I have a soft spot for HDB cafes, especially if it’s somewhere I can find artisanal, plated desserts. There’s something understated about savouring elegantly-crafted sweets in the comfort of a humble, familiar neighbourhood.
Lee’s Confectionery is about as unpretentious and heartland as you can get.
With Australian and Korean-inspired cafes dominating the local food scene, it’s refreshing to see places like OVERBRØD go against the grain by serving Swedish, Danish, and Norweigan dishes. Especially when most Singaporeans’ primary encounters with said cuisines have been through a certain furniture retail store.
Much like the Scandinavian cuisine it was inspired by, OVERBRØD’s space is on the minimalist, understated side, with dark wood fixtures creating a homely, cozy vibe.
Interestingly, it’s also set up shop outside Anchorpoint Shopping Centre, directly opposite IKEA Alexandra, the OG of Scandinavian delis in Singapore.
It’s been a while since I last cafe hopped around the west side of Singapore, and chancing upon a couple of Instagram stories about Yeast Side piqued my interest.
Cafe by day and craft beer joint by night, it prides itself on its homemade sourdough toast and other baked goods, with delectable pizzas available from 4pm onwards.
Singapore’s cafe scene has expanded to the far corners of the west, with Surrey Hills Grocer, an Australian-style cafe and grocer setting up shop in none other than Boon Lay. Helmed by ex-banker Pang Gek Teng who first earned her food business chops in Down Under, it boast farm-to-table brunch staples and exclusive Australian produce at competitive prices.
Residents of Holland Close, Buona Vista can now savour the taste of Thailand minutes from their doorstep. Kin Hoi, whose name literally translates to “eat cockles” in Thai, is a stall specializing in Thai shellfish and other authentic dishes from the Land of a Thousand Smiles.
Helmed by a couple of former media executives who took a brave plunge into the world of F&B, Kin Hoi is also staffed with Thai cooks and servers, so its fare it as close as you can get to the real deal in the heartlands.
Just when we had started to think we were running out of space for new cafes in land-starved Singapore, one pops up seemingly overnight at the top of an industrial building, of all places! Coexist Coffee Co. is a minimalist-themed cafe that is already making waves online for its red and white themed interior, as well artfully-crafted coffee and food.
Looking at the exterior of Hillview Terrace, the top of which Coexist Coffee Co. is situated, one would never expect a hipster joint to make its home here. Getting to this hole-in-the-wall cafe is an adventure in itself. Squeeze into an elevator that has a curious pole fixture (I promise not for reasons you are thinking of), exit at the “top floor”, then climb up a flight of stairs and join the growing queue at the narrow, non-air conditioned corridor.
If you can endure the wait, an idyllic brunch or tea time awaits.
Snow City in Jurong is now home to another attraction – Fountain Microbrewery, which quietly opened its doors last month. Situated one level above the family attraction, the cozy gastropub blends three decades of master brewer Mung Tjai’s experience with good ol’ recipes that satisfy.
Chue On It 