Nam Nam noodle bar - 27 March 2013

Yes, tis true. Today I have gone from cafe to noodle bar with barely an hour in between.

I did stop for a browse in a bookstore, a novelty for me cause I have a kindle and also cause actual book stores are harder to find now adays. Sometimes I wish I didn't get my kindle cause the feel and smell of paper, to me, is lovely.

So here I am at Nam Nam noodle bar at Raffles City. Their other one is in the basement of Wheelock Place. I had to come now cause I have to pick up my little darling at 12.30. And anytime after 12, the line is horrendous.

Probly because Singapore is as obsessed with this place as I am. As mentioned in a previous post, I have a few Vietnamese friends who make the best food in the world! But when I need a fix and they haven't been labouring over their pho pot for a day, Nam Nam will do just fine.

Today $9.90 has gotten me the lunch set of southern rolls, beef pho and a refreshing iced lotus tea. They make their soups with no MSG, boiling it for over 24 hours and it is tasty, peppery and really comforting. Their southern rolls are fresh, tightly rolled (you should see my attempts at rolling fresh rolls) and rather good too.

With Andrea Bocelli blaring out of the CD store behind me, I'm rather happy to be here, my only regret is that I won't have room in my ample belly for one of Nam Nam's banh mi's. They are pretty good though the bun/filling ratio is a bit off and I prefer real baguette's (like at Sandwhich Saigon) instead of their soft bread rolls. Still. I am sad to not be able to have one today... Or will I?!

The crowd is starting to build up, people lining up behind me. Whoever did Nam Nam's concept and branding couldn't have done a better job. It's trendy enough to be seen at, casual enough to feel like the food will be good, priced well enough for a weekday lunch and the service is great even though you do most of it yourself.
They have you in and out in 1/2 an hour cause though the surrounds are nice, it's crammed enough for you to not linger. Which is what I have been doing. And I best get out of here and let one of the hungry masses in line take my seat.

Soho Coffee - 27 March 2013

I love it when I find a new sweet spot. And this place is truly sweet. It's lovely and cosy and tucked away off Armenian Street.

I had been here before a year ago and it was crowded and noisy but they have given it a revamp and now it's my kind of place. Beautifully styled and really good coffee. I could while away an entire morning here with my laptop and indeed, I think I'll do that tomorrow.

What's brought me here was the drama camp I have my little one in at the substation. And since I felt it was a horrible waste to pay $1.00 for 1/2 hr parking and only use 5 minutes for a drop off, I wandered down this alley, remembering this cafe we came to a year ago.

I was so excited by their revamp that yesterday I almost left without paying (having ordered a take away).

At pick up time, I thought I would try it again for lunch. They don't have an extensive menu but the toasted ham and cheese on wholewheat ciabatta was great. Even my little munchkin who I dragged along ate it and pronounced it ok.

So today I'm here for a sit down coffee. Chilling with smooth jazz and a beautifully made flat white.

Will come tomorrow and try their breakfast menu.

Loysel's Toy - 20 March 2013

We used to frequent this place on a Sunday, during and after the kids were in Little League. The ladies would be there first for a lovely quiet coffee and chat until we were joined by the hordes of children and the boys. Back then they had cosy chairs inside and the outdoor seating meant the kids had a bit of space. But now, they've replaced the comfy chairs inside with stark flimsy tables though the atmosphere is still cosy and lovely, especially because there are not that many people here at 10am on a weekday morning.

 

Loysel's is tucked away by the Kallang River and in a spot you would never expect to find a cafe. I loved this place then and i still love it now. (My hubby doesn't share the same love for this spot, probably because he only ever came when it was crowded and with all the kids who would already be hyped up from running around a field. But on a quiet morning, it is relaxing and serene.)

Ignore the dodgy tour busses and piles of trash that line the road on the way to the cafe. Once you get back to the 7 or 8 storey stand alone building, there is a park by the river and the ambience of the cafe helps you forget what you passed on the way. 

 

I got their muesli and yoghurt, so pretty in the glass cup, layered with berries and fruit on top. I like their muesli cause it's not very sweet at all. And the berries gave it a nice zing, though i left the beautifully sliced apples on the side because people who know me will know that i just can't do fruit like that. 

I decided to have a hand pulled coffee because i've never had one. The girl at the counter could tell that i was a novice on the finer points of coffee making cause i asked her – is it like percolated coffee? That stuff i used to drink all the time in college which i would make in the morning, then drink all day cause it'd sit there on the hot plate and stay warmish. Piled with sugar and cream. 

But no, this hand pulled coffee is something special. It took a full 5 minutes for them to make it. Lovingly letting it drip from top bit to bottom jug before finally pouring it into a heated mug and presented to me with a ginger cookie.

And it was a rather nice coffee, though i usually do a latte or flat white, the hand pulled is smooth, black and very drinkable. I didn't even put anything into it. Just drank it. And i think it took me less time to drink it than they took to make it.

I left with a bag of their Signature beans to try in my own espresso maker.

