Like its sister cafés Ronin and The Plain, PUNCH appeals to your senses even before the food arrives. Its interiors of mostly white furniture with dashes of marble and wood are built for Instagram, while the open courtyard at the back of house offers a boost of Vitamin D, wooden benches, greenery and a glimpse into the kitchen. That is, if you can even find the opaque glass door of this signboard-less café.
Skip the café-standard breakfast offerings of poached eggs with avocado ($13) or mushrooms ($14) and pick from the lunch menu, which boasts a – dare we say it – punchier line-up. The café does a mean braised pork belly bowl ($13), fork-tender enough to rival any grandma’s rendition. The crown jewel, however, is the spicy tuna poké ($15): marinated maguro, shredded nori and cubes of avocado tumble atop furikake-seasoned sushi rice. And a bowl of maple-roasted Brussels sprouts and butternut pumpkin, drizzled with a lemon tahini sauce ($14), brings the vegans into the yard, too.