New Korean food in town Expect a little bit of wait during peak hours. Beef and chicken sotbap set. Meat was very well marinated, a bit too salty for me. Could have cut down on sauce or add more rice. Steamed need brisket. Ingredients in its raw and original flavour. You can dips on the sauce provided. One for one maekgouli promotion going on for Google review.

COCKLES SOTBAP Upsized the portion which came with additional 20g of cockles; cockles are well-marinated with savoury spicy sauce & have chewy texture; housemade sauce at the side is with tinge of garlic, spring onions & chilli taste, tad salty; add a little bit into the rice to elevate the taste..

FRESHWATER EEL SOTBAP Well-cooked rice in high pressure pot; with generous portion of tender eel; spring onions, sesame seed & ginger; with housemade wasabi sauce which is not salty & has strong wasabi taste; each sotbap comes in a set with soup, side dishes & steamed egg; beansprouts soup is clear yet flavorful but tad salty; steamed egg is smooth & infused with fragrant broth taste; side dishes are kimchi, beansprouts & marinated squid; delicious but marinated squid tad salty..

bronte pistachio ($5.20??) had some pistachio nuts inside which helped w the taste but other than that the flavour wasn’t strong, couldn’t taste much pistachio. had great expectations for these and tbh i’m q disappointed :( not sure if i reheated them wrongly but i followed their reheating instructions leh idk.. seems like they might even taste better just straight out of the fridge lol but i rly just did what the box said. might give them another chance if i happen to pass by next time but will choose to eat immediately instead. buying back and reheating is a no-go 👎🏻

chocolate hojicha ($3.30) this was actl my fav in terms of taste. it had a rich and fragrant hojicha flavour but there was way too little filling :(

black sesame ($3.30) v nutty and fragrant, not sweet. if you like black ssm you would enjoy this!

Not worth the price Charming, quiet, and aesthetic kakigori cafe set inside an art gallery. They have a wide and interesting range of kakigori to try, and we settled for the matcha one ($17). Visually impressive, and the matcha taste was earthy and pretty authentic. However, the texture was a bit off and leaned more towards ice kacang, and it fell flat towards the end - the more I ate, the more I felt that it was just overpriced ice shavings. Also, do be aware that while they offer half-sized portions, two pax are not allowed to share one. What marred our experience was that initially when we were told that I thought it was strange as we were one of just a handful of patrons at that time, but reluctantly accepted it. But towards the end of the dessert and the place started to fill up, we saw one or two tables of couples who were sharing just one half-sized! It doesn't seem that they apply this 'rule' consistently, or rather I would have wished that they were more flexible with it. If the kakigori was amazing then it would have been no issues, but we were already disappointed by our matcha kakigori and this inconsistency made us even moreso.

Pistachio Kakigori ($22) With the concept of combining an Art gallery with shaved Ice, @artice_sg just gives pretty zen/ chill vibes where you could just sit and unwind there. Pistachio Kakigori ($22) As a huge fan of pistachio, I definitely could not give this a miss! The shaved ice was soft, and there's drizzle of pistachio base syrup over the shaved ice, but you don't really get much of those nutty pistachio flavours from the ice alone. The main source of pistachio flavours comes from the pistachio cream that's added at the top of the shaved ice, but it's also pretty sweet and less of those intense nutty pistachio flavours I was expecting.