About Loysel's Toy:
Kid friendly - somewhat cause the outdoor area gives them room to run around, though you better keep an eye out that they don't get hit by a car or fall off the platform that they so can sometimes run up on.
Opening hours – Tues to Fri: 9am-6pm; Sat and Sun: 9am-7.30pm
Location – 66 Kampong Bugis, Ture 01-02. There's parking around and about for 50c per 1/2 hour.

Back to Baci

 

Not too long ago, this was my most regular breakfast place. If you wanted to find me on any given weekday morning, this would have been your best bet. People would stop me if they saw me elsewhere and ask why i wasn't at Baci. The staff got to know us - we even had a morning where the barista ran down to get low fat milk just for us.

But mummies who brunch are such fickle things. I think we stopped visiting here because they had changed the menu and didn't offer anything simple for breakfast. Not to mention the opening of Rabbit Carrot Gun (still to be blogged). Then the discovery of Penny University. And places farther afield, probably now serious contenders for our breakfast dollars because i got a car and could zip around to where ever i felt like.

Anyways, in need of a good coffee + Rabbit Carrot being closed + Gastromania suddenly serving bad coffee + being too lazy to get out of the east, i have finally found myself back at Baci and though the service is mediocre, the coffee is good and i enjoy sitting outside, under the fans, with not many other people around, watching the world go by on Joo Chiat Road.

Baci uses Illy beans, which i love and use at home. So the coffee was good. And they have revamped their menu again, this time again offering the basic breakfast. Just eggs and toast with generous amounts of butter, jam and marmalade on the side. Didn't they use to serve a cookie with their coffee? That seems to have disappeared or i'm remembering a different place.

Eggs were perfect. Nice and softly scrambled, though i did have to get up and ask for salt, pepper, a glass of water. Also asked for my latte to be in a cappucino cup and got the latte glass which isn't as bad as the one at Dome so i drank it anyways.  (Yes, it makes a big difference, the vessel the coffee is in. To me at least. Hate those aweful glass things. Love a cup with a nice shape and saucer to go with it. I think i would base my judgement of a cafe by the types of crockery they use to serve up their coffees over the quality of the coffee being served!) 

I think i'll come back to Baci. Maybe not every day like i was. There are just far too many places vieing for attention now adays. But they also do really good sandwiches for lunch and their other offerings look good. i just haven't tried them.

About Baci:

Kid friendly – i suppose so. There's a great kids menu and if you keep the little ones outside on the veranda where not many people sit, they can be quite happy there and not too much of an embarrassment for you.

Opening hours – Mon to Fri: 9am-10pm; Sat and Sun: 8am-10pm

Location – I12 Katong. There's parking here, though impossible on weekend afternoons or during peak lunch hours.

Web – http://www.baci.com.sg/

Chye Seng Huat Hardware - 9 March 2013

Someone told me about this interesting place in late January but it's taken me this long to get here. (Not to mention, this long to update my blog again. It's not that i haven't been anywhere. I just have been too busy to blog about it)

But this place deserves a bit of a mention. And believe me, it's had a few. Tucked away down an unsuspecting alley in the Lavender area, you would never know it's there if you were just driving by. I mean, who would really think "coffee" when going past their shopfront (that looks closed). And a name like Chye Seng Huat Hardware! If you weren't told about it, you would never know. The entry through a metal gate with big tow away sign opens up to a concrete area where the kids can run around if they want to (and if you want to bring them). It's like a secret, hidden away, which is probably why it's so popular. Everybody likes a bit of mystique. That and the coffee is fantastic.

You can see through the glass doors that there's a big line in there, and once inside, the stark, industrial outside contrasts nicely with the cool vibe around the oval bar where you order, they make coffee and display food and coffee making prowess. Yes, there is a long line. Mostly cause they make the coffees while you wait and then you go to your seat where the food is served later. But the coffee is definately worth the wait. It is wonderful. And the staff are all friendly and seem to know their stuff.

I love their saucers with pretty lettering proclaiming that "Capsules are Dead". I've been a big fan of Nespressos before, but truly, you can't compare it to a really well made coffee. The food is pretty good. i had scrambled eggs and bacon, but really, it's the coffees that make the place. I got back into the long line to get another cup before deciding that i would instead come back another day for a cup and maybe one of their delicious looking brownies.

They have retail along the walls (i almost got myself a knock box! But i refrained. Maybe another day). They have coffee roasters in another part of the building and in another room, a place where you can learn about the art of coffee. (I think i'll look into one of their classes) You can also buy beans and take them home with you - another thing that i'll be doing next time.

It is a bit out of the way (for me, a confirmed east coasty). But worth going to if you like your coffee and interesting places.

About Chye Seng Huat Hardware:

Kid friendly – Probly more so than the other little coffee shops cause they have that outdoor courtyard. Inside is a bit too crammed for my liking to have little tykes running around.

Opening hours – Tues to Fri: 9am-7pm; Sat-Sun: 9am-10pm (Kitchen closes at 5pm)

Location – 150 Tyrwhitt Road. There's offstreet parking if you're lucky enough to find one.

Web – http://www.cshhcoffee.com/