Update August 2020: Gangsta Ramen has clossed.
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!
Update 19 Jan 2025: BUNDT by The Backyard Bakers has moved. Check out their Instagram for other locations.
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.
Update January 2023: Creamery Boutique Ice Creams has closed.
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.
Update January 2023: Truedan has closed.
If a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, a bubble tea shop by any other name would be just as delicious! Jenjudan 珍煮丹 , a popular Taiwanese bubble tea brand that made its first home in City Link Mall, has opened its second outlet at Orchard Gateway, under the new name Truedan.
Imaging starting your day with a cuppa in Copenhagen. Then strolling into Bangkok for brunch, before finishing off with dessert in Melbourne, the mecca of the third wave coffee movement in the Pacific. Well, Cafe Culture helped us do just that this weekend at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre!
This inaugural event brought together ten cafes and coffee joints from Melbourne, Bangkok, Shanghai, and even Tokyo and Copenhagen, all under one roof for us Singaporeans to take our weekly cafe-hopping jaunts to the next level.
While Cafe Culture has concluded, that doesn’t mean we can’t bookmark the exhibiting brands for our next overseas trip! Here are four cafes we discovered at Cafe Culture.
Chue On It 