Roasted Sweet Potato Shaved Ice The opening of Artice has been one that is probably pretty anticipated by those whom have been following the happenings in the local F&B scene. There have been some posts about Artice going around social media for quite a while since end 2023, though Artice has just officially opened their doors on 3 January 2024. Located at 20 Duxton Hill, Artice is located right across from the outlet of the L'Entrecôte The Steak & Fries Bistro, Artice had mentioned that they are a shaved ice cafe and an art gallery based on the description on their social media pages. Stepping into Artice, it is interesting to see how they have segmented the space to ensure that art maintains an integral part of the concept — while the counter and the food preparation sits at the end of the space, the dine-in seating is located at the centre of the interior rather than along the sides; this not only allows a passageway for those whom are visiting the art gallery to go through the entire space, but sitting at the booth seats facing the walls also allows patrons to appreciate the art pieces while enjoying the shaved ice. The interior is decked in a way that is modern and minimalist, yet carried a rustic and raw appeal in certain areas — very apt considering how they are situated in a heritage-rich shophouse within town; think white walls and earthy tones with a large use of wood for its furniture and fittings, all alongside a “green” wall featuring a mix of plants stone elements that is flooded with natural lighting from above at the counter areas. As they have described in their bio on their social media pages, Artice is a shaved ice cafe; the menu indeed focuses solely on their shaved ice offerings with quite a number of flavours to choose from — think common ones like Strawberry and Matcha, as well as more intriguing ones like Pistachio and Dragon & Passion Fruit. It may be true that the Shaved Ice menu at Artice does comprise of quite a number of intriguing flavours; that being said, we quite unanimously agreed that the Roasted Sweet Potato Shaved Ice would be that odd-flavoured variant which we wanted to go for. The menu at Artice describes the Roasted Sweet Potato Shaved Ice to come with elements such as sweet potatoes, milk, whipped cream, and black sesame. On first impression, the shaved ice that is served at Artice was nothing too close to the typical shaved ice desserts that we are used to seeing that is served in the local context; in fact, the shaded ice from Artice can be described to come with an aesthetic that is closer to the Japanese Kakigori (i.e. Japanese shaved ice dessert) instead. The mound of shaved ice comes served in a bowl, with sweet potato mousse that is being drenched all over on its exterior alongside with milk; the entire shaved ice dessert being topped off with cassava chips that is speckled with black sesame. Digging into the Roasted Sweet Potato Shaved Ice, we noticed that the shaved ice here comes with a really finely-shaved texture — one which is closely associated to that of Kakigori that Matchaya once served up when they were lesser of a commercialised set-up when still situated at The Cathay. The light a fluffy ice also came rather clear of any lingering aftertastes, while the roasted sweet potato mousse provided a light and creamy texture that was a little grainy; fairly reasonable considering the inherent texture of sweet potatoes akin to it being mashed — itself carrying a light sweetness and a very slight earthiness throughout; pretty appealing and we did wish that there was more of that. The cassava chips in the meanwhile provide a crisp texture for a refreshing contrast, while the milk gets really a little more evident as one reaches all the way to the bottom of the bowl since much of it was puddling with the melting shaved ice; provides a light fragrance that binds the roasted sweet potato mousse and the shaved ice altogether. It has been quite a while since Japanese Kakigori had been served up by an establishment in Singapore — the more notable ones till date being Matchaya and the later iteration of Fuwa Fuwa Kakogori when they were operating from Dosukoi x Donpachi (which now houses Manpuku Sando instead). Although marketed as shaved ice rather than Japanese Kakigori, Artice’s creations does seem to come close to being one. The shaved ice items are priced between $15 to $22; the lowest-priced one being the Lemon & Butterfly Pea Shaved Ice, while the priciest are the Strawberry Shaved Ice and Pistachio Shaved Ice. Considering the rather special flavour combinations that they have, we might actually drop by Artice some time again to give those a try; all that while enjoying some solace and the art that they have on display.

