Tim’s Restaurant & Cafe is a heartland eatery serving Nepalese cuisine and steaks

There’s something especially satisfying about visiting a heartland restaurant that has built a following over the years. Tim’s Restaurant & Cafe is one of those places — and one that’s really quite unique in its own way.

It’s located at Block 95, just a short walk from Toa Payoh MRT station, and has an extensive menu. Tim’s Restaurant & Cafe is easy to miss, if you don’t know it’s there.

Here’s what sets Tim’s Restaurant & Cafe apart: Its menu. Alongside familiar Western comfort food — steaks, ribs, and seafood — is an extensive selection of Nepalese dishes. It’s not a combination you come across often, and gives diners plenty to choose from.

The restaurant has all the makings of a classic neighbourhood eatery. The space leans old-school, with brick walls, dark wooden furniture and warm globe lights that give it a cosy feel. 

If the weather’s kind, there’s also outdoor seating.

Tim’s Restaurant & Cafe was founded in 2006 by husband-and-wife duo Tom Shrestha, 56, from Nepal, and Singaporean Jenny Wong, 50. 

It has been nearly two decades, and it’s still a neighbourhood favourite among those in the know.

While we didn’t manage to catch the owners during our visit, the staff were more than happy to point us towards some of its popular dishes — something we appreciated, especially when faced with a menu that stretches across several pages.

Nepalese dishes worth trying

One of the recommendations was chicken tash with pulau (S$16.50), which ended up being my personal favourite of the visit. It’s a comforting plate of chicken marinated with Nepali spices, served alongside pulau rice and achar.

The chicken had a good spice kick without being too fiery, and the pulau rice was flavourful with a slight sweetness that balanced the savoury flavours perfectly, along with the tangy achar. It made for an easy-to-finish, home-cooked-like dish. 

PS: Even the carrots stood out as soft and sweet.

We also tried the chicken momo (S$12), one of Nepal’s most well-known foods. It’s a dish that’s easy to share, making it a must-order if you’re dining in a group.

The steamed dumplings came neatly pleated with a generous chicken filling flavoured with coriander, ginger, and garlic. It was juicy and paired well with the restaurant’s house-made achar.

We wish we had more stomach space to dive deeper into the Nepalese menu. Options include the chicken or seafood thukpa (from S$13.80), roti with chicken choila (S$14.80), and Nepali pork belly (S$19.50), to name just a few.

Also loved for its western food

While the Nepalese dishes first caught our attention, Tim’s Restaurant & Cafe is equally well-loved for its western offerings, particularly its affordable steaks. Of these, the most affordable option is the NZ sirloin steak (160g), priced at S$19.80.

If you’re dropping by before dinner, the restaurant’s daily set lunches offer a pretty good value, too. It’s available from 11.30am to 5pm every day, and comes with garlic bread, soup of the day, a choice of main, dessert, and a drink.

We went with the 200g NZ ribeye steak everyday set (S$28), served on a hotplate with baked potato and seasonal vegetables.

Although the steak was slightly more done around the edges than the medium rare we had asked for, it was still fairly juicy in the centre. We went with the rosemary onion sauce, which worked well with the beef thanks to its savoury, slightly herbaceous profile. 

There are also black pepper, mushroom and BBQ sauce options, if you prefer something more classic.

The BBQ pork ribs (S$20.50), served with fries and salad, is one of the restaurant’s signatures. We were pleasantly surprised by how the meat came away from the bone easily, while still retaining some bite. It is also coated in a sweet barbecue sauce.

Pork ribs can sometimes have an overly porky flavour, but these were clean-tasting without any gaminess. Overall, it’s a satisfying plate that’s worth considering as your main.

Another thing we appreciated was how the restaurant caters to different groups of diners. Besides its regular menu, there are student lunch sets from S$10, senior citizen meals from S$9.80, and kids’ meals from S$9.90 — a thoughtful touch that feels fitting for a neighbourhood restaurant.

Fancy a beer with your meal? The restaurant has an alcohol menu, too, so you can pair your grilled meats or Nepalese bites with a pint.

Happy hour runs from 11.30am to 7pm every day, with Stella Artois draught at S$9.90 a pint, S$18 for two, or S$49.90 for a three-litre tower. There’s also pale ale craft beer at S$12 a pint and S$20 for two. If beer’s not your thing, you’ll also find cocktails, wines, and the usual non-alcoholic drinks on the menu.

Not too bad for an eatery tucked away in a HDB estate, which accepts CDC vouchers, too!

For more ideas on what to eat in the heartlands, read on Tham’s Roasted Delights serving peking duck at a coffeeshop, and Menta Horikawa, helmed by a young hawker offering mazesoba at affordable prices.