The “Circuit Breaker” period was a challenging period for many restaurants and cafes, and especially so for these NEW establishments which have just opened.
Other than the more established names, I felt that I needed to showcase some of the more hidden less-publicised spots, like a creative bubble tea shop at VivoCity called Beyond Coffee, inexpensive Thai & kopi food place near Bukit Ho Swee, and a cafe at Potong Pasir run by the 3rd gen of Shangri-La Confectionary and Delicatessen.
Enjoy!
Beyond Coffee
Vivocity 1 Harbourfront Walk #02-135/136 Singapore 098585
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
Bubble Tea & Coffee Place With Creative Flavours
While new bubble tea places are dime-in-a-dozen, the menu of this new shop Beyond Coffee at Vivocity may make you stop in your tracks.
This offerings is quite unlike anything else you would find in Singapore, with categories of “Special”, “Addiction”, “Cool”, “Crafted”, “Coffee” and “Jelly”.
Its specialty beverages include Tomato Tango ($7.50) which is a combination of cherry tomato, seaweed and coffee; Go Bananas ($7.50) with banana cheese foam, banana and milk; Osmanthus Prime ($4.90) of Osmanthus with milk, coffee, cheese foam and gula melaka boba; and Crack Mee Up ($7.50) added with popping boba and salted egg yolk biscuit. Wah.
As they are still in the soft launch phase, I had the safer choice of a cooling Sabai Sabai ($6.50) of lemongrass, lemon and coffee. An interesting combination that made me feel like I was in a spa.
I shall get more adventurous the next time.
Kki Sweets
3 Seah Street, #01-01, Singapore 188379
Tel: +65 9799 2668
Opening Hours: 11am – 6pm (Wed – Sat), 11am – 4pm (Sun), Closed Mon, Tues
Well-Loved Dessert Bar Makes Its Return With Delicate Cakes & Plated Desserts
It has been a long wait, but Kki Sweets is FINALLY back again.
This time it takes on a different form and style, located at Seah Street, the ground level of Raffles Hotel. Reservations are highly recommended.
What’s available include delicate cakes and plated desserts.
The cakes have cute names, and you can make a guess of its components – Marronnier ($9.50), “J” ($13.50), Koide ($10.50), Arata ($10.50), Teh ($9.50), and Fromage ($13.50), all on a rotational basis.
The other cake I took pleasure in was the “Teh” ($9.50) coming with earl grey mousse with a core of pear, because there was a level of unexpectedness as well. Kki Sweets (Seah Street)
Kizuna
148 Potong Pasir Ave 1, #01-37, Singapore 350148
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Tue – Sun), Closed Mon
Run By 3rd Gen Of Shangri-La Confectionary and Delicatessen
The existing space was previously occupied by “Shangri-La Confectionary and Delicatessen”, which is no stranger to the residents in the area as it has been around for more than 30 years.
The current 3rd generation had decided to step up and continue the “family’s legacy” revamping the entire space from a bakery to a café.
Their menu is mainly focused on pastries and coffee, with a small selection of Lunch Bowls available on certain days of the week.
The Ceviche Lunch Bowl ($15.80) is served with tuna, swordfish, nori, shoyu, black sesame seeds, tobiko and a dollop of wasabi by the side.
Unlike their Peruvian counterpart with a distinctive citrus-ness in their marination which is known as Tiger’s Milk, the version at Kizuna was more Japanese Chirashi-like using a shoyu-base sauce. Kizuna (Potong Pasir)
Thong Aik Coffee
78 Indus Road #01-495 Singapore 161078 (15 min walk from Tiong Bahru MRT Station)
Tel: +65 8901 7155
Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm (Mon – Sat), Closed PH
Nanyang Coffee & Authentic, Affordable Thai Cuisine
Thong Aik serves up Nanyang coffee in the morning, and Thai food from lunch (11am) to dinner as it is a collaboration with Ying Thai (not to be confused with Yhingthai Palace Restaurant).
Starting with the morning offering from 8am to 11am, there are items of Lu Rou Fan aka Braised Pork Rice Bowl ($3.90), Century Egg Porridge ($2.90), and Green Bean Soup with Gula Melaka ($2).
As for lunch, you can expect something totally different with Basil Minced Pork Rice ($6), Thai Fried Rice ($5.50), Tang Hoon with Pork or Chicken ($5.50), Green Curry Chicken with Rice ($6), Pineapple Fried Rice Chicken ($5.50), Phad Thai ($7) and Tom Yum Fried Rice ($5.50).
The chef specialises in authentic home-cooked Chiang Mai cuisine, so you would find their dishes fragrant and flavourful. Thong Aik Coffee (Indus Road)
Brew’ Kopibar
2 Havelock Road, Havelock II, #01-10 Singapore 059763 (Clarke Quay MRT station exit A)
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sat), 10:00 am – 10:30pm (Sun)
Undiscovered Spot With No GST At Havelock II Mall
Brew’ Kopibar is the newest kid in the Havelock II Mall, a venture of 3 buddies who used to work in the CBD area; and are kopi-lover by day and craft beer fanatic by night themselves.