Waffle with Fresh Pandan (Foreground) and Cerealicious (Background) Gelato There does seem to have been quite a number of gelato / ice-cream parlours that are opening their doors around the island in recently months — this includes notable names such as that of Birds of Paradise Gelato Boutique that had recently opened their Holland Village outlet, as well as new names in the F&B scene such as Miss Gelato located at Bugis. A.T. Glace is a name that might not ring a bell for most at the first glance; that being said, the concept is one that is run by the same folks behind Ambling Turtle that is located at The Flow along East Coast Road — the A.T. being an acronym to Ambling Turtle, drawing the relationship between the two brands alongside the use of the same turtle logo that Ambling Turtle uses. A.T. Glace itself takes over the former premises of the now-defunct 2nd Serving that operated from a shop unit in the HDB block at Blk 43 Holland Drive — a short walk away from Buona Vista MRT Station and Holland Drive Market & Food Centre. There are some changes made to the facade of the store, though the shop unit is still fairly recognisable from its days being 2nd Serving; the vending machine-esque door has seen the “shelving” for the ice-creams replaced with a transparent plastic panel that one can see through into the shop space, while the doors and window frames have been repainted to green — this would be aside from obvious changes like the change of signages. Inside, the space also sees minimal changes apart from new paintings hung on the wall; also a fresh coat of mint green paint is painted over the previously pastel pink part of the walls as well for a fresher look. Despite the list of items stated on the menu, the staff whom attended to us on the day or our visit to A.T. Glace over the weekend informed us that only the usual Waffles are available apart from the usual cup and cone options for the variety of gelato that they have to offer. In terms of beverages, the only ones available would be the espresso-based specialty coffee. Considering the sheer number of items which are unavailable when we made our visit to A.T. Glace, we found ourselves resorting to just giving their normal Waffles a go alongside with the range of gelato which they have to offer. Looking into their display fridge, their line-up of gelatos do comprise of some more conventional flavours as well as flavours that are slightly more interesting or adventurous — think flavours as safe as Houjicha and Vanilla Macadamia, all the way to Speculoos Yogurt, Malty Milo and Kaya Butter Toast. We found ourselves eyeing upon the Cerealicious and the Fresh Pandan gelato — these eventually being our choices of gelato to be paired with the Waffle. Waffles are made on the spot upon order; the Waffle also coming with maple syrup that is drizzled only around the waffle on the plate, whilst also comes dusted with icing sugar. Going for the Waffle, we actually quite like how the Waffle is like over here — the exterior is no short of being crisp and even maintains to be so even when left for an extended period of time; the Waffle itself also being beautifully browned and was much on the lighter side without feeling too dense or cake-y. Mopping up the maple syrup on the side provides the waffles with just the right level of sweetness as well. Between the two scoops of gelato we went for, our preferred choice would be the Fresh Pandan. A.T. Glace does not describe on the elements which their gelato comprises of, but one could notice brown swirls in the Fresh Pandan gelato — our guess would be that the Fresh Pandan gelato comes with swirls of Gula Melaka to sweeten things just by a light touch, though it is undeniable that there is an evident hint of Pandan going on in here. The Fresh Pandan gelato also comes with a smooth and creamy texture. In retrospect, the Cerealicious gelato was a little less than ideal being a bit crumbly. Again, no descriptions of the elements that went into the gelato is available, but we suspect the Cerealicious gelato is a flavour inspired by the once trendy Cereal Milk from Momofuku Milk Bar in New York, United States — a flavour that usually sees a milk gelato base with cereal churned into it. Unfortunately, we felt that the cereal used here came with a very soggy and limp texture with a grainy note that made it a little odd and jelak with the gelato base; not quite the flavour which we would go for. Apart from the odd texture of the Cerealicious gelato, the dining experience was also a bit off — thought that some more work could be done in reworking the interior considering the lack of maintenance since 2nd Serving’s time; the furnishings looking rather tired with the concrete floors taking on rust stains left by the table’s base. The entire vibe also felt terribly still and sterile — the lack of background music or anything that created a lively vibe just felt particularly jarring. Also disappointing is the lack of choices on the menu given that almost more than half of the items listed on the menu are unavailable to order during our visit; A.T. Glace describing themselves as a “Homemade Gelato & Fresh Tea Bar” though the entire tea menu was not available to be ordered. It does seem that A.T. Glace may need to relook into its operations — it might be teething issues considering that they have just opened their doors, though such issues do impact on the overall experience of a patron when they walk into their doors and choose to dine there even now matter how decent their offerings can be.

Ghana Chocolate (Cold)($8) Get cocoa-crazy with a classic chilled cup of chocolate.

Cinnamon Latte (Cold)($7) Spice up your meal with a smooth, milky latte that has light acidity, a touch of cinnamon powder, and a cinnamon stick for decoration.

Matcha Tiramisu ($14) A lush green dream to fall in love with. This tiramisu has a soft, delicate spongy base layered with rich, creamy matcha-infused mascarpone cheese. The elegant taste of matcha, from the soaked sponge to the cream, is so refined—it’s like taking a bite out of a forest.

