Typically approaching year-end, there will be more and more NEW F&B openings you can look forward to. But…

Considering we only include cafes personally visited (even then some we do not post at all), there are more than 20 NEW café openings this month alone.

The more recent cafes openings in Singapore include Infinity Cafe (Marina Bay Link Mall), Pints & Cones (Serangoon), The Wonderment Collective (Geylang), Firewood Chicken and Bagel (East Coast Road), Salted Caramel Artisan Ice Cream (Lor Kilat), GLASS Roasters (Faber Drive), Cupping Room Coffee Roasters Singapore (Takashimaya), TRYna Café (Tekka Place), Flash Coffee (Oxley Tower), and Joy Luck Teahouse (opening at Bugis Junction).

Here are 10 more:

Cafe Ma Maison
333A Orchard Road #02-33/34 Mandarin Gallery Singapore 238897
Tel: +65 6235 6411

Japanese Cafe With Pretty Fresh Fruits Shortcakes And Fruits-Sando
For those of you who remember, Café Ma Maison used to exist at Liang Court’s basement. The new space at Orchard Road replaces where gorgeous pastry shop Antoinette used to be.

In terms of “Special Cakes”, there is an attractive display of Classic Strawberry Shortcake ($7.80), Chocolate Walnut ($7.80), Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake ($7.80), Earl Grey Tea ($7.80), Fresh Fruit Shortcake ($8.80), and Japanese Matcha Mousse & Red Bean ($8.80).

While my heart told me to go for a Strawberry Shortcake, I thought it has become quite a regular offering in Singapore’s cafes and so opted for a more uncommon and colourful Fresh Fruit Shortcake.

I loved the array of fruits of grapes, blueberries, kiwi, strawberries and oranges, in between moist yet flurry sponge. But my favourite part was still the light, airy cream.

Also included is a small savoury items menu, with Omu-Katsu ($20.80) of Omu-Rice with Pork Cutlet, Truffle-Flavoured Katsu Sandwich ($14.80), and Mentaiko Spaghetti ($18.30). Café Ma Maison (Mandarin Gallery)

Parallel Coffee Roasters (Duxton Hill)
39 Duxton Hill, Singapore 089617
Tel: +65 9750 8997
Opening Hours: 8am – 6pm (Tues – Sat), 10am – 4:30pm (Sun), Closed Mon

Cafe Haunt Hidden At Duxton Hill, With Inexpensive Coffee From $2.90
This is where you can find an Iced Long Black for $2.90 and Iced Latte for $3.90. Especially when coffee shops around the CBD and town area are selling a dollar or much more (I ever paid $7+ for an Iced Black elsewhere).

Plus point: the hot and iced versions are the same price.

The recommended Sourdough Sandwiches are the Smoked Turkey, Classic Honey Chicken and New York Pepperoni (each $11.90).

Parallel’s Acai Bowls ($11.90) come with choices of Superstar, Antioxidant, or Amino Bowl.

I was recommended the Amino Bowl with a blended açaí base served with strawberries, blueberries, goji, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds. Parallel Coffee Roasters (Duxton Hill)

Kream & Kensho
33/35 Kampung Bahru Road Singapore 169354
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

Japanese-Inspired Cafe With Instagrammable Drinks And Chio Interior
Kream & Kensho aims to have a brunch café and coffee place by day; dining with beer at night. (“Kenshō” is a Japanese term which implies “initial insight or awakening”.)

In terms of its interior and décor, they managed to hit the spot right with something contemporary with soft pastel finishes and a touch of Japanese here and there. And good choice of music.

On its menu include Donburi, Salad, Sides and Dessert, such as Momo Salad ($14), Charred Watermelon ($14), Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Tomato Soup ($12), Kombu Truffle Fries ($15), Chicken Katsu Don ($10.90), Gyu Don ($12.90), Aburi Salmon Don ($12.90), and Tendon ($10.90).

But the café is still fine-tuning the food options, so you may end up with a different menu if you head over.

Kream & Kensho do offer interesting and not the run-on-the-mill drinks such as Ginger Brown Sugar ($5.50), K&K Milk Tea ($6), Cheng Tng ($6), Kyoho Soda ($6), Momo Tea Soda ($6) and Yuzu Matcha ($6.50) which are good for the gram. Kream & Kensho (Kampung Bahru Road)

Wan Wan Thai Cafe
127A Bencoolen Street, Singapore 189637
Opening Hours: 12pm – 3am (Mon – Sun)

”After You” Style Shibuya Toasts And Thai Desserts Near Bugis
Located on the 2nd floor directly above Aroy Dee Thai Kitchen along Bencoolen Street, Wan Wan Thai Cafe is well hidden from many passerby on the ground floor.

The space looks totally different in the day and night, which transform from a white minimalist space, to a dark and moody vibes at night.

Their Toasts comes in various flavours such as Milk Tea ($9.90), Mango ($12.90), Coconut ($12.90), Milo ($8.90), Kaya ($8.90), Banana ($9.90), Banana Caramel ($10.90), Chocolate ($8.90), Nutella Banana ($10.90), Strawberry ($11.90) and Fruity ($13.90).

I had the Kaya Toast ($8.90) that comes with a scoop of coconut ice cream on top of a crispy, golden-brown toast.

The toast was crispy, buttery fragrant and moist and the flavour combination with a layer of kaya reminded me of our local kopi-tiam breakfast.

The cookie crumbs add a crunch to the overall texture, yet not being too sweet. Wan Wan Thai Café (Bencoolen Street)

O’Brew Culture
Tampines 1, 10 Tampines Central 1, #02-K2, Singapore 529536
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Korean Dalgona Specialty Cafe With Low-Carb Cheesecake
Specialising in Korean Dalgona Coffee, O’Brew Culture has a small seating area with 3 tables and is located on the 2nd storey of Tampines 1 (beside The Alley).

Service is swift and prompt considering that it is solely managed by a single staff from taking orders to drinks preparation.

Their menu focuses on artisanal coffee with the usual selection such as Espresso ($3), Long Black ($4) and White ($5), and interesting options such as Rose/ Vanilla/ Hazelnut Coffee ($5.50), Rose Chocolate ($6), Vanilla Pistachio ($5.50) and Dalgona ($5.90).

Instead of the usual Dalgona Coffee ($5.90), interesting flavours include Matcha, Chocolate and Rose Milk, topped with the traditional Dalgona snack.

Sprinkled with Dalgona pieces on top, the Dalgona Matcha was the preferred drink, adding some malted, caramelised sweetness to the underly bitter matcha drink, prepared using Uji Matcha powder. O’Brew Culture (Tampines 1)

Crank N’ Chain
31 Ocean Way, #01-22, Singapore, Singapore 098375
Opening Hours: 6.30am – 8pm (Tue – Fri, Sun), 6am – 8pm (Sat), Closed Mon

Bicycle-Themed Café With Gluten-Free Food At Sentosa Quayside Isle
Crank n’ Chain is the newest addition to Quayside Isle in Sentosa, located right next to the drop-off point.

With a total of 3 tables, Crank n’ Chain focuses more on gluten-free takeaway bites such as Orange Almond Cake ($6), Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, Salted Chocolate Cake and Banana Vanilla Bean Cake from The Whole Kitchen.

Definitely not on the cheaper side as a small slice of moist and flavourful Orange Almond Cake is priced at $6, packed with orange slices, almonds, honey, sea salt, sprinkled with black sesame seeds.

For a cup of joe, the menu offers Espresso ($4.50), Long Black (5oz $4.50/ 8oz $5.50), iced Black ($6.50), Flat White (5oz $5.50/ 8oz $6.50), Iced White ($7.50) with optional Almond Milk (additional $1). Crank n’ Chain (Sentosa Quayside Isle)

City Donut
2 McCallum Street, Singapore 069043
Opening Hours: 8am – 5pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

Donut Specialty Shop With Orh Nee, Ondeh Ondeh And Milo Dinosaur Donuts
Looks like donuts are getting some fanfare in Singapore of late, with the opening of shops such as City Donut at Telok Ayer Arts Club, Korio at Far East Square, and Haritts Donuts at Havelock Road.

The menu focuses only on donuts, with local flavours ranging from Original ($1.30), Coffee ($1.80), Pandan Kaya ($2.20), Pulut Hitam ($2.20), Milo Dinosaur ($2.20), Wholemeal Yogurt ($2.20), Pandan Ondeh Ondeh ($2.80), Orh Nee ($2.50) to Citrus Yuzu ($2.50).

Their bestseller is the Pandan Ondeh Ondeh Donut ($2.80), not in the usual shape of a ring donut.

Instead, palm sugar or gula melaka is mixed with grated coconut to fill up the core of the Pandan Ondeh Ondeh Donut before sprinkling more desiccated coconut on the surface.

The green pandan infused ball-shaped donut was soft, fluffy and fragrant.

However, I personally felt that the Pandan Ondeh Onden Donut had a texture more similar to a bun, lacking that distinct character of a doughnut. Plus it is not deep-fried (but of course this is healthier). City Donuts (McCallum Street)

% Arabica – Jewel Changi Airport
Jewel Changi Airport, #01-K208 78 Airport Boulevard, Singapore, 819666
Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)

4th SG Outlet At Jewel Changi Airport With Clean Minimalist Look
% Arabica has opened a new outlet at this popular destination, a stone’s throw away from the iconic Rain Vortex.

The design and look should appeal to many, in that signature clean and minimalist looking, complete with white-washed furnishing.

The price of % Arabica’s drinks are generally to the higher side – Caffe Latte is priced at $7 for short, $8 for tall, while the iced version is priced at $8.

Other items include America ($6 for hot, $6.60 for iced), Spanish Latte ($7.80 for hot, $9. for iced tall), Matcha Latte ($8.60 for hot, $9.60 for iced tall).

Decent coffee, slightly pricey, but cool ambience. % Arabica (Jewel Changi Airport))

C Cafe
477 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427683
Opening Hours: 8am – 6pm (Mon – Sun)

Brunch & Magic Tricks Cafe At Katong
The café for your East Coast Plan is located right next to Homeground Coffee Roasters, opposite Sinpopo Brand at Katong.

The 40-seater space is white and minimalist, with a Magic Table in the middle of the cafe for the magic-enthusiast owners to pull a magic trick or two to interact with the diners.

Their menu is specially designed to look like a deck of cards, with brunch items such as Avocado on Sourdough Toast ($18), Breakfast for Champions ($24), Toasties – Chicken/ Leg Ham/ Smoked Salmon ($18) and Chicken on Waffle ($18).

For those seeking small bites instead of a full meal, Salad ($15 – $17), Chicken Wings (6pcs for $8, 10pcs for $12), Spam Slam ($10) and Truffle Shuffle ($12) are available.

Unlike most dessert menu featuring cakes and ice cream, C Cafe offers healthier options such as Chia Seed Pudini ($8), Greek Yogurt ($8) and Tropical Acai Bowl ($12). C Café (Joo Chiat)

Kings Cart Coffee Factory
328 Joo Chiat Road #01-05, Singapore 427585
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Sun – Thu), 9am – 10:30pm (Fri, Sat)

Cafe With Devilish Chocolate Cake And Coconut Affogato At Joo Chiat
One more to the East Coast Plan. Showcasing a series of coffee-centric food, bakes and desserts, Kings Cart Coffee Factory focuses on specially crafted recipes using coffee as a key ingredient.

Customers may also find food pairings which can further complement or enhance the taste profile of specialty coffee.

I was recommended to their Coconut Cold Brew ($9) which features an espresso shot into fresh coconut juice with chunky coconut flesh.

The concoction came light and refreshing, which coupled well with occasional fruity and floral notes from the dosage of Ethiopia Yirgacheffe single origin beans espresso.

