♕ HerPenandFork

It's funny how there's a dearth of cafes with a certain kind of simplistic character in the middle of the popular Orchard Road shopping belt. It's challenging to find a place to just chill with a coffee and pastry without feeling frazzled from the crowds though luckily now, the newly revamped TripleOne offers some promising spaces for this.

glyph supply co. which recently opened in March offers this respite with its minimalist, white-themed interiors and floor-length glass walls on one side which allows plenty of daylight in. Stepping in, the place and its concept reminds me somewhat of The Glasshouse at Chijmes. Don't expect to be able to work for very long there - the place does not have power plugs nor wifi. Makes sense since space is a premium here in the centre of town and the seating is still limited.

The menu is as simple as the place is minimalist, offering a selection of coffees, teas and some pastries and cakes/tarts supplied from Carpenter and Cook. The bakes are displayed in a transparent glass counter and there are also bar seats if you'd like to observe the barista in action.

Coffee Menu

The beans are their own house blend. My choice of white ($5.50) was a balanced aromatic mouthful that has that slight sweetness at the end from milk; not acidic at all, which is just down my alley. The acidity sets in after it cools, though just slightly. Currently, they don't have skimmed milk as yet, though you can try the oat milk option which brings out even more sweetness in the coffee.

Smoked Salmon and Cheese Filled Croissant; Pine Nuts and Tomato Pastry; Cinnamon Roll

Almond Croissant; Chocolate Croissant; Lemon Drizzle Cake

As I hadn't had breakfast, it was a choice of a pastry to go with the coffee. They have classics like almond / chocolate croissants, cinnamon roll, and also savoury croissants ($5) like smoked salmon and cheese ($7). Given the premium here for a pastry, you'd be encouraged to try the special Pine Nuts and Dried Tomato pastry here as I did.

The well-laminated, flaky layers shattered with a crackling crunch and what yields is a buttery, savoury nutty flavour from the pine nuts and a slightly sour tang from the dried tomato. Yummy for a pastry.

If you are after desserts, they offer a rotating selection of chocolate tarts, lemon drizzle cake, and other cakes (on the day I went - this was chocolate). Water is available free and at self-service. For those who like the beans, these are available for purchase too at the side shelves apparently.

Dessert selection of cakes and tarts

glyph supply co.

TripleOne Somerset - 111 Somerset, #01-06, Singapore 238164

Weekdays Mon-Fri, 8.30am-8.30pm; weekends 10am-8.30pm

Wrote by HerPenandFork

If you are in town and looking for a spot for the afternoon tea, or after-meal dessert, there's an additional option now in the form of 1872 Clipper Tea at ION Orchard. Located at basement 4, the shop which used to only sell tea bags and tea leaves, has added chiffon cakes to the menu of their mini sit-down cafe.

Apart from the chiffon cakes, the menu consists of tea beverages (tea latte anyone?), cream puffs and scones.

1872 Clipper Tea Menu 1

1872 Clipper Tea Menu 2

The new range of chiffon cakes consist of the flavours including matcha, yuzu, strawberry, hojicha, Earl Grey. The cakes are apparently co-created by 1872 with Dulcet & Studio exclusively.

My favourite was probably the Earl Grey, which came with a cream cheese frosting. The cake is made with earl grey tea leaves from 1872 (of course) and the hints of earl grey was balanced with the sweet-savoury creaminess of the cheese.

Lychee Litchi mocktail; Earl Grey Cream Cheese Chiffon Cake

A close second for me was the yuzu, which had a refreshing lightness to the cream in the center. It also comes with a cute vial of lemon essence to pump up the sweetness if you like, according to your taste.

Left: Yuzu chiffon cake; Right: Strawberry chiffon cake

For drinks, my pick was the Royal Tea Latte ($5.80). Think your milk tea with a layer of milk foam, more floral tones from tea and less sweet.