Signature Noodles (Dry) — $5 One of the hawker centres stalls that we had passed by fairly recently while going around the Chinatown neighbourhood that really intrigued us was PhrikThai KuaiTiaoKai. Located in the red zone of Chinatown Complex Food Centre, PhrikThai KuaiTiaoKai occupies one of the stalls that is at the same row as the outlet of Kueh Ho Jiak in the same food centre — PhrikThai KuaiTiaoKia having captured our attention with its blue signboard that gives the stall a really contrasting look against the area of the food centre that it is being set in. Being a stall located in the hawker centre that suggests its specialisation in Thai fare based on its namesake, it seems that PhrikThai KuaiTiaoKai is a Thai stall that has a heavy emphasis on their noodle offerings. One can easily find the menu served at PhrikThai KuaiTiaoKai just beneath the signboard itself; some of its offerings include Chicken Soup with Mixed Noodles and their Signature Noodles — those looking for rice offerings can also go for the Braise Chicken Rice. PhrikThai KuaiTiaoKai also offers side dishes such as Fried Chicken Sausage, Chicken Wings and Fried Chicken Skin that can be shared across the table. Considering how they seem to feature quite a number of dishes that comes with chicken feet, there was quite a limited number of options that we could choose here that would go in-line with our preferences to say the least. We eventually found ourselves going for their Signature Noodles — both item no. 1 and item no. 2 on the menu are Signature Noodles, though it is noted that the former comes at $5 and the latter is priced at $6.90; the latter also seemingly featuring chicken feet at least based on the illustration of the item on the menu board. Both Signature Noodles dishes come with a choice of either going for the Dry or Soup variant, while patrons are also given the flexibility to opt for the choice of noodle type that they like — the choices of noodle type available at PhrikThai KuaiTiaoKia being rice vermicelli, thin Kuay Teow, (therefore its namesake, KuaiTiaoKai), Mama noodles and Mee Pok. Since the menu illustrated the Signature Noodles to come with Mee Pok, we stuck to opting for the Mee Pok for our order. Patrons can also help themselves to the self-service condiment bar at the counter which not only comprises of various types of chili and sugar, but also stalks of coriander, beansprouts etc. that patrons can help themselves with. PhrikThai KuaiTiaoKai does not describe the elements that come with their Signature Noodles, though it is observed that the Signature Noodles (Dry) at the $5 portion includes some beansprouts, coriander, a braised chicken drumstick and daikon. Giving the entire bowl a good mix, we went for the noodles that were slurpy and springy especially given the nature of the Mee Pok’s shape — the sauce mix here would be one that is more plain than what we are more familiar with in the local Minced Meat Noodle / Fishball Noodle; something more akin to that of the lightly savoury, but hearty herbal soup that likely comes with the soup variant of the same dish. We were recommended to mix in the dark-coloured dry chili available at the self-service area into the noodles if we would like for it to be spicy; the dry chili almost being similar to the Lao Gan Ma-esque type of chili that gives a smoky, piquant kick of spiciness that would tickle the tastebuds even for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness — we did feel that it wasn’t exactly necessary since we liked the clean notes of the sauce mix that felt especially warm and comforting as-is. The braised chicken leg came with flesh that was especially tender; juicy and fell off the bone cleanly without much effort — all that while the daikon was cooked till soft and bore a light sweetness that lingers at the back of the tongue. The coriander helps to cut through the meatiness of the chicken drumstick and the Mee Pok with its distinct flavour, while the beansprouts provided a good crunch. The lady at the stall also highly recommended their Fried Chicken Sausage — something which we had not come across in other Thai establishments (or we might not have paid attention to it); served in a portion size of nine (9) cubes per order, it almost akin to the Otah Tofu cubes that we have had but with cleaner flavours considering it comes with white meat (chicken) here instead with a slight peppery hint to match. Whilst most Thai food establishments tend to stick to serving the usual dishes such as Pad Thai and Basil Minced Pork Rice — mostly safe options to us locals here in Singapore, it is interesting to see how PhrikThai KuaiTiaoKai attempts to create its own character through the unique offerings that they have to offer; some being a little more exotic than others. Prices of the the noodles and rice dishes at PhrikThai KuaiTiaoKai range from $5 to $12; the lowest priced item being the Signature Noodles (without Chicken Feet), while the priciest item would be the Chicken Soup with Mixed Noodles. Overall, one of the more interesting options at Chinatown Complex Food Centre that is worth trying out especially for the more adventurous!

Chocolate w Banana Waffles ($3.60) tbh I wanted to try chocolate flavour only but I got challenge myself to the beyond. So I felt that banana was quite overripe alr tbh and too jelak for me. But chocolate itself was not bad.

Pandan Kaya Waffles ($2.50) The kaya jam got strong gula melaka taste and also got mild brown colour for jam. The or waffles texture is not that soggy or kuek.

