SG Cafe Series: Water Drop Teahouse

Water Drop Teahouse is a unique café, located in a corner of Punggol.  Housed in Buddhist Centre, Fo Guang Shan (Buddha's Light Association, Singapore) , the cosy cafe serves vegetarian snacks and meal.  The place seems to be pretty crowded on weekends but fortunately, the café is spacious and it won't be difficult to get seats.



 

While having a cuppa, diners can also browse at the CDs, books, artifacts and accessories available for sale.  It is a good place for getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

The menu is environment friendly.  You can place your order by writing the order quantity on the laminated menu using a marker pen, present it at the cashier, make the payment and the food will be prepared. 

The café has a good selection of beverages ranging from fruit juices to coffee to tea and even bubble tea.

These were the 2 snacks that I ordered - Fried Pumpkin Patty and Kimchi Roll respectively.  They looks quite ordinary but in fact, they were delicious.

On another occasion, I ordered this tofu peanut snacks.  It was kind of chewy, like mocha.  The sauce was savoury and I thought it was quite unique.  The mocha was also delish.

Ah, and I ordered a noodle dish - 随缘面。  Oh well, I didn't know that it was a mushroom noodles dish and hence, it wasn't to my liking.  I always find that shitake mushroom taste is too strong.

Water Drop Teahouse

Address:

Fo Guang Shan (Singapore)
No.1 Punggol Place (3rd floor), Singapore 828844
Tel ：(65) 6411 0596

Opening Hours：

Tuesday to Friday	:	10am – 6pm
Saturday	:	10am – 7pm
Sunday and Public Holiday	:	10am – 5pm
Closed on Monday

 

Website: http://www.blia.sg/en/waterdrop.aspx

 

Getting there: Take MRT to Punggol Station and walk 6 mins to Fo Guang Shan.

 

 

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SG Cafe Series: Charlie Brown Cafe

There aren't many cartoon-themed café in Singapore.  In fact, I think Charlie Brown Café might be the one and only one.  Located in 313 Somerset, it is easily accessible by public transport, food is reasonably-priced and is a pretty good place to chill out.  Good thing is - there is no service charge but GST is still applicable though.

That's a Charlie human-sized figurine that welcomes all guests into the café.  If you're a Peanuts comic strip fan, this is a place to check out.  Other than food and beverages, character souvenirs are be purchased here.

The café adopts a open concept, which means that it may get a little warm and humid especially during the warmer months.

Besides coffee, tea, baked pastries, they also serve all-day breakfast, soup, salad, sandwich, finger food and ala carte meal items.

Tried the fried chicken wings.  It was quite delicious.  The colour may appear a little dark but it was in fact, flavourful.

The café runs a membership programme and members are entitled to 15% discount.  Do make good use of the discount ^^

Charlie Brown Café
313 Orchard Road #01-25/25A (Discover Walk; facing open carpark)
Singapore 238895
Tel: 68365344
Website: http://www.charliebrowncafe.com.sg/

Getting there: Take the MRT and alight at Somerset Station.  At Exit B, turn left and walk in the direction towards Marche, until the outdoor section.  The café is on the right side.


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SG Cafe Series: Korean Cafe Tom N Toms Cafe in Singapore

Missing the relaxing ambience of a Korean cafe?  I am sharing my favourite hide-out away from the hustle and bustle of shopping mall cafe - Tom N Toms cafe.  Located at a not-so-prominent Icon Village at Tanjong Pagar, the cafe plays the best of non-stop K-pop and most of the service crew are also Koreans.  The cafe may be full-house even during off-office hours but it is a quiet place to chill out.

There are 2 sections to the cafe.  The main cafe has piped-in music while the side section is quiet.  Students and office workers use the cafe for discussions and it is quiet a common sight.

 

(Main Cafe)

 

(Side Cafe)

Just like what is commonly seen in cafes in Korea, a pretty wall mural can be found at Tom N Toms.

 
The drinks selection is much more interesting than what we normally get from CBTL or Starbucks eg. cinnamon mocha, green mint mocha etc.  Food-wise, pretzel is a signature bakery at Tom N Toms.  But for the Singapore outlet, they do not serve pretzel.  Instead , they serve thicktoast bread with flavoured whipped cream as well as tortilla pizza.

 

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Good news for those who needs to get online often.  The cafe provides free wifi!!  This cafe has been around for a few years, and I hoping to see more Tom N Toms in Singapore in the future!


Tom N Toms
12 Gopeng Street #01-12 ICON Village, Singapore 078877
 Tel: 62256313
Opening Hours: 7am to 1am

Getting there: The cafe is 2-minutes walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT station.  Use Exit A, walk along Choon Guan Street, turn left at Peck Seah Street.  Walk ahead and cross the junction at Gopeng Street.