I also took a liking to their Coconut Affogato – its espresso shot with coconut ice cream provided a bitter-sweet blend of flavour, with toasted coconut flakes for an additional bite texture. Promising space, can get quite crowded during the weekends. Kings Cart Coffee Factory (Joo Chiat)

Other Related Entries
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore Sep 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore Aug 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore July 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore April 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore March 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore Feb 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore Jan 2020

* Compiled by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary, Nicholas Tan @stormscape and Lewis Tan @juicyfingers,

Celine’s Gelato has gone from a mobile gelato cart to a physical shop at Novena Regency.

If you are unfamiliar with this building, it is right opposite Novena Church and houses prawn-ramen specialist Menya Kanae, Korean Jjajangmyeon restaurant Mukjja and Sinn Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice.

Note that Celine’s Gelato is located on the inside of the Novena Regency building, and foot traffic is relatively lower.

It doesn’t help that their social media account states that they are a Gelato mobile catering company instead of a cafe (with limited seat-down space).

As an ex-cabin crew on Singapore Airlines for 5 years, Celine has been exploring and trying gelatos worldwide, before fulfilling her dream of opening her very own gelato cafe.

In the meantime, she started her gelato mobile cart business that caters to events before this brick-and-mortar shop.

There are 6 rotating flavours available at any one time due to the limit of gelato canisters in their gelato cart.

Classic flavours range from Chocolate,B lack Sesame, Cookies & Cream, Choco Hazelnut, Mango Passion Sorbet, Key Lime; while Premium flavours include Pistachio and D24 Durian.

The Chocolate is their best-seller, made fresh with 72% Veneguela cocoa.

The prices are reasonable, with Classic flavour starting from $5 for a single scoop and $7.50 for double scoops, whereas premium ones are priced at an additional $0.50 each.

Takeaways are also available in 473ml Pints (Classic $16.90, Premium $19.90) and 500g Tubs (Classic $18.90, Premium $22.90).

Surprisingly, Waffle is priced at only an additional $2 and a Gelato Cone will cost $0.50.

My waffle with 2 scoops of gelato (1 classic, 1 premium) is very inexpensively priced at $10, which is one of the most affordable Waffle + Gelato combo even compared to many other neighbourhood ice cream cafes.

The Black Sesame gelato was my favourite – nutty, earthy, and rich, complemented with finely grounded sesame texture and the aroma of roasted sesame seeds.

Each scoop of sesame gelato is akin to eating the solid form of the traditional sesame paste, comforting and memorable.

If you are not even a fan of durian, note that the durian gelato was pretty pungent even when the lid was removed.

Smooth and creamy texture without feeling icy, the durian taste was pronounced.

However, it was overall slightly on the sweeter side, especially when icing sugar was sprinkled onto the waffles as a finishing touch.

I was glad that I opted for the chocolate shavings at an additional $1 using 72% Lindt dark chocolate, as it added a hint of bitterness to counter balance the sweetness from the durian flavour.

Witness how the chocolate is being shaved by hand at your table, adding a little interactive and perhaps luxurious touch to the dessert.

The waffle ($2) was decent, with a chewier texture with slight crisp on the edges.

My only qualm was that the gelato and waffle were served in a small tableware, making it difficult to cut the waffle.

Apart from gelato, drinks are also available on the menu. Think Kopi (Hot $1.50, Iced $1.90), Tea (Hot $1.50, Iced $1.90), Milo (Hot $2.20, Iced $2.50) or unique ones such as Milkshaes (Classic $8.50, Premium $9).

Celine’s Gelato has one of the most affordable gelato with waffles in the market. A hidden gem indeed.

Celine’s Gelato
275 Thomson Road, Novena Regency, #01-30, Singapore 307645
Opening Hours: 10am – 8pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun

Other Related Entries
10 NEW Gelato Cafes In Singapore
Pints & Cones (Serangoon)
Salted Caramel Artisan Ice Cream (Lor Kilat)
Butterknife Folk (Funan)
Carmen’s Best (Capitol Singapore)

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Joy Luck Teahouse which has attracted long queues for its first outlet at ION Orchard, has opened at Bugis Junction basement.

There will be a brand-new item of Chee Cheong Fun available exclusive at this outlet.

Customers can also look forward to 10% OFF (min $10 spent) the Chee Cheong Fun during the first three days of opening.

Similar to Joy Luck Teahouse at ION Orchard, the Bugis Junction outlet will also offer signatures of Egg Tarts from Hoover Bakery, Pineapple Buns and Hong Kong Milk Tea from Kam Kee Cafe, Curry Fish Balls from Tak Hing and more.

Hong Kong-style Chee Cheong Fun ($3.80)
The Chee Cheong Fun or jyu cheung fan is served the traditional street-snack style – rolled up without fillings, and drizzled with signature soya sauce, sesame peanut sauce, and sweet sauce. A dollop of chilli sauce is provided at the side.

In terms of quality assurance and authenticity, the smooth rice noodles sheets are developed together with the same supplier which supplies to the Top 10 Chee Cheong Fun stores in Hong Kong.

Two common criteria are typically used to describe a well-made rice noodle roll – fragrant (heung) and smooth (waat).

While the sheets itself has little flavour, the sauces provide that aromatic-fragrance and sweet-savoury taste. Would recommend eating this fresh after ordering, otherwise it may not be as silky-smooth as expected.

Egg Tarts from Hoover – Pastry Skin or Cookie Skin ($2.30)
Hoover Cake Shop 豪華餅店 offers two types of Egg Tarts – one with a multi-layered puff pastry crust, the other “cookie” base akin to sweet shortbread crust.

The crust base is made from carefully chosen Australian ingredients, a special blend of fine butter, and the best premium flour.

The Pastry Skin appears to be the more popular version in Singapore.

With each tart made by hand, do eat them fresh to experience that crisp, fluffy and loose layers. They are also not too crumbly and flaky, which makes consuming them a lot cleaner.

My personal preference is for the cookie short-crust with a distinct buttery fragrance. If you buy them home, heat them for a few seconds on the oven and they will be good to go.

As for the smooth and creamy custard fillings, while they could be slightly thicker for more satisfaction, they are thankfully not too sweet so you can always pop in more than one piece.

Pineapple Buns from Kam Kee ($2 for Original, $2.50 for Kaya, $2.80 for Butter or Luncheon Meat)
The Hong Kong government listed the Pineapple Bun or ”Bo Lo Bao” on UNESCO as an item included in the city’s “living cultural heritage”.

This golden-yellow crusted bun follows Kam Kee’s 金記冰室 decades-old recipe, made using premium blend of flour for that sweet and crumbly finish.

Get them stuffed with premium butter, luncheon meat (my favourite) or the Singapore-exclusive kaya.

Hong Kong Milk Tea from Kam Kee ($3.50 for Hot, $3.80 for Cold)
The Hong Kong-style Milk Tea is made from a blend of 3 different black superior quality teas from Sri Lanka.

What I enjoyed were two aspects – the velvety-milkiness due to addition of classic European premium evaporated full cream milk; and while it had that slight bitter-lingering of HK Milk Tea, it wasn’t too strong.

For BBT lovers, get the option of Pearl of the Orient ($4.80) included with brown sugar tapioca balls – which makes this Bubble Tea Hong Kong style.

Almond Tea with Collagen ($4.80 for Hot)
While the drink is called ‘tea’, it should be more correctly referred to as “Almond Milk” with that distinct nutty and mildly sweet taste. With collagen added, this also has beautifying properties.

Other Hong Kong style drinks available include Yin Yang ($3.50 for hot, $3.80 for cold), Lemon Ginger Coke ($4.80 for hot), Salted Lemon 7 Up ($4.80 for cold), Kamquat Honey Drink ($3.50 for hot, $3.80 for cold), Ginger Brown Sugar Drink ($3.50 for hot), 8 Treasures Tea ($3.80) and Ginger Milk Custard with Collagen ($3.90 for cold).

HK Curry Fish Ball from Tak Hing ($4.80)
The Fish Balls recipe are from Hong Kong Fishball brand Tak Hing Fishball Company 德興魚蛋公司.

The fish paste is freshly-made by a local supplier using yellowtail fish, and they use 50% more fish than the regular fish balls in the market for more softness and bounce.

Joy Luck Teahouse Bugis Junction Opening Specials
– Sign up as a member and get 10% OFF regular items until end of October 2020.
– 10% OFF Chee Cheong Fun (exclusive to Bugis Junction) for all walk-in customers with $10 minimum spending on the first 3 days of opening, 2 – 4 Oct 2020.

Joy Luck Teahouse – Bugis
Bugis Junction #B1-K25, 200 Victoria Street, Singapore 188021
Opening Hours: 9am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/joyluck.teahouse

Joy Luck Teahouse – Orchard
ION Orchard #B4-61, 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801
Opening Hours: 9am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Joy Luck Teahouse.

Originated from South Korea, GOPIZZA serves “fast food concept style” individual firebake pizza prepared ala-minute upon order.

They first started in Singapore as a cloud kitchen concept, available via delivery platforms a few months back.

The brand has now ventured into physical food kiosk located within food court at IMM and Tampines One. And definitely more to come.

I recently came across the brand on a Korean variety show which it got featured.

What piqued my interest was how they claimed to be able to quickly produce fresh, quality pizza ala-minute upon order.

Some background info. The Korean founder developed an oven technology which functions similar to a “microwave”, but using “real-fire” to replicate the flavour of how traditional wood fire oven would work.

The oven will then be able to get freshly assembled pizza baked and ready for consumption within a short-time span of 5 mins.

In developed countries in South Korea where time equates to money, this fast food concept gained traction and became a hit among students and young working adults who are looking for quality, convenience and fuss-free meal.

For a small kiosk, there is quite a selection of pizza flavours available on the menu.

Some of the flavours more Korean-inspired are such as Korean Bulgogi ($10.90), Yangnyum Chicken ($10.90) and Bacon Potato ($10.90).

There are also classic Italian favourites like Hawaiian ($8.90), Pepperoni ($9.90), Napoli Prawn ($12.90) and Burrata Cheese ($12.90).

I ordered the Cheong-Yang Pepperoni ($10.90) which came loaded with pepperoni slices and topped with cheong yang chilli pepper.

Also, the locally-inspired Chilli Crab Prawn ($12.90) which has deshelled prawns and shredded crab meat sitting on chilli paste and mozzarella cheese.

I was in fact convinced by their quality and consistency of pizza despite the short preparation time.

My favourite part was actually the pizza dough, which bears characteristics of an Italian thin crust base – soft and chewy in the core when eaten with pizza fillings, yet light and crusty on its edges like a crispy biscuit.

Flavours wise, while it was generally comforting and above average, it took me awhile to identify the distinctive taste difference between the two I had.

Maybe it’s me, but the chilli crab prawn pizza could use a little more spiciness to bring out its character.

Despite the generosity in ingredient toppings used, the majority of the taste felt like it came from the pizza dough.

Perhaps more sauce and mozzarella cheese would help to create depth in flavour?

For small eaters, the serving of pizza can actually feed 2 pax.

To complete the meal, one can also opt for accompany sides such as Aglio Olio Pasta ($6.90), Yangnyum Fried Chicken ($7.90), Tteokbokki ($6.90), Cheese Stick (3pc $3.90) and Wedges ($2.50)

Rather than order via delivery which may compromise on its quality, I would recommend patronizing the kiosk to experience first-hand on how fresh quality pizza can be prepared ala minute upon order and served within a short time span.

