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[CLOSED]VXX Cooperative with Stephanie Phua (Duo Studio)

“I am a coffee fanatic. Once you go to proper coffee, you can’t go back. You cannot go back.”

– Hugh Laurie

UPDATE: VXX has closed.

As recent as 2010, Singapore was hit by a wave of artisan coffee houses, stemming from the Melbourne café scene that has pretty much took over the whole world. It’s no doubt that Singaporeans will always crave for better quality, and will jump on the first available choice AND be more than willing to shell out a premium. However it still remains a cut-throat arena; out of the 391 cafes that opened in 2014, at least a quarter of them didn’t make the cut since. That’s a lot of coffee going both ways!

Also, I personally observe that a lot of these cafés popping up like rabbits aren’t really that serious about the literal meaning of a café; well, the coffee.

Stephanie Phua (Duo Studio)

VXX Cooperative

Stephanie of Duo Studio sought out to disprove that by bringing me to a relatively new coffeehouse in the vicinity of her agency, in Jalan Besar. Speaking of the area, it’s a really under-the-radar and eclectic enclave of coffeehouses and small restaurants!

Creative & advertising agencies similarly have a tough life over here, and she’s glad that she can find such a place just round the corner that not only is a good place to tune out/do work in peace, but also has a satisfying dining experience.

VXX Cooperative

Started by coffee connoisseurs and professionals Joy and Aslam, VXX Cooperative takes pride in their coffee-centric nature, which is evident in the curation of available roasted brews. With a mix of local favourites Nylon Coffee Roasters, Cloud Catcher Roastery (Malaysia), Koppi (Sweden) and Tim Wendelboe (Norway), it’s a special kind of heaven for serious coffee enthusiasts. Coupled with the strong experience of both former baristas themselves, Joy and Aslam are able to bring out the best of what are already among the best roasts in town.

If you wanted to know, “VXX” is something of sentimental value to Aslam, as it is the area code (520) of the district.

I’m a relatively technical person myself, and I love it when being explained to the facts and technical aspects of just about anything, especially food. This was exactly the experience I got; Joy was really patient and enthusiastic to introduce the profiles of the special brews on sale that day and I made an informed choice to get the Nacimiento by Tim Wendelboe. Served in a metal flask, it’s meant to be enjoyed slowly to allow the aromatics time to vaporise and give you an olfactory treat.

If any, their logo is a good representation of their culture: sharp but multi-directional curation. Located at 20 Foch Road, the interior is nicely spaced, minimalistic yet comfortable. The flowery floor tiles were probably because it used to be a dispensary back in the days. It’s not somewhere you’d want to have a 50 seats birthday party at, but like Stephanie, it’s a pretty good place if you want some peace and quiet. When you enter the shop’s front hall you’ll be greeted with a really large flat wooden table, possible with some coffee drips running on it. Take your pick with the merchandise just next to it too, when I was there, I saw some really good chocolate!

In fact, she got so comfy with the place that her coffee choices are simply picked for her and she does not have to worry about not enjoying whatever is served! Joy does not disappoint.

VXX Cooperative VXX Cooperative VXX Cooperative VXX Cooperative

The food menu is something that constantly evolves, but keeps to their principle of serving simple food to a T. I do agree to not over-complicating your food as a café owner as it will rob the attention from the beverages, and turn you into one of those red-velvet-cake-eggs-benedict-please hipster cafés.

Opting for something balanced and light I’ve opted for the banana-walnut french toast, topped up with mascarpone cheese, berries and coffee custard. Stephanie (aka stooffi) got basically what she always orders: a beef chorizo bowl with shaved potatos and tomatoes, topped with a perfectly wobbly *jiggle* onsen egg. According to her this is the third iteration of the same dish, and it is rather different in terms of presentation and preparation style from the predecessors.

There are also several other interesting creations from breakfast items to full lunch menus. I heard the dessert is also to die for, so get them before they change the menu (yet again)!

VXX Cooperative VXX Cooperative VXX Cooperative

At the time of writing both Rudi and Joy are taking part in the Singapore National Brewers Cup 2017, happening at Cafe Asia 2017 over at MBS this weekend! All the best!

Verdict

hole-in-the-wall-ness: [star rating=”5″]
Nondescript shopfront, minimalistic furniture, artisan food and beverages? Check!

Price: [star rating=”4″]
While you have to be prepared for some premium in prices, care is taken to prepare the food and (especially) coffee. You won’t feel shortchanged at all!

Quality: [star rating=”4.5″]
See above. Portions are just right regardless if you want a midday snack, or a hearty lunch.

Overall: [star rating=”4.5″]
Definitely a good local effort to bring quality coffee to the scene (a refreshing change in my opinion). They change up every 3-4 months to keep things fresh too, so you won’t get bored.

More Information

VXX Cooperative
20 Foch Road
Singapore 209261
Tel: 8720 0093
Opens daily 9:00am to 6:00pm
Facebook | Instagram | Website

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Guac & Go
Featured Person

[CLOSED] Guac & Go (Guacamole) Review with Stella Kae

UPDATE JUL 2020: Guac & Go has closed.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

Audrey Hepburn

Beauty queens certainly don’t get it easy; from advocating various good causes, to maintaining their pristine image, it takes tenacity and confidence to perform their best and gun for a top spot in their respective pageants.

Stella Kae

Stella (Instagram) is no stranger to the world of beauty pageants, with 2 (TWO!) titles (Miss Singapore International 2011, Miss Singapore Chinatown 2012) to show for. Always game for an adventure whether its strutting down the runway or food-hunting, I brought her to another old haunt of mine when I used working in town, Guac & Go. Stella’s currently on the way to a brand new career, here’s wishing her a good 2017 and may her new year resolutions all come true!

Guac & Go

Guac & Go

Started in 2014 by 2 young people with a serious guacamole addiction who were getting bored with the limited and otherwise bland avocado scene (cue cringe-worthy Christmas avocado jingle). To which, they decided to shake things up by adding a myriad of tasty ingredients such as cilantro, lemon, honey, chilli peppers and even mango. In their words, they managed to make guacamole taste AMAZING! Not only that, they also have many dishes jam packed with other superfoods such as kale and quinoa.

It’s a little tricky to find them for first timers, as they are situated at the back side of Maxwell Chambers; you will need to traverse through a short corridor just to get to their shopfront, or go through the back if you’re coming from the newly completed Tanjong Pagar Centre. Looking in beyond the tinted glass windows without much (unnecessary) fanfare, take a seat in the spacious and sparsely furnished interior as you decide whether you want to make your own bowl, or try one of their several creations. Their menu has been updated considerably since when I first visited but I feel that it has much more variety right now. For me, I ordered the Guac & Hummus bowl while Stella chose to DIY a salad (guacamole included of course) instead.

Guac & Go Guac & Go

Happy New Year!!! Get started on the right foot – health up with the Guacamonster 🎉

A photo posted by Guac & Go Cafe (@guacngo) on

Guac & Go is also known for their smoothies; although we didn’t get to try them out, you should check out their interesting creations such as the Tropikale, berry, and (you guessed it!) avocado smoothies!

Never ending summer with our Tie Dye Peachberry Smoothie! We love the swirls of pink and yellow 💕

A photo posted by Guac & Go Cafe (@guacngo) on

Verdict

hole-in-the-wall-ness: [star rating=”4″]
When they first opened, the on-going construction of the now-completed Tanjong Pagar Centre make their location inconspicuous. Now that the road has opened up again, hopefully more people will have an easier time finding them!

Price: [star rating=”3″]
Health food in Singapore unfortunately face a bit more premium than they’re supposed to, given that you mainly serve fresh produce in a comfortable setting which commands a higher rent by itself.

Quality: [star rating=”4″]
Food looks and taste fresh, and their guacamole is definitely worth its weight in (I would say avocado but) gold!

Overall: [star rating=”3.5″]
A decent find after all; some people may be put off by the over-saturation of ‘hipster’ health food-serving cafes, but who knows? You may deck your halls with their avocados one day.

More Information

Guac & Go
32 Maxwell Road #01-08
Maxwell Chambers
Singapore 069115
Tel: 6221 2117
Opening Hours: 7:30am to 5:00pm, Mondays to Fridays. Closed on weekends and public holidays.
Facebook | Instagram | Website

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Lucky Western Food
Food

[Closed] Lucky Western Food Review – The O.G. of Crawford Lane

UPDATE: Lucky Western Food has closed after decades of serving generations of kids like me. Aunties decided to retire and take it easy now.

The “Western Food” that you can find in Singapore’s many neighbourhood eateries is rather unique experience.While many of the younger ones clamour for michelin-starred duck leg confits or prime cut steaks that costs 20% of your salary sometimes, western food to me growing up meant hearty and mostly sinful servings of pan-sizzled chops and steaks, or breadcrumb-coated cutlets deep fried till golden brown. Served with french fries, (usually) a bun and baked beans and/or coleslaw , the Hainanese-influenced cuisine is regarded as comfort food by many millennials like me.

Like the Rifleman’s Creed:

This is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life.

To every Singaporean there is a western food stall/store close to their heart. This is mine.

Lucky Western Food

Lucky Western Food

Ah, this brings me back down memory lane. Back when I was still in primary school, my eyes always gleamed with anticipation as I had to walk past the kopitiam right behind after the day’s end. I would catch on to aroma of glorious, deep fried food, and hope that my mum would decide to have lunch (or dinner if I was in the afternoon session) there. It was also my source of sustenance when I grew older whenever I had tuition classes nearby till late.

Originally of Block 466 Crawford Lane (which now houses another modernised, more famous western food stall), the Chua sisters have been griddling steaks and dunking cutlets into deep fryers for “about 30 years”. Just over 20 years ago, they moved to their current location, round the corner at block 462, where they have since stayed. I fondly remember the kopitiam being packed with working adults and students alike during mealtimes, with the latter often eating clandestinely to avoid getting ‘caught’ by their physical education teachers eating sinfully! Nowadays, even though my alma mater moved out to bigger premises, they still get a steady stream of old-timers who can never forget the homely feel of the sisters’ culinary delights.

Lucky Western FoodLucky Western Food

Different from most western food stalls, their chicken cutlets and chops are marinated with a special and generous mix, while still retaining a well-balanced flavour. For this visit, I ordered my favourite chicken cutlet. Served on a very old-school porcelain plate with side servings of fries, slice o’ garlic bread, slaw and cucumber + tomato slices, it bears the Uniquely Singapore hallmarks of western food. The chicken itself is evenly cooked and when freshly served, tender on the inside and oh.so.crunchy! with the crispy batter on the outside.

Lucky Western Food Lucky Western Food

Other popular dishes include their chicken chop, fish & chips, as well as the half spring chicken set which only goes for $5 (I recall they have not raised their prices significantly for a while already), but of course to keep you in suspense, I’ll let you, the readers, try it out for yourself.

The Verdict

Lucky Western Food

hole-in-the-wall-ness: [star rating=”5″]
Quietly serving their fare day in, day out, the Chua Sisters managed their long running popularity with a steady stream of old timers, even as the neighbourhood slowly faded off only to receive a recent wave of rejuvenation with some hipster cafes and even a michelin-starred stall nearby.

Price: [star rating=”5″]
While I remember prices used to be much lower back when I was still in primary school (more than 15 years ago!), the ladies I endearingly call ‘auntie’ managed to keep their prices very competitive, with a whole spring chicken set going only for $9, and a beef steak/lamb chop set for only $7!

Quality: [star rating=”3.5″]
While it’s nothing too outstanding to rave about, it represents the brand of western cuisine found nowhere else in the world, and reminds you of home even if you are still at home.

Overall: [star rating=”4″]
The Chua sisters have built up Lucky Western Food with a good brand of local fare over the decades, and the experience speaks for itself. Hail the O.G. and queens of Crawford Lane!

More Information

Lucky Western Food
Wiseng Food Place
462 Crawford Lane
#01-29
Singapore 190462
Opening Hours: 12pm-9pm Daily, closed on Sundays (may close earlier!)

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Brothers in Fine Food
Food

[CLOSED] Brothers in Fine Food (BFF) Review – New Cafe in the Heart of Tampines (Halal)

UPDATE JUL 2020: BFF has moved to 402 East Coast Road together with their sister cafe, Penny University.

And the idea of just wandering off to a cafe with a notebook and writing and seeing where that takes me for awhile is just bliss.

J.K. Rowling

After a week of diving in the west, it’s time to go back to the better side. #kek

Far-eastern Singapore sometimes feels a bit left out when it comes to cafes and specialty F&B places, with most reaching only as far as the East Coast Road area or maybe even Bedok. So it’s always refreshing news that you hear of a brand new cafe deep in the heartlands of Tampines.

Brothers in Fine Food (BFF)

Another disheartening thing about being in the heartlands is that your apart from the street (block) corner kopitiam or hawker centre, your F&B options are almost entirely dominated by chain stores. Being situated in Tampines West Community Centre (yes, a CC!), it’s no different for newcomers Brothers in Fine Food. Founded in November 2016 by the same bros behind popular cafe in East Coast, Penny University. Placed above a Starbucks AND a MacDonald’s outlet, it’s easy to miss them out as you have to walk past both of them, and up the stairs through another corridor.

BFF

Reaching the place, you are greeted with a simple facade and no-frills industrial furniture and fittings. The weather was rather gloomy for the entire day when I first visited, and it looked like a good place to wind down in the evening.

BFFbff-03333 bff-03332

The menu is a pretty interesting one, with several unusual concoctions such as the sous-vide steak with beetroot and thyme puree, which I eventually ordered. Chef Restu from BFF explained that they use modern cooking techniques and experimented with different methods to create unique recipes at heartland-friendly prices. True though, this is the first time I’ve heard of sous-vide prepared steak in such a setting, for less than $20! The other main we ordered that evening was the Salmon Fillet with za’atar roasted bread crumbs, crispy spiced salmon skin, brown butter miso sauce, atop of a pillow of giant Israeli couscous.

bff-03338Brothers in Fine Food

Of course, how do you leave such a place without going for dessert? Their Greek-yoghurt panna cotta is something different as well: the acidity of the cream and yoghurt sinfully mixed with homemade honeycomb crunch, fresh fruits and poached pears (with a secret mix of spices!). I won’t wait till the end of this post to say: Try. This.

BFF

I Had To Return

While paying up and leaving, I was told to come back for their weekend brunch menu. So being a bro to the bros, I returned a few days later! Surprisingly (actually, not really), many of their breakfast crowds are not young anello bag-toting hipsters, but working adults and their families. I even had the chance to share simple conversations with an older Malay couple who decided to drop by after reading about BFF in the Malay newspaper about this new halal cafe right in their backyard!

Being a lazy person on a lazy Sunday morning I opted for the lighter Mediterranean breakfast set, featuring the usual hummus, spinach, falafels, couscous, fresh avocado slices and the not as usual smoked aubergine (eggplant) and halloumi cheese (which is a heavy-flavoured cheese that goes well with the other staples).

BFF BFFbff-101112

Not a very big breakfast person myself, I found it rather filling despite the serving not looking its weight, and regrettably didn’t drink their coffee! So here’s something from their Instagram page showcasing their really good lattes while I return YET AGAIN this week to taste it myself (it IS pretty near to my place anyway). Of course they’re no one-dish wonders; I saw many other diners wolfing down several of their approximately dozen menu selections, such as the Dashi noodles and their signature builder’s breakfast!

The Verdict

hole-in-the-wall-ness: [star rating=”4.5″]
Although situated in a community centre, it’s pretty much is hidden as you have to traverse through the chain restaurants and up a short corridor, without much signage ahead. So yes, not THAT ideal of a hole-in-the-wall but still living it up to this blog’s mantra.

Price: [star rating=”4″]
Being a place of decent quality food, you won’t see prices the same as the Mr Teh Tarik across the street, but at about $15-20 per person (including drinks and desserts will cost you slightly more), it’s a bargain where hipster cafes regularly charge $25++ for a breakfast platter full of processed food.

Quality: [star rating=”4″]
No wagyu fillet mignons or deep sea halibut here, just regular homely ingredients that are prepared with lots of attention and with creative modern twists.

Overall: [star rating=”4″]
A good refreshing change of face in the heartland scene where everything has something to do with a shareholders-first global chain. Visit this people-first place now!

More Information

Brothers in Fine Food (BFF)
5 Tampines Avenue 3
#02-07, Tampines West Community Club
Singapore 529705
Tue to Fri: 12pm – 10.30pm
Sat & Sun: 9am – 10.30pm
Closed on Mondays
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brothersinfinefood
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brothersinfinefood/

BFF is Halal-Certified.

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