All posts tagged: Hipster

D’Life Bistro & Cafe @ Commonwealth Crescent

Published by Beatrice

D’Life Cafe & Bistro is the latest vegetarian joint to hit the market. Only opened for 2 weeks, I am glad to see such a happening and hipster looking vegetarian joint (in an extremely old school charming neighbourhood next to famous 2 Chefs tze char!) we can hang out at! D’Life Cafe & Bistro is a lacto-ova vegetarian place that does not use onions/garlic/leek/chives/shallots. They also have some vegan options including vegan ice cream and vegan soy/almond milk coffee but the cakes are not vegan! Even though I couldn’t find any website on this new cafe, the owner was very prompt in replying to my facebook messages for reservations. The staff was also quite flexible in rearranging the tables so 9 of us could sit together. We ordered a main each, some side dishes and 3 desserts to share! All in all, we spent $145 for 9 of us which is quite reasonable for the amount of food! Enjoyed the Asian dishes very much and will try the Western dishes the next time we are …

Wheeler’s Yard @ Lorong Ampas

Published by Beatrice

Wheeler’s Yard looks out of spacious Melbourne, but can be found in our backyard along Balestier Road. Wheeler’s Yard – The Bicycle Atelier, as its names suggest,  is a workshop space for urban bikes, with even handmade frames from talented mastercraftsmen. They also have a small but extremely cute selection of kid’s bikes. Wheeler’s Yard – Exterior Shots: Wheeler’s Yard – Interior Shots: The Flat White ($5) was decent, more on the milky side. And their cups are so prettily branded! They also serve some beers, and N had his usual Asahi ($8). The cafe is still new (<1 month old when we visited), so they are running on a manual ordering system e.g. they will call out your number and you run into their counter to collect the food. The menu is also fairly straightforward. Between 4 of us, we tried the most popular mains. Decent coffee and food – my personal favourite was the Steak sandwich, but such a pretty spacious place to hangout just next to the Park Connector. I would go back again just …

A for Arbite @ Aliwal Street

Published by Beatrice

I tried A for Arbite at Serangoon Gardens when they were very new before. And to be honest, it was quite forgettable other than its ambience. However, A for Arbite @ Aliwal Street truly surprised me. I ended up loving the pastas! They allowed for simple beer tasting of the 3 craft beers – palm beer, trippel, brown and N went for a pint of palm beer ($9) in the end, which was light yet flavourful. We had the Beef Tataki ($13) that was a tad small, but fresh and exquisite tasting meat. N tried the Squid Ink Pasta ($26) with Seafood, and the pasta was handmade cooked al dente. I had the Tri Pepper Spaghettini with Crab Meat ($27) and I loved the mix of peppers!! L had the “B for breakfast” ($20) which comprised spicy sausage, nice scrambled eggs and  beans. I would most definitely be back for their pastas. YUM! Well-done! Plus there is a collection of great coffee places nearby like espressoLab and Symmetry to pick up a good cuppa after. Tip: there is a …

espressoLAB @ Bali Lane

Published by Beatrice

espressoLAB Bali Lane is now closed. But the same team who ran espressoLAB Bali Lane has set up Three Cups Coffee Co. I am sure the coffee quality still remains 🙂 Three Cups Coffee Co Address: #04-31, 1 Raffles Place, Singapore 048616 Phone: 6438 4108 Operating Hours: Mon – Fri: 8:00 am – 7:30 pm, Sat – Sun: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm Website: http://www.threecups.sg — espressoLAB Singapore is opened by a colleague-friend and his wife, on 14th July 2012, who are both passionate about life, coffee and food.  I visited them when they first opened, but they have recently renovated to a hipster feel that blends in the neighbourhood better (and rightly so since they are situated in hippy Kampung Glam and with grungy CAD just at the back), so we went back to check it out as promised! I am really proud they have come so far in 1.5 years and they have received 2 recent awards – 1) Gold Plate Awards 2012 by The Singapore Women’s Weekly – “Get your coffee fix” category, 2) Best …

LOWERCASE @ Lasalle College of the Arts

Published by Beatrice

I had to give LOWERCASE 3 tries before I finally tried the food. The first time, we assumed the cafe would be open for coffee on a Sunday and we headed down and it was closed. The second time, on a Friday night, we headed down at 830pm since their Facebook said they were open till 1030pm but was told it was closed already!! I wrote to them to feedback on the opening hours, and one of their partners, Mr J, was nice enough to explain the situation and we decided to try LOWERCASE again with a group of friends on a Saturday evening. LOWERCASE is nestled in Lasalle College of the Arts and has a huge 5000 square feet space compared to the regular hipster cafes.  Their mission statement – “Lowercase is a melting pot where food, art and community come together” – is a good summary of what they are starting to look like, where random art pieces are displayed among tables of people eating. LOWERCASE seeks to promote talent by setting the stage for budding …