Signature Coconut Chendol I saw them trying very hard to crush and melt the ice for my chendol. In the end it still came frozen as a block. The ingredients were also not ready for sale.

Pork croquettes 24++ The buah keluak aioli thing was quite interesting, but not overly strong

Roasted eggplant w minced lamb 20++ Took a while to come but eggplant was soft and minced lamb was decent too. The small pieces of cheese didn't help too much, and the popcorn things were soggy but that didn't rlly matter much Overall safe choice

Dried longan pecan tart 16++ Not very pecan, it's got a lot of Chinese ingredients and overall quite restrained on the flavours

Nasi Lemak For those whom have been looking at what we had been posting in recent times, it is likely that one would have seen our post some time back about a new Always Be Batter that has since been operating for a couple of months at Kovan. For those whom are unaware, Always Be Batter is a new establishment that had taken over the former premise of the now-defunct Two Cranes at Blk 211 Hougang Street 21 — a known hipster neighbourhood that is also home to some other notable establishments such as Tachinomiya, Claypot Valley, #3, an outlet of Nakhon Kitchen and the iconic Tam Chiak Kopitiam. Not delving much into the details of Always Be Batter since we had done so extensively in our previous post, but Always Be Batter has always centred their offerings around their waffles and croffles. It is in recent times that it seems like the folks at Always Be Batter had strayed into offerings of savoury food that is outside of their typical emphasis on waffles — this includes items that are listed on their “Hambagudon” and “The asian delights” sections on their menu. It was actually from a post that is posted by Always Abe Better on their social media that we got to know about their offering of the Nasi Lemak — the Nasi Lemak is an item that can be found on their “The asian delights” section of the menu, and is being described on the menu to consist of elements such as homemade breaded cutlet, sunny side up egg, coconut rice, house-made Nasi Lemak chilli, ikan bilis and cucumbers. One obvious thing where one can feel the amount of effort placed in the creation of the dish was in the way that it is being plated; banana leaves being folded into a shape of a bowl to contain the Nasi Lemak within. What really caught our attention enough to have us revisit Always Be Batter for the Nasi Lemak however was the execution of their coconut rice; staying true to their waffle-centric roots, the coconut-rice does look like they have went through the waffle press, coming four pieces with a shape that closely resembles that of Liege waffles. The coconut rice does exude a light pandan-esque fragrance like what one would expect out of a proper Nasi Lemak dish; that being said the texture of the rice is being further enhanced with crisp and slightly chewy mouthfeel considering how it has been pressed in the waffle machine before being served. The breaded chicken cutlet was also rather tasty; brined for sufficient flavour whilst being tender and juicy, the breaded chicken cutlet also did not feel in any way greasy, with its deep-fried, golden brown batter being pretty crisp as well. The sunny side-up comes void of any undesirable stench of overused oil; also comes with a molten, runny yolk that would be a crowd pleaser, while the Ikan Bilis were sufficiently crisp. Where it came to the house-made Nasi Lemak chili, this also came with a predominantly sweet that ended with a deep and earthier finishing note; something which we do expect from the typical Nasi Lemak chili out there. Truth to be told, the Nasi Lemak at Always Be Batter might sound like a rather basic offering on paper; that being said, we do enjoy the slight twist that they had given to their rendition of the Nasi Lemak — the use of the waffle machine in the preparation process of the dish being something we had not quite seen in other variants of the Nasi Lemak before. Aside from that, one could tell that Always Be Batter has placed quite a fair bit of emphasis in serving their food that is made from scratch; elements like the breaded chicken cutlet and the Nasi Lemak chili being items that could have came from supplied sources but are being painstakingly made with love to ensure patrons do get the very best that they have to offer — something that is also known from the waffle creations that Always Be Batter serves up. At $8.50, the Nasi Lemak at Always Be Batter is quite good value for money considering the effort and thought placed into the dish; one that is worth the go for those curious about their execution of the coconut rice especially!

