Tag Archives: coffee

Feb 05 2014
5 Comments
Food

Necessary Provisions

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For a good few months I’ve been dreaming of local coffee joint Necessary Provisions and racking my brains if it’s worth the trip. As a north-eastie, traveling to the western part of the island may be nasty without a personal vehicle. The opportunity came when an instagram friend of mine was visiting from Kuala Lumpur – as a fellow cafe hopper back in her own country, she happened to be interested in N. Provisions as well. I obviously jumped at the opportunity.

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Thanks to the really ulu location the cafe is set in, I took an hour and a half to get there via public transport – From Clementi Bus Interchange which is next to the MRT station, take bus 173 and alight at the 8th stop. Then you’re left with a hundred metres of walk into Eng Kong Terrace.

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I like clean, white spaces. But then I like sleek, black spaces even more. N Provisions has a cool ambience with its accompanying black walls, tables and chairs. The counter (shown above) made of quintessential green tiles, together with a vintage bicycle against it as a backdrop, makes for that obligatory shot for instagram. My favorite is the prominent back wall though. It features a collection of ceramics, coffee apparatus and a random handful of items that, when shelved together, creates a hip background for the cafe. Talk about vibes.

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Then of course, we started off our morning with their coffee. Since NP is by the people behind Smitten Coffee who also set up the now defunct Homebodies and Henry Congressional, you can expect them to be serious about their caffeine fix. I had a White 6 oz ($5) and I love that it leaves no bitter aftertaste.

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I know I should have ordered more from the menu but we decided to keep it simple that day with a slice of Pandan Chiffon Cake ($4) and Orange Walnut Cake ($4). $4 for a Pandan Chiffon?! I can get a slice for $1 at a local bakery. The pandan chiffon there was a lot fluffier but I would rather save those few pennies for another coffee. The latter was a zesty delight especially with the grated orange rind and huge chunks of walnut.

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In case you’re feeling hungrier, the all day menu has simple breakfast items like Savory Scones ($5) and Banana Nutella Panini ($5) and sandwiches such as Rosemary Chicken ($9). Available from 6pm onwards is the more enticing dinner menu. From fresh pasta like the Winter Pasta ($14) to the Blackened Halibut ($22) to the Pork Burger with Apple Sauce ($14), the choices are not endless but interesting.

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Anyway, I’d forgotten to take some shots of the exteriors which features a few outdoor seats and tables so I thought the many angles of the back wall would make up for it. This place really makes such a chill corner. If only I lived in the west…

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21 Eng Kong Terrace

Singapore 598993

Tuesday to Thursday 10am – 10pm

Friday & Saturday 10am – 12am

Sunday 10am – 6pm

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Apr 14 2013
3 Comments
Food

d’ Good Cafe

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It’s been a while since I’ve entered the food enclave of Holland Village so I thought why not take the chance to go back during the eve of a public holiday. Initially my thoughts were set on Mu Parlour but I did a last minute change to this much-newer-than-mu-parlour cafe that I’ve seen some snippets of on Instagram. (I’ll be back for Mu, though).

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d’ Good Cafe specializes very much in providing the most suitable type of caffeine for you. For a minimal sum, a barista will help concoct a cup of coffee for you based on your likes and dislikes. You can then “save” the concoction under your name for future visits.

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Upon stepping into the 2-level cafe, I was very much impressed by huge coffee machines. I reckon they’re for blending coffee beans. The cafe is neatly divided into 4 seating areas namely: The Bar (where you sit next to baristas), The Lawn (cosy space), The Attic (with child seats) and The Balcony (alfresco area – lights at night!). I fell in love with The Lawn area. Swing seats and carpet grass are really a girl’s thing. I guess the swing seat was the highlight of the day. It was really “swingable” and we rocked on the seats for a good couple of hours while watching the rain fall on Holland Avenue…

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On to the food. I was pretty disappointed with my Eggs Benedict ($13.5). Appearance-wise, it was already lacking much with a sloppy look to it. You can see from the picture that the egg white for one of the eggs wasn’t even nicely atop the runny yolk. Taste-wise, it was nothing more than average.
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The Chicken & Mushroom Pie ($10.5) on the other hand was much better done with a crispy curry puff-like crust with warm chicken and mushroom bits in it.  Although I have since then gotten a bad impression of their food, some reviews do agree that they have decent mains like their pasta and rice. I have seen pictures of their other egg benedicts served to other customers and they sure look a lot better than mine.

The Blueberry Cheesecake ($8) was a huge slice of cake so be prepared to share. It was so rich with cheese and probably impossible for someone to finish it all by herself after a main course.

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I ordered another dessert – the Matcha Red Bean Cake ($6). Sad to say, it was rather tasteless except for the layer of red bean in the middle. I was expecting something more but the matcha failed to give off its flavour, resulting in its blandness.

I say: Snuggle in their coziness. Get addicted to their house brews. Accompanied by a lava cake, macaron, cheesecake or so.

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273 Holland Avenue

#02-01

Sunday – Thursday 1000 – 2200

Friday & Saturday 1000 – 2300

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Mar 10 2013
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Food

Carpenter and Cook

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Carpenter & Cook became a hit late last year as an artisanal cafe with one of the coolest decors and food. Despite the far off and rather inaccessible location at Lorong Kilat (a remote corner in Bukit Timah), foodies and cafe goers in Singapore are hardly deterred from exploring this food enclave.

The vintage layout of the entire cafe from the exteriors to the interiors were meticulously handled with all sorts of quirky little things that matched. Somehow it reminded me of a fairytale setting where rabbits hopped among green, dreamy grass… Anyway, every piece of furniture and decor was handpicked by the founders of C & C from all over Europe. The best part is, most of them are for sale so you may wish to enquire about them.

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Moving on to the food, the treats from C & C are baked at limited numbers and in irregular intervals so new items may be put on the display while you’re eating. The Passionfruit meringue ($6.20) is one of their signatures (especially on Instagram). This tart, even though similar in appearance, is different from the lemon meringue. Instead, I liked it a lot more than lemon meringue as I thought that the passionfruit was a better, more suitable ingredient than the odd, sour lemon. I guess it’s a matter of personal preference.

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Sadly, the only savory item we had that day was The Picnic Sandwich ($8). It was a simple affair with ham and cheese and side salads but (not kidding) it was one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in Singapore compared to plain, boring other ones. Truly a savory piece. My only regret was not trying their quiches (which I heard were good too).

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Both the Lemon Drizzle Loaf ($5) and Frangipane fruit tart ($6.20) served as light bites for me. The former was somewhat like a lemon sponge cake only denser and more condensed with lemon. I felt like it was a better alternative to replace a lemon tart.

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Moving on, the Valrhona Sea Salt Caramel Tart ($6.20) was a much “heavier” dessert with its thick chocolate accompanied by sea salt caramel throughout the entire tart. Perhaps it may prove to be too much for some people to take it but I found it alright.

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We ended our hearty meal with the Caramel Walnut Cheesecake ($7). It was a good ol’ cheesecake made more outstanding with of course its caramel and walnuts. Though I’ve had memories of better cheesecakes, this one is still rather nicely done with some parts to rave about.

Put good food with a cosy atmosphere and you get one of my favorite cafes in my food list. Carpenter and Cook has just the right thing for me and that is quality. On your way out, don’t forget to get their homemade jams at $12.50 a bottle or even their tiny treats of biscuits, marshmallow and granola.

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19 Lorong Kilat

#01-06

Tuesdays to Fridays 1200 – 2200

Saturdays 1000 – 2200

Sundays 1000 – 1900

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