Average Service Founder Opens Garden Cafe In Bishan-AMK Park—Here’s Our Review

Shared Table is a new garden cafe in Bishan Park

Before I moved to the East, I lived near Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, and Grub was pretty much the only cafe there about 10 years ago. It was my default hangout spot, so I was surprised to hear that the park finally got a cafe glow-up, with Shared Table having just opened in mid-September.

The parkside cafe is opened by Jerls Su of Average Service in collaboration with Jazreel Low, spa director of Aramsa – The Garden Spa, located just next door to Shared Table.

Pretty cafes aren’t difficult to find, but what really matters is whether the food is worth returning for. Curious to find out, my colleague and I made the trip all the way from the East to see how this new spot would fare.

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Food at Shared Table

Before heading down for the shoot, the Shared Table team kindly asked for our orders in advance. Even with an overview of the menu, it took me a full working day to decide, as there were so many options.

At the heart of the menu is the Nourish Plate (from $21.90++). Inspired by the Japanese principle of Ichiju Sansai, AKA one soup, three dishes, Shared Table is all about offering balance and variety in every meal. Each Nourish Plate gets you your choice of one grain bowl, one protein dish, two sides, and a soup of the day.

There’s the Lemon Herbed Rice, featuring fluffy short-grain rice tossed with dill, lemon juice, and lemon zest. It was simple but tasty, with olive oil tying it together for a herbaceous lift.

If rice feels too heavy, there is Couscous with Furikake and Kombu, gently cooked in kombu stock with wakame, as well as the Cold Buckwheat Soba. My colleague opted for the latter, which was served chilled with a tsuyu dip on the side. The soba had a firm, springy bite, and when paired with the soy sauce dip, picked up a salty-sweet edge that brought out its nuttiness.

I was spoiled for choice with the proteins. I first considered the more locally-inspired options, such as the Ginger Sesame Oil Chicken Thigh, oven-roasted till deeply caramelised and topped with crisp fried ginger, and the Hainanese Sous Vide Chicken Breast, marinated in aromatic ginger paste and finished with house-made soy sauce.

Eventually, I went with the Honey Glazed Goji Smoked Duck as I was craving red meat. The fat was rendered till the skin turned crisp while the meat stayed succulent, then glazed in a honey-soy reduction studded with goji berries. It was super tender, with a nice East-meets-West touch from the sweet-savoury glaze, subtle smokiness, and light tartness of the goji.

My colleague, who’s a huge seafood lover, went for the Honey Miso Salmon. Marinated in a house-made honey and miso blend, then oven-baked till lacquered and caramelised, the flesh was flaky and melt-in-the-mouth with no fishy aftertaste at all. My only gripe was that the skin could have been crispier, though we did leave it out for a bit during the shoot, which may have softened it over time.

Rounding out the plate is a rotating selection of sides: Spicy Bonito Sprouts, Edamame, Corn Succotash, Couscous Salad with Sesame Dressing, Mentai Potato Salad, and Gong Bao Tempeh with Cashew Nuts. I had the Mentai Potato Salad, which was nothing to shout about but still made for a decent side. It was creamy and well-seasoned with that salty kick from the mentaiko.

To complete the set, the soup of the day rotates between Creamy Pumpkin, Lobster Bisque, Mushroom, and ABC. My colleague had the mushroom soup, which earned points for its creaminess but fell a little flat flavour-wise—it could have used more pepper or seasoning to bring out its earthiness. The ABC soup was the more flavourful of the two, with a natural sweetness from the carrots, onions, and tomatoes slow-cooked into the clear broth.

If you want to order beyond the set, there is also an a la carte menu. I was a fan of the Chicken Skewers ($14.90++), featuring cubed chicken thigh marinated in cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper, then char-grilled till tender.

As if that’s not hearty enough, the skewers also come with house-made tzatziki and warm pita on the side. It ate like a good kebab—nicely spiced, well-marinated, and juicy.

The Hummus with Roasted Mushroom ($18.90++) was another solid share. This saw silky house-made hummus blended from chickpeas, tahini, shallot, and garlic, crowned with sauteed shimeiji mushrooms for an earthy finish. It also came with warm pita for scooping—I wolfed down three.

We ended on a sweet note with the Protein Pancake with Caramelised Banana ($17.90++), which packed 32g of protein and came with gula melaka and house-made peanut butter sauce. There was a faint, slightly whey-ish aftertaste typical of protein pancakes, with a touch of chalkiness, but the sweetness of the caramelised banana helped mask it a little.

Shared Table also offers coffee (from $6.50++) roasted by Brawn and Brains, artisanal matcha lattes (from $6.50++), plus herbal teas (from $7++) by homegrown label Tily Tea Singapore. My colleague and I ordered a cup of Matcha Latte (price TBD) and Hojicha Latte (price TBD).

While the drinks were refreshing enough after a walk in the park, both were a tad watered down. I would have liked them creamier, and the matcha was missing that glossy layer of micro-foam you’d expect from a well-whisked cup.

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Ambience at Shared Table

Opening a cafe in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park has its perks as you are surrounded by lush greenery on all sides. The trade-off is that it’s not the easiest to get to if you don’t live nearby, and the walk in can be pretty hot.

Inside, Shared Table leans into its location. The floors are earthy and mottled, paired with wooden furniture and lots of sage green, so the park outside feels like it continues indoors. Floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of daylight, keeping the space bright and airy during the day. At the centre is a large communal table, built from upcycled local timber sourced from Timber Actually.

At night, the space turns cosier, especially in the lounge area with its deep maroon tones, more suited for dinner or a low-key date. There is also a spacious, pet-friendly alfresco area if you want to sit outside and actually enjoy the park around you.

As an added perk, Aramsa – The Garden Spa guests get 15% off at Shared Table, so you can go straight from massage to meal.

Shared Table is about a 20-minute walk from Ang Mo Kio MRT Station, or a 10-minute bus ride from the station if you’d rather not walk in the heat.

Shared Table – Eatbook review

What impressed me most about Shared Table was how good the food was. Instead of being just another pretty cafe where the food plays second fiddle, Shared Table delivers on both ambience and taste. While it is a little ulu, that’s also part of the charm, especially if you live nearby and get to call this your neighbourhood cafe.

While I don’t live nearby, I’ll definitely be saving this place for a special occasion!

If you love visiting bakeries, read our mega list of best bakeries in Singapore, including old-school shops. We’ve also rounded up the best shio pan bakeries for fans of Japanese salt bread.

Address: Ang Mo Kio-Bishan Park, 1382 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1, Singapore 569932
Opening hours: Mon, Wed-Sun 11:30am to 10pm
Website
Shared Table is not halal-certified.

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Photos taken by Nathania Tay.
This was a media tasting at Shared Table.