Welcome to Joo Chiat.

[Paya Lebar, Singapore 🇸🇬]
Muslim Owned

Nasi Bawal Penyat (S$9)
The fish meat was moist and juicy.

Velvert Kitchen
Address 🛖 : 810 Geylang Road, # 05-02 City Plaza, Singapore 🇸🇬 409286
MRT 🚇 : Paya Lebar (EW8/ CC9)

There has been some talk going on recently about a new breakfast bar that had opened its doors around Crane Road — Touchwood Breakfast Bar is a fairly new addition to the line of shophouses along Crane Road which is slightly off from the main thoroughfare of Joo Chiat Road; one can find them not too far away from the outlet of Tiong Bahru Bakery which had replaced the coffeeshop that was once home to Mr & Mrs Mohgan Super Crispy Roti Prata prior to its relocation to Tin Yang Restaurant. Conceptualised as a weekend-only breakfast bar, much of its operations does seem to be intended for takeaways only , though there is the availability of camping chairs and tables that allows one to dine-in within and outside of its premises as well. It is well noted that Touchwood Breakfast Bar’s social media account is repurposed from one that used to belong to Brotherbird Coffeehouse which seems to suggest an affiliation between the two. Offering both Noms and Breakfast Sandwiches, Noms refers to the various bakes available on display in the display cases around the windows at the shopfront, while Breakfast Sandwiches refers to the line-up of English muffin-style sandwiches that they offer.

It was a pity that we weren’t able to give the Breakfast Sandwiches at Touchwood Breakfast Bar a go during our visit on a Sunday afternoon as they were out of stock by the time we made our visit there — given the circumstances, we found ourselves ending up with the Maple Malted Scone; one of the items of which that Touchwood Breakfast Bar claims as a specialty given the bio per their social media accounts. Based on the description placed on the display shelf pertaining to the Maple Malted Scone, the items featured elements such as Buttermilk, Maple and Butter. The Maple Malted Scone at Touchwood Breakfast Bar felt lesser like a typical scone and perhaps is something that is even tuned towards that of the taste preferences of the locals; whilst the scone still features a somewhat crumbly exterior, we liked how the batter wasn’t overly dense — this does create a light, fluffy and slightly airy texture in which we found it to be pretty easy to have without feeling clumpy. There is also a slight hint of maple fragrance that runs through at the back of the tongue whilst it also did not feel particularly sweet, making it a scone that can be enjoyed as-is.

Easy and chill place. Bar food is nice with interesting Korean fusion food options as well

The Singapura Hawker Club coffeeshop at 82 Joo Chiat Road does seem to be a spot that had been seeing quite a revolving door of tenants come and go within a short period of time. Lapan Dua is one of the of the more recent additions to the coffeeshop which also houses an outlet of the The Original Vadai — one can find Lapan Dua around the area where all of the dine-in seatings of the coffeeshops are located and these folks occupy the stall unit situated in the middle of the entire coffeeshop. It is noted that all stalls at Singapura Hawker Club coffeeshop are either halal-certified or Muslim-owned and Lapan Dua is no exception. Lapan Dua directly translates from Malay to English as “82” — likely a reference to the address where the stall is located, though its menu also features plenty of items priced at $8.20 as well. Serving up western fare, Lapan Dua’s menu is split across categories such as Breakfast, Platters, Pastas, Grubs, Mains and Signatures.

One of the dishes that has caught a fair bit of our attention whilst skimming through the menu at Lapan Dua would be their Lemak Chili Pasta. Lapan Dua does not describe the elements that comes with the Lemak Chili Pasta, though the folks behind the counter did tell us that it would come with a fried chicken cutlet; there is also an option to add two (2) prawns which is a chargeable add-on that is said to be pretty popular an option with its patrons as well. It can also be observed from our order that the Lemak Chili Pasta does come with linguine as the type of pasta served with the dish by default. Digging into the Lemak Chili Pasta, we especially liked how the Lemak Chili sauce was being done here; it does definitely come thick and rich — hits the spot where “Lemak” is within its namesake, whilst coming with soft hints of lemongrass and turmeric that perfumes at the back of the tastebuds. Chili flakes are added to include an element of spice which is pretty manageable even for those with low tolerance to spiciness, while the pasta comes al-dente. The accompanying fried chicken cutlet is a crowd-pleaser being sufficiently moist and juicy inside, while coming with a crisp golden-brown batter on the exterior. Quite a well-executed fusion-style pasta priced reasonably at $8.20 that would satisfy the tastebuds.