Nylon Coffee @ Everton

Published by Beatrice

I should have started this blog a long time ago when Nylon first opened and when they were still hipster. I dare say they started the Everton Trail. Now they are so crowded that they are almost mainstream! Nonetheless, one of our favourite coffees in Singapore, we love the coffee and the 2 bosses – D and JM =) For those who may not be aware, NYLON = New York and London, because D and JM spent time in both cities and loved the coffee and culture and hence incorporated the 2 cities into their brand name. This couple is the most passionate and involved people I know in the coffee business. They travel to faraway remote places to visit farms and cooperatives to actually see the beans they are buying. They try to understand from their peers the entire journey that the coffee takes –  harvesting,  processing of coffee cherries, the transportation process of the coffees. They talk and spew all their knowledge to their customers who are interested to learn. Just to be clear, …

Drury Lane Cafe @ Tanjong Pagar

Published by Beatrice

Drury Lane is another new hipster cafe (4-months-old), tucked in a bright red shop house unit along Tanjong Pagar, opposite the row of bridal studios. PS: This is NOT a real lane, but the name of the cafe. This was recommended by my Melbourne trained chiropractor so I trust his taste in food, given Melbourne’s proliferation of good cafes! Drury Cafe turned out to have pretty good food, decent coffee and a lot of space with a nice ambience compared to usual more squeezy hipster cafes. Fun fact: “Drury Lane” came from a nursery rhyme called “The Muffin Man” hence they serve a good selection of muffins! Drury Lane has spacious seating on the second floor! We had 4 mains, 1 side and 2 desserts to share. My personal favourite is the Steak and Cheese sandwich ($8). The chunky tender beef slices reminded me of the ones Mortons serve over their martini, while the onions were sweet and juicy. I ordered additional poached eggs ($1) on the side and dipping the sandwich into the eggs and hollandaise sauce was quite heavenly. Also fairly good …

The Provision Shop @ Everton

Published by Beatrice

The Provision Shop is a 2-week-old addition to the Everton Trail, and it was already crowded when we reached! The Provision Shop positions themselves as a gourmet deli with a focus on salads, sandwiches and light meals. Anthony Yeoh, executive chef of Cocotte at the Wanderlust hotel, is the culinary director of The Provision Shop and bring his vision of gourmet takeaway food to discerning clients. Hence, the dishes can be a full meal in itself or conveniently complement a meal at home.

Bellwethers Bistro Bar @ Desker Road

Published by Beatrice

The reviews of Bellwethers on HGW have been amazing, so we tried this bistro that opened in Jan13, for a gathering of 4 on a Friday chillout night, to further my Jalan Besar Trail. Nestled in a corner of Singapore’s oldest red light district, Bellwethers Bistro Bar definitely looks like a modern oddball at the corner of the historic shophouses. The design of Bellwethers Bistro Bar is modern, simple and unpretentious, juxtaposed against the quaint shophouses and edgy characters in the neighbourhood. Edgy enough to see police patrolling around :P. Bellwethers’ goal is to “create a quirky and offbeat watering hole away from the humdrum of Singapore’s concrete jungle and bring cool to this charming hidden gem” and they have definitely succeeded. And I am not sure what is with bicycles recently, but Bellwethers also have one in their bathroom to add to their charm. Personally feel that Bellwethers has an Aussie/NZ feel.

Common Man Coffee Roasters @ Martin Road

Published by Beatrice

Common Man Coffee Roasters (CMCR) is a unique concept brewed from a partnership between Harry Grover, Five Senses Coffee (Australia), and the Spa Esprit Group. The cafe roots from the notion that great coffee should not be a privilege, but instead available for all to enjoy, hence, “common man”. But truth be told, the prices of the food is not the most  “common”/affordable. Located at 22 Martin Road, Common Man Coffee Roasters houses a coffee roaster, a specialty coffee bar, a 60-seater cafe and a retail space that offers coffee accessories. Even though it has quite a lot of seats, they do not take reservations and the cafe was packed when we arrived on Sunday lunch time. However, they reassured me that there is usually no longer than 5-10min waiting time during busy hours for groups of 4 or less. I actually find this cafe a smart business partnership  for all the partners. This is the first tieup that moves Spa Esprit in the wholesale business, an expansion from retail which they already do very well. …