Located at Upper Serangoon Road with red and white awnings and a neon sign on the outside, Joji’s Diner immediately draws the eye with its retro-looking decor that is visible through its big glass storefront windows.
It stands out from the other shops found along the stretch of old buildings at the junction of Upper Serangoon Road and Sunshine Terrace, which includes a KNS coffee shop at the corner.
We have passed by Joji’s Diner multiple times and always wanted to pay it a visit, and we finally got the chance.
Joji’s Diner: American Diner Vibes at Upper Serangoon
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Stepping inside Joji’s Diner, we felt transported away to a scene that could have come out of an old school movie like Grease. While we doubt that there are many of such classic diners still found in the United States, Joji’s Diner managed to channel some of those vibes.
The black and white checkered floor along with deep red booth style seating with white trim exuded 1960s Americana. The booths were illuminated with pendant lighting while the walls were decorated with posters that looked like they belonged to a bygone era.
Even though it was mid-afternoon, there was still a healthy crowd inside Joji’s Diner. The restaurant is open 24 hours a day and it looks like plenty of patrons flock there at all hours.
Ordering at Joji’s Diner
After taking a seat at a booth, we had a chance to peruse the well-worn menu. The two-sided menu listed out a smorgasbord of mains and sides on one side and a plethora of desserts and drinks on the other.
The All Star Plate ($14.50) at Joji’s Diner is an all-day breakfast platter with scrambled eggs, baked beans, bacon, fresh cherry tomatoes, sausage, wild mushrooms and baked potato chunks. While it looked enticing, we decided to try some of the other menu items instead.
To order, we headed up to the ordering counter and placed our order and made payment. Returning back to the table, we waited for the food.
Food at Joji’s Diner
We did not have to wait long and our food order soon began to arrive at the table.
For drinks, we ordered a Strawberry Paddlepop ($8.90), Joji Diner’s take on the classic strawberry milkshake. Topped with whipped cream and sprinkles, the Strawberry Paddlepop will satisfy those who have a sweet tooth. You can even add on a donut for an extra dollar.
Tropic Thunder is not just a 2008 satirical action comedy but also a drink at Joji’s Diner. The drink is a combination of orange juice over a layer of watermelon puree ($7.90). It is an interesting and refreshing twist to the standard orange juice.
Next, our food orders began to arrive.
Mac N’ Cheese
We had ordered the Mac N’ Cheese. This is served in a tub and the macaroni is combined with a sauce made with orange cheddar, mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese. The top of the Mac N’ Cheese is browned in the oven and covered with some spring onions. We got a nice cheese pull from it and the macaroni does a good job in soaking up the cheese.
We were a bit surprised to find two slices of garlic toast served on the side of the Mac N’ Cheese. However, we were even more pleasantly surprised with the taste of the toast – it was nice and garlicky. We even used it to dig into the Mac N’ Cheese. There is also the option to add on a grilled chicken to the Mac N’ Cheese for an additional $4.50.
Smash Burger
We also ordered Joji’s Diner’ Smash Burger ($14.50). This features two smashed patties made with with 70% beef and 30% lamb. The burger comes with a long rash of bacon and it is dressed with cheese, mustard, pickles and onions. It comes with a side of curly fries.
When the Smash Burger arrived, we were slightly underwhelmed by its size. Most American burgers are pretty sizable but the Joji’s Diner’s Smash Burger was around the standard looking size as you would find in Singapore. However, what the burger lacked in terms of circumference, it made up for in height. With two patties, there was plenty to bite into.
Overall, we thought that the Smash Burger was alright. It was juicy and it had a nice taste. The bacon rash gave it a salty taste and you could balance that off with the tiny gherkin that came along with the burger. However, we thought that the patties could have had a bit more char and they also started to fall apart after a while.
Chicken & Waffle
The dish that we were anticipating the most was the Chicken & Waffle ($13.90). This is a combination that could only have come out from the United States, combining the savoury with sweet flavours. The exact origins of the dish are unknown but different places around the United States, from Pennsylvania to New York to the South all lay some claim to it.
The Chicken & Waffle at Joji’s Diner pairs together a savoury fried chicken with a buttery waffle. And it was quite a sizeable portion that arrived at our table.
What surprised us was the sunny side up egg that came on top of the chicken.
As we tucked into the chicken and waffle, we discovered that they waffle was already sweetened. Therefore, we had the combination of sweet and savoury without even having to add on any more syrup.
The chicken was nicely flavoured but we did wish that it was slightly more crispy. The waffle also tends to lose its crispiness quickly, so get stuck in quickly.
Eventually, we could no longer ignore the large bottle of syrup that was sitting at the table and had to add on the syrup to the chicken and waffle. And if you like that type of combination (which we did), you may find yourself reaching for the syrup bottle again and again.
Overall Thoughts on Joji’s Diner
On the whole, we enjoyed our visit to Joji’s Diner. While the food was just alright, it was presented very nicely. What we appreciated the most was the vibes of the diner and how it felt lively yet casual at the same time. The service that we had when we were there was fast and friendly. We think it will probably be a nice place to hang out with some friends at an atmospheric dining spot.
However, we have also seen lines outside Joji’s Diner, which is probably a testament to how popular the place is. Therefore, it is also understandable that there is a one hour time limit for dine ins during peak hours.
The non-peak hours at Joji’s Diner are Monday to Friday, 2 pm to 6 pm.
Or, since it is open 24 hours a day, if you are looking for a late night eating spot around Upper Serangoon, it is a place to check out – and perhaps there will not be queues then!
Just in the unit beside Joji’s Diner is Joji’s Sandwich Parlour which serves American-style sandwiches such as a Reuben sandwich. Alas, when we were done eating at Joji’s Diner, we were so full, so it looks like we will have to check out Joji’s Sandwich Parlour on another day!
Joji’s Diner is not halal certified.
Where: 534 Upper Serangoon Rd, Singapore 534549
Website: Joji’s Diner
Parking: For those who are driving, you can try getting one of the limited parallel parking lots at the slip road beside Upper Serangoon Road. Alternatively, you can park at around Block 408 Serangoon Avenue 1 (550408)
The closest MRT station is Serangoon CC13 / NE12.