Salmon I Love Just so happened to be hanging around Kovan and found out that Two Cranes that was operating in the area for quite some time is since become history — that being said, the space had become home to a new cafe since. The new cafe is named Always Be Batter; quite a bit of positive naming in there; they had claimed to be a new cafe based on what the staff had informed us, though they do seem to have quite a large number of followers on their Instagram account particularly for an establishment of its age. Given how fast the transition between the two establishments are, it is needless to say that Always Be Batter had used much of what Two Cranes had left behind when they had vacated the space — it is rather evident that most of the furniture and fittings have been retained, and the same can also be said about the facade which only saw minor repainting works. Despite that being said, Always Be Batter had placed a bit of effort in creating the space theirs; there is a theme of toy bricks where one can find throughout the entire space as part of the decor. The staff had introduced the cafe to be of one they have an emphasis on waffles, serving patrons both savoury and sweet variants of waffles. Beverages offered at Always Be Batter includes a line-up named Our Barista’s Creation that features some special concoctions as well as a special beverage for the month, espresso-based specialty coffee, cold brew coffee, tea / iced tea and drinking chocolate. Considering how we have headed down to Always Be Batter during a weekday evening, we were hoping to give their savoury waffles a go considering how we needed to have dinner. The list of savoury waffles offered at Always Be Batter is rather limited during the soft launch phase which we made our visit during; there were only three (3) savoury waffles on the menu — the Salmon I Love, Smokin’ Hot Aburi Duck, and Mr Pumpin’ Plant. We went for the Salmon I Love since the composition of the item was the least peculiar of the lot here — the dish being described on the menu to come with elements such as smoked salmon, rose lychee, and their “batter waffle”. As much as the naming convention of the dish goes here, we really liked how the Salmon I Love is — seemingly a wordplay on “someone I love” which sounds kind of cute anyway. All waffles are made-to-order and orders are placed via a online POS system to be scanned via a QR code; the online POS system also takes cashless payments directly from there after ordering as well. Considering the made-to-order nature of the waffles here; there was some waiting time for our Salmon I Love to be served up — that being said, 40 minutes from ordering did feel a little bit on the long side. We weren’t bearing very high expectations from the start — the actual presentation was actually better than the photos on the online POS system though it does look rather expectation to say the least. That being said, the impressions started to change as we went for a morsel of the waffle. It seems that the folks at Always Be Batter had created a waffle batter that is made to specially cater to their savoury waffle offerings — the waffle itself carries a crisp yet firm bite; not too dense, but it is certainly not the airy, light waffle that some establishments would serve up either with its considerable heft. It also manages to retain that texture despite it being left on the table for some times Amidst the buttermilk fragrance of the waffles, there is also a slight hint of cheese that provides a savoury note that makes it quite a good base to pair with savoury toppings over it — the folks revealed to us that they had apparently used a mix of cheeses in their waffle batter to achieve this result. The concept of the Salmon I Love seems to stem from a Lox Bagel; this is considering the use of dill, capers and cream cheese — all of which are elements that are not being mentioned in the menu’s description of the dish. Some might find the amount of cream cheese served with the dish a little jelak, but we thought that there was at least enough to go with the entire waffle — it also helps to gel the smoked salmon above with the savoury waffle beneath being sufficiently dense and smooth with just a bit of tang to it. The smoked salmon slices were fresh and came with just a slight hint of saltish-ness for flavour — all that with the capers and dill providing some tang and a herb-y note that makes it quite a satisfying breakfast-y affair. The inclusion of rose lychee was a bit remote; the rose being more of the petals that did not really add on to dish, while the lychee was a good-to-have but otherwise did not do much to the elements apart from the sweetness that it brings on its own. During our visit to Always Be Batter, we had also tried the Lychee Cold Brew Foam; this is essentially black cold brew coffee served with a lychee-infused moustache foam / macchiato cap / cream foam that one would usually find as an add-on at bubble tea-centric establishments. The coffee here comes with light body and a fruity flavour profile; matched well with the creaminess of the lychee-infused cream foam that was also sufficient my dense to provide a rich, creamy and fruity note — all that whilst being topped with two lychees above. The savoury waffles at Always Be Batter are priced at $16.90 to $19.90, while the sweet waffles (including the Waffle with Gelato offerings) are priced from $12.90 to $19.90; there is also a “Build a Batter Waffle” for kids that is shaped like a stick man which is priced at $12. We really weren’t expecting much out of Always Be Batter; that being said, it does seem that the establishment is serious in what they do — no doubt a lot of the character in its space is “borrowed” from the tenants that used to occupy the space, but we could definitely see a lot of heart placed into the creation of their dishes. The Salmon I Love was a beautifully designed dish — no doubt a safe combination, but one that is almost flawlessly executed; the Lychee Cold Brew Foam is a more adventurous item that achieved much of the same result as well. Apart from some of the teething issues such as the waiting times for the food, Always Be Batter seems to be on the right track; whether or not if they have to expand out of their waffle-centric focus to appeal to the residents around the area — only time will tell. Still, a spot that cafe-hoppers should probably add to the list of cafes to check out!