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Related Posts:
- Paris Baguette (click) 
- Little Prince Cafe (click)
- Kith Cafe (click)

SG Cafe Series: Paris Baguette Korean Cafe

Those who have been to Korea will know that this is a mega café chain that originated from Korea.  It started in 1986 and focuses on producing French classic bread.  It is found everywhere, every corner in and outside Seoul. 



The drinks available in Singapore are quite standard, and nothing out of the ordinary.  Besides the delicious, pretty and interesting-looking bread, they also serve relatively healthy sandwiches and salads.  Here's a chicken salad and cheese with lots of vegetables.  It is healthy because it actually has more vegetables than meat.

Besides it's bread and drinks, something you have to try is the Original Royal Milk Pudding.  It has a very fragrant milk taste with a thin layer of caramel at the bottom of it.  I am always tempted to get a second bottle whenever I get started.  It is simply too difficult to resist!



If you are a cakes and pastry lover, my personal recommendations is the tiramisu and the Haha cake.  The cute strawberry on top of the Haha cake adds on to the humorous name which the cake already has.  While the cake is really yummy, you do pay a price for it.  Each slice can costs between $6.50 to $8.50, depending on what you order.

If you prefer bread, they do have some unique and Korean-themed selections such as Bulgogi, Garlic, Sweet Potato.  My personal favourite is the custard cream bun.  A small selection of cookies is also available at the bread section.  But again, you will feel the pinch from your pocket since the cheapest bread would set you back by $2.50 at least and for cookies, at least $1.50 for a small piece...

But nonetheless, the café does serve quality food and if you do not mind the price, it is a pretty good place to hang out when some Korean pop songs playing in the café. It is also easily accessible from Orchard MRT station.  ^^

Paris Baguette
435 Orchard Road
Wisma Atria #02-48/53
Singapore 238877

Getting there: Take MRT to Orchard Station.  Head towards Wisma Atria and take the escalator to the 2nd level.

SG Cafe Series: Kith Cafe



This is 1 café which appears to be full-house almost ALL the time.  If you go on weekends, it is not advisable if you go with an empty stomach.  Simply because - be prepared to queue and wait.  The café is packed especially during breakfast!

There are seats in both the indoor and outdoor sections but seating capacity is limited by the shop space.

The service staff are quite efficient and experienced.  There aren't the typical pretty-looking waiters and waitresses that you may find in our cafes.  The feeling I get at the café is rather homely... it is like visiting a neighbourhood coffeeshop (abit an atas one) but in downtown.

Tried the Spanish Hot Chocolate with Fresh Cream.  It tasted great!  The chocolate was thick and the satisfying thing is that - it tasted like cocoa.  This is not meant to be lame because too many cafes serve hot chocolate that does not meet the drink's standard. 

Bought these golden-coin butter cookies too.  The cookies are big, really rich (and complete) in taste and fresh!  2 thumbs up from me.  If you enjoy rich cookies, you will love this! 

Kith Café
Park Mall
9 Penang Road #01-01E
Opening Hours: 8am to 10pm

URL: http://kith.com.sg/

Getting there:
Train MRT and alight at Dhoby Ghaut Station.  Take the Orchard Road exit and walk towards Penang Road, Park Mall.


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Related Posts:
- The Little Prince Café (click)
- Kki Sweets (click)

SG Cafe Series: Japanese-themed Cafe : Kki Sweets [Closed]

Tucked in a quiet corner at the edge of Centre Business District, surrounded by the concrete jungle at one side and yet nestled in the vintage and tranquil surrounding at the other, Ann Siang Hill is a place where you get to experience the modern yet traditional part of Singapore.

(Photo Credit: CNN)

Kki Sweets, a Japanese-themed cake shop, is located within row of vintage shophouses that had been preserved even after the War World II period.  Most the these shophouses are now F&B outlets serving a variety of eastern, western and fusion food.  Kki Sweets sits quietly at a corner in a newly furbished building, whose entrance isn't that conspicuous.  Keep a lookout for the 3 round signages that stick out from the building pillar.

(Photo Credit: Garmin)

There aren't many cake variety to choose from, yet all that are on display are all-so-pretty that it is difficult to choose which to go for.  Because of this, it may be a good idea to go with 6 to 8 friends and you can order more cakes to try!  However, there are a few things that may be good to note.  Firstly, the number of seats are limited in the café because a section of the shop is owned by The Little Drom Store.  Outdoor seats are available on days where weather is good so that makes things a little better.  Secondly, the cakes are rather pricey, starting from $6 onwards.  And, afternoon tea wouldn't be complete without a cuppa or some tea.