They serve up traditional beverages in the morning such as Kopi, Teh, Milo, Yuan Yang, and even a Kopi Milo combination; complemented by a menu of familiar home favorites such as paus, kaya butter toasts and soft-boiled eggs.
On the other spectrum, they serve a range of international craft beers from local, and taps include 3 home-stays and 3 rotating ones to keep things more varied. Brew’ Kopibar (Havelock II Mall)
NOA
17 Stanley Street, Singapore 068736
Opening Hours: 8am – 4pm (Mon – Fri), Closed Sat, Sun
Specialty Coffee Place Focusing On South East Asian Sourced Beans
Cafe in the day by the name of “NOA”, bar at night called “Laut”, this is located along Stanley Street near Tanjong Pagar.
“NOA” means “water” in Lao language whereas “Laut” means “sea” in Malay.
Noa focuses on seafood such as Squid Adobo, Fish Rendang and Sambal Prawn served with Nasi Ulam rice ($15).
The seafood is sourced locally from Ah Hua Kelong, served alongside blue pea flower rice.
Using a single origin from Musfaha, Indonesia in their espresso-based drink, the triple-picked natural processed coffee from Sumatra Mandheling has a sweet milk chocolate and malty flavour. NOA Singapore (Stanley Street)
Venture Drive Coffee
2 Venture Drive, Vision Exchange, #02-41, Singapore 608526
Opening Hours: 9am – 4pm (Mon – Sat), Closed Sun
White Minimalist Cafe Hidden At Jurong East Vision Exchange
The spanking white cafe is spacious (good for social distancing), with minimalist white approach from the walls, bar top, long communal table, stools to the chairs.
Focusing on single origin coffee beans that are roasted in-house, their menu offers only beverages such as Black ($4.50 – $10), White ($5 – $6.50), Mocha ($6 – $7), Chocolate ($6 – $7) and Tea ($6). Venture Drive Coffee (Jurong East)
The cup of Flat White has a medium body packed with floral, citrusy with berries notes, refreshing for the hot weather these days.
Little House of Dreams
58 Seng Poh Road, #01-15, Singapore 160058
Tel: +65 9030 4959
Opening Hours: 8am – 9pm (Sun – Thurs), 8am – 10pm (Fri – Sat)
Pink Cafe At Tiong Bahru
Not exactly a “new” place, but not manu may know that Little House of Dreams moved from Dempsey to Tiong Bahru, right opposite the popular Tiong Bahru Food Centre.
If you love all-things pink, the café is hallmarked by a signature pink façade and floral doorway.
Menu wise, it offers a selection of favourite brunch and deli items such as Honey Soy Salmon and Soba ($21.90) marinated in their special homemade sauce; and Pulled Pork with mixed spice Brioche ($10.90).
For the sweet-tooth, go for their Everyday Chocolate Cake ($7.90) which is moist and decadent with chocolatey goodness, frosted with chocolate ganache for added smoothness.
Bad Badtz-Maru and Gudetama Pop-Up Café
Kumoya @ 8 Jalan Klapa Singapore 199320
Opening Hours: 12.00pm – 9.30pm, Last Order 30 minutes before closing (Tues – Sun) Closed Mon
Duration: 30 July 2020 (Thurs) to 1 Nov 2020 (Sun)
Bad Badtz-Maru and Gudetama Pop-Up Café Near Bugis
This is the first-ever cross-over pop-up café between 2 beloved Sanrio characters in Singapore and South East Asia.
Since National Day is coming, the theme of “SingapoLAH!” is quite apt, in which dishes feature Gudetama and Bad Badtz-Maru will spout our very own brand of Singlish phrases.
The menu will features themed 5 mains, 4 desserts and 6 beverages, specially designed by @LittleMissBento (Shirley Wong) together with the Kumoya kitchen team.
Recommended dishes include the Relax Lah! Japanese Curry Seafood Rice ($28.90), Don’t Play Play Double Burger (S$26.90), a dish that consists of two double petite teriyaki chicken cutlet burger, and the dessert of Lazy Chocolate Ball of Surprise ($24.90) which contains something cute after you knock it open. Bad Badtz-Maru and Gudetama Pop-Up Café (Jalan Klapa)
Leckerbaer Singapore
350 Orchard Road, Shaw House Isetan Scottss #01-K2 & #01-K3, Singapore 238868
Opening Hours: 11am – 8pm (Mon – Sun)
Danish Butter Cookies from Copenhagen
From Denmark to Singapore, Leckerbaer was founded by two pastry chefs, Gabi and Jakob Baer Mogensen, who have extensive experience in the Scandinavian Michelin-Star scene.
The pastry shop makes everything from scratch and there are 8 småkager in the counter to choose from. Flavours in Singapore include Banana, Milk, Chocolate, Vanilla, Passionfruit, Raspberry, Lemon, and Caramel.
A box of 8 pieces goes for $22 (that means $2.75 per piece of cookie), 12 at $32, and 16 at $40.
Other than cookies, also available are tarts, cakes, summer sundae, ice cream sandwich and breakfast sets.
Other Related Entries
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore July 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore April 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore March 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore Feb 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore Jan 2020
* Compiled by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary and Nicholas Tan @stormscape.