Hawker stall staples dominate the concise menu at Julie's Kopitiam – nasi goreng topped with Chinese sausage and smoky char kuay teow flat noodles scattered with salty nuggets of belachan (dried shrimp). Irresistible small plates, from pleasingly slippery pork and chive dumplings swimming in sweet black vinegar to bite-size sweetcorn fritters to be dunked into jammy tamarind sauce, mean your table will soon be heaving under the weight of impulse orders.

Dishes arrive with admirable swiftness from the compact open kitchen and, even if you fear you've over-ordered, you'll somehow still find room for warm, slightly savoury coconut rice pudding with a moat of ginger and mango syrup.

As per a traditional neighbourhood kopitiam, Julie's is booze-free but the steaming teapots of lemongrass and ginger plus slushy machines ready to churn out lapsang souchong-laced ices in the warmer months, make this no hardship.

With just 20 covers and a dedicated city-wide following, scoring a table at Julie's already takes patience, but you'll reap the rewards.

£13 (dinner)