Thursday, June 18, 2015

Dapper coffee

Ahoy there me hearties! That's what I thought of when I got here. Could be all the wood panelling and old lanterns but I'm pretty sure that crusty old sailors never got coffee this good! One could turn their nose up at the hodge podge of bits and pieces. I have to say that when I came in February, I was one of those persons. But for some reason now, i'm really liking the vibe. I feel a bit like a treasure hunter who has wandered into an old fashioned tavern full of wonders.

In an act of irresponsibility, I've decided not to rush home to my baby but instead I've stopped for a coffee after dropping my hubby off. (I guess that means i'm irresponsible almost every day! And cheating again on my regular coffee place!)

A couple signs on the street signify where to go and I bumble up the long flight of stairs. Gee i've gotten unfit! And it's only halfway up the stairs then through a door that could possibly have been found at an indian restaurant? Hmmmm.

Popping my head in, I yell out "hello" and find owner, Christina at the back putting together a strawberry tart. I'm not in a huge hurry so I watch for a bit then wander out to the front where Christina makes me a great latte, served in a vintage cup that she found at an antique store. She's a collector of sorts with different little vessels to be used for espressos, milk, you name the liquid. I'm loving the mix that is sat atop their coffee machine.

They have a small breakfast and lunch menu of interesting items that they change ever so often and I've promised to come back and try their Japanese inspired lunch one day soon (hopefully before they change it).

On my way out, I ask about their nut milks which they make in house. Christina gives me a sip of their hazelnut milk and it is gooood. I can imagine it with a hot chocolate for a fabulous Nutella drink. Mmmmm.

At night the "ship" turns into a cocktail bar and I have visions of an old sailor with a peg leg and perhaps someone with an eye patch to be sitting on a barstool along their copper benchtop. 




Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Huggs

Ever so often I'll slink by Lauren Jasmine in the morning and, feeling like a cheating spouse, wander up the street to Huggs. Reason? Well to be honest, it's cheap and cheerful.

It's not much for ambience, stools and tables packed in tightly. But the coffee is well made and they do interesting things like their Latte Gula (made with gula melaka for some local flavour) which I've been told is quite popular and for $4.00, a bargain.

Wraps and sandwiches seem to be ok and they have a strong clientele of regulars. Take away seems to be the order of the day and they don't have cute cups and saucers, serving their super hot beverages in standard mugs. My hubby loves the temperature of their drinks but I let it sit a bit so I can drink it without burning my mouth.

It's got a good vibe but leave your kids behind especially during lunch cause you'll b lucky to find a seat!





Thursday, June 11, 2015

Made by Lauren Jasmine


Gosh I love a place that combines food and retail. And when the coffee is decent and the clothes are 75% off, even better!

I stop here almost every day that I drop hubby off to work. It's just about my favourite time of the day - some time alone together! What a luxury. But for shame! I squander much of that time trawling through the collection of Lauren Jasmine garments and the other brands sold by Eclecticism. (Maybe that's why it's my favourite time of the day...  shhhh!)

They have 3 levels of retail and 2 levels where you can sit and have a coffee in a very private setting (especially on level 2). I can imagine many a secret deal being made up there, in amongst the hangers of frocks and tops.

The cafe's pretty good too. Friendly staff, good coffee and home made pies and cakes. I haven't tried these though, probably because I'm there so early in the morning that a pie and a cake is the last thing on my mind! (Even though one could argue that it might not be...)

I do have to say though, that I love the retail. Besides the clothes, they also have a quirky collection of jewellery, bags and beautiful letterpress stationery - among other things. I like looking at all the pretty little objects while I'm waiting for a pretty good coffee.


About Made By Lauren Jasmine:
www.facebook.com/MadeByLaurenJasmine
Kid friendly - Well, with all those pretty little things, it could be a bit of a disaster 
Opening hours – Monday to Friday 8:00am – 6:00pm, Saturday 9.00am – 4.00pm
Location –47 Amoy Street, Singapore 069873
There's parking off street for 50c per 1/2 hour.




Friday, June 5, 2015

The Hangar

Hi! Oh excuse me, how long has it been since my last post?! Too long. Way too long... But now I'm back and what better way to start over than with a newish cafe that I've never been to before.

The Hangar on Arab Street was suggested by a friend after she chanced upon it while buying ribbons. So of course, on my next free morning I met the gorgeous S there, bringing along my 6 month old baby. (yes, THAT happened!). It's a cosy little cafe, dark inside and easy to miss from the outside. But it's friendly. And the coffee is great!

They roast their own beans under the brand Sexy Coffee and that it is.  I told the helpful barista to give me whatever she would recommend and I got a long black with a nice thick layer of crema on top. "Let it settle a bit", she told me. And so I did while I ordered their smashed avocado on house made sourdough topped with crumbles of feta and served with a wedge of lemon. Yum. Yum.  That's all I can say!

And the coffee was delish. Chocolaty and smooth. I even didn't mind it long and black. Rather nice to sit on those hard wooden benches, chatting and watching an eclectic group of people wander in, most of whom were recognised by the staff and warmly welcomed.

At the next table over, someone had ordered the muesli which also looked delicious, so I leaned over and took a photo of it...  How rude! But turned out it belonged to the owner of the cafe who filled us in on his little cafe and more.

They bake their own sourdough with starter brought over from Melbourne. Nice and dense with just the right amount of tang. And I was truly excited by his plans for a sourdough bakery and cafe on the east where they would also make some fabulous Turkish breads. I can't wait for that!

So go and enjoy a coffee and bread, but leave your babies behind. There isn't much room there and my W ended up spilling coffee all over S!

Ps. Half baked brownie is divine and evil all at the same time

About The Hangar:
http://thehangar.com.sg/Kid friendly - Nope
Opening hours – Monday 8:30am – 7:00pm, Closed Tuesday, Wed to Sunday 8.30am – 11.00pm
Location – 25 Arab Street, Singapore 199724
There's parking off street for 50c per 1/2 hour.