Drips Bakery Café opens its second outlet at Ngee Ann City. Established in 2010, Drips Bakery Café is a café in Tiong Bahru (Tiong Poh Road) which is known for its tarts and some of their signatures include Seasonal Fruits Tart, Baked Lemon Tart and Choc Truffle Tart.

The new space at Ngee Ann City is located at Tower B #B2-31, near to Wangz Cafe and Guardian. There’s only have limited seatings with a few tables.

Other than their signature tarts, Drips Bakery Café also serves a variety of cakes and pastries.

The new outlet at Ngee Ann City has two ongoing promotion—any scone/teacake/butter croissant with a beverage at S$6 or any slice of baked tart and a beverage at S$11.80.

Drips Bakery Café
Ngee Ann City
Tower B #B2-31
Daily: 8am – 9pm

Cupping Room Coffee Roasters is opening its first outlet in Singapore at Ngee Ann City.

One of the most established independent coffee shops in Hong Kong, Cupping Room Coffee Roasters is opened by the champion of the Hong Kong Barista Championship 2013.

Cupping Room Coffee Roasters Singapore is located on level two of Ngee Ann City, taking over the unit directly opposite Van Cleef & Arpels. The hoarding is already up and they will be officially opening to the public on 10 Oct 2020.

Photo Credit: Cupping Room Singapore

From first look, the interior of the Singapore outlet is very different from Cupping Room Hong Kong.

Photo Credit: Cupping Room Singapore

The space is conceptualised and designed by Brewin Design Office and it is inspired by the layers of coffee and milk mixing; nude tones weave between solid brown shades and are held together by concrete and stone elements.

The arrival of Cupping Room Coffee Roaster in Singapore is definitely great news for coffee lovers.

Cupping Room Singapore
391 Orchard Road
Level 2 Ngee Ann City
Singapore 238872

Read: 34 best coffee shops in Singapore that you have to visit at least once.

There’s nothing too groundbreaking about an Australian-style cafe in Singapore. We mean, Singapore is basically filled to the brim with them. But, one that jazzes up into a swanky Asian bar by night? Now, that’s a head-turner.

S l a t e . is the latest addition to Purvis Street, a small hip district that foodies flock to for a dignified brunch or laidback evening hangout. Opened by the team behind Miam Miam, this cafe-bar prides itself on its evolving menu which goes from hearty brunches to modern Asian tapas.

The founding team had lived in Melbourne for about a year before moving back to Singapore, bringing back with them Aussie-inspired brunches and secrets to a great cuppa.

We dropped by during lunchtime and were warmly received by the very friendly owners.

Their spacious interior is a blend of clean and classy vibes, finished with pops of blue to lend a touch of serenity.

One of the first few things that’ll catch your eye is the hulking luminous shelf of spirits and wines that takes center-stage in the bar area. Their coffee machine sits quietly at the side, whirring away as it churns out flat whites and long blacks.

Their lunch menu features small bites such as Seafood Fritters and Thunder Fries while their mains saw a mix of Asian and Western dishes.

Our first dish was the Oxtail Ragout Rigatoni (S$16). Visually, it looked super appetising — a generous amount of rigatoni soaking in a jacuzzi of 8-hour-braised oxtail tomato stew and finished with a grating of Asiago cheese.

Thankfully, it tasted as good as it looked. The rigatoni was perfectly al dente and had melded gorgeously with the sauce, which was well-seasoned and lightly spiced. The oxtail was really tender and had completely soaked up the essence of the stew.

Sadly, the S L A T E . Chicken Rice ($13) didn’t fare as well. It wasn’t a bad dish, that’s for sure — succulent grilled chicken thigh, runny sunny side up and perfectly cooked rice. But, the whole dish didn’t seem to gel very well as a whole and felt slightly dull.

We would have preferred if more flavour was infused into the rice and for a complementing sauce to tie the whole dish together.

Although there were hits and misses, we thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience S l a t e. With their warm service, soulful food and great ambience, this establishment is just bursting with potential.