GOPIZZA
10 Tampines Central 1, Tampines 1, Food Tempo, #05-05/07, Singapore 529536
Opening Hours: 11am – 9.30pm (Mon – Sun)

2 Jurong East Street 21, IMM, Kopitiam, #03 – 55, Singapore 609601
Opening Hours: 11am – 9.30pm (Mon – Sun)

Other Related Entries
Nipong Naepong (JEM)
Goobne Chicken (Great World)
Hongdae Oppa (Plaza Singapura)
Burger+ (Clarke Quay Central)
Chir Chir (Bugis Junction)

* Written by Lewis Tan @juicyfingers, a self-proclaimed coffee addict. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Hae, Prawn-themed restaurant!? You heard it right.

Prawn Noodle Bar serves up a modern rendition of prawn noodles, as well as everything else prawn-related.

Like its name suggests, the majority of their dishes uses prawn as a key ingredient in cooking.

The fusion restaurant is located at Duxton Hill, near well-known coffee haunts like Five Oars Coffee Roasters and Parallel Coffee Roasters.

Upon entering the place, I was rather entertained by its neon signage which says “Nice 虾“.

It could either mean delicious prawns, or perhaps a more local slang of us emphasizing that the food is really nice sia. How apt.

Their signature Prawn Noodle ($21) comes in Dry or Soup version.

The Dry bowl was served with a hearty bowl of noodles tossed in fried shallot and pork lard, with lightly grilled king prawns and rolled pork belly.

While I generally like the scented aroma of fried shallot and pork lard in dry noodles, I felt that the chilli could use a bit more oomph to further elevate its taste profile.

Its accompanying serving of prawn broth, which I presume would be same used for the soup version, was a head-turner.

Despite the texture resembled more of a light soup, it was surprisingly packed filled with sweet umami-ness of prawns.

Legit good stuff.

Moving on from their signature hae mee, other interesting prawn-related dishes are such as Prawn Laksa Risotto ($20), Wok Hei Prawn Noodles ($22), Ebi Burger ($21) and Prawnster Roll ($22).

I was also highly recommended to their sides like Har Cheong Gai ($13). Okay, not prawn but still they use prawn paste to marinate chicken.

When served, a whiff of its alluring prawn paste aroma could be detected even before I dig in.

What appealed to me was its har cheong flavour which has infused thoroughly into the juicy chicken meat.

I absolutely adore Wu Xiang, or Five Spices Platter ($14) and theirs came with an assortment of deep-fried prawn fritters, battered fish fillet, pork roll and spring roll, served with chilli sauce.

The staff did mention that they prepared all the ingredients in-house.

While it wasn’t particularly mind-blowing, this platter could possibly serve as a good plate of bar bites to go along with alcohol.

For those would like to go for a crustacean treat, you could be in for a hae-py time.

Prawn Noodle Bar
9 Duxton Hill, Singapore 089593
Tel: +65 8028 0802
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Tue – Sun), Closed Mon

Other Related Entries
Beach Road Prawn Noodle House (East Coast Road)
Fresh Taste Big Prawn Noodle (Zion Road)
Chef Kang’s Noodle House (Toa Payoh)
Chung Cheng Chilli Mee (Golden Mile Food Centre)
Jalan Sultan Prawn Mee (Geylang)

* Written by Lewis Tan @juicyfingers, a self-proclaimed coffee addict. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

While many of the new cafes in Singapore are the hipster type opened in ‘hidden’ places, this is one brunch and pasta specialty cafe in the CBD and within a mall.

When you are at Marina Bay Link Mall (basement of Marina Bay Financial Centre) and need to fuel up, head off to Infinity Café for a hearty meal.

An interesting point to note is the café is opened by the same team behind Local Coffee People, WOLF, Steam and Saigon Roll.

Whether you need convenient brunch, lunch, or dinner Downtown, they got something for you to enjoy in their modern space.

In terms of brunch offerings, the café provides Spiced Shakshuka ($12), Smashed Avocado & Eggs ($16), Swiss Rosti ($18), Infinity Eggs Benny ($18), and Infinity Breakfast ($20) included with toasted brioche, parmesan potatoes, sausages, eggs, mushroom ragout, crispy bacon, spinach and rocket salad.

There is also a small selection of mains such as Red Wine Braised Beef Cheeks ($20), Ginger Spiced Grilled Salmon ($18), Baked Chicken Roulade ($18).

You can’t go wrong with pasta, the ultimate comfort food for many – plus 1-for-1 for the month of October.

Choose from meaty pastas like Beef Ragu with Smoked Bacon ($16), or seafood-centric ones like Scallops Mentaiko ($18), Clam and Anchovy ($16), Seafood Aglio Olio ($22).

If you like heady aromas, the Truffle Forest of Mushroom ($18) and Garlic Pomodoro ($12) are perfect for you. Vegetarian options include Pink Peppercorn and Parmesan ($15) and Pumpkin Ravioli ($16).

For a fiery pasta, go for their popular Spicy Crab Diablo ($18), inspired by the iconic Singapore Chilli Crab Pasta.

Using fettucine as the pasta ribbons of choice, they add fresh crab meat, garlic, purple onions, tomatoes, basil, and the ingredient that gives that local-spicy twist – sambal chilli.

The slight heat combines with the tartness of tomatoes, while sprinkles of cured egg (egg yolk cured for a week with bonito flakes) impart that mild smoky flavour.

Still on Asian flavours, the Prawn Chilli Lime ($18) is also recommended if you are looking for something Thai-inspired.

This spaghetti pasta is cooked using a mild vegetable broth, but gets a lift with the infusion of chilli, lime and kombu, a type of brown seaweed and a nutrient-packed superfood. An order gives you large pieces of prawns making it a hearty seafood meal.

Promotion: 1-For-1 Pasta
T&C:
– Valid from 1 – 31 Oct 2020.
– Complimentary item must be lesser or equal in value than purchased.
– The offer is not valid in conjunction with other discounts, offers, promotions, privileges and vouchers.

Also check out other 1-for-1 Dining Deals at Marina Bay Financial Centre.

Infinity Café
8A Marina Blvd, B2-11 Marina Bay Financial Centre, Singapore 018984
Opening Hours: 10:30am – 6pm (Mon – Fri), 11am – 3pm (Sat), Closed Sun

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*This entry is brought to you in partnership with Marina Bay Link Mall and Marina Bay Financial Centre.

When you talk about one of the best coffee shops in Singapore, Kurasu should be a shoo-in with its stringent roasting practices, aromatic coffee, and minimalist lifestyle approach.

It has attracted quite a good following among artisanal coffee lovers in Singapore, despite being quite well-hidden in its previous location at Odeon Towers.

So yes, it has moved from Odeon Towers to nearby 261 Waterloo Street. People are showing their love quite immediately, so much so that during Day 1 of operations, its new space at Waterloo was already considered moderately packed.

While the new Kurasu is of walking distance from Bugis+ and Albert Food Centre, navigating to the café with construction works going around this HDB block may be tricky for first timers.

Kurasu, which means “to live” or “lifestyle” in Japanese, started off as a Japanese homeware store in Australia.

Upon walking into the new outlet, you get that simple-homely and Japanese-style minimalist (better if it is not so crowded and thus echoey), with a coffee table to witness the hand pour process, and several sofa seats for a cozy feel.

The menu is entirely coffee (with no food options) as Kurasu seeks to stay true to its passion for coffee.

Offerings include Black ($5, $6 for iced), White ($6, $7 for iced), Single Origin Hand Drip Coffee ($7) and Single Origin Cold Brew ($5). (Prices have gone up from when we first wrote about them.)

The coffee beans used is roasted in their Fushimi Inari roastery at Kyoto, with the freshly roasted beans shipped over weekly (on a express package which reaches in 2 days).

Using a blend of Brazil and Guatemala, the Flat White I had ($5) was smooth, full-bodied with a nutty and chocolatey tone.

While sometimes I find some other latte in Singapore on the acidic side, Kurasu’s take was quite well-balanced.

For non-coffee drinks, available are Matcha Latte ($6.50, $7.50 for iced), Matcha Latte Espresso ($7.50) and Hojicha Latte ($6.50, $7.50 for iced).

The Matcha Latte was made using Morihan matcha powder from Kyoto – Morihan is one of well known, long established green tea shops over in Japan.

It was smooth, rich and milky, with distinct matcha notes while some may find this a tad on the sweet side.

Another popular drink is the Matcha Latte Espresso ($7.50, same price for hot and iced) otherwise known as “Dirty Matcha” is a combination of sweet matcha and latte – so there is a good balance of both.

Compared to the previous location, there are more corners for intimate conversations or a quiet time. Those who are in the know will take time to find this place.

Kurasu
261 Waterloo Street #01-24 Singapore, Singapore 180261
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 5:30pm (Mon – Sun)

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* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape and Daniel @DanielFoodDiary. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Ramen Keisuke needs little introduction to ramen-lovin’ Singaporeans.

They have opened quite a number of concepts such as Ramen Dining Keisuke Tokyo, Beef Sukiyaki Don Keisuke, Ramen Keisuke Lobster King, and Keisuke Kani King, Teppanyaki Hamburg Nihonbashi Keisuke Bettei, Gyoza King and Omurice Keisuke.

Admittedly, some of the previous ones didn’t work as well. Anyone remembers the Tonkatsu or Champon outlets?

Niku King which replaced the older concepts at Paya Lebar Square is inspired by its popular sister outlet in Japan – Niku Soba has 5 outlets across the country.

When I visited early evening though, the queue was quite long and I waited about 30 minutes (or slightly more) before I got a seat.

As “Niku” means “meat” in Japanese, that would include that the ramen will be topped and filled to the brim with more meat.

However, diners who prefer the older concept still order from the sister outlet Tonkotsu King here.

Niku King’s pptions include Niku King Miso Ramen ($12.90), Niku King Tonkotsu Ramen ($13.90), and Niku King Shoyu Ramen ($11.90). Add $1 to change to a spicy version.

I must say that the prices remain friendly for its quality, plus complimentary eggs, beansprouts and water. (Finally some where which doesn’t charge exorbitantly for water, with frequent top-ups.)

Comparatively, Niku King’s ramen broth is thicker, creamier with more umami as the meats used here are fattier and juicier.

I found the tonkotsu broth generally smoother and milkier, but not overly salty. Can be jelat for some.

The ramen noodles are thicker, larger, and curlier which I found heavier especially after it absorbs some of the thick soup.

If you prefer the usual thin, long, and straight type, get the Tonkotsu King bowls.

These come topped with stir-fried pork belly, available in Tonkotsu ($13.90), Black Spicy ($14.90), and Red Spicy ($14.90).

The soup didn’t taste as rich and flavourful as Niku King’s, though I found it easier to finish up with a less queasy feeling.

Look out for the exclusive side dishes only available at this outlet – Salmon Rare Katsu ($8.90) which is sashimi grade salmon, and Deep Fried Pork Chop ($7.90).

The surprise find is the Keisuke Egg Rice ($3.90) featuring fluffy scrambled egg-like blanket. Underneath that egg is imported Hokkaido rice topped with pork chashu drizzled in Keisuke Special Sauce.

If they serve this eggy rice in a bigger donburi bowl with substantial meat in other future concepts, it would probably have quite a good take-up rate.

Niku King – Ramen Keisuke
60 Paya Lebar Road #01-02/03/04 Paya Lebar Square Singapore 409051
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 3pm, 5:30pm – 10pm (Mon – Fri), 11:30am – 10pm (Sat, Sun, PH)

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Known as one of the tourist spots in Singapore, Kampong Gelam is no stranger to cafehoppers and shopaholics alike, especially along the instagrammable Haji Lane.

Venture slightly off track and you will end up on the other side of Bugis, a stone’s throw away from the famous Rich and Good Cake Shop and IndoBowl.

And along Sultan Gate is ANOTHER NEW gelato and waffles cafe in Singapore called “100Labs”.

