“A chicken rice stall on Instagram? Must be run by youngsters,” my friend quipped when I first mentioned Hai Kee Soy Sauce Chicken Rice to him.
Indeed, Singapore has seen a surge of millennial hawknerpreneurs stepping up to preserve our local hawker culture, whether by putting their own spin on traditional fare or simply sticking to the classics – as is the case for the brother and sister team running this hugely popular stall at Kim San Leng Coffeeshop on Changi Road.
I’ve always wanted to visit an onsen during my Japan trips, but never got the chance to. So when Yunomori Onsen opened in Kallang Wave Mall late last year, I decided to wait till the crowd had died down before going.
For the uninitiated, an onsen is a Japanese hot spring with bathing facilities attached. Commonly associated with Japanese culture, its rustic, simplistic charm is a hit with tourists.
Since many of my friends asked about my experience (after seeing the many snaps from my Instagram stories), I thought I would share about my day at Yunomori – including how to get the most out of your visit!
Update 20 Jan 2025: Foxhole Cafe has closed.
There’s something about the start of a new year that fills me with optimism – new ventures, new possibilities, and most importantly, new places to go cafe-hopping!
Well 2017 must be the year that Singapore’s cafe scene finally breaks into the far-reaching corners of the East, what with places like Brothers in Fine Food opening in Tampines, and The Pourover moving into their new residence at Foxhole Cafe in Hougang.
One of the first few business to set up shop in the newly opened (and very empty) Midtown Residences, Foxhole is best described as a cafe without airs, with its 26 seater area tucked away on the second floor.
A large, galaxy-themed unicorn mural also occupies one side of the wall, and is fast becoming a prominent fixture on Instagram (good luck trying to fit the entirety of it in your pictures though, what with the space as narrow as it is).
Notice the slightly blue tint throughout the second level? That’s thanks to the UV filter that the owners installed on the wall – pretty handy for when the afternoon sun is at its brightest, seeing how the seating area overlooks an empty field.
Update June 2020: Brothers in Fine Food has closed.
Y’know, Singapore’s cafe scene has been around for what – three, four years? And it’s only now that it’s come to my home ground, AKA Tampines.
Brothers in Fine Food is the new Halal kid on the block at Tampines West CC – one of the more bustling CCs I’ve seen, judging by the amount of activity and facilities. Knowing that it was opened by the same team behind Penny University, expectations were high when I dropped by.
The MacPherson-Tai Seng area – otherwise known as that far-flung industrial corner of the east – just added another cafe to its ever growing list of F&B options. Knots Living, a furniture shop cum florist, now offers drinks, cakes, and other baked goods.
I’ve been disappearing to the far east side of Singapore on weekends – Changi, that is. All right, all right, I admit – I’m really chasing rare Pokemon ever since the game was released in Singapore, and some of them happen to congregate in Changi, okay?
Anyhow, whether you’re chasing after that Dragonite that just spawned on the other end of wherever you are, walking kilometre after kilometre to hatch your eggs, or just standing around for hours on end in a lured Pokestop *ahem Changi Civil Service Club*, Changi Village has no shortage of good grub to to fuel up on. And one of them is The Coastal Settlement on Netheravon Road.
Update 20 Jan 2025: Tok Panjang Cafe has closed in East Coast Road. Visit their other outlets.
Mention Peranakan cuisine and the word “comfort” comes to mind – tables filled to the brim with mom or grandma’s best dishes for the whole family gathered round.
House of Peranakan Group definitely had this vision in mind when they opened their fourth Tok Panjang Cafe branch along East Coast Road, judging by the homely interior and various knick knacks scattered around the dining tables.
The place was relatively quiet and empty when I arrived, almost like your forgotten quaint neighbourhood eatery in a time overtaken by fancy cafes with hipster tableware. But as the evening progressed, the crowd swelled and Tok Panjang transformed into a lively bistro, almost like your typical family reunion!
Chue On It 