Once upon a time there were three very different little girls who grew up to be three very different women... but they have three things in common: They are bright... They are passionate about God... And they opened a restaurant... The restaurant's name is Food for Thought.

Fans of Charlie's Angels will immediately recognise the blasphemous adulteration of the TV series' opening lines. Well, these aren't exactly Charlie's Angels but they are certainly Angels of a different sort. And there is also a guy involved who can't be considered an Angel, so he's Bosley. And instead of Charlie, they report to a Boss who is also unseen but whose voice is sometimes heard.

Food for thought was founded by three young ladies and a guy with a passion for the underprivileged. Their first project was School of Thought - a tuition centre which was founded in 2002. The centre channeled some of its profits into a special fund to sponsor the tuition fees of underprivileged students. The centre's second project is Food for thought, and one of the causes they are supporting is to raise funds for the provision of clean water to third world countries.

One thing which caught my attention on their website was the statement that they don't like "paying a lot for very little" and "being asked to pay for tap water". Sounds like my kind of place! I looked at the menu board and sure enough, soft drinks were $1.50 and Cappuccinos were $3 with no service charge or GST. These people are serious about what they say.

The very first thing that struck me about the cafe itself was the atmosphere. It was very cosy and there was an air of joyful expectation. Chef David was busy behind the counter preparing Focaccia and simultaneously entertaining diners. David was previously from St Julien's but decided to become a hireling at the restaurant because he felt passionate about the cause.

David and his 'accomplice', Vietnam-born American sous chef Peter, managed to churn up quite an interesting array of dishes that are a refreshing twist of what you usually get at your friendly neighbourhood cafe.

We could not decide what to order so we asked for the Sandwich Sampler ($19.90) which comprised of two soups, your choice of salad and a "do-it-yourself" sandwich set which featured the BBQ pulled pork, Mama Heng's Kong Bak (braised pork), Basil Pesto Chicken and grilled vegetables. If you are coming with a group of friends, they will pile it all up on your very own bar top counter! ($10 per pax).

Our choice of salad was the TLC (tomato, lettuce and corn). This salad was a misnomer as it did not have any lettuce in it. Instead, it was made up of watercress, laksa leaves, tomatoes, lemongrass and warm sweet corn with a dollop of herb butter. The combination worked amazingly well and I found it quite a refreshing change from the regular salads I am used to. 4.25/5

The must-try dish for me was the BBQ pulled pork. This is a whole pork shoulder which has been slowly roasted until all the collagen has been gelatinised, and then pulled apart by hand. The result: melt-in-your-mouth morsels of shredded pork with caramelised BBQ sauce. It's not good... it's very good! 4.5/5

Mama Heng is none other than Chef David's mum and she makes a pretty mean Kong Bak. It was good but it is something that you can easily find elsewhere. Still, it was great with the homemade focaccia bread and garlic-scented olive oil. 4/5

Food for thought offers two flavours of soups - Shitake Mushroom Fennel and Broccoli soup - both of which will appeal to the weight-conscious as they are made without cream. The Broccoli was good but most of the bite came from the cheese they added on top. The Mushroom soup could do with a bit more ooomph though. Maybe I am just used to creamed soups. Still, the portions are big and can constitute a meal in itself, so take note of this when placing your orders. 3.5/5

Food for Thought is strategically located just opposite the National Library and with coffees starting at $2.50, it's a great place to drop by to have a cuppa after a trip to the library. The cakes are sourced from various hidden talents within their community - their friends and their momma's friends who are budding bakers - and have a really nice homemade quality about them.

I seldom rave about cakes but I was rather taken by the Old Fashioned Red Velvet. One of my favourite cakes is my wife's Carrot Cake and the thing I enjoy most about it is the cream cheese frosting. The red velvet has a generous amount of frosting and a mesmerising red colour which was a bit jarring at first. But wow, the combination of the cream cheese frosting and the mysterious red coloured cake was, to quote our dessert specialist, "almost perfect". I went back again later in the week to buy some more! By the way, you might be wondering what gives it that red colour... I wonder too. Guess you will have to go find out! 4.75/5

Conclusion

I just like this happy little cafe. It's a bit quirky, a bit old fashioned yet it's confident and exudes an atmosphere of youthful exuberance that is refreshing to the soul. The people here are happy and happiness is contagious. Come in for a pulled pork sandwich and finish it off with the Red Velvet and a cup of coffee and I can almost guarantee that you will go home happy too.

Food for Thought
#01-06 North Bridge Centre
420 North Bridge Road
Opening hours: 9 am to 10 plus daily, last order at 9pm. Closed on Sundays
www.foodforthought.com.sg

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