Here at 100labs, the tables and chairs are arranged on the 2 sides of the small, cosy 15-seaters space.

Their current menu only serves Waffles ($7 – $12.90), Gelato ($3.50), Coffee ($3.50 – $5), Tea ($4 – $4.90), Smoothie ($6), Milkshake ($6) and Pastries ($4-5) on their menu.

I had the Buttermilk Waffles Oomph! (Ala carte $7, Single scoop gelato $9.90/ Double scoops gelato $12.90).

12 rotating gelato flavours ($3.50 each) are available each month, with the usual classic flavours including Vanilla, Pistachio, Hazelnut Rocher and Dark Chocolate.

Other interesting ones you can find Banana Nut Crunch, Honey & Figs, Lychee/Mango Sorbet, Wild Berries, Taro Yam & Coconut, Hojicha and Coconut Cream.

The Buttermilk Waffles was considered well-executed, and could probably be one of my favourite ones I have eaten of late.

Thick and firm with a crispy texture on the outside, and moist and fluffy texture on the inside.

The freshly-made waffles had that buttery-fragrance, complemented well with the golden syrup drizzled.

For those with a sweet tooth, there is unlimited serving of the golden syrup to satisfy your cravings. (But I would say go easy on that.)

I had the Pistachio and Taro Yam & Coconut gelato to go with my waffles, inexpensively priced at $3.50 per scoop.

This cost an additional $5.90 when served with the waffles.

The Pistachio was nutty and earthy with a smooth texture, whereas the Taro Yam & Coconut was creamy and thankfully not too sweet.

For other light bites, Pastries such as Strawberry Shortcake ($4) and Key Lime Tart ($5) are available on their display shelf.

I enjoyed the Key Lime Tart ($5) that packed a citrusy sour punch.

However, the digestive biscuit tart crust was a tad too soft and moist for me, lacking the buttery aroma and the firm texture.

Keep a lookout for their Specialty drinks such as Soychai Latte (Hot $5/ Iced $6) and Ondeh-Ondeh Latte (Hot $5/ Iced $6) which are not as commonly found in other cafes.

The Ondeh-Ondeh Latte (Hot $5/ Iced $6) is also served with latte art, but infused with coconut and palm sugar so that it captures some of the essence of an actual ondeh-ondeh.

(Ondeh Ondeh are green pandan-flavoured glutinous rice balls with gula melaka – coconut palm sugar).

The waffles menu at 100 labs will expand and include Berry Waffles with Single Scoop of Gelato ($13.90) and more savoury options such as Waffles with Salmon ($14.90) in the future.

100Labs
41 Sultan Gate, Singapore 198489
https://www.facebook.com/100labs
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Tue – Thu, Sun), 12pm – 12mn (Fri – Sat), Closed Sun

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* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

A Tendon bowl, 天丼 short for Tempura Donburi 天ぷら丼ぶり, generally consist of deep-fried tempura over a bed of rice, covered in light soy dressing, though some restaurants serves the sauce with salt separately.

Tendon gained popularity in Singapore when Keisuke’s Tendon Ginza Itsuki and Eat At Seven’s Kohaku Tendon opened to great fanfare and long lines.

There were many Tendon specialty restaurants that opened in the last 3 years or so, though many have also closed or started diversifying to offer other types of donburi.

With the opening of Tempura Tendon Tenya from Japan (you may have tried it at Asakusa, Tokyo) at Orchard Central on the 15th of October, Tendon may find some attention and love again. Here are 9 Tempura Donburi Specialty Restaurants In Singapore:

Kohaku Tempura
Eat At 7, 3 Temasek Boulevard #03-311 Suntec City Mall Singapore 038983
Tel: +65 6333 4386
Opening Hours: 11am – 4pm, 5pm – 10:30pm Last Order 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Kohaku specialises in Edomae Tendon, where bowls of Hokkaido rice piled with tempura drizzled in a specially made sauce are served. So, so good.

The options are straight forward – the signature Kohaku Tendon ($15), Vegetable Tendon ($14), Spicy Flavour ($15) and Vegetable Spicy Flavour ($14).

This is for once that I liked almost every piece in the bowl, from the sweet soft pumpkin, crunchy long beans to fresh-tasting squid.

My friend didn’t quite like the chicken breast which she thought was dry and chunky, but I found the piece acceptable (maybe because I am so into protein of late).

However, beware of smelling like tempura due to the ventilation issues in the small eatery. (Read: Kohaku Tendon Suntec City)

Kogane Yama – Bugis Junction
Bugis Junction #02-50, 200 Victoria Street, Singapore 188021
Opening Hours: 11am – 9.30pm Last Order 9pm (Sun – Thurs), 11am – 10pm Last Order 9:30pm (Fri – Sat)
FB: https://www.facebook.com/koganeyamasingapore
Islandwide Delivery: https://koganeyama.beepit.com

The modern Japanese eatery with outlets at Bugis Junction and JEM, specialises in affordable Japanese tendon (tempura rice bowls) and donburi.

Kogane Yama’s Tendon comes with a few options – Mixed Bowl ($15.90), Chicken Bowl ($12.80), Prawn Bowl ($13.80), and Vegetable Bowl ($11.90).

All bowls include an identical assortment of vegetable tempura; lotus root, long beans, carrot, shiitake and enoki mushrooms, sweet potato and seaweed – deep fried in an aromatic mix of deep-soybean and sesame oil.

I would say just go for the Mixed Bowl, which includes chicken, prawn, along with the vegetables.

Customise the bowl with a choice of house-made blend, available in non-spicy and spicy options. I like the spicier bowl. Kogane Yama (Bugis Junction)

Tenjin
Shaw Centre, 1 Scotts Road #03-08, Singapore 228208
Tel: +65 6235 3312
Opening Hours: Lunch: 11.30am – 3pm Last Order 2.30pm, Dinner 5:30pm – 10pm Last Order 9pm (Mon – Sun)

Tenjin is a Japanese tempura donburi concept by the Les Amis Group no less, situated on the third floor of Shaw Centre.

The menu is lean, serving mainly Tendon where crispy pieces of seafood and vegetable tempura are served atop a bed of fluffy Hoshi-Jirushi rice from the Ibaraki prefecture.

There are options of Yasai Bowl ($12.80) with five different kinds of vegetable tempura; Jo Bowl – prawn and vegetables ($14.80); and the more deluxe premium selection Toku-Jo Bowl ($22.80).

All tendons are served with miso soup and Kyabetsu salad, with choice of regular or spicy tare (sauce).

The more affordable Jo Bowl ($14.80) contained prawn and vegetable tempura, complete with a freedom range egg.

Accordingly, these barn-laid eggs are from hens with plenty of space to roam, so the yolks would have that richer, orange colour.

The tempura pieces had this crispy, golden-brown batter, yet the inside (especially the vegetables) remained moist and flavourful. Tenjin (Shaw Centre)

Tendon Ginza Itsuki
101 Tanjong Pagar Road Singapore 088522 (Tanjong Pagar MRT)
Tel: +65 6221 6678
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, 5:30pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

At Ginza Tendon Itsuki, you can look forward to Keisuke’s authentic Japanese tendon creations crafted using the freshest ingredients. Tendon aka Tempura Rice Bowl, is often regarded as delightful one-bowl soul food meals for many Japanese around the world especially during summer.

Filled to the brim, the tendon is overflowing with fried ingredients topped on rice. The ingredients are coated in a light batter and are only deep-fried upon order, so you get them hot and crispy outside and succulent inside.

Try the Vegetable Tendon ($12.90) with a medley of Pumpkin, Shiitake Mushroom, Lotus Root, Eggplant and 4 pieces of vegetable tempura; or go for the Special Tendon ($13.90) which comes with 2 pieces of Chicken, 2 pieces of Prawn, 4 pieces of Vegetables, and Half-Boiled Egg.

Each tendon set is served with miso soup and Chawanmushi (steamed egg), which is value for your money.

If only we didn’t leave with our shirts smelling quite like tempura. Oh, the smell. (Read: Tendon Ginza Itsuki Tanjong Pagar)

Don Meijin 丼名人
Ramen Champion Bugis+, 201 Victoria Street, #04-10, Bugis+, Singapore 188067
Opening Hours: 11:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Fri), 10:30am – 10:30pm (Sat – Sun)

What will the Japanese feel when they find Singapore chilli crab sauce doused over tempura?

Don Meijin 丼名人 is a donburi eatery added to the Ramen Champion fleet at Bugis+, located at Level 4.

The eatery offers a couple of donburi items, including Tendon ($13.80), Roast Beef Don ($18.80), Pork Shogayaki Don ($12.80), Jumbo Chicken Katsu Don ($13.80) and a most intriguing Spicy Chilli Crab Tendon ($14.80).

The Tendon pieces include tempura prawns, asparagus, pumpkin, seasonal fish fillet, eggplant and kakiage.

They are supposedly fried at a specific temperature in a water fryer. The water cleans and helps prevent degradation of the oil, as well as filters food residues to keep the oil clear.

As the sauce is so intense-tasting, the flipside is that it can distract from the flavours of the tempura pieces, such as the sweetness of the prawns and vegetables. Don Mejin (Bugist+)

Akimitsu
68 Orchard Road, Plaza Singapura #04-65 Singapore 238839
Tel: +65 6264 3390
Opening Hours: 12pm – 3pm, 5pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Akimitsu is an award-winning Tempura and Tendon restaurant which originated from Asakusa in Tokyo, Japan with over 128 years of history.

It has also got Singaporeans diners curious enough to fill the restaurant with long lines – at least during the opening days. Think they haven’t got their quality that consistent.

Price-point is not considered expensive in comparison to other tendon shops in Singapore, and Akimitsu Signature Tendon ($14.90) also comes with chawanmushi, miso soup and free flow of pickles.

The best parts were probably that egg and chawanmushi – the former successfully yolk-oozing, the other smooth and flavourful.

The major pitfall was that every piece was greasy, with much oil seeping to the rice. You can imagine consuming the bowl not exactly pleasurable, with that queasy feeling after bites. Unless you do not mind oily and salty tendon, which is fine with some I guess. Akimitsu (Plaza Singapura)

Niku Kappo
ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn, #B3-23, Singapore 238801
Opening Hours: 11.30am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)

Probably the first in Singapore to serve Pork tempura in a Tendon bowl.

As the name implies, there was only meat (pork and chicken) with fried seaweed and the usual vegetables, without the usual prawn tempura.

Drizzled with a sweetish savoury sauce on the thin, crispy, golden battered crust, I loved the light and airy batter that coated the pieces.

For the price of $12.90, this is probably also one of the cheapest Tendon (aka Tempura Donburi) in Singapore. Niku Kappo (ION Orchard)

Tenshin Restaurant
Regent Hotel, 1 Cuscaden Road, Singapore 249715
Tel: +65 6735 4588
Opening Hours: 12pm – 2pm, 6pm – 10pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon

While the rest of the tendon eateries in this listicle are generally positioned as casual eateries, Tenshin located at Regent Hotel is more up-market (dress code: smart casual)

Tenshin is considered the first restaurant in Singapore to specialise in Japanese Tempura brought in from Japan to Singapore. The chef has more than 30 years of experience, and prepares tempura right in front of the guest at the tempura counter.

The tempura served uses fresh ingreidents straight from the Tsukiji Market, while the main shipment come in every Wednesday and Saturday.

The basic Tendon is priced at $40, which includes 3 pieces of seafood, 3 kinds of vegetables, and accompanying salad, rice, miso-soup, pickles and dessert.

If you are feeling more indulgent, get the Tokusen Tendon ($55) with assorted tempura (prawn tempura cake, vegetable) on rice, salad, miso-soup, pickles, and dessert.

