Shared-space cafes are all the rage right now and we are seeing east-side cafe Stamping Ground Coffee adopting this genius concept at its new location in the Siglap neighbourhood.
Located along Upper East Coast Road, Stamping Ground Coffee shares the same space with a florist—Dawn Q Floral Design. The end result was unexpected; two inherently different businesses co-existing harmoniously in a single venue.
Over the years, East Coast Road has established itself as a dining destination with its sheer number of food and beverage tenants. Two-week-old Nyam Nyam Chicken & Beer is the newest addition to the bustling stretch and we reckon it makes a perfect dinner spot.
East side dwellers rejoice – you no longer have to travel all the way to Tanjong Pagar to satisfy your Korean food cravings.
Scoop Therapy is a dessert-only spinoff of Group Therapy, serving mainly ice cream and ice cream-centric desserts. The small space sits in the East of Singapore, and you might already have seen photos of their Instagram-worthy desserts on your social media feeds.
We were pretty tempted by pictures of their sultry S’mores and Ice Cream Bomb floating around social media, so we made a trip down to find out what the hype is all about.
So, was the trip worth it?
Stepping into Ninethirty by awfullychocolate in East Coast Road is like visiting a long lost friend at his/her home. An immediate sense of comfort welcomes you, and your senses will be drawn to the aromatic smells wafting from the kitchen.
Ninethirty also doubles up as the flagship Awfully Chocolate store, and it is the only concept of its kind in Singapore.
It is a casual bistro that is suitable for a night out with a group of friends, or a date with your partner. It is nothing too fancy, just a simple and unpretentious space that serves a reasonably-priced menu of comforting Western food with Asian touches, chocolate cocktails as well as the most amazing chocolate desserts.
No lack of dining options if you are at the Katong neighbourhood, and there are always new diners and cafes spouting out. But Carvers & Co got our attention for their concise and highly-raved menu. It does not have a fancy decor to boast of, but it seems they are a comfort for many residents.
They’ve got different menus for weekdays and weekends, and even lunch and dinners differ. The deals on weekends are surely more enticing, and you can expect dishes like Truffle Eggs on Toast (S$15) and Earl Grey French Toast (S$16).
With a tongue-in-cheek name like Rabbit Carrot Gun, it is hard not to do a double take when we passed this watering hole along East Coast Road. Like its name suggests, Rabbit Carrot Gun does not take things too seriously. The menu is full of quirky dishes that fortunately turned out fairly well.
Hainanese chicken rice is Singapore’s national dish, it is a must-eat food when you are here. When you ask locals for recommendations, it is impossible to agree on which is the best chicken rice in Singapore as everyone has their own favourites.
However, no one will deny that Tian Tian Chicken Rice is one of the most famous chicken rice stalls. It even gained the approval of Anthony Bourdain when he was in Singapore.
It’s amusing to watch the rate at which restaurants in Singapore open and close, so it was partly out of curiosity that we decided to visit Tamon Izakaya (214 East Coast Road) which has survived the test of time and influx of competitors to stay in operation for 18 years.
This Japanese eatery sits no more than 30 people, but we liked that tables were spaced sufficiently far apart to allow privacy of conversation. The restaurant was fully packed on a Saturday evening despite the horrors of parking along East Coast road, but we hear that business is quiet during lunch.