Had learnt about the existence of the new The Egyptian Baker whilst scrolling around online — these folks are new entrant to the local F&B scene within the Joo Chiat neighbourhood, having occupied a shop unit within Everitt Edge; the same building also houses another notable artisanal bakery named Pelle & Pepe Bread that has been operating for quite a while now. That being said, the facade of The Egyptian Baker faces the main thoroughfare of Joo Chiat Place which makes it easier to spot from the main road. Operating as pretty much a takeaway bakery, The Egyptian Baker does have two small tables that seats two (2) pax each situated outside the establishment for those whom wish to have their bakes on the spot. The offerings at The Egyptian Baker are available on a rotational basis; with that being said, these folks are offering patrons a variety of Middle Eastern bakes that are less commonplace in the local F&B scene amongst familiar favourites to provide locals here with a fresh take on Middle Eastern flavours at large.

The Muhammarah Makeesh is an item that was available on the day that we made our visit to The Egyptian Baker — this does turn out to be a Flatbread-style item that comes with roasted red peppers being spread over the top and includes the use of some middle eastern spices for flavour as well. The flatbread itself here does feel quite unique as compared to other flatbreads from other cultures; this felt a little bit similar to the crust of some pizzas where it is much more bread-like and doesn’t carry too much of a tension, while the edges does come with a texture that is a little bit biscuit-like that gives some sort of crunch that adds on further to the flatbread. We liked how the bell peppers comes with this roasty, nutty and tangy note; the hint of spices amidst those notes does seem to be similar to that of cumin and cardamom that helps to give an added fragrance to the roasted red pepper dip that is spread on the bread. Thought this was pretty reasonably-priced at $5; not to mention the sincerity and hospitality rendered by the folks that run this place whom has a passion for the craft— definitely an earnest establishment that would be well-appreciated by the community around it in time to come!

[JOO CHIAT, SINGAPORE] can I just say that I don't really eat much teochew kuehs, but @ahyeessoonkueh's rendition made me a convert 😍 they have a variety of traditional kuehs to get and my family and I loved all of them!

One thing is constant among all of the kuehs that they whip up, and is that they are generous with their ingredients. All of their savoury kuehs are bursting with filling, and even their glutinous rice is full of dried shrimp which made it so flavourful!

As their yam and pumpkin cakes are full of dried shrimp and various ingredients, there were many layers of flavour and it's even nicer if you can pan fry pieces of them to get a crispy crust 🤤

Their prices are affordable as well, with their savoury kuehs mostly at $1.80 each and sweet kuehs at $1.30 each. You can get most of the items here online via pickup or delivery, which makes things much more convenient 😍 if you are craving for such kuehs, do consider them as your option!

[Joo Chiat, Singapore 🇸🇬]