Tempura Tendon Tenya
181 Orchard Road, #B1-01 Orchard Central Singapore 238896
(Opening 15 Oct 2020)

Japan’s No.1 Tendon chain restaurant, Tempura Tendon Tenya (or simply known as “Tenya”) will be opening its first Singapore outlet at Orchard Central basement.

This will be a 68-seater store (It’s right next to Tokyu Hands).

Through the years, Tenya has earned a following for authentic, quality, value-for-money meals. It is best known for its signature Tendon.

The Tendon is known to consist of lightly battered, crispy seafood, meat or vegetable tempura atop steaming Japanese Aomori rice with tare (glazing sauce) drizzled over.

Interesting to note: With a patented Automatic Fryer, Tenya is able to apply these professional techniques in frying tempura consistently without the skills of an experienced chef.

This also makes Tenya’s tendon more affordable at a lower than average market price.

A basic Tenya Tendon goes for $8.50; while the Prawn Tendon is at $11.90 and Seafood Tendon at $12.90.

Other favourites are the Japanese soba and udon noodles that complement an array of tempura in a marriage of textures and flavours.

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* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook and Instagram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights.

The famous Flipper’s Pancakes from Japan will be opening in Singapore at Takashimaya Shopping Centre, Ngee Ann City in Nov 2020.

The truth is that Soufflé pancakes have been quite popular in Singapore for the last couple of years, but the arrival of this Japanese franchise was definitely a game changer that brought something new and interesting to the pancake scene.

Made with milk and Miyagi eggs that are imported straight from Japan, their Kiseki pancakes are served in stacks of 3s, come with a wobbly soufflé-like texture, and with house-made maple-butter cream.

Varieties previously included the Plain Kiseki Pancakes, Green Tea with Red Bean, Strawberry, Blueberry and Banana, and Hazelnut, Chocolate, Caramel Banana.

The pancakes’ texture I had in Hong Kong was not quite the ordinary – soft and melted in the mouth almost like candy-floss, fluffy but strangely on the wet side.

I haven’t had the Japan ones before, and so couldn’t quite compare.

They were really light and not too sweet, so you wouldn’t feel guilty finishing one on your own. But 2 or 3 alone would have been too much.

To be fair, this was certainly above the average pancakes, but I am not exactly sure if I would queue LONG for this.

Perhaps this does not come as a very big surprise.

Picnic at Wisma Atria will be ending operations on the 25th of October. (Also read: 50 Singapore Restaurants & Cafes Which Closed In 2020)

The “urban food park” Picnic did attract some attention when it first opened – 10,000 square feet space, 3 million dollar space designed like an urban park, providing 13 food trucks and stall, with food ordered “Marche” style.

The ID is top-notch, with different spaces designed for BIG-GROUP seatings, suitable to hang out with families and friends.

Super instagrammable, and ‘videoable’, where you can dine under a canopy of (fake) trees with lights that change “according to the weather”.

So what happened?

While some may push the blame to COVID-19, perhaps the departure of Japan Food Town upstairs contributed to overall less foot traffic to the mall itself.

To be honest, I was surprised that despite a very expensive space, they didn’t seem to spend a lot on advertising or social media marketing throughout the years, with the same few media reporting every time they have a new tenant.

Actually, they didn’t even really update their website, still listing the same stalls during beginning of days.

Also, there were many brands that came and left the place, without many staying long enough for better loyalty or brand-building.

Other than Omakase Burger, the rest have short lifespans.

Off my head, I remembered there was Seizan Uni Ramen and Brother Cheng’s Chicken Rice better known for its $14.90 Chicken Rice.

My heart goes to Kumo Keiki (formerly Riz Labo Kitchen known for its fluffy souffle pancakes) which moved from Japan Food Town, Habitat, to Picnic. The fate of all three are similar.

The current stalls there include Omakase Burger, Supergreek, Madefresh Pizza, The Humble Scoop, Supergreek, and Seizan (closed temporarily).

The ‘consolation’ that while Picnic will be ceasing operations after 25th Oct, there will be future plans for Omakase Burger and Supergreek.

Picnic
Wisma Atria #03-15 (near the taxi stand), 435 Orchard Road Singapore 238877
Tel: +65 6734 8352
Opening Hours: 10am – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

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Matcha fans will not be unfamiliar with Hvala, who started off as a waffles kiosk at 313@somerset and subsequently opened a few Japanese-style cafes over the years at CHIJMES and TripleOne Somerset.

Now, let me excite you with their latest flagship store which is a three-storey teahouse.

It is located along Keong Saik Road, between Kok Sen Restaurant and Potato Head, diagonally opposite Keong Saik Bakery.

For vegan lovers, exclusive here is a full vegan menu that excludes eggs, dairy products and animal-derived ingredients in their drinks and desserts.

Double and triple-storeys cafes are uncommon in Singapore due to the limited space, which usually gives off different vibes on every level.

The first floor includes a cake display shelf, gelato counter and a tea counter bar for the curious diners to watch the matcha whisking and drinks preparation process.

This is also where you would go for takeaways.

Moving up, there is a similar interior layout to Hvala’s CHIJMES outlet, decked in a “living room style” with wooden furniture, sofas and ceramics on display.

Footwear has to be removed before entering the third floor, which has an interesting Japanese tatami-concept that is similar to the Kyoto Ninenzaka Yasaka Chaya Starbucks in a traditional Japanese house.

Thankfully, there are ordering and payment kiosks on every level with food and drinks delivered to their tables, saving the hassle of heading down right below to order. (I know not everyone is a fan of stairs.)

Vegans and those who are lactose intolerant will be excited to visit this outlet at Keong Saik.

There is an outlet-exclusive vegan menu such as Dairy-Free Waffles ($11.80), Chaffogato ($7.80), Fudgy Chocolate Brownie ($12.80), Kinako Paste with Gelato ($8.80), Dairy-free Gelato ($5.80 – 6.80), Oatmilk Tea Lattes ($5.80 – $7.80) and Oatmilk Ice Blend ($7).

This is probably the first time I had come across a Dairy-Free Waffles ($11.80) in Singapore, made using Oatmilk instead of the usual butter and fresh milk.

As oat milk is less creamy and milky compared to fresh milk, the dairy-free waffle was more airy and less dense compared to normal waffle.

Without using butter, the aroma from the waffles was mainly attributed to the cinnamon powder used, which surprisingly tasted Christmasy.

12 gelato flavours ($5.80 – 6.80) are available at any one time, all vegan using soy milk instead of fresh milk.

Think Matcha Level 1 and Level 2, Genmaicha, Hojicha, Goma (Black Sesame), Matcha Cookies & Cream, Hazelnut, Oatmilk and Strawberry/ Chocolate/ Yuzu/ Rockmelon sorbet.

My favourite was the Goma (Black Sesame) which has a smoother texture compared to their non-vegan counterpart.

Without the full-bodied from fresh-milk in the vegan version, the vegan Goma Gelato is now lighter, refreshing and less jelak, yet still retaining the pronounced roasted and nutty notes from the sesame seeds.

I will say that Hvala has done a good job creating the vegan gelato as both the vegan version and non-vegan gelato tasted really similar unless you do a side by side comparison.

Good news for those who are lactose intolerant, as all drinks served at the Keong Saik outlet uses Oatmilk by default unless requested at no additional cost.

Their drinks menu includes Ice Blended ($7), Cold Brew ($5.80 – $6.80), Tea Lattes (Hot $5.80/ Iced $6.80) such as Matcha, Hojicha, Matcha Hojicha, Genmaicha, Matcha Goma and Hojicha Goma.

One other thing to note, the pastries are unfortunately not vegan here.

The cakes available are also found at their other outlets, with flavours including Matcha Petit Gateau, Hojicha Petit Gateau, Goma Slice Cake, Honey Earl Grey Hazelnut Cake, Chocolate Truffle Cake and Sweet Potato Cake.

Each slice is priced at $8.80.

Hvala has continued to evolve over the years but still maintained the quality and consistency in their niche field.

With a vegan menu to cater to a different demographic and a different interior style on each storey, diners can venture and explore the compound to find their perfect setting for a quiet afternoon tea.

Hvala – Keong Saik
34 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089141
Opening Hours: 11am – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun)

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* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Perhaps it won’t be long till you spot more coffee-drinkers in the CBD holding up these bright-yellow and flashy takeaway cups.

Well-loved coffee chain from Indonesia, Flash Coffee has opened in Singapore at Oxley Tower, Robinson Road.

Flash Coffee has enjoyed running success in Jakarta, with a lot attributed to its tech-based processes, founders and investor Rocket Internet SE (which has also incubated Foodpanda, Lazada, and Zalora).

Even if you have not heard of the brand before, walk past the ground level of Oxley Tower and its signature yellow interior should make you take a pause in your steps.

The other thing is, the coffee is considered affordably priced for a near Raffles City and Tanjong Pagar shop space.

An espresso starts at $2.50 for a regular, and a Latte is at $3.80. Same price for the iced.

On its menu are “Essentials” of Americano ($2.80, $3.80), Latte ($3.80, $4.80), and even Oatly Cappuccino ($4.80, $5.80).

The coffee blend used to said to be curated by World Latte Art Champion Arnon Thitiprasert and Indonesian Latte Art Champion Robby Firlian.

I have only tried that Iced Latte and Americano so far, and I may say it was a strong and robust brew, more intense that I could feel my heart beat a little faster. Thankfully, I didn’t find the drink overly bitter or acidic.

My only qualm was that for a large cup, the drinks are filled up to three quarters of a cup. (The barista offered to top up with water, but I didn’t want my coffee to be that diluted as well.)

If you would prefer something more fun, available are Melaka Latte ($4.80, $6), Macadamia Latte ($4.80, $6), Nutella Latte ($5.80, $6.80), and Lychee Espresso Soda ($5.40, $6.40).

Non-coffee drinks include Lotus Biscuit Shake ($5.40, $6.60), Oreo Shake ($5.40, $6.60) and Matcha-Damia Shake ($5.40, $6.60).

Flash Coffee will be having a 1-for-1 from 8 to 16 of October.

Flash Coffee
138 Robinson Road, #01-07 Oxley Tower, Singapore 068906
Opening Hours: 7am – 6pm (Mon – Fri), 8am – 5pm (Sat), Closed Sun

Other Related Entries
Kreams (Maxwell Chambers)
Jimmy Monkey (Paya Lebar Quarter)
Mellower Expresso (Marina One)
NOA Singapore (Stanley Street)
Brew’ Kopibar (Havelock II Mall)

* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

LUNA, the patisserie down Amoy Street spoiling customers with its mouth-watering cakes and pastries, has launched a number of new cakes in their menu.

Aside from their popular Orh Nee Cake with velvety yam ginko paste and yam cubes; Hazelnut Caramel – LUNA (the cake that bears the “LUNA” brand) and many others; Rose Raspberry and Yuzu Meringue are here to entice the sweet tooths.

My personal recommendations would be the 2 NEW Japanese inspired cakes of Houjicha Tiramisu (inspired by the trending waterfall cake), and Goma Kinako Mochi Roll – to be launched 8th of October. Here’s more on the enticing NEW dessert choices:

Hojicha Tiramisu ($8)
Traditional Italian dessert tiramisu meets hojicha, an aromatic Japanese roasted green tea, to fill in for this coffee-less treat.

What I need to mention though, is that the tiramisu comes wrapped with a plastic sheet. Once removed, be prepared for a ‘waterfall’ of the lava top later.

Other than being dramatic in terms of the presentation, I think this dessert delights the senses due to the mixture of textures.

There is the rich and creamy mascarpone mousse with soft-fluffy hojicha-flavoured chiffon cake, accentuated with a crunch from a hojicha feuilletine base.

