It’s been quite a while since we visited cafes such as these that are situated within the commercial shop spades of HDB estates; Dilly Deli is located at Blk 53B Strathmore Avenue; the block is a new addition (alongside Blk 53) to the Forfar Heights cluster of flats which is walking distance away from Queenstown MRT Station and Dawson Place. Decked in a rather modern, slightly industrial but minimalist style, the cafe serves up hearty buns (more like burgers), sourdough toasts, croissant sandwiches — all alongside sweet treats such as their lineup of cronuts and tarts, whilst also offering specialty coffee and bottled beverages (sourced from a locally-established brand, Imperfect Drinks).

Felt that the focus here seems to be primarily on the Cronuts — they do offer quite a good variety of flavours such as Coffee & Biscoff, Key Lime Pie and even a Milo Dinosaur version, though it was the Apple Pecan that seemingly caught our attention. Liked how the Apple Pecan is somewhat almost like one would expect from an apple pie including the pecans — the cronut comes with a layer of caramelised apples both on top and also in between the pastry. What appealed to me was the lightly-fried but crisp layered pastry; was surprised how it wasn’t particularly greasy, while the flakiness was well-matched with the soft chunks of caramalised apples that carried a slight tang without being overly sweet. The pecans added that slight crunch and a nutty touch for a contrast. Quite a good pairing with the Bottled Cold Brew (White) which they have sourced from Imperfect Drinks; the Singapura Cold Brew White exudes Nanyang Kopi vibes sans the sugary notes of condensed milk — so familiar and nostalgic.

The folks of Queenstown are a fairly lucky bunch, considering how the new HDB developments seem to always have a space dedicated for F&B establishments like these — Qi Philosophy Cafe at SkyTerrace@Dawson and Sky Cafe at SkyParc@Dawson being the other cafes being situated in the HDB developments in the area (also not forgetting the Patissier Woo branch also at SkyParc@Dawson). That being said, Dilly Deli’s spacious environment is probably the main draw here, alongside its decent food offerings — definitely a great hangout for the residents for some productive time spent in here.