We’re sure that with the right tweaks and improvements, they’ll soon be on their way to becoming one of Bugis‘ most flocked-to dining spots.

S L A T E .
24 Purvis St, #01-00, Singapore 188601
Mon to Thu: 10.30am – 10.30pm
Fri: 10.30am – 11.30pm
Sat: 9am – 11.30pm
Sun: 9am – 4pm
Nearest Station: City Hall / Esplanade

Run by the same guys behind the now-defunct Ronin and Punch at North Canal Road, Gather is their new concept at Raffles Hotel Arcade that opened its doors on the 1st of February.

Gather serves both sweet and savoury French crêpes, sandwiches, baked goods, coffee and other beverages. Being a treat loved by most, crêpes are no stranger to us, but what makes Gather stand out amongst the rest? Read on to find out!

Being situated in a British colonial designed building, Gather boasts an old-school charm. The simple interior and open concept was inviting and comfortable;  it is a cosy place to unwind and spend some private time.

They have a merchandise corner as well for those who might be interested in take-homes such as soap, fragrance oil and so on.

We had the Parma Ham (S$18) that came with Italian parma ham, Gruyère, cheddar and egg. It was absolutely delightful with a crispy outer layer and when layered and folded, it had a chewy and fluffy texture. The parma ham and cheeses paired well with the light batter, while the egg in the middle helped to reduce the saltiness.

You’d expect this combination to be too overwhelming with sodium that it might be cloyingly sick but we promise you, it isn’t.

You get to witness the skilful crêpe making process over the counter as they freshly prepare it upon ordering at their open-concept kitchen.

Currently, they have six types of savoury and three types of sweet crêpes on their menu. Main or dessert, up to you!

Breakfast is never complete without a cuppa. The White (S$5 for 5oz) had a nice froth and was fragrant, but no wow-factor from it nor a differentiating flavour from other coffee shops. Still, it is a decent cup of coffee for a casual caffeine fix.

The crêpe itself was enough to make us want to revisit this cafe again. Good ambience and great hospitality from the staff there! They were really cheerful, welcoming and polite, constantly making sure everything was of satisfaction and made appropriate recommendations.

Also, they are still in their soft launch period until the 5th of February where payment is by a tipping basis to pay-as-you-like. Give these guys a visit ASAP for some great food and vibes!

Gather
328 North Bridge Road
#01-12 Raffles Hotel Arcade
Singapore 188719
Mon to Sat: 8am to 10pm
Sun: 8am to 6pm

Catching our attention is the newly-opened kómma Social Café, which recently opened its doors just last year in December at Paya Lebar Quarter (PLQ). Boasting an open-concept interior, the minimalistic space is adorned with plush cushions, seats, and shelves of artisanal crafted goods, making it a casual hangout spot for one to chill and sip on a cuppa with their pals.

They also host monthly workshops and activities, aiming to start conversations amongst the creative community.

kómma serves up a selection of pastries and coffee, offering only small bites for the casual diner.

We tried the Chocolate Banana Waffle (S$10); you can choose between a half and full waffle and complement them with either sweet or savoury toppings.

The Chocolate Banana waffle is first toasted, laden with chopped roasted banana slices, butter and then sprinkled with cocoa nibs and sugar. The thick waffle also came with a Nutella spread. But to be honest, we thought that the waffle was very underwhelming; they were soggy and undercooked.

Just stick to drinks and forget about the waffle.

Get your caffeine fix with their Iced Latte (S$5.50)! For coffee enthusiasts, kómma has collaborated with Huggs Coffee, offering coffees made from speciality coffee blends.

The beverage was smooth and creamy, leaning towards the lighter, milkier side. If you are a mild coffee lover and prefer something less strong and bitter, then you will definitely like this drink.

kómma Social Cafe
Paya Lebar Quarter Mall
10 Paya Lebar Road, #01-20
Singapore 409057
Mon to Fri: 8:30am – 10pm
Sat & Sun: 10:00am – 10pm
Nearest Station: Paya Lebar