A dusting of the toasty tea powder completes this delicate pastry.

Some hojicha desserts may get too earthy-bitter if the balance if off a little, this Hojicha Tiramisu has it just right.

Goma Kinako Mochi Roll ($8)
For goma lovers, you get full-on black sesame love here.

The rich earthiness of black sesame (goma) is the soul of this fluffy roll, ground to a paste and infused into the mixture.

Swirled within is a smooth Chantilly cream filling also flavoured with black sesame.

What I really liked were the pieces of chewy mochi cubes that added more Japanese flavour and pleasant bite.

The cubes are coated with toasted soya bean flour (kinako) topped on the cake along with sesame streusel. Worth having.

Chocolate Truffle ($8 for slice, $80 for whole cake)
Get the whole cake and you can also see your reflection in that shiny glaze. Beneath this smooth, dark chocolate glaze lies a light and fluffy choco-buttermilk sponge cake.

A gentle slice reveals a luscious ganache made from Valrhona Guanaja 70% couverture chocolate, the first in the word to reach 70% cocoa.

Indulge in this chocoholic dream, capturing the original taste of cacao beans.

Yuzu Meringue ($8 for slice, $80 for whole cake)
It is hard not to be smitten by this cakes’ beautiful golden-brown exterior with swirly pattern.

With vanilla sponge as base, this cake is lavishly covered with Italian meringue then torched to create the effect.

At the heart of its flavour are bright, citrus notes from Japanese Yuzu juice and curd blended into the cake – breaking the sweetness from the frosting.

Rose Raspberry ($8 for slice, $80 for whole cake)
This dainty baby pink tinted cake is a vanilla sponge laid over a raspberry-puffed rice base.

The layered cake is filled with rose Valrhona Ivoire 30% white choco ganache with aroma of warm milk enhanced with vanilla notes.

Beautiful floral notes – it is very obvious, but I wasn’t too sure about the rice base.

A smooth blanket of Chantilly cream covers this delicate dessert, topped with a ring of rose mousse with raspberry bits, and fresh berries.

Also available on the menu are the Matcha White Chocolate ($8), Vanilla Cheddar Cheese ($7.50), Carrot Cream Cheese ($8) and assorted seasonal tarts and pastries such as the current-trending Korean-inspired Mentaiko Garlic Cream Cheese Bread ($6) and Truffle Garlic Cream Cheese Bread ($6).

Islandwide Delivery
LUNA Cakes are available as whole or by slices, for dine-in, takeaway or islandwide delivery at https://www.luna.sg/order.

Simply order online and have it delivered to yourself or to someone else, or go for self-collection. Minimum order is $24 with a $7 delivery fee for orders below $45.

LUNA Patisserie
53 Amoy Street Singapore 069879
Opening Hours: 12pm – 6:30pm (Mon – Fri), 12pm – 4pm (Sat – Sun)
https://www.facebook.com/luna.patisserie.sg/
Delivery: https://www.luna.sg/order

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with LUNA Patisserie.

So, my friends have decided to jio to meet for coffee on the 5th floor of 47 Jalan Pemimpin one day.

Wait, isn’t that an industrial estate? And isn’t 5th floor too ulu for a cafe?

It took me some time to find the place, especially when Google Maps led me to the BYD Charging stations outside the building.

And the exploration continues, trying to locate the single passenger lift that will lead me to the 5th floor of this relatively old industrial building.

Frankly speaking, I was quite skeptical but my friends claimed that it’s a different “world” when I stepped through the doors.

Indeed, I was surprised when I was instantly transported from a slightly eerie surroundings into a warm and cosy hideout.

With just a coffee bar and a space co-owned by womenswear – Shop Weekend Cheoks, the space is transformed into a lively area with soothing music, chill ambience and the aroma of coffee beans.

The coffee bar eludes a Japanese zen-like vibe, with white draping cloth, wooden folding screen and a straw mat in this cosy 10 seaters space.

Can I say that every corner is an Instagram #OOTD spot?

MeeTinG is opened by 3 brothers, namely Mikey, Timothy and Gabriel and together with their cousin at Shop Weekend Cheoks, they transformed this space into their passion projects.

And the interesting thing is, MeeTinG doesn’t have fixed opening hours and their operating schedule will change on a monthly basis, so do check their Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/mtg_coffee/ for the latest update.

Currently in its soft launch phase by tipping basis, only 3 drinks are available in hot and iced version.

Using Arabica beans from Kenya for their Americano, Latte and V60 Filtered Coffee, each cup of coffee is served in double paper cups to allow diners to bring home the clean, outer cup if they wished.

I liked the emphasis on blue and white, from their coffee bar top, printing on their paper cups, straws to their coasters, which gives a sense of tranquil and peacefulness.

Oh, and the cup of Latte I had was decent, medium bodied, slightly acidic, robust and fruity.

So, will MeeTinG be the place you will meet up with friends for a cup of coffee?

Meeting
47 Jalan Pemimpin, #05-04, Singapore 577200
Opening Hours: Varies every month (check their IG page for the latest update)
https://www.instagram.com/mtg_coffee/

Other Related Entries
Hei Kim Café (Changi Road)
Musketeers Coffee (Geylang Bahru)
Patisserie CLÉ (Paya Lebar)
Sweet Cheeks Gelato (Tai Thong)
Petit Pain (Joo Chiat)

* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

Watching your K-drama and missing some Korean Fried Chicken, Sundubu Jjigae and Kimchi Pancake?

If you are not for queueing and crowded restaurants, you can have your favourite K-food (and more) delivered to the comfort of your home with FREE delivery, with a minimum order of $30 from selected outlets (till 31 Dec 2020).

And if you need to have some Halal Korean food to your door step, also available are dishes of Soy Beef Rib Stew, Tteokgalbi, Cheese Egg Rolls, Kimchi Fried Rice, and Squid & Leek Pancake. Daebak!

For convenient takeaways, you can also pre-order from these popular eateries online or via Capita3Eats. The other good deal is you can also get a $5 eCapitaVoucher with every takeaway order from Capita3Eats (min order $20) from the participating malls. More details at the end of the post.

Here are 10 of the well-loved Korean food outlets and recommended dishes to order for this promo:

Ajumma’s
Funan B1-31
Order from: https://order.capita3eats.com/ajummas (FREE delivery with a min. spend of $30)

If you are craving for comfort, Ajumma’s is the place to go to for casual Korean dining in Singapore.

Walk pass their restaurant at Funan basement and you would often find a long line waiting to get in. Alternatively, you can always pre-order takeaways for that added convenience.

Offering authentic Korean fare at value-for-money price points, Ajumma’s (meaning “Grandmother’s” in Korean) has something to warm your heart and your tummy, like a hot bowl of kimchi broth.

But that is not all. They have got the staples like classic Korean street food, different cuts of meats, rice and noodle dishes, stews, and meal bundles that won’t hurt your wallet.

Feeling Hungry?
Ajumma’s Best Seller Bundle ($35, available exclusive via via Capita3Eats) is highly recommended. Good for 2 persons, this set features their signature Prime Beef Kalbi, Kimchi Fried Rice with Prawns, and Fluffy Steamed Egg.

Only USDA Prime Beef is used, marinated in an in-house secret sauce and grilled till smoky. Expect quality tender and succulent bone-less rib meat on your plate. Served with a stir-fried Kimchi Fried Rice fried with prawns and topped with roasted perilla seaweed.

A bowl of fluffy steamed egg completes the set. This side dish is simple yet feels luscious with its creamy texture and a light clean broth flavour, punctuated with a whiff of sesame oil.

Get the Kimchi Fried Rice
The Kimchi Fried Rice is also available ala carte ($12.90) prepared with kimchi (the main star), shrimps, assorted herbs, and roasted Korean seaweed.

Served with a topping of fried egg with runny yolk, best to break and mix into your rice for an added silkiness.

Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory
Bugis Junction 02-50
Order from: https://order.capita3eats.com/chirchir (FREE delivery with a min. spend of $30)

Chir Chir Fusion Chicken Factory is one of South Korea’s largest chain of restaurants with more than 100 stores there; and one of Singapore’s most popular places to satisfy your cravings for Korean Fried Chicken dishes.

Do you know that it is pronounced as “chi-ruh chi-ruh”? This brand is playfully named after the bubbling sound that hot oil makes once chicken is dropped into the deep-fryer.

All items on the menu are made to order, ensuring diners are served with the freshest food.

Feeling Hungry?
The Korean Fried Chicken restaurant offers over 20 variations of fried and roasted chicken, using only fresh chicken, never frozen ones.

There are Crispy Fried Chicken, Spicy Chicken, Garlicky Soy Chicken, Garlic Roasted Chicken Rosemary Roasted Chicken, Spicy BBQ Roasted Chicken, Honey Butter Chicken, Kkan Pung King, and Nacho Chicken.

Pair them up with sides of Chir Cheese Fries ($10.40), Spicy Tteokbokki ($16.70) and Mango Salad ($13.50).

Order the Crispy Fried Chicken and Spicy Chicken
Every fried chicken is unique and Chir Chir’s house seasoning makes the Crispy Fried Chicken ($17.70 for half, $28.20 for whole) taste like no other.

For 6 hours the fresh chicken is marinated in a special blend, then battered and deep-fried until it is worthy to be called Crispy Fried Chicken. The meat remains succulent and flavourful not only on the skin, but all the way to the bone.

If not, get the Spicy Chicken ($18.80 for half, $30.50 for whole) slathered with a sticky spicy chilli sauce with a hint of sweetness, then topped with nutty almond flakes.

dal.komm COFFEE
Funan 03-17
Order from: https://order.capita3eats.com/dalkommcoffee (FREE delivery with a min. spend of $30)

This South Korean coffee chain has catapulted its popularity globally, thanks to appearances in hit K-Dramas like Goblin, Mr. Sunshine, and Descendants of the Sun.

Beans at this trendy coffee go-to spot are all exclusively-sourced Arabica bean blends, categorised into K1, K2, K3 and K4. Each blend carries its own character and a unique taste and aroma profile.

Feeling Hungry?
Get the Set C ($45, good for 3 pax) composed of 1 Ramyun, 1 Pizza, and 1 Cruffin.

You get 2 options for Ramyun: Ssamjang Chicken Shin Ramyun or the meatless Shiitake Mushroom Samyang Ramyun.

Pair your Ramyun of choice with a crisp thin-crust pizza, topped with either spicy chunks of Ssamjang Chicken, Shiitake mushrooms, or kimchi+cheese. Complete the set with your favourite Cruffin.

Order the Set A with Caffe Latte, Cold Honey Grapefruit, Sunny Cruffin
For solo diners, Set A is just right, which comes with 1 Sunny Cruffin, 1 Cold Honey Grapefruit, and 1 cup of hot Caffe Latte.

Enjoy a toasty crisp croissant as a muffin sandwich, filled with sunny-side up egg, premium turkey ham and melted cheese. A hint of sweetness comes from dal.komm’s special blend of Korean honey.

Your savoury Cruffin goes well with an ice-cold cup of Honey Grapefruit, a healthy fresh grapefruit juice sweetened with a kiss of honey.

Hanok by Masizzim
Westgate 01-07
https://order.capita3eats.com/hanokbymasizzim (FREE delivery with a min. spend of $30)

“Masizzim” which is an amalgamation of the Korean words ‘masi’ (delicious) and ‘jjim’ (stew), specialises in saucy meaty stews such as Soy Beef Rib Stew, Spicy Beef Rib Stew, and Spicy Chicken Stew; do-it-yourself rice balls; and other Korean side dishes.

Hanok is the Halal-certified spin-off brand by Masizzim, serving up the same well-loved stews and traditional Korean side dishes – with no pork or lard.