Burrata Pesto Focaccia

Marlow's Deli
Address 🛖 : 162 Joo Chiat Rd, # 01-02, Singapore 🇸🇬 427437

Fish is fresh and meat is tender

Was scrolling around social media and got to learn about the opening of Restoran Nasi Kandar Saddam in Singapore. For those whom are not in the now, Restoran Nasi Kandar Saddam is a brand that hails from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; these folks do actually operate quite a number of outlets within Malaysia itself with locations situated within Selangor and Perak as well — this would be their very first international location that is situated outside the borders of Malaysia. Housed within 44 Changi Road, Restoran Nasi Kandar Saddam’s signage can be described as being pretty prominent especially for those whom are passing by from across the road, though it is noted that Restoran Nasi Kandar Saddam operates a stall space that is within the grounds of Al Mubin Coffee House that seems to be the master tenant of the entire ground floor space that Restoran Nasi Kandar Saddam is situated in. Restoran Nasi Kandar Saddam occupies quite a wide stall space here, with a counter that comes with a big display case showcasing the various dishes that they have to offer. Ordering the food here is most akin to that of being at a Nasi Padang stall here one picks and chooses that they want, though there are suggestions of possible combinations available on the signboard above. The ordering process can be slightly confusing where there isn’t exactly a sequence to how the staff seem to operate, and payments are to be made at the common counter at the entrance after these folks issue a paper slip indicating the price of the patron’s order.

We did note that the suggested combinations per the signboard does all include a portion of Sayur with the variations of Nasi Kandar illustrated — we had also noted that the Ayam Saddam is one of the specialty items here considering how it carries the namesake of the establishment within the name of the dish. The Nasi Kandar experience is also not complete if one doesn’t opt for the Kuah Campur Banjir — this essentially means “mixture of curry gravies till the rice is flooded”. For those whom are unaware, the difference between Nasi Padang and Nasi Kandar is where Nasi Kandar often features Indian-style curries; the dishes offered also more tuned towards Mamak-style offerings as one would find from Indian-Muslim establishments — the roots of Nasi Kandar is said to have originated from Penang, Malaysia. Going for the Ayam Saddam, the Ayam Saddam does feel like their very own rendition of the Ayam Goreng Berempah considering that there is much likeness in the looks of the dish — we did feel that these felt like they were prepared way before hand with the chicken feeling a little bit on the drier side and with the crispy batter seemingly turning a little limp after sitting on the display for quite some time. That being said, the chicken does come with a slight savouriness and sweetness that is a little different from the usual notes of lemongrass and ginger that is used in the typical Ayam Goreng Berempah — it also does not come with Serunding (i.e. spiced grated coconut) as well. The mixture of curry gravies here provides a very rich flavour to the rice; the flavours being pretty much a party in the mouth with a mix of sweetness, savouriness, tanginess, meatiness and spiciness that is no doubt heavy, but absolutely flavoursome — very complex, and carries a lightly spicy note that should be manageable for those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spice. Meanwhile, the cabbage on the side that sees the use of turmeric and some seeds included in the preparation process; this helps to create a crunch whilst giving a good break in between the Ayam Saddam and the rice that comes with the mixed gravies to reset the tastebuds from the heaviness of the other elements. Hadn’t really properly given Nasi Kandar a try in Malaysia — and perhaps this is the same reason why we probably can’t really comment on whether the experience at Restoran Nasi Kandar Saddam’s location in Singapore is authentic or not. That being said, Restoran Nasi Kandar Saddam is probably a spot worth trying for those whom want a taste of Penang-style Nasi Kandar without stepping foot out of the island just to see what it is all about.

It has been a while since Komunal had first opened its doors at WIS@Changi; this would be a commercial building that is situated in the Eunos neighbourhood. These folks are the latest addition to the building, with their shop unit not being the most prominent one of the lot; whilst most of the shop units faces the main thoroughfare of Changi Road, Komunal instead faces Everitt Road North. With this being said, the establishment is quite impossible to miss once one finds themselves in that stretch of shops which Komunal is situated in — the shop sports a dark green facade with a slightly more unique appearance as compared to the other shops within the area; part of the facade being dedicated to an outdoor seating area with the recessed area consisting of a bench and a table. The space hat Komunal takes up is rather compact; the interior of the shop carries a bit of a Japandi vibe — features the use of a half-height tiled wall with exposed ceilings and concrete-esque flooring. All of these are matched with wooden furniture and fittings to give it a rustic look, while the use of clear acrylic chairs in an orange shade gives it a little bit of a fun and modern vibe with the posters on the walls adding the same. The interior dine-in space is rather compact here, comprising of only four (4) two-seater dining tables. Having had a full launch of its menu some time in mid October 2025, Komunal now serves up four (4) hot food items on its food menu; all of which are items listed under the “From our Kitchen” section of the menu. There are also a line-up of bakes available; all of which except for the Tiramisu can be found being stocked up in the display case that is situated at the counter. Beverages offered by Komunal are split into sections dedicated to Coffee, Specials and Other Drinks.