Ralph’s Coffee Soft Serve It does seem that fashion brands have been fusing F&B experiences amidst their retail concepts — a recent example being that of the pop-up Coach Cafe by Brawn & Brains Coffee in the Coach Play store at Keong Saik Road. Ralph Lauren’s Ralph’s Coffee however has a more global presence before having their very first Ralph’s Coffee in Singapore with outlets located in major cities such as New York City (where they had their first location globally), Doha, Hong Kong , Tokyo etc.; their very first location in Singapore was set up at the Ralph Lauren store at Marina Bay Sands. That being said, Ralph’s Coffee has expanded their operations with a second outlet that is being set within their store at Shaw Centre along Scotts Road; just walking distance away from Orchard MRT Station. Their location at Shaw Centre is bigger than the Marina Bay Sands outlet; this time comprising of a slightly larger seating space as well. The entire space is set in the middle of the Ralph Lauren store; this effectively splits up the retail space into two sections, flanking Ralph’s Coffee on both sides with the main entrance of the store from Scotts Road directly leading into Ralph’s Coffee instead. Ralph’s Coffee comes decked with the rustic decor of traditional coffeehouses in Europe — the large use of wooden elements, as well as the same that has been painted white provides a chic, old-school look that is timeless against the dark green accents of the cushioned seats and black and white photographs that adorn the walls; quite the theme for Ralph’s Coffee’s locations. For those feeling peckish, the food menu does comprise of a few sandwich options; that being said, the offerings for food are more tuned towards the sweet-tooths with a variety of cakes, cookies and soft serve ice-creams — all these complimenting their beverage offerings such as espresso-based specialty coffee and teas, just to name a few. One thing to note about Ralph’s Coffee is how they are using their very own blend of coffee beans for their coffee-related offerings here. Ralph’s Coffee calls their blend of coffee beans the “Ralph’s Blend”, with the Ralph’s Blend featuring beans sourced from South and Central America that they claim are from farms “emphasising the use of renewable resources”. They have also described the flavour profile of the blend to be “bold and classic”. Exclusive to the Singapore stores of Ralph’s Coffee is the Ralph’s Coffee Soft Serve; a twist of their original they comes as a vanilla soft serve. It is noted that the Ralph’s Coffee Soft Serve features an infusion of coffee that is brewed using the Ralph’s Blend — here, the soft serve is more on the slightly dense side and is creamy, though there are some areas that contained really tiny bits of ice that was not too much of a disturbance to the entire soft serve itself. The flavours of the soft serve is rich and milky with a subtle yet balanced caffeinated punch that lingers around the tastebuds; not too sweet as well. We also managed to give the Sea Salt Chocolate Chip cookies a go during our trip to Ralph’s Coffee as well; the cookies here are all warmed up before being served to the table. As much as the Sea Salt Chocolate Cookies looking pretty heavy and dense, the cookie is actually rather loose and crumbly hence being rather easy to eat without being particularly jelak. Warming up the cookie meant that the chocolate chips have been melted, resulting in a gooey chocolate ganache that is swirled amidst the crumbly cookie; the inclusion of sea salt adding a hint of saltish note to provide a flavour contrast from the chocolate chip. The Espresso Tonic comes with a slice of orange sitting atop; the beverage is sufficiently fizzy and cold — the orange further enhancing the bold body and fruity flavour profile of the cuppa even further. Ralph’s Coffee is an brand created on the brand image of Ralph Lauren, and it seems that they have indeed stuck to the brand DNA with their F&B offerings — the food items are simple and understated; nothing too flashy or fluffy but also hits the sweet spot being quite balanced for the sweets that we had tried. The slightly higher price point as compared to other specialty cafes are rather expected due to its relation with a prominent fashion brand; that being said, Ralph’s Coffee is certainly an establishment worth making a visit to see what they are all about.