Five & 2 at Punggol Park

We drove all the way out to Five & 2 at Punggol Park, 97 Hougang Avenue 8 because it has a lovely sheltered pet-friendly outdoor seating area. Took a look at the Asian-inspired menu and thought that it was worth a try. We like the bistro's staff hiring policies and its self-ordering payment kiosks.

The table was suitably impressed by the quality of the food. We shared all the food. That spicy salted fish and pork belly spaghetti was such a umami bomb. Loved it. I inhaled the pasta and left the salted fish and the pork belly behind. Those lent flavor but absolutely no nutrition and offered less satisfaction than spam fries. Hahaha.

The Sarawak chicken curry was just weird with too much of a cardamom hit; the holy basil minced chicken that’s supposed to be Thai-inspired isn’t quite spicy or Thai enough. We like its option of steamed rice with mixed grains. The man was blown away by the Chinese-style salted vegetables and duck soup. It was seriously good. Even my fussy tastebuds thought that it was one of the better ones around.

The premises at Five & 2 are clean enough for a dog to lie on the floor (although many small pooches sat on the chairs), and it's spacious enough for humans. Importantly, it’s not a dog cafe. (Canopy at Bishan Park isn’t clean and it’s frightfully crowded and cramped. The staff weren't even bothered about cleaning up broken glass and shards from dunno when even after I pointed it out. I had to pick them up.) A nice bistro sited in Punggol Park meant a lot of convenience for us and when it comes to toileting for the dog. After our human dinner, we can walk her for one last pee before bedtime. It’s totally worth the drive up north.