Tiong Bahru, the quaint mecca of all things cafe hopping in Singapore, now has one more gem to add to her crown of hipster cafes and coffee joints. Starter Lab, the bakery renowned for its sourdough loaves in Cangu, Bali, has set up shop right in the heartlands.
Anyone remembers buying the Blue Coral flavour from the very first generation of bubble tea shops in our childhood? Well, here to bring you on a nostalgia trip is Whale Tea 琉璃鯨, a Nanjing-based bubble tea chain with over 500 outlets in its native China.
Ramen lovers will understand the dilemma of wanting to dive headfirst into their favourite bowl of noodles, and having to maintain their public image while dining out. Good news for solo diners; you can now indulge and slurp up those deliciously umami noodles without fear of judgement from others at Gangsta Ramen, Singapore’s first ramen shop to offer private dining booths for one!
BUNDT by The Backyard Bakers, or Backyard Bakers as they are affectionally known to regulars, may be one of Singapore’s best kept foodie secrets.
Operating out of a takeaway kiosk at Havelock II near Chinatown, BUNDT is The Backyard Bakers’ sole physical space, following the recent closure of its GRAZE outlet in West Coast. This minimally-decorated joint is so tight (think can’t swing your ponytail; let alone your cat kind of tight), making the quality of the food they churn out on a daily basis, nothing short of a minor miracle.
There’s one catch, though: there’s no fixed menu. But here’s a breakdown of some of The Backyard Bakers’ more popular offerings, plus how you can get your hands on them!
The incredibly jiggly, Boomerang-worthy soufflé pancakes have officially invaded Singapore, and Suntec City is no exception. Joining the bevy of F&B joints in the newly renovated basement of the mall’s west wing is Fluff Stack, a local cafe that is set to rival foreign brands such as GRAM and Riz Labo from Japan.
If ever there was a prize for personifying the saying, “a couple that works together, stays together,” the honour would no doubt go to Creamery Boutique Ice Creams. Nestled amongst other cafes and watering holes along Tyrwhitt Road in Lavender, the boutique dessert cafe is actually the Singapore branch of a Thai dessert brand.
There’s nothing not to love about steamboats – simple, nutritious ingredients thrown together to cook in a flavourful broth of your choice, often in the company of family and friends.
Mention the word “steamboat” to any food-loving Singaporean, and the first brands that inevitably come to mind are the likes of Haidilao and Beauty In A Pot. But in my opinion, M Hotel’s Seafood Steamboat Buffet Dinner is well on its way to becoming another worthy contender for the title of steamboat of choice in the CBD.