One of the dishes that caught our eyes whilst skimming through the hot food menu at Komunal would be the Avocado on Sourdough — the item comes with a half-portion variant at $7 and a full-portioned variant at $14, with the former seemingly being pretty affordable when compared to others that serves up the same. Komunal does not describe on the elements that are being served up with the Avocado on Sourdough; that being said, it can be observed that the dish does come with sourdough and mashed avocado being spread across — all that whilst being topped with a hard-boiled egg with a runny egg yolk and drizzled with chili oil over the top. A dish that offers no surprises, Komunal’s variant of the Avocado on Sourdough does feel particularly well-made especially given its price point and even so when compared to the variants of the same dish that other cafes serves up. Sure; the sourdough toast is a little bit lighter and fluffier with a crisp crust that does not carry that much of a tang as what one would expect out of the fermentation process of the bread — that being said, the avocado does provide that smooth and creamy mouthfeel with a buttery note that hits the spot. The hard-boiled egg with the molten egg yolk was done absolutely on-point, whilst the addition of the Lao Gan Ma-esque chili oil provides a fragrance without actually being exactly spicy to the tastebuds — gels all of the elements together whilst providing sufficient moisture to the entire dish without making it feel particularly greasy at the same time.

We had also went for the Tiramisu during our visit to Komunal and we were really surprised by how the Tiramisu that is being served here does seem like it is being scooped off the baking tray just like how it would be at a proper Italian establishment. It is noted that the Tiramisu at Komunal does not seem to come with the infusion of alcoholic elements — but that does not seem to pretty much affect the entire experience of the Tiramisu here. We liked how the mascarpone for the Tiramisu here carries a somewhat light and airy texture that makes the entire portion really easy to eat, whilst the ladyfingers biscuits within the Tiramisu hidden beneath all of the mascarpone comes soaked with coffee; all of which carrying a soft, cake-like texture whilst carrying that caffeinated-kick that really hit the spot for us. We also liked how the Tiramisu did not feel particularly sweet — one which found to be really easy to have, and got us yearning for more.

Komunal offers their espresso-based specialty coffee in two different blends — one named the Vanta and the other named the Urabeast; we opted for the Vanta for our order of the White, which features a blend of Colombian and Brazilian beans. The tasting notes of the cuppa as mentioned on the description card includes that of milk chocolate, pecan and vanilla cream; a cuppa that carries a nutty and earthy flavour profile though a little more on the milkier side. Whilst looking like an ordinary hipster cafe that is part of the third-wave coffee movement from the outside, Komunal is more than what it is on the surface — a lesser known fact that one would unlikely know unless being told or seen certain articles on the place would be how the establishment is also one that supports people with special needs; they do work with an organisation where people with special needs are employed, and many of their food items are prepared by them. Even the coffee machine used at Komunal is specially procured so as to ensure easier operation for them. We were definitely impressed with what Komunal served up during our visit — both their Avocado on Sourdough and Tiramisu presents themselves as quality fare that is especially value-for-money; the prices of their hot food and dessert coming lower than what one would expect from a typical cafe like them. Vibes of the cafe are also pretty slow and chill — allowing one to just soak into it completely. Definitely a spot worthy for avid cafe hoppers to check out!

Kickstarting the Deepavali long weekend with some iconic bites at the Hillion Mall Pasar Malam! First on our must-try list: the legendary prawn vadai. 🦐💛 Golden, fluffy and full of festive flavour — a firm favourite with my folks and a must-try if you’re here.

#burpple #burpplesg #stfoodtrending #straitstimesfood #sgfood #sgeats #foodsg #wheretoeatsg #whattoeatsg #hillionmall #theoriginalvadai #pasarmalam

Got to know about the opening of Soft Spot whilst scrolling around social media; these folks are located within the ground-floor commercial space at the mixed-use development named Sycamore Tree along Fowler Road in the Joo Chiat neighbourhood — they can be found in the shop unit situated beside big short coffee which is an establishment that is notable for their special concoctions of coffee. Soft Spot is a brand that hails from Bangkok, Thailand — these folks are considered quite a new brand even within the Thailand food scene, though they have already got multiple outlets that are in operation there; the outpost at Sycamore Tree is their very first international outlet here. Aside from the fact that the shop unit is located in an obscure corner that faces Fowlie Road as opposed to Joo Chiat Road in which most of the other shop units at Sycamore Tree are, Soft Spot should be a rather easy find — the shop is decked in a purple facade while the interior sports the same purple that is matched with wooden accents and white walls; an interior that features a bright set-up that is clean yet fun with a youthful outlook. Primarily operating as a takeaway shop space, the folks at Soft Spot does have benches located in the shop space where one can take a seat to wait for an enjoy the offerings that they serve up on the spot; there is also a space dedicated to retailing their merchandise which includes shirts, tumblers and even their own plant-based granola that patrons can pick up from there. An establishment that focuses on serving up Acai and Greek Yoghurt swirls in a soft-serve format, Soft Spot categorises their menu in Signatures and Create Your Own sections; the former being default combinations of base, toppings and drizzles that would work well for patrons preferring a fuss-free experience, while the latter allows patrons to have the flexibility to opt for the elements that best suits them.

One of the items that are not listed in their menu but is prominently mentioned in one of the marketing collaterals that can be found around the ordering counter would be the Turkish Dreams — this would be an item that sees a default combination of elements such as Açai or Yogurt Soft-Serve, Signature Granola, Whipped Cream, Pistachio Feulletine Crunch, Burnt Butter Honey Glazed Kataifi, and Pistachio Sauce coming in a Medium-sized cup; the only size option that the Turkish Dreams would come in. For our order of the Turkish Dreams, we decided to switch things up and go for the Acai & Yogurt Swirl as the base rather than to opt for either the Açai or Yogurt Soft-Serve. Going straight for the Acai & Yogurt Swirl, we liked how the Acai & Yogurt Swirl carried a contrasting flavour between the Pure Açai and the Biscoff Greek Yogurt; the Pure Açai carried this deep, earthy and berry-like note whilst still carrying a texture that isn’t as dense as compared to that of açai smoothie bowls; all that whilst the Biscoff Greek Yogurt carried the slight tang that comes with yogurt and the caramel-like sweetness of cookie butter within. Considering so, this was a good accompaniment to the various crunches such as the Pistachio Feulletine Crunch that adds a firmer crunch as compared to the Signature Granola which also adds a hint of vanilla aroma and chocolate-y sweetness to it. The Whipped Cream added does attempt to make the Turkish Dreams feel more like a dessert-y creation, though we did find it to be a little unnecessary nonetheless. To further bring the Turkish Dreams to something similar to the viral Dubai Chocolate creation, Soft Spot has included Burnt Butter Honey Glazed Kataifi that is laced with Pistachio Sauce for that light crispness with a slight hint of nuttiness almost similar to that of the pistachio sauce served up at other establishments serving up frozen yogurt without being particularly overwhelming; like a more guiltless version of soft-serve açai and greek yogurt that is inspired from that of the Dubai Chocolate. Soft Spot definitely hits the spot for those looking for a refreshing cool treat in the sweltering heat these days — like how they seem to have an emphasis on making some of their very own toppings that gives them a unique touch over establishments that often serve their frozen yogurt with more commercially available toppings and such; we also liked how the overall combination didn’t feel too heavy despite sounding like it would. A spot that would likely get popular with those residing in the area in time to come!