Other menu highlights also include Spicy Stir-fried Beef ($16.60), Kimchi Fried Rice ($9.20) and Squid & Leek Pancake ($15.50).

Feeling Hungry?
The stews such as the Signature Soy Beef Rib Stew ($19.70), Spicy Beef Rib Stew ($19.70), Spicy Chicken Stew ($16.80) are available in individual or double-sized sharing portions.

They are slow-cooked until fork-tender with its own proprietary secret-recipe sauce.

Choose between the non-spicy soy flavour or the spicy base made with gochujang (red pepper paste) for some tongue-tingling heat.

Order the Honey Mustard Cheese Egg Roll
The Honey Mustard Cheese Egg Roll ($10.30), which looked simple and homely, oozed with stretchy mozzarella and cheddar brightened with sweet-zingy honey mustard. Also available is a Tuna Seaweed Egg Roll ($11.30).

Hongdae Oppa
Plaza Singapura B2-47
Order from: https://order.capita3eats.com/HONGDAEOPPA (FREE delivery with a min. spend of $30)

Hongdae Oppa is urban K-food restaurant located at the basement of Plaza Singapura.

At this fun and colourful place, sizzling Bokkeumbaps (Korean fried rice on hot plate), Korean Fried Chicken paired with special sauces, Hot Stone Jjigae, Tteokbokki, and Ramyeon take centre stage.

There are also other Korean street food offerings inspired by the founder’s extensive visits to the Hongdae Food Street and Night Market in Korea

Feeling Hungry?
If you are keen for a Sharing Bundle, there are the Comfort Set ($24.90 for 2-3 pax) with Fried Chix Rice Box, Jjigae, and Spam x Fries; or Chix Kraze Set ($28.70 for 3-4 pax) with 6 pieces Oppa Chix, Tteokbokki, and Chix Skin with honey mustard dipping sauce.

For a family or group who want a more fulling meal, go for the All-In Feast Set ($49.50 for 4-5 pax, U.P. $57.50), which includes 3pc Oppa Chix (Gochujang, Soy Garlic, Spicy or Original); Jjigae (Pork Kimchi, Tofu Clam or Beef Bean Paste); Ramyeon (Oppa Ramyeon or Bean Paste Ramyeon); Tteokbokki (Messy Oppa or Tteok Carbonara); and Spam x Fries with garlic mayo dipping sauce.

Order the Oppa Chix
Hongdae Oppa’s Chix ($10.90 for 3 pieces, $18.90 for 6pc, $29.90 for 10pc) features 100% fresh chicken, with each part marinated for 12 hours for maximum flavour, then deep-fried till crunchy.

In terms of flavours, there are choices of Original, Spicy, Gochujang or Soy Garlic flavours. The Gochujang is the top-selling favourite which balances savoury, sweet and spicy for that extra slight kick.

Going for something saucy yet without the heat? Then the Soy Garlic with a sweetish-glaze of house-made soy sauce then sprinkled with fried garlic should satisfy.

Hyang-To-Gol
Raffles City Shopping Centre B1-74
Order from: https://order.capita3eats.com/hyangtogol (FREE delivery with a min. spend of $30)

Bring the taste of Korea to your meal through a much-celebrated Korean BBQ experience at Hyang-To-Gol. Savour authentic Korean dishes like Bibimbap, Japchae, Ginseng Chicken Soup, and Fresh Kimchi.

Here they use the freshest premium cuts of beef with remarkable marbling.

Feeling Hungry?
Why not go for the platter of meats, either pork or beef, served ready for barbecuing. Each order of pork (sliced pork belly, marinated pork, or seasoned pork belly) and beef (marinated beef with veggies, or seasoned beef ribs) comes with banchan aka side dishes.

Order the Bibimbap and Haemool Soondoboo Jjigae
This classic Korean rice dish, Bibimbap ($17.38), is prepared with your choice of meat and mixed veggies. Complement it with soup and some banchan for a full meal.

If you want the comfort of hot soup, try their Haemool Soondoboo Jjigae ($17.16), a stew made with soft beancurd and assorted seafood. Served accompanied with rice and the banchan.

Nunsaram Korean Dessert Cafe
Westgate 04-37
Order from: https://order.capita3eats.com/nunsaram (FREE delivery with a min. spend of $30)

Nunsaram is one of the forerunners in Singapore when it comes to Korean Bingsu, the famous icy Korean dessert.

Explore all 9 variants of this cool sweet treat, including the classic flavour of Injeolmi Bingsu made with Korean rice cake, some fruity and choco flavours, and even locally adapted ones like Milo Bingsu.

For the health-food lovers, there is even an Acai Fruit Bingsu.

Feeling Hungry?
Treat yourself with the best-selling Injeolmi Bingsu ($14.90 for large), featuring chewy pieces of Korean rice cake. What makes this dessert distinct is the soya bean powder generously topped over the ice, coating it to seclusion.

Order the Kimbao
If there is space, order a roll of Kimbap. The Original Kimbap ($9.90) features chicken ham, burdock, yellow pickled radish, cucumber, carrot and egg. Also try variants with beef bulgogi, tuna-kimchi, tuna-mayo, crab-mayo, cream cheese, and fried shrimp.

For Tteokbokki lovers, the filling stir-fried rice cakes are available in Original, Special, with Cheese, with Bulgogi, or very Spicy.

Paris Baguette Café
Bugis Junction B1-24-25
Order from: https://order.capita3eats.com/paris_baguette

This French-inspired boulangerie is one of South Korea’s most famous bakeries. Named after the city of love, Paris Baguette Café offers premium baked goods any foodie with love and crave for.

What makes this café special is the touch of Asian incorporated into the concept. From their fresh-baked breads to their tempting cakes and pastries, Asian flavours are weaved in. Even their salads and sandwiches is a blend of Western and Eastern elements.

Feeling Hungry?
Simplify and get a Combo Deal – Meal for One (from $16.90) or Meal for Two (from $32.90) . This set includes a main dish, mushroom soup and drink (Americano or Tea of the Day).

Or bump it up a notch by upgrading your beverage to Cold Pressed Juice.

Featured main dishes include rice (Asian Beef Bulgogi Rice or Super Spicy Korean Chicken Rice) but you can also get the Avocado Chicken Cobb Salad or Smoked Salmon & Avocado Baguette Sandwich if you want to vary your carbs.

Order the Sweet Cake Box
Still under Combo Deals, the Sweet Cake Box ($25) is the ideal dessert sampler showcasing 4 slices of cake in one box.

Sweet tooths can indulge in the mix of fruity and chocolatey cakes, like the recommended Strawberry Mascarpone Cake, Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake, Amarena Chocolate Short Cake, and Sliced Double Choco Fudge Cake.

Tokyo Sundubu
Raffles City Shopping Centre B1-16
Order from: https://order.capita3eats.com/tokyosundubu (FREE delivery with a min. spend of $50)

Despite its name, Tokyo Sundubu is known to specialise in spicy Korean Beancurd Stew. Here you can try their renditions of stew cooked with different soup bases. You can customise your own stew with different ingredient, including how hot or not you want it. Choose the level of spiciness you can handle.

Aside from its specialty sundubu, it also offers cold side dishes, chijimi (pancakes), and bento boxes.

Feeling Hungry?
Choose a meaty bento like the Angus Beef Yakiniku Bento ($20.50) and satisfy your umami cravings with a mix of beef, fried egg, rice and mini salad. If you prefer a lighter seafood, get the Spicy Shrimp Bento ($14.50).

Order the Sundubu such as Miso Butter Sundubu
You can’t miss Tokyo Sundubu’s original soup bases. These soup stocks are made from chicken, seafood and veggies and carry a rich, deep flavour. Gochujang (red pepper paste) is used as a special flavouring and makes it very Korean.

Pick either the “salt and ginger” or the “miso” soup base, then decide your level of spiciness. But if you prefer none at all, they have a non-spicy Korean beancurd stew available for you.

If you like something with a touch of Japanese, available are Asari Clam Sundubu ($16.50), Japanese Oyster Sundubu ($30.50), Shrimp Sundubu ($24.50), Japanese Curry Sundubu ($17.50), to one of the best-selling Hokkaido-style Miso Butter Sundubu.

Yoogane
Westgate 03-08
Order from: https://order.capita3eats.com/yoogane

With over 170 outlets in South Korea and East/Southeast Asia, Yoogane is Korea’s No. 1 Chicken Galbi brand.

The brand which has been in the business for almost 40 years originated in Busan, and has set itself apart from other chicken galbi competitors with its unique blend of sauces and seasoning.

Therefore, your dining experience ain’t complete without getting the Yoogane’s signature dish of the Dak Galbi.

Feeling Hungry?
This stir-fried dish Yoogane Chicken Galbi ($16.80 for small, $26.80 for medium, $32.80 for large) begins with chunks of chicken meat marinated in a unique spicy secret recipe sauce created by their Korean chefs.

The chicken is cooked in a hot iron pan, along with fresh ingredients of tteok (rice cakes), cabbage, potatoes, and sliced leeks – till they all turn soft with flavours absorbed. The spiciness is still manageable, yet can provide a sweet-spicy kick that is quite addictive.

If seafood is to your liking, there is also the Baby Octopus & Chicken, Octopus & Chicken, and Seafood & Chicken Galbi versions.

Order the Seafood Pancake
Yoogane’s Seafood Pancake or Haemul Pajeon ($16.80) is filled with assorted haemul (seafood), reflecting the chef’s favourite pancake.

The pancake batter is mixed with little shrimps and bits of squid, then reinforced with whole lengths of spring onions, then fried ‘til crisp around the edges.

The eggy center is supple and a little chewy. Served already sliced, with an in-house soy sauce-based dipping sauce for extra flavour, all sprinkled with some roasted sesame seeds.

$5 eCapitaVoucher with Takeaway Orders (5 Oct – 31 Oct 2020)
Be rewarded with $5 eCapitaVoucher with every takeaway order from via Capita3Eats (min spending of $20). Limited to 1 redemption per CapitaStar member, per day.

This promotion is limited to the first 6,000 takeaway orders at the participating malls, on a first-come-first-served basis. Redemption is subject to availability.

Simply download the CapitaStar app, sign up, and order from your favourite CapitaLand Malls’ eateries via Capita3Eats. If you are not a CapitaStar member, sign up now with promo code CSPLAY to receive $3 Grab Voucher!

Participating malls include Bugis Junction, Bugis+, Clarke Quay, Funan, Raffles City Singapore, Plaza Singapura / The Atrium Orchard, IMM, Westgate, JCube

5X STAR$ for all takeaway orders (till 31 Dec 2020)

FREE Delivery (till 31 Dec 2020)
Enjoy FREE delivery at participating restaurants, with minimum spent of $50 or $30.

For more details and T&C, head over to: https://www.capitaland.com/sg/en/shop/malls/capita3eats.html

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with Capita3Eats.

Nestled within the enclave of Stars at Kovan, See You Caffe is the latest addition in the neighbourhood, joining some of the neighbours in the vicinity like SugarTree Gelato, Chiksoo, WAWA Seafood, Tie Fun Wan and Sweet Thoughts by M.O.D.

They serve a small menu of Asian & Western fusion delights, few a few options available on a daily rotating basis.

While their website menu promises a vast range of western offerings, the only food options available were such as Curry Chicken, Beef Rendang and Carbonara during my point of visit.

I opted for the Beef Rendang with Pasta Set ($11.90) which came with a choice of selected beverage like coffee or tea. Quite a good deal.

The beef rendang was packed filled with spices and coconut milk flavour, infused thoroughly into the chunks of meat.

My only qualm is that I would generally prefer beef to be slightly tender rather than being overly-cooked, which led to the tougher meat texture.

