entire dining experience since I felt rather uncomfortable and that we had to clear our plates rather promptly. The waiters were rather courteous but a few were not well-informed enough with regard to the extensive menu when I queried on the creation of several dishes. In addition, I noted that they could do better with more waiters and waitresses since they appeared to be unable to cope with the weekend lunch crowd.
Nevertheless, I was quite satisfied with our simple meal at Coffee Stars by Dao. I would opine that the assessible location of the restaurant and the considerable quality of dishes offered at reasonable prices, might be a favorable dining venue for shoppers around the area. With room for improvement, I believe this restaurant would be a new and fine dining option for hungry shoppers around the area, should one know exactly what to order.
Coffee Stars by Dao
435 Orchard Road
#01-37/41 Wisma Atria
Singapore 238877
Contact Number: 6733 3881
Operating Hours:
Daily, 11.30am till 10.00pm
Jasper N.
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