Next Door Deli

Order 2 ribeye steaks, stated ‘medium done’ but 1 dish is medium well the other still so raw n bloody. The pepper sauce is mixed with blood ask to cook alittle more well done. When is done the kitchen staff rang the bell for attendance several times but the waiters just stood at the corner chatting ignoring her. When I realised was my steak told my hubby to collect fm counter the waiter hurried to help. The steak alittle cooked but dint even have the initiate to replace the cold bloody pepper sauce! Only nice is the chicken wings which taste exactly like ikea wings (go figure out) the calamari was soft not so fresh. Rated ²⁄₁₀.
The standard for the steaks only deserved ²⁄₁₀ too.

Located right next to Pine Garden’s Cake is their sister outlet, Next Door Deli. One would expect them to sell tons of sweet cakes and desserts, but no. They only sell eclairs, chiffon cakes and some cheesecakes, nothing compared to their sister. They do let you buy cakes from next door and bring it over to eat.
They sell mainly western dish except for the fried mee siam or fried laksa.
1. Tomtao Basil Fish $ 7.80
The fish was soft and tender, it didn’t smell fishy. The tomato basil sauce was slightly sweet though salty at the same time. I enjoyed the fish, it was my «healthier» choice in comparison to the other menu options. However, the potatoes were too hard and the brocoli was tastless.
2. Cheese Fries $ 4.50
The portion was so tiny for $ 4.50. It was quite upsetting, so we ended up ordering another plate to share. The fries tasted meh… nothing fantastic.
3. House Burger $ 7.80
Very value for money, the portion is huge. The meat is very tasty and there is some chestnut chunks in there to crunch on. The meat patty was thick and juicy. The bread was nicely toasted and slightly crispy.
The following dishes were ordered by my friends and they had positive comments about them.
Since it is monday today, the website says that for every 2 mains, you get a 3^rd free. There were 5 of us, but the lady at the counter refused to let us get a second main for free, as she said there must be 6 people present. Pretty lame if you ask me.

Given the choice of the hawker food around the area vs paying a slightly premium price for Next Door Deli, I’ll choose the hawker food. I might come back again for the nice atmosphere and a feeling of being a tad more atas cos I’m dining in a quiet deli rather than a noisy coffeeshop.
The way they function here is almost like Ikea where you grab your own tray, fill it with stuff from 1. drinks station 2. Sides and desserts 3. Cashier to order mains an pay up.
Then you are given a receipt with a number where the servers will come with your main dish when it’s done.
Nice servers they have here cos the aunty is v sweet to explain what I need to do for a first-​timer.
I ordered their self-​acclaimed ‘Most Popular’ and ‘Featured in Media’ Crispy-​grilled Chicken Steak. At $ 7.80, I really think I can get a better chicken from the coffeeshop western stall at $ 5.00.
The serving size is alright for me but the chicken wasn’t crispy. In fact, it was jus super oily. The skin is tough and rubbery like what you would get from a microwaved chicken rather than grilled. What left on the plate is a layer of oil from the chicken. Some can say that they had retained the juiciness of the chicken but I guess not really to my liking.
The mash potato is alright. Taste fine but it’s lumpy. So for those who have a fine palette and want something more refined, this may disappoint cos the texture is not the smooth creamy mash.
Overall, an ok meal. Yes, I wouldn’t mind coming back again if I have at least an hour to kill while waiting for my doc’s appt but really, not my cup of tea. ;)

No matter the occasion, be it breakfast, lunch, teabreak or dinner, Next Door Deli fits the bill. Although the portions are a tad small, they offer a reasonable variety of finger food, main courses, side dishes and desserts. The décor establishes it as a quaint little café tucked into a neighbourhood which is otherwise seemingly dated. Pleasing to both the eye and the palate, you’d finish your portion of food wishing there was more.