Left: Royal Tea Latte, Matcha latte, matcha chiffon cake

The matcha latte was slightly too sweet for our liking, so order elsewhere if you must. What's more interesting were the mocktails, which are nitrogen-infused. These are done live by the counter, so you can see these happening all in front of your eyes. The Lychee Litchi (see above 2nd picture) mocktail was pretty good together with the cakes.

Scones

Another surprise were the scones, which came buttery, crumbly with clotted cream and jam. These were served warm and probably was my favourite side to go with the tea. It's very English to do so in any case.

Scones (2 for $6)

Tea Puffs

These are actually cream puffs that have been named tea puffs. Of the six varieties, my favourite went to the earl grey and houjicha puffs. Overall, pretty decent if you have a cream puff craving and can't get yourself to the likes of Shukuu.

These have been made available in an earlier menu.

Tea puffs - 4 for $12

If you are looking for a full set of afternoon tea, then perhaps not 1872, but if it's a pit stop in between shopping, this is a nice place away from the crowds (provided the shop isn't crowded itself). A pit stop to consider in the middle of your shopping, and even more so with certain(tea) for those who are tea aficionados.

1872 Clipper Tea

ION Orchard #B4-07

2 Orchard Turn
Singapore 238801

10am - 10pm daily

Wrote by HerPenandFork

Montana Singapore changes up its menu every so frequently, and the items more than make the cut from previous tries. This time round, it's no different.

It has been nearly 1.5 years since my last visit, and it is now a single-level outfit housed on the second floor of PoMo. The place still has the same relaxed vibes, though the dark-coloured interiors make it a little less bright than the usual warm hues of other cafes. It is still a good place whether for groups or couples, since the place is fairly spacious and comfortable for extended chats.

The menu still retains its mainstays of waffles, pastas and burgers. All-day brunch items such as eggs benedict are also available. Still, there has been some change in the variety - updates below.

Samyang Carbonara ($16.80)

So apparently, there has been a wave going on for the Korean spicy instant noodles Samyang. They have released a carbonara flavour recently for a limited time.

Montana has ingeniously turned this into carbonara pasta, with different levels of spiciness (1-5). Our self-professed spiciness-pros group wanted to try both ends of the spectrum. We went with Levels 2 and 4 in the end (which turned out to be a very wise idea in hindsight).

The menu warns you to order a glass of milk if you order level 5. I think you will need that at 4 already though.

When it was first served, the smell that emanated was a little pungent. One bite into the level 2 pasta after, we didn't look back. The pasta is al dente and the right balance between the nice savouriness of bacon, mushrooms and creaminess with a good kick of heat. Not sure what is in the spice mix that makes it so flavourful but in short, we couldn't stop.

Level 2 was the just-nice level it turned out. The spiciness was acceptable for my tolerance (considered higher-than-average). Level 4 basically saw everyone give up after two bites, because the spiciness bites and all you can taste is the spiciness. It is the sort where you start sweating after more than a few bites and the 'natural lipstick' lips come out. No joke when they say it packs heat.

I was the only 'valiant' warrior left working at it slowly, but that is only because it was so delicious that I wanted more, but level 2 had been long wiped out.

No.of Tiaras: 5

Savoury Waffles

For all those who have specific preferences on how the waffles are done, you can request if you like it softer or crispier, though subject to how packed the place is. The standard Montana waffle, across all its sweet and savoury offerings, is one with a sturdy exterior, though it does not go as far as crispy(or crackles when cut into). It yields into a soft interior (though too soft at times that some may think it comes across as a little soggy).

Nasi Lemak Waffles ($15.80)

Every time I hear nasi lemak-something, I get all excited because it means 1) crispy fried chicken and 2) coconut fragrance with sambal chilli.

It is an irresistible combination when done right. Montana's take on it had all the combinations integrated - from the crispy yet still juicy fried chicken thigh meat, to the sambal chilli, fried egg and accompanying otah mousse. The surprise was the bits of nasi lemak rice within the waffles itself.

Well-executed, and nothing less expected of course, coming from Montana. If you like nasi lemak or the McDonalds' nasi lemak burger, this will more than satisfy.

Mac and Cheese Waffles ($13.80)

Kimchi Seafood Waffles ($15.80)

Between the two, our preference was for the mainstay favourite still of Mac and Cheese Waffles. The truffle aroma was tantalising and the waffles have macaroni pieces within, incorporating the savouriness of cheese. It paired very well with the appetite-inducing jalapeno and curried tomato relish.

Heard this was what started the waffles focus here, because it was so well-received. No wonder.

The Kimchi and Seafood Waffles did not fare bad as well if you want something different. Interestingly, it had bits of seafood - octopus and prawns within the waffle itself.

No.of Tiaras: 4.5 (Mac & Cheese) / 3.8 (Kimchi & Seafood)

Sweet Waffles

The place also has a selection of dessert waffles.

Matcha Waffles ($14.30)

Matcha Waffles ($14.50)

Milo Churros Waffles ($14.50)
*Tasted on a 2nd separate visit (non-tasting)

The matcha waffles come with red bean, vanilla ice cream and matcha marshmallows that were so soft that it was almost like mochi.

The milo churros waffles was another dessert waffle which I tried separately on a return visit. This one tasted more of the chocolate than the churros part of it. The interior of the waffle also ran into the earlier-mentioned situation of being a little wet. Between the two, the former fared better.

No.of Tiaras: 3.8 (Matcha) / 3 (Milo Churros)

Earl Grey Lemonade

The earl grey lemonade ($6.50) was a great choice, particularly to douse the fire from the Samyang Carbonara pasta. Loved the distinct earl grey floral notes with the refreshing sourness of the lemon.

*Existing items from 1st tasting

Peking Chicken Confit with Waffles ($16.50)

Instead of Peking duck, the twist here is the chicken, which is sous vide in oil and roasted. The result is an outside that is crisp and flavourful with the 5-spice aroma, while the inside is tender shreds that are still very moist.

The sides are waffles and a plum sauce that has elements of ginger inside. I wasn't expecting it to work, but the sweet-savoury combination did and very well so. This was top on my favourites here and definitely is something to go for.

No.of Tiaras: 4.5

Miso Brown Butter Linguine (Existing item from 1st tasting)

Creamy like carbonara. If you are ready for savoury comfort, this is it - one of those comforting pasta dishes that's creamy and full of umami. Good choice for vegetarians as this is meatless, if you don't mind the egg.

No.of Tiaras: 4

Crab Burger with Yuzu Coleslaw

The crab burger has a crab-seafood patty cake sandwiched between two toasted buns. The patty had a pan-fried to crisp exterior. The addictive element here is the thick cut fries, which remained crispy even after half an hour of photo taking.

The patty itself was a seasoned mix of crab and seafood. Not bad, though the taste didn't work as much for me. If i had to pick, I would keep it to a pure crab cake.

No.of Tiaras: 4

Smoky Nutella and Coffee Kaya Coconut Freak Cakes ($14.80)

The presentation of these cakes are a marvel.

The coffee kaya coconut freakcake is decked out in childhood goodies that bring back nostalgia (colourful gem cookies anyone?).

Both were so pretty that I felt excited to have it just by looking at it. Between the 2, the Nutella was the preferred one as the coffee kaya was overly sweet for our palates. The layer of sponge cake is thicker for the Nutella than the coffee kaya, which meant it was more moist.

No.of Tiaras: 4 (Nutella) / 3.5 (Coffee and Kaya)

Regular Coconut Cold Brew ($6.80)

The coconut cold brew came in a very scientific looking setup of conical flask with an ice ball within a separate glass. After pouring into the glass, you have a light brew that has the slight sweetness and aroma of coconut.

It almost felt like I was having a darker version of coconut water, tinted with a hint of coffee. This can be a boon/bane, depending on your preference. This was enjoyable for me.

No.of Tiaras: 4

Overall, this is a place with quality food to match reasonable price points. It is great for groups too as they have plenty of tables.

Many thanks to Ying and her team for the invite.

Montana Singapore
#02-25
PoMo, 1 Selegie Road, S188306
Opens daily from 11am - 10pm (Mon-Thurs)/11pm (Fri), 9am-11pm (Sat) and 9am - 9.30pm (Sun)
Phone: 6334 3137

Wrote by HerPenandFork

There aren’t many place which serve do-it-yourself (DIY) popiah in Singapore. DIY Nyonya Popiah buffet? Even lesser. DIY Nyonya Popiah buffet AND Peranakan food? This must surely be the only place.

Just off the edge of bustling Orchard, yet still managing to leave the hustling crowd behind in its Claymore Connect location, The Peranakan offers a good place for a cosy family/friends gathering in a space decked out fully Peranakan style.

The buffet is available every weekend from 2.30pm-5.30pm.

What’s the difference between Nyonya Popiah and our usual neighbourhood ones? Priced $28.90 for all-you-can-eat Nyonya Popiah and Mee Siam, the popiah is differentiated by the popiah filling.

Apart from radish, it has:

Pork belly morsels
Prawns (in small bite-sized pieces)

which lend a distinct sweetness to the filling.

The fun is in making it yourself and customising to your own preference (spam the bean sprouts - as I did, have it without garlic etc) or making it for others with your own flair.

Here’s the how-to: 1) Assemble it by laying the popiah skin out (single is enough, though people use two if they are scared of it breaking), 2) Put the teaspoon of sweet sauce in circular motion, 3) Garlic 4) Lettuce ; 5) Chilli.

My handmade one turned out pretty well since chef gave me tips (don't stuff too much filling and sauce), with prawn and coriander layout provided by chef himself.

Apart from the free flow of DIY Popiahs, you get to have unlimited rounds of mee siam too. Appetising, with its strong sweet-sour flavours and soft vermicelli.

I like popiah and the idea that it's full of vegetables, so I ended up attacking more of it.

The buffet also comes with refillable lemongrass tea.

Outside of the buffet, we also tried the other dishes available on the menu.

Laksa Goreng

If you like your laksa dry, this would play right up your alley. The thick white vermicelli noodles are coated in a fragrant laksa paste flavour, with the smokiness from the rempah and mix of chilli, laksa leaves and bean sprouts clearly evident.

It could perhaps do with just a little more of "lemak" savouriness and spicy oomph, but apart from this, we enjoyed it.

Buah Keluak Fried Rice

We had the luck to try this dish which chef was experimenting with still. The smoky nutty flavours of the Buah Keluak nut, which we usually know in the Nyonya dish Buah Keluak Ayam, is infused into the fried rice here.

I didn't know what to expect, but this whole combination worked very well. Order a portion if you see it on the menu.

This can be shared comfortably by a group of 4 with other dishes.

Apom Bokwa with Pisang Pengat ($12)

This was chewy glutinous rice-flour cakes with a dash of blue pea flower coloring, with a pairing sauce of caramelised banana, palm sugar and dessicated coconut.

Happily, it wasn't too sweet. The plain canvas of the rice-flour cakes accentuated the aroma of the pairing sauce. If you like Nyonya desserts, this is worth the try.

Cendol Melaka ($6.50)

Apparently, the gula melaka used in this is made in-house. The Chef explained that their gula melaka won across those used by other restaurants, in a blind taste test of the sugar. Theirs came across most fragrant. The cendol was irresistable, with the caramelised taste from the fragrant brown palm sugar combining with the creamy light coconut milk in cold shaved ice.

Malacca Milk Tea
I have no idea what is inside this milk tea, but this cup was fantastic. The tea had that extra whiff of tea-tastic aroma (from the blend of tea used?) and the tea-milk ratio was just nice. Not too thick, nor too thin.

Lovely.

Overall, a place to consider if you are looking for the authentic Nyonya meal in a comfortable classy setting. While prices are on the medium-high end, portions here are quite generous, and we did not see any misses with its food.

The Peranakan
442 Orchard Road, Level 2 Claymore Connect, S238879
Opens daily 11am-10pm

Wrote by HerPenandFork

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