Hans Cafe (Suntec City Mall)

Seems to me that the quality of food and service at Hans has been gradually going down, even as the prices creep higher.

Visited the Suntec branch today for lunch and was attended to by the cashier, served by a waitress, both of whom did not smile, much less attempt to be welcoming. Maybe that's to be expected at a cafeteria.

Ordered two sets of Grilled Fish ($9.80) which comes with soup, slice of toast, dessert and a drink. If I remember, prices used to be about $2 less for a set? Hmmm......

Let's start with the soup "Cream of Vegetables" which was thick and starchy, with little lumps of thickener (flour?) stirred in. Very little evidence of vegetables in it, perhaps it was well pureed, or just cooked in vegetable broth.

Toast was soggy and rubbery, having waited impatiently for our arrival, whilst sitting in a drawer. Chewy too, with a slight hint of garlic.

Iced Lemon Tea was cloudy, which seems to be a natural reaction between the acidity of the lemon, with the tannin in the tea. That's the theory. Funny that I haven't seen this elsewhere.

Finally the main course arrived. Protein: It was immediately evident that the grilled fish was panfried instead of grilled as there were no grill-marks, and it was oily. Slight pressure with a fork would release a small riverlet of oil. The fish was very thin, which explained why it was also slightly overcooked. Vegetable side: Small helping of coleslaw (achar-style) which was a little too tangy/sour. Carbohydrate: The hashbrown that came with the fish had spent too long in the oil, crispy but oily with every bite. Dessert: Served (or rather you pick it up) with the soup and toast, was a very unexciting small peach half in syrup, which looked like it had come straight out of the can. Served in a little plastic cup! Would have preferred a slice of their famous cakes instead.

Not a very value-for-money experience, I'm afraid.