There are some cakes for reference.  My friends and I couldn't decide which was our favourite because the cakes were ALL really nice and unique.  You can easily tell that the presentation and ingredients used are atypical from what you get from normal cafes.

Little Red Riding Hood

Dark Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry Centre 

 Kinabaru

Coconut Mousse with passionfruit centre

Strawberry Shortcake

Fresh strawberries with French Fresh Cream



The Little Drom Store is a gallery shop (yes, the stuff looks like little exhibits) with knick knacks from toys, stationery, books, accessories, bags.  Some of these stuff are really vintage and perhaps those born from 1980s onwards might not know how to appreciate them!  Oops... I am revealing my age!

This is the prints on a fabric tote bag... for those in your 30s, there is a high chance that you had played this game while schooling (in Singapore), RIGHT?  For my overseas readers, this is a verse that we recite for the scissors, paper, rock game.   No idea, what this is about?  Read about the origin here.  Still unsure how the game goes, watch the demo here - English version,  Korean version.  Hope you get it now!

Kki Sweets [The café is now closed and will be moved to a location.  Stay tuned for updates.]
7 Ann Siang Hill, Singapore 069791
Opening Hours: Tue to Sat - 12pm to 7pm; Sun - 1pm to 7pm, Closed on Mondays
Tel: 6225 6650
Website: http://www.kki-sweets.com/

Getting there:  Take the MRT to Chinatown Station, although it is also possible to get to Ann Siang Hill via Tanjong Pagar, Outram Park or Raffles Place Stations too.  From Chinatown Station, use Exit A.  After exiting, walk straight until you reach the main road - South Bridge Road.  Cross the road and walk in the direction towards Maxwell Food Centre.  At a small lane before reaching Nanyang Old Coffee, turn left and walk up the hill all the way.  After a gentle left bend, you should see Kki Sweets at the corner of a white building.

[Note: The shop at Ann Siang Hill is closed since after Christmas 2013.  The owner is in the midst on the new shop location]



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Related Posts:
- The Little Prince Café (click)
- Kith Café (click)
- Paris Baguette (click)

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SG Cafe Series: The Little Prince Cafe (Singapore)

(Photo from The Little Prince Café FB)

It is heartening to know that more cosy and quaint cafes are found in Singapore in the recent years.  Joining the cosy, yet not a cushy, business is the newly opened The Little Prince Café near City Sqaure, Singapore.  Like many others who harbour the dream of having their own cosy café, the owners have put in efforts to set up this café.  I admire their courage for taking the step forward, because manning a start-up is like running a never-ending marathon. 

You will be amazed that the deco and drawings were done up personally by the owners, hand-drawn using markers!  Being an avid fan of "Le Petite Prince", her entire personal book collections, in various languages, are now part of the deco in the café.  I am totally impressed. ^^

The latte is pretty aromatic, endorsing the barista's skills in coffee-making.  Coffees are served in the a glass cup and a metal plate, a nice and unique combination.  Tea was served in the pretty, dainty cup and saucer which gave an royalist feel, matching up to the cafe's prince theme.

A variety of sweet desserts can be found - cupcakes, cakes, scones etc.  The red velvet, with the glitzy butter cream cheese toppings in rose design, was really tasty.  Specially created recipe, mango and pomelo mousse cake, a combination which is found in Chinese dessert 杨枝甘露, is most unique and yummy.

Yangzhi Ganlu cake 

Red Velvet Cupcake

The savoury food served in the café includes quiches, sandwiches and even yakitori.  Great as snacks if you just want some munchies.  Other than coffee and tea, the café offers a variety of beer.  Guess what, I'm sure the yakitori, with tender and flavourful chicken, is a perfect match to go with beer.

Classic Lorraine quiche 

Yakitori

Overall, the café is a good place to hang out in the evenings, after sunset.  It can get a little warm when the sun gets into the café in the late afternoon.  The pricing is reasonable and unlikely to burn a big hole in your pocket.  Do check it out!

The Little Prince Café
62 Somme Road #01-03 Singapore 207877
Monday to Sunday, 11am to 10pm (Closed on Mondays)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LittlePrinceCafe

Getting there: Take MRT to Farrer Park MRT Station.  Exit H.  Walk through City Sq Mall and exit to City Square Residences.  Walk along the path along City Sq Residences and you will see a row of shop houses (Somme Road) perpendicular to City Sq Residences. 

Alternative route is also possible if you prefer to walk along the main roads.

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Related Posts:
- Kith Café (click)
- Kki Sweets (click)


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