Hello 2021! We start the year with a positive and sweet note with many new cafe openings, quite a number ice cream and waffles focused.
Other NEW restaurants and cafes you can venture to include Enjoy Eating House (Hotel Mercure on Stevens), Daisy’s Dream Café (KINEX), Gelatolabo (Mohamed Sultan Road), Kanada-Ya (Paragon), Isshin Machi 一心一町 (East Coast Road), Rockon Tokyo (Tanjong Pagar), Lucky Cat Café (Hougang), Peppermint (PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay), SOCIEATY (Farrer Park), Necessary Provisions (Tanglin Road) and AMPM Café (Ang Mo Kio).
The Chir Cafe & Bar
Holland Village, 26A Lor Mambong, Singapore 277685
Opening Hours: 9:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Brunch menu: 9.30am – 4pm; Dinner menu: 4pm – 10.30pm
1st Korean Cafe Concept By Famous Fried Chicken Brand
Korean food lovers will be familiar with Korean fried chicken brand Chir Chir (pronounced “chi-ruh chi-ruh”) – the famous fried chicken chain originating from Seoul, South Korea.
And yes, this is its first café concept in the world.
Expect brunch items designed by a team of Korean chefs available from 9:30am (till 4pm), all-day pasta, and a night menu of hearty Korean fare – think Chir Fried Chicken, Spicy Seafood Tteokbokki, Bacon Kimchi Dubu, to even Coke Ribs with Fries.
The recommended is the Bulgogi Tartine ($22.00), an open-faced sandwich with a thick slice of brioche for its base, slathered with a creamy spinach mascarpone spread, then topped with juicy bulgogi beef.
Another favourite is the Chir Chicken Waffles> ($17.50), the all-in-one meal featuring a crispy fried chicken thigh accompanied with a couple of soft and fluffy waffles, or technically “Croffle”. The Chir Café & Bar (Holland Village)
Porcelain Cafe By Gratefood Co
290 Orchard Rd, #04-48 The Paragon, Singapore 238859
Opening Hours: 11am – 6pm (Mon – Fri), 10am – 6pm (Sat – Sun), Closed PH
Magical-Looking Smoothie Bowls From Plant-Based Café
This is one café you may have completely missed out as you are doing your shopping at Orchard Road, a plant-based wellness cafe nestled within Porcelain Origins at The Paragon.
Other than smoothie bowls, they also serve up Singapore’s first mushroom & adaptogen specialty coffee, açaí, chia & coconut yoghurt bowls and thick smoothies, revolving around plant-based wellness.
I had the Beach Paradise ($24), and it was almost a perk-me-up upon seeing it for real – especially when you only see ‘instagrammable’ photos around and wonder what a normal customer would get.
A blueberry, blue spirulina powder and coconut yoghurt blend form the base; while maple granola, organic raw cacao nibs, feuilletine and sprinkles make up the ‘sand’. Porcelain Cafe by Gratefood Co. (Paragon)
Cafe Bakeaholic
The Brooks ll, 25 Springside Green, #01-12/13, Singapore 786015
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
Pretty Bakery Cafe Opened By Daughter Of Hong Kong TVB Actor Benz Hui
Don’t be surprised if you ever spot Hong Kong veteran actor Benz Hui 许绍雄 at Cafe Bakeaholic in Springleaf. This is because the shop is owned by his daughter, Charmaine Hui.
Spanning across 2 units with tall ceilings, the first unit has a fun and vibrant pink layout, with a ribbon-like waveform bespoke lighting, colourful chairs with terrazzo tabletops and a gold-trimmed glass display shelf showcasing the bakes of the day.
The menu at Cafe Bakeaholic is pretty extensive with both savoury and sweet items, ranging from Salad ($8 – $12) to Pizza ($13 – $15), All Day Breakfast ($10.90 – $14) and their rotating selection of Pastries ($3.50 – $7.50) and Desserts ($3 – $8).
