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Burpz Cafe & Bakery
i guess the F&B players have over time found that setting up an all-day-breakfast place in a conservation shophouse is getting competitive and rather concentrated. the next wave of game-changers take it to another level, bringing brunch to the HDB heartlands! a welcome change for the consumers as well, more parking choices (without the tight challenge of parallel parking). Burpz Cafe & Bakery opened in Ang Mo Kio this year to that effect..
located under a HDB block, this quaint little cafe is making its rounds on social media and it's no wonder why. the set-up is simple, the menu provides ample variety served up with a unique twist, and there's a good selection of coffees, ciders and beers for chill-out time. i guess a weekend kids menu qualifies this place as family friendly too. we visited the place on a weekday evening and found the hospitality to be great. 
i'm not saying this because they gave us something free. but nonetheless, we casually asked about their apple tarts whilst making payment for our orders and were duly served with some on the house. these budding bakers are certainly mixing it up well, and certