Teepee Bar & Restaurant Review – So In Tents! (CLOSED, for now)

Update: Teepee is currently closed while the owners look for a new location. Check out their facebook page for further updates!

I’m a Happy Camper

Working, or just simply hanging around the Clarke Quay area is a great thing actually; you get spoilt for choice from budget noodles to atas noodles (ramen) or even atas satay bars depending on your mood and budget. Speaking about bars though…

Teepee Bar & Restaurant

Opened in December 2016 amongst the budding local boutique bar scene, Teepee Bar & Restaurant sets out to be a hidden abode for tired souls by day and by night, after an in tents day at work, geddit? It feels like a slight twist to the Melbourne cafe scene where it’s also a fully functional bar, and a more than decent one at that!

The setup and fare is what you’d expect from a boutique restaurant/bar: Slim outfit but cosy, simple food but not lacking substance. To even reach the entrance of the bar, you have to first locate the nondescript address and walk down an equally nondescript corridor before you finally see their signboard, which is still further past another doorway. Comfortable wooden stools and leather couch seats pepper the dining floor, and you also see their namesake (a teepee) hung up behind the bar counter.

It was a hot afternoon (surprise surprise) so the first thought was to get a drink, like their signature Earl Grey infused Gin & Tonic. Feeling you need a perk me up instead? There’s a good menu of coffee, like the lychee affogato up and ready for you too!

At their recommendation, I got myself the buttermilk fried chicken burger, and a side of their signature pork belly buns (kong4 ba4 bao1; 扣肉包), while my lunch partner got the wagyu beef bowl, another signature menu item. I got to say, the small outfit does not stop them from dishing out scrumptious and generous meals like these. The beef bowl for example has a copious amount of beef done just perfect medium rare, and topped with a marvelously prepared onsen egg. Did I also mention that their fries are done just right?

A post shared by Teepee Bar & Restaurant (@teepee.sg) on Nov 25, 2016 at 8:59pm PST

A post shared by Teepee Bar & Restaurant (@teepee.sg) on Dec 28, 2016 at 7:18pm PST

Verdict

hole-in-the-wall-ness: [star rating=”5″]
Like when their more well-known neighbour bar and another signboard-less cafe along Hongkong Street started out, you probably will not be able to locate them at first glance.

Price: [star rating=”4″]
It’s definitely not the cheapest option in Clarke Quay, but i definitely felt full after!

Quality: [star rating=”4.5″]
Food is made with fresh ingredients and meats are well-seasoned (and battered). Did I already say that their fries are good?

Overall: [star rating=”4″]
It’s perfect as a hideout regardless of the time of day, be it from the office hustle or the after-work party bustle. I am told it gets pretty crowded at night though so be prepared!

More Information

Teepee Bar & Restaurant
31 Hong Kong Street
#01-02 Singapore 059670
(just walk through the doorway and down the corridor at the first floor)
Phone: 6225 0025
Email: hola@teepee.com.sg
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March 19, 2017 Food

Plain Vanilla Bakery Review – Ice Ice Baby

A balanced diet is having a cupcake in each hand – Anon.

I happened to be in the Tiong Bahru Estate, as I had an apartment for the night before for my other photography works. I know that there was already a bookstore and even a yoga school along Yong Siak Street (one of the more happening enclaves in the area), but Plain Vanilla Bakery and their cupcakes has never exactly caught my eye previously.

Plain Vanilla Bakery

Since 2013, Plain Vanilla has been producing fresh cupcakes, and other cakes and pastries daily. Highlighting their commitment to top quality food, their products are only baked and served on the same day.

The bakery itself has very minimal cottagey, wooden furnishings, with a bright full length window at the entrance for you to peer into rows upon rows of enticing cupcakes. Outside, the seating area is sparse with a few big tables and surrounding long benches. What I liked was that it also designated as a reading area with an eclectic selection of reading materials; something that not many cafes do these days. The wooden swing at their entrance is also something very Instagrammable!

I was there for a quick breakfast, so while I couldn’t resist getting at least one of their cupcakes I also got myself one of their breakfast items, a Brioche bun with baked eggs. Paired with coffee, it’s a pretty good perk me up for the weekend ahead. I just wished I could have more time (and stomach) for their other breakfast items and cakes!

One thing to highlight: they have a lot of cupcake flavours. From the rich chocolatey ones to the fruity, zesty variety, you’ll be really tempted to take a dozen of goodness home to savour!

Verdict

hole-in-the-wall-ness: [star rating=”4″]
Despite having 2 other outlets in relatively convenient places, their flagship store in Tiong Bahru catches on the rustic charm of the entire estate.

Price: [star rating=”3.5″]
A little premium to be made, but still pretty affordable (cupcakes start at $3.90 with better discounts by the dozen, my brioche bun took my at $7).

Quality: [star rating=”4″]
The freshness can be tasted, trust me.

Overall: [star rating=”3.5″]
Whether you like your cafes and other things in life vanilla or not, you’ll find something (usually a cupcake) for you here at Plain Vanilla!

More Information

Plain Vanilla Bakery
Tiong Bahru Flagship
1D Yong Siak Street, Singapore 168641
Tel: 8363 7614
Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday: 8am – 7pm, Sunday: 9am – 6pm
Cupcakes & bakes available from 10am; earliest order collection starts from 10am.
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Cluny Court
01-03A, 501 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 259760
Tel: 8363 7615
Opening Hours: 8am – 7pm daily
Breakfast bakes available from 8am, and cupcakes & other bakes from 11am; earliest order collection starts from 11am.

ION Orchard
~~Closed for refurbishment – March 2017~~ EDIT: They have opened!
B1-06 within IN GOOD COMPANY Concept Store, 2 Orchard Turn, Singapore 238801
Tel: 8299 9422
Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11am – 7pm, Friday – Sunday & Public Holidays: 10am – 7.30pm
Cupcakes & bakes available from 11.30am; earliest order collection starts from 12pm.

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December 19, 2016 Food

Ming San Casual Japanese Dining Review

Japanese food makes me feel particularly good

-David Mitchell

Despite being a cosmopolitan city, getting quality yet affordable Japanese food is not as easy as you think; either it costs you an arm and a leg, or it feels like a monkey with a spoon can do a better job.

Ming San (鳴 San) Casual Japanese Dining

Ming San, after their eponymous owner, sits just about at the edge of the Chinatown area. To get there, one way is to take a short walk through Pearl’s Hill City Park, and it’s not a uphill task at all! Geddit? <Insert corny punchline here>

(From here on, I will interchangeably refer to both the restaurant and the owner as “Ming San”)

The restaurant was the brain-child of Ming San, and was realised just in September 2015. Serving food in a casual, modern style, the interior does look proper with natural light flooding in from the full length windows and no-nonsense wooden furniture. Generally, the crowd consist of OLs and very often he also gets Japanese customers working in the area coming for dinner!

Ming San serves up a plethora of Japanese cuisine from his humble kitchen (just behind the wall of mouth-watering photos). From bento sets to sushi platters, you definitely will be spoilt for choice.

Speaking of which, when he first started the restaurant, the bento sets were initially a fixed selection of less than a dozen choices. However, this often lead to much confusion for Ming San as he has to entertain countless requests to customise the sets to suit each customer’s palate. So, to make sure everyone leaves Ming San a happy pup, he introduced the mix & match concept menu for his bento sets which are now a hit with his customers:

So instead of just under 10 sets, you can have different permutations of dishes to make up your bento with the 20 (wow!) items available. All for just $10! Ming San also told me that more selections will be added soon, and the menu will be updated from time to time to keep his customers interested.

Although Ming San says that Sushi is not his forte, he does serve up some respectable hand-kneaded goodness, like his signature salmon aburi available as a nigiri sushi or in a maki roll. The nigiri sushi, topped generously with crystal seaweed and roe, has a full-bodied flavor, where the freshness of the fish is locked in by the aburi sear.

However, I felt that the ramen broth was too complex for me, as it is heavily loaded with tastes of shrimp and tonkotsu all jumbled up together. Personally, I prefer lighter and clearer broths, but you can see if this adaptation floats your boat. As the broth is now prepared by Ming San’s eldest daughter, it’s definitely worth encouraging her as she continues to experiment and find that signature Ming San ramen taste! がんばって!

The Verdict

hole-in-the-wall-ness: [star rating=”4.5″]
Tucked in the corner unit of a office building right at the edge of chinatown, it’s definitely off the beaten track. If not for me knowing that it is near a popular dimsum restaurant nearby, I would have much more trouble locating it the first time around!

Price: [star rating=”4″]
Ming San prides himself for being able to give decent, quality food at affordable prices. You pay for what you get, but what you pay is worth the buck!

Quality: [star rating=”4″]
The sushi, salad (not pictured) and bento sets especially were freshly made and flavourful, making the food a good hearty lunch for one, or a cosy dinner with your friends after a long day of salaryman work. However, I personally feel the ramen broth could use more fine-tuning.

Overall: [star rating=”4″]
To Ming San, his restaurant is more than just a place of sustenance. To him, eating should be casual, enjoyable and most importantly, in good company of your family and closest friends!

More Information

Ming San Casual Japanese Dining
171 Chin Swee Road
#01-03
CES Centre
Singapore 169877
Opening Hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 12:00pm to 3:00pm & 6:00pm to 10:00pm
Open for lunch ONLY on Wednesdays
Tel: 6386 9311
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mingsan0103/
Note: Call in advance and check their facebook page to avoid disappointment, as they are occasionally closed for private bookings/events. Catering menu is also available on request!