2 flavours were also available for their Donuts, the Sugar ($2.80) and Cinnamon ($3), both a soft and fluffy with a chewy texture that was light and refreshing. Cafe Bakeaholic (Springleaf)
Culture Spoon
409 River Valley Road, Singapore 248307
Opening Hours: 7:30am – 11pm (Sun – Thu), 7:30am – 1am (Fri – Sat)
New Café Concept With Cakes, Thai, Indonesian, Filipino Food
Culture Spoon is a new co-sharing kitchen concept along River Valley Road, with a 40 seaters space (30 indoors and 10 outdoors) featuring different chefs and cuisines on different days of the week.
You get Thai, Western, Indonesian, Filipino Food, along with pastries and cakes – offered at different hours of the day.
Thai food is prepared by Wok with Man, Chef Wyman Wong who has prior experience at two-Michelin-starred Waku Ghin, and is available daily for lunch (11.30am – 2.30pm) and dinner (after 5.30pm).
Dessert is sourced from Cultured Bakeyard from 7.30am, whereas coffee is supplied by Quarter Life Coffee Roasters and Tea by The Tea Affair.
A co-sharing kitchen offering different cuisines in one space is definitely welcoming to the diners since they are given more options. Culture Spoon (River Valley)
Hundred Acre Creamery
Block 109 Clementi Street 11, #01-37, Singapore 120109
Opening Hours: 12pm – 12mn (Mon – Sun)
Winnie The Pooh Inspired Ice Cream Cafe Opens Till 12AM Daily
As to why “Hundred Acre Creamery”, the 25 seaters space is named after the fictional place in the book “Winnie-The-Pooh by A. A. Milne”.
As fans of the fictional story, the owners would like to share happiness, love and the value of companionship through their favourite childhood treats – ice cream and dessert.
Apart from the usual offerings such as Ice Cream (Single $3.80, Double $7, Premium +$1, Gourmet +$1.50), Rosemary Cone (+$1) and Waffle ($6), interesting desserts such as Life of a Coconut ($7), Coco Affogato ($8), Dalat ($9) and Coco Pandan Waffle ($10) can be found here too.
Unique flavours here include Peach Basil, Sea Salt Butter Caramel, Lilac Taro, Soursop Mint, Thai Tea Lychee, Ocean Blue (Nori with white chocolate) and Honey Chrysanthemum & Cacao Nibs.
The Peach Basil was my favourite – citrusy and fruity with distinctive aroma. The taste of fresh basil also balances well with the overall flavours. Hundred Acre Creamery (Sunset Way)
Burnt Cones
105 Clementi Street 12, #01-02, Singapore 120105
Opening Hours: 7am – 12mn (Mon – Sun)
Gelato And Waffle Cafe Opens 7AM Till 12AM Daily
Burnt Cones is the newest addition to Sunset Way, located right opposite Olla Specialty Coffee (also serves coffee, ice cream and waffles), with the famous old-school Balmoral Bakery in the vicinity.
As their name implies, Burnt Cones focuses mainly on their range of 12 gelato flavours (Regular Single $4, Double $7/ Premium Single $5, Double $9), Waffles ($6), Cones ($1) with a small menu of drinks such as Coffee (Black $4, White $5, Affogato ($10) and Tea ($4).
The choices are pretty common and on the safer side, with 4 regular flavours (Single $4, Double $7) namely Black Sesame, Fior De Latte (Milk), Earl Grey and Butterscotch.
The remaining 8 Premium flavours (Single $5, Double $9) consist of 85% Dark Chocolate, Tiramisu, Stracciamenta (Mint, Chocolate), Bacio (Hazelnut Chocolate), Pistachio, Scamorza (Smoked cheese) and 2 Sorbets: Mango Passion and Strawberry Basil. Burnt Cones (Sunset Way)
SlickShots
34 Whampoa West, #01-35, Singapore 330034
Opening Hours: 12pm – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
Minimalist MUJI-Style Coffee + Gelato Cafe At Boon Keng
With another new addition to the cafe scene, Slickshots (not Slingshots) has opened in the heartlands at Boon Keng offering gelato, waffles and coffee.
Stepping inside, the 20-seater space is decked in a simplistic, minimalist MUJI-style that incorporates white, grey and wooden elements together.
Four seats are available at the coffee bar counter for the serious coffee drinkers, who will like to interact with the barista over their cup of coffee.
Using the Throwback Blend from PPP Coffee, a 2-beans-blend of Brazil Rio Brilhante and Guatemala Sitio De Maria, their coffee menu offers a selection of Black, White, Brown aka Mocha for their espresso-based drinks, Oat Cold Brew and Filtered Coffee.
For the non-coffee drinkers, Cascara (Coffee cherry, the part that is enveloping the coffee beans which are the seeds), Chocolate, Pulpy Orange, Candied Apple and Sunset Lemonade are available. SlickShocks (Boon Keng)
Sundays Ice Cream
201 Telok Kurau Road (Kurau Court), Singapore 423910
Opening Hours: 4pm – 11pm (Mon – Fri), 4pm – 12mn (Sat – Sun)
East Coast Ice Cream Bar Opens Till 12AM During Weekends
Taking over the space previously occupied by 818 Durians & Pastries at Kurau Court, the 34-seater space has a simple interior with 12 indoors seats and 22 alfresco seats in their mini “courtyard”.
The menu is straightforward, offering Ice Cream (Single Classic $3.90, Double Classic $7, Single Premium $4.90, Double Premium $9), Cone (+$1.50) and Buttermilk Waffles ($4.90).
16 flavours are available each time, with classic flavours such as Black Sesame Street, Coco Lychee, Honeycomb, Coco Mint, Stracciatella (milk with chocolate shavings), Salty Caramel, Hazel’s Nut, Hazel’s Coco and Crema Mama (condensed milk).
Premium flavours include Honey Nougat, Fifty Shades of Earl Grey, Avocado Fellow, Hazel’s Kopi, Gingerbread Cookies, Caramelised Banana and Butterscotch.
Some flavours are as interesting-sounding, not commonly found in most ice cream bars. Sundays Ice Cream (East Coast Road)
Anther By Glasshouse
313, Outram Road Tan Boon Liat Building, #02-01, Singapore 169073
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Mon – Sun)
Hidden Cafe With Gorgeous Garden Space Near Outram
The Glasshouse at CHIJMES has earned quite a following for serving artisanal coffee in a pretty glasshouse-like setting and garden-esque décor.
Not many may know that they have started a “Anther” concept.
You can find the concept in collaboration with Angie’s Oyster Bar at Level 2 of Tan Boon Liat Building – which is quite known for the numerous furniture and home accessories shop.
The pastries offered include Classic Croissant ($5), Ham & Cheese Croissant ($8), Pain Au Chocolat ($6), Cinnamon Roll ($6), Assorted Loaf Cakes ($6), and Sea Salt Chocolate Sable ($3.50).
Good place to chill out after furniture shopping opposite. Anther By Glasshouse (Outram)
Halfpipe Skate Bar
111 Somerset, #01-15, Singapore 238164
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 10:30pm (Mon – Sun)
Skateboard & Snowboarding Themed Coffee Space At Somerset
Halfpipe is the newest cafe in town at Triple One Somerset Orchard Road, opened by the folks behind The Ride Side, a Snowboarding Company in Singapore.
A retail and drinks concept that incorporates coffee, craft beers, snowboarding and skateboarding, Halfpipe wants to create a space for the board sports community to gather together.
A 2-beans-blend of Brazil and Colombia roasted by Penny University is used for their espresso-based drinks such as Black ($4) and White ($5) with additional top-up of $1 for Iced, Espresso shot or Otis Oat Milk.
Diners also can choose to bring home their houseblend (200g for $18, 1kg for $55) decked in bright red and loud colours. Halfpipe Skate Bar (Somerset)
Other Related Entries
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore Dec 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore Nov 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore Oct 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore Sep 2020
10 NEW Cafes In Singapore Aug 2020
* Compiled by Daniel Ang @DanielFoodDiary and Nicholas Tan @stormscape.