Here & There is a great place for after-work drinks and bar grub. This contemporary kushiyaki bar in Chijmes serves up small plates of perfectly grilled meat and vegetable skewers, as well as a selection of modern Asian restaurant food. Signature items on the menu include skewers of wagyu steak ($9), foie gras & wagyu ($12), spicy garlic miso pork belly ($7), and parma ham, quail egg & asparagus ($7). Tuesdays are Shuck & Suck nights, where oysters air flown from France go at only $2 each! Be sure to make reservations to avoid disappointment.
The froyo craze is making its way back, with newly opened Frozen opening its doors in Toa Payoh, offering a healthier alternative to the usual ice creams and gelatos to quell the heat. Hailing from Melbourne, this yoghurt bar uses biodynamic milk and yoghurt, serving up cool frozen yoghurt flavours including pomegranate, green tea, mango & soy, and coconut. Toppings range from healthy chia seeds, banana bread, goji berries, pomegranate bits, roasted coconut, and loads more!
From the good people behind Sarnies and The Lokal comes Club Meatballs, a gastropub specializing in - you guessed it - meatballs. Build your own meatball plate with a choice of sauce, toppings and bases. Of course, it's convenient CBD location means you can come here just for a mid-day coffee fix, as well as after-work cocktails, wines and beers on tap.
Have YOU braved the Honey Creme queue? Known for their milky and smooth soft serve ice cream with novel toppings, this Taiwanese brand's soft serve with honeycomb is a popular choice, as is the cotton candy and caramel popcorn. Coffee-lovers can opt for the organic cotton candy affogato and watch a magical display of hot-espresso-on-cotton-candy action unfold. It might be wise to wait till the queues shorten a little, unless you have some time to spare!
Flavour Flings is a brand new heartland cafe located in Hougang, bringing hearty brunch servings to residents and everyone else in the area. Recycled-wood furnishings give this place a very laid-back vibe, perfect for casual brunch affairs. Menu items include eggs done in a variety of ways - poached/ baked/ fried, pastas as well as pancakes. Tastemaker Raine Liu recommends Marie's Baked Eggs; 'tomato based eggs with mushrooms and spinach and cheese which went well with the toasted sour dough bread.'
Taking over Liberty Coffee's old space at Rangoon Road is new frozen yoghurt bar, The Cold Pantry. With a handful of froyo stores setting up shop lately, this place sets itself apart by offering not just unique flavours of froyo, but with unique topping combinations as well. Case in point - their thai milk tea froyo with homemade honeycomb, and their Movie-Date yoghurt cup which comes topped with popcorn, banana and chocolate sauce, with a cheese nacho base. How's that for unique!
Conveniently located just a 5-minute walk away from Dhoby Ghaut station in School of the Arts (SOTA), I'm KIM provides students in the Orchard / Bras Basah area with a great place for no-frills Korean BBQ. They offer a great variety of meats and other Korean favourites including japchae, rice cakes, and a selection of soups. Be sure to get some of their signature volcano chicken, and if you don't take spiciness too well, fret not - there's free flow teas, juices, and iced water to take as you please. Oh, did we mention they have great ventilation as well?
Newly opened Two Bakers is an artisanal bakery cafe serving up specialty coffee using blends from Strangers' Reunion, sweet cakes and savoury food. Using only French butter and top notch ingredients, their pastries are made fresh daily by Le Cordon Bleu Paris trained chefs. Bestsellers include their salted caramel éclair, Le Chocolat Noir and moist carrot cake. Their strawberry shortcake is also delightfully refreshing and perfect for a tea-time dessert. For more savoury options, you can go for various brunch options, beef stew, Asian pulled-pork sandwich, or soups. (But of course, end with dessert!)
Whoever said you can only get good pasta at fancy Italian restaurants has not yet discovered the food at Ah Bong's Italian. Located in a humble coffeeshop in Tiong Bahru Estate, this stall serves up some mean Italian pasta - for just $6! For some perfect comfort food, get the Slow Cooked Pork Ragu, Ah Bong's Birthday Pasta (spaghetti served with broccoli cheese sauce and bacon) or Ah Bong’s Mac & Cheese with truffle oil. End off your meal with some unique crème brûlée - with flavours extending to earl grey, triple espresso, and Thai milk tea. Their incredibly satisfying, extremely affordable and regularly changing menu will keep you coming back!
North Bridge Road is now greeted by the presence of multiple new ice cream parlours, one being the very new Twenty Grammes. Besides homemade ice cream, waffles and coffee, they also offer a selection of tarts and cakes to satisfy your dessert cravings. Try their banoffee pie and hazelnut dacquiose recommended by Tastemaker Jennifer Yeo, and their yummy honey scotch ice cream. We ought to count our lucky stars that in hot, humid Singapore, we sure don't have a lack of cool-me-down ice cream parlours!
Kimchi Korean Restaurant serves relatively smaller portions to cut down on food wastage and to leave you feeling just satisfied - not overly stuffed. With smaller portions, you can also expect more affordable prices! Serving standard dishes like Japchae and Kimchi Ramen, they also have unique offerings like Seaweed Beef Porridge and Seafood Dolsot Bap. A must-try is the Andong Jjimdak, steamed pieces of chicken thigh marinated in a soy-based sauce - gloriously spicy and full of umami. You can overlook the fact that they do not serve banchan here, because that means more stomach space for dessert.
The snaking queue at this famous dakgalbi restaurant from Korea is testament to its popularity. For the uninitiated, Galbi is basically meat marinated in a ganjang-based sauce that is grilled at the table. The star here is none other than Yoogane's Chicken Galbi - spicy marinated chicken cooked with rice cakes and vegetables. Also go for the Galbi Fried Rice, that gooey mozzarella cheese fried with rice and bulgogi chicken is oh-so-satisfying. Kimchi-lovers rejoice, the salad bar is free-flow!
