Drawing out five new food places for you to check out - now that's the way the OpenRice team likes to start the year. We hope your January has been rolling out fine and if your new year resolutions for 2014 include exploring 60 new restaurants in 365 days, stick close! We'll help you get there.
What we have for you this January: Cafes and bistros in heartland areas where you can scoot on over to for those sweet and savoury cravings. Enjoy!
1. Oz Specialty Coffee
On any lazy day, a good place to hang out is Oz Specialty Coffee. Situated within a quiet neighbourhood in Sin Ming, it’s conveniently tucked away from the city and all throngs of people it attracts (especially during the weekends). Though the café interior is small, the bright and cheery vibe more than makes up for it. The whitewashed brick walls and the long counter also give the impression that it’s spacious. Well, you can choose to sit there or at the al fresco area where there are more tables.
Since it’s a fairly new café, the menu is quite limited. The all-day breakfast and sandwich/salad categories have three options; while the desserts/waffles has five. Since they’re known for the waffles, do try the Eggs and Bacon Waffle made with a thin and crunchy waffle with an almost biscuit texture. It’s topped with strips of real bacon and creamy scrambled eggs. They also have seasonal offerings, which give you more choices, such as the Beef Volcano – made with roast beef slices, poached egg, toasted brioche and greens on the side. Finish it off with a cup of coffee, a specialty in this quaint cafe.
Thomson V Two, 11 Sin Ming Road #01-13, Thomson; Open 12pm to 12am
2. November 8 Coffee & Company
Based on first impression, you would guess that this new joint at Sin Ming is another one of those hipster cafes. Whether the owners were aiming for that concept or not, we can’t really be sure - we’re basing this assumption on how the whole interior is laid out. It has a playful concept with splashes of colours on the ceiling pipes, chairs, and walls. There’s also a mini corner with dark paint, accentuating the small rattan chairs and wooden toy horse in this section. You can either sit there or on the regular-sized tables and chairs.
The menu, though not extensive, still gives diners pretty good options. Aside from the all-day brunch items which include the Big Breakfast and Scrambled Eggs, there are also the mains, pizza, and desserts. For recommendations, do try the Egg November –sliced prosciutto and smoked salmon on bread, served with scrambled eggs and greens. As for a filling main course, the Rosemary Chicken Breast is your best bet. Drizzled with barbeque sauce, it makes a delightful lunch or dinner for the hungry.
November 8 Coffee & Company prides itself of its coffee drinks as well. Made with real coffee bean, every drink is brewed upon order to assure the best quality. For hot drinks, try the Flat White which comes with a simple but cute latte art. For something more refreshing, the Iced Hazelnut Latte served in a tall glass.
Thomson V Two, 11 Sin Ming Road #01-30, Thomson; Open 12am to 12am
3. Hatter Street Bakehouse & Cafe
Owned by three lovely ladies, Hatter Street Bakehouse & Cafe is Kovan’s newest bakery/café that sings a whimsical tune and is inspired by none other than Alice in Wonderland. You’ll be synced into the whole tea-party theme with quaint mismatched chairs, quirky wall art and splashes of pink here and there, an ideal space for girlfriends and couples alike.
The menu stars mainly desserts hand-crafted by one of the owners, a teacher turned chef who was trained in 3-Michelin starred restaurant in Hong Kong. You’ll need to try their “Whoaffles”, and opt for the non-traditional, made-from-scratch Pandan Ice Cream Drizzled with Gula Melaka. The Snickers Cheesecake, an original, is rich and sinfully satisfying with actual crushed bars of snickers on top and The Rabbit Hole, a triple layered chocolate cake is one for all chocolate lovers to jump into. Aside from that, they too cater to your Asian taste buds with a Matcha Devil Cake and are even prepped up for the lunar new year with a tangy It’s So Kumquat tart.
Give them time to perfect their latte art and while coffee isn’t officially in service yet, fragrant and unique tea blends like Vanilla Caramel Dream and African Sunrise from local tea boutique, Allerines Premium Tea, line up to pair extraordinarily well with your sweet treats for the afternoon.
Blk 212 Hougang Street #01-333, Singapore 530212, Open Tue to Sun 1pm - 10pm, Closed on Mon.
4. Penang Street
Photo courtesy of Penang Street
From the company that brought us ThaiExpress, Poulet, and Buffet Town comes another restaurant with a unique concept – Penang Street. Located at the National University Hospital, the casual dining concept merges the lively personality of a street hawker with the stellar service and relaxed ambience of a restaurant.
From the name itself, you can already guess that it serves Peranakan dishes. The signature item here is the Assam Laksa, which is unlike the local Laksa you may be familiar with. The tamarind and prawn paste are balanced with a bit of heat from the chilli to make this savoury but not overpowering. Another popular item is the Nasi Lemak served with all the ingredients that make this dish what it is. The menu is then completed with sweets such as the Penang Cendol best enjoyed with a glass of Buah Long Long Juice.
NUH, Level 1 , 5 Lower Kent Ridge Rd; Open 11am to 9pm
5. Pan Delights Bistro
Photo courtesy of OpenRicer jiaksimipng, seasaltt.wordpress.com & Pan Delights Bistro
Sprucing up the laid back heartlands of Bukit Merah, the new café/bistro Pan Delights joins the neighbourhood to offer hot European favourites, coffee,bar snacks and beers. Yet another to add to the list, traditional weekend brunch offerings here include Pan’s Breakfast, a big hearty breakfast platter with a jumbo bratwurst and soft streaky bacon and a perfect pair of poached eggs for the all-time favourite -- Eggs Pan-edict. Oh yes and Pan-cakes! Any ala carte top ups of sautéed mushrooms, bacon rashers or mixed berry coulis come at $2 each – an option we appreciate dearly.
For now, lunch specials run from 12pm – 2.30pm from Tuesdays to Fridays, while the full ala carte menu runs from 5.30pm onwards. Seafood and pasta lovers ought to hit up the Executive set section, reined by a Scallop and Prawn Aglio Olio, a classic Seafood Marinara and Smoked Salmon and Capers Cream. The kid-friendly bistro also has children’s meals for your little ones, while you may indulge in a comforting bowl of Beef Stew, where a tasty beef brisket stewed with vegetables and herbs are served on a velvet bed of truffle mash. Yes, truffle mash. Finally, top that up with a pint of Mac’s Great White, sip on a cuppa joe or take your pick from their range of loose leaf teas and you’ll be good to go.
Blk 161 Bukit Merah Central #01-3725, Bukit Merah Estate, Singapore 150161, Open Tue to Fri 12pm - 2.30pm and 5.30pm - 10pm, Sat 10am - 3.30pm and 5.30pm - 10pm, Sun 10am - 3.30pm.
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Don't miss any of our past 'New Bites' finds! Read them here:
New Bites - December 2013
New Bites - November 2013
New Bites - October 2013
New Bites - September 2013
See Also:
Find the best restaurants in Singapore
Check out the eateries near you