There was a rather wide selection of bakes and desserts available on the display cabinet like Butter Croissant ($4.50), Double Chocolate Muffin ($3.90) and Matcha Azuki Cake ($4.90), some of them supplier sourced.

From their homemade selection, what caught my attention was the Prune Kueh Lapis ($6.90) and Matcha Burnt Cheesecake ($4.90).

What I liked about their Kueh Lapis was its buttery flavour of the sponge, complemented with uniformly layered with sweet prunes embedded within.

Their burnt cheesecake, while rich and creamy, would probably require a bit of fine-tuning to achieve the molten core texture.

I have had quite a handful of Basque Burnt Cheesecake in Singapore and the texture of this… tasted closer to a regular cheesecake.

From their beverage section, other than regular coffee and tea suspects, there is a category of unique concocted offerings such as Brown Sugar Latte ($5), Honeycomb Dalgona ($6.50) and Vienna Coffee ($6.50).

Being adventurous, I went with the Americano Float ($6.50) which has a scoop of ice cream dunked into iced black coffee.

Maybe it was my choice of ice cream flavour, or maybe it was the concoction. But I think I would gladly stick to my Iced Americano next time.

By the way, if you are coming along the main road, there could be a chance of walking pass the store without knowing as the store has reflective mirror surface from its exterior while its visible signage is faced within the enclave.

Do keep your eyes peeled for its blade signage or it will literally become see you “later”.

See You Latte
988 Upper Serangoon Road #01-15, Stars of Kovan, Singapore 534733
Opening Hours: 8am – 10pm (Sun – Thurs), 8am – 11pm (Fri – Sat)

Other Related Entries
10 Best Hougang & Serangoon Cafes
SugarTree Gelato (Hougang)
Tie Fun Wan (Hougang)
Five &2 (Punggol Park)
Urban Table (Yio Chu Kang)

* Written by Lewis Tan @juicyfingers, a self-proclaimed coffee addict. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.

The anticipated Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant’s 四川豆花饭庄 popular ‘100 Sichuan Delights, 1 Gastronomic Feast’ makes a return, now on its 5th year.

The special dinner is available exclusively at PARKROYAL on Beach Road, where diners can experience the best of traditional Sichuan cuisine in one sitting.

For those who love variety, there will be 35 dishes you can try at one go – served individually with safe distancing measures so that guest can experience convenience and peace of mind.

Available daily from 5 Oct to 31 Dec 2020, the curated dinner consists of two premium items, 18 hot dishes, 12 cold dishes, three desserts and a glass of sakura sake.

Experience tapas-style dining featuring small plates of specialties by Executive Chef Zeng Feng. The variety of hot and cold dishes features flavours from sweet to mala, from exotic Sichuan, fresh pepper to preserved chilii. So not just the usual mala.

You will be served starting from cold dishes, choice of one premium soup, hot dishes, choice of one noodles and desserts.

All these appetising dishes will be beautifully presented on three platters specially sourced from Japan, China and Vietnam. Here’s more:

Chef’s Special Seafood Treasures in Chicken Broth 海鮮炖鸡汤 (choose one of the two soups)
Start off with the Chef’s Special soup, a seafood mix chockful of abalone, pacific clams, mussels and xiao long xia, a type of crustacean known locally as “baby lobsters”.

Sealed upon order, this chicken broth-based soup is placed in a gorgeous biodegradable container looking like a big tin.

After serving, you can have a go at pulling away the lid to take a whiff of the delightful aroma of seafood.

The container also keeps the soup warm, so you can continue to enjoy the wholesome and nourishing goodness throughout.

Chef’s Special Seafood Treasures in Red Chilli Broth 海鮮香辣汤
If you enjoy spicy food, try the spicy version of Chef’s Special Treasures Soup. Intensified with red chili, the chicken broth is transformed from a soothing elixir to a rather-fiery potion.

You still get the same bountiful serving of assorted seafood, including abalone, pacific clams, mussels and baby lobsters.

The soup is on the spicy side but not necessary ‘ma’ or numbing. Between the two, my personal preference is for the more comforting chicken broth.

Choice of Premium Lobster Noodles in Preserved Capsicum Sauce 酸辣龙虾面 or in Superior Stock 奶汤龙虾面
An exquisite noodle dish that offers succulent lobster on a bed of la mian. The base is blended with preserved capsicum, which gives a slight-sour meets spicy-kick.

The other option would be the same sweet and succulent lobster and springy la mian duo but this time in broth. Served with a flavourful superior stock made by boiling chicken for a number of hours, to add a clean yet full-bodied taste.

Cold Dishes
– Marinated Eel with Orange Peel 香辣鳗鱼
– Shredded Chicken with Exotic Sichuan Sauce 怪味鸡丝
– Smoked Fish with Mixed Spices 五香熏魚
– Prawns with Tomato Sauce 茄汁大虾
– Sea Clams in Garlic and Chilli Sauce 蒜泥鲍贝
– Scallops with Minced Pepper and Spring Onion Sauce 椒麻带子
– Chilled Sliced Radish in Sweet and Sour Sauce 珊瑚雪卷
– Chilled “You Mai” Vegetables in Sesame Sauce 麻酱凤尾
– Sliced Pig’s Kidney with Chilli Oil 红油腰花
– Black Mushrooms with Onion Oil 葱油鲜菇
– Spinach with Ginger Sauce 姜汁菠菜
– Sliced Beef and Tripe in Chilli Sauce 夫妻肺片
(Note: some dishes may be subjected to change due to availability of ingredients.)

For regulars, the Marinated Eel with Orange Peel 香辣鳗鱼 will be a new dish to look out for. The soft marinated meat of the unagi is accentuated with sweet citrus aroma from the orange peel.

Also enjoy the Sea Clams in Garlic and Chilli Sauce 蒜泥鲍贝, with pacific clams wok-fried with a balance in garlic-fragrance and spicy notes, livening up the clams’ clean, sweet flavour.

The popular Chilled ‘You Mai’ Vegetables with Sesame Sauce 麻酱凤尾 makes a return. The “phoenix tail” in this cold dish actually refers to the ends of the “You Mai” vegetables – a type of Chinese lettuce. The deep-roasted sesame sauce adds a savoury-nutty flavour, which makes this like a refreshing Chinese-style salad.

Hot Dishes
– Braised Sea Cucumber in Sichuan Bean Paste 家常海参
– Sliced Fish with Spicy Bean Sauce 豆瓣鱼片
– Stir-fried Cuttlefish with Lychee Sauce 荔枝鲜魷
– Braised Pork Belly with Honey Sauce 櫻桃肉
– Steamed Pork Belly in Sweet Sauce 龙眼甜烧白
– Wasabi Prawns 芥末虾球
– Chicken with Minced Garlic with Chilli Sauce 鱼香鸡块
– Wok-fried Sliced Pork with Bean Sauce 爆酱回锅肉
– Fish in Chinese Wine 香糟鱼
– Monkey Head Mushrooms with Salt and Pepper 椒盐猴头菇
– Stir-fried Diced Beef with Sichuan Pepper 糊辣牛柳粒
– Stir-fried Chicken in Vinegar Sauce 醋溜凤脯
– “Chong Qing” Diced Chicken with Dried Chilli 重庆辣子鸡
– Stir-fried French Beans with Minced Meat 干煸四季豆
– Stir-fried Bitter Gourd with Sweet Bean Sauce 酱烧凉瓜
– Bean Curd in Spicy Minced Meat Sauce 麻婆豆腐
– Minced Meat Dumplings in Clear Soup 原汤炒手
– Minced Meat Dumplings with Chilli Oil 红油水饺

One of the new dishes in the “Hot” section is the Wasabi Prawns 芥末虾球 – a lip-smacking appetiser made with seasoned, egg batter-coated prawns pan-fried to a crisp. Slightly crunchy on the outside, the still bouncy prawns are tossed in dollops of wasabi-infused mayonnaise until each one is coated with the spicy dressing.

Not to be missed is the signature item of “Chong Qing” Diced Chicken with Dried Chilli 重庆辣子鸡. While this is traditionally prepared with bone-in diced chicken, Chef Zeng Feng used boneless chicken instead for the convenience of diners. Evenly deep-fried, the chicken pieces retain a soft crunch such that you would hear a distinct flaking sound when you drop a piece.

There is also the iconic Bean Curd in Spicy Minced Meat Sauce 麻婆豆腐 or “Ma Po Tofu” which uses soft bean curd formulated with a special recipe and has an acclaimed heavy soy taste but a velvety texture.

The one interesting item to me is the Steamed Pork Belly in Sweet Sauce 龙眼甜烧白 (not may not be every diner’s cup of tea). What’s wrapped within the pork belly dish is a thick spread of sweet red bean paste, that is steamed together with a base of glutinous rice till soft.

Desserts
The desserts will be a delightful trio of Glutinous Rice Ball with Red Bean 珍珠圆子, Sichuan Glutinous Pancake 甜糍粑, and the highlight of Homemade Fine Bean Curd with Wolfberries 枸杞豆花.

This silky bean curd, drizzled with a not-too-sweet wolfberry sugar syrup, is so smooth it would slide down your throat effortlessly and soothingly.

Sakura Sake (one complimentary glass for adult diners, min 2 to dine)
Even though it is well ‘autumn’ time already, we won’t mind this refreshing sake with natural fruity and floral notes.

This is made from premium mochigome (also known as glutinous or sweet Japanese rice) and crisp spring water from Fushimi.

The rice used is laboriously harvested during spring, which gives the sake a pleasing smoothness. A perfect drink for the meal.

A Gastronomic Journey of Sichuan Flavours
This gastronomic dinner experience consisting of two premium items, 12 cold dishes, 18 hot dishes, three desserts and a glass of sakura sake is available for a limited period from 5 Oct – 31 Dec 2020.

Adult: $62++ per person*, Child (6-12 years): SGD31++ (*Includes a glass of sakura sake. Minimum dine-in for two pax.)

DFD readers enjoy one dines FREE with three paying adults for the “Gastronomic Journey of Sichuan Flavours” at PARKROYAL on Beach Road. Quote [DFD] during reservations. T&C apply.

Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant – PARKROYAL on Beach Road
7500 Beach Road Singapore 199591
Gastronomic Journey Timing: 6:30pm – 9:30pm (Mon – Sun, dinner only)
Tel: +65 6505 5722
Email: douhua.prsin@parkroyalhotels.com
Reservations online: https://www.panpacific.com/sichuandouhua-prsin

* This entry is brought to you in partnership with PARKROYAL on Beach Road.

Goodbye Bakerzin.

The Business Times reported that Bakerzin has closed all five of its outlets islandwide which includes Wisma Atria, United Square, Gardens by The Bay, Raffles Hospital and Maju Avenue.

Its website is also no longer operational.

Bakerzin was considered one of Singapore’s well-loved home-grown dessert café and confectionary, till maybe the last few years when many chain cafes and indie players started stepping up their game.

While there are quite a number of closures in Singapore for the year 2020, I was more affected by Bakerzin’s sudden news on a personal level.

That is because it was the very first café I reviewed as a student for NTU’s Nanyang Chronicle, armed with a camera with film (that needed actual developing). That was at Millenia Walk – does anyone remember that outlet?

It was a period when casual dessert cafes were not that IN, and Singaporeans were more familiar with brands such as Starbucks and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

The opening of Bakerzin back then (it was rebranded in 2004) was like a breath of fresh air.

I have interviewed founder Daniel Tay a few times, and he has moved on to set up Cat & The Fiddle and Old Seng Choong (he managed Bakerzin till 2013 or so).

Bakerzin has also issued a notice of a creditor’s meeting for the purpose of winding up.

Other Related Entries
60 Singapore Restaurants & Cafes Which Closed In 2020