The Wired Monkey - Quaint Little Cafe near Jalan Besar

It is easy to miss this quaint little cafe nestled in the busy alley of Jalan Besar. At first glance, it looked like a small shop front selling…toys? But don’t be misled by the cute (toy) Alpha Ape welcoming you at the entrance of The Wired Monkey!

Albeit a cafe with limited seating, it has cleverly used the length and height of its store front to increase seating capacity. You can sit “upwards” on its stairs and people watch through the window, or choose to sit further in at the little corner away from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. Sizing in the cafe, it was like a walk in an art gallery. The use of warm lighting created a humble and cosy ambiance for the number of art pieces featured on its walls.

Service was exceptional as we were greeted with glasses of iced water before we even got down to ordering.

What We Had at The Wired Monkey

We started off with the iced mocha ($7.50) and flat white ($5.00). The flat white came with a standard latte art which was perfect for the gram. Best of all, it tasted as creamy as it looked! For white coffee lovers, you will be pleased to find that they were generous with the steamed milk, yet not losing the coffee fragrance as you take in both the espresso and the hot milk in a single sip.

The iced mocha on the other hand was heavier on the chocolate syrup and less on the caffeine. Because the chocolate used was not too sweet and overwhelming, it blended well with the espresso, leaving only light notes of coffee acidity which was a pleasant surprise despite how dark the drink looked!

We also had a go at the appetitising bakes on display. The baristas offered to warm both the Lavender Lemon Loaf ($5.00) and Cheddar Cheese & Herb Roll ($4.50) for us in which we said YES! to, of course.

Don’t be deceived by the sweet appearance of the lemon loaf just because it is topped with icing cream and petals. The sourness from the lemon hits you the moment it enters your mouth! Thanks to the fluffiness and the additional step of warming the cake, it melts in your mouth and allows for the flavour to kick in immediately. It was almost like eating cotton candy!

On the other hand of the spectrum, the Cheddar Cheese & Herb Roll was a savoury pastry flavoured with the aromas of the cheese and herbs. It was slightly tough to cut into due to the pastry layer but the inside is of a soft bread roll that was airy and fluffy. We felt that the cheese was just nice and not too overwhelming, and as a result we could taste (and smell) the fragrance from the herbs. The herbs however, could have been more to make the roll even tastier!

The Wired Monkey also sells their own merchandise such as T-shirts and other apparels for the full experience. Go figure!

Bonus: this cafe offers Burpple 1 for 1 promotion for its coffee and bakes! All prices are also nett which makes it very affordable for a cafe to spend a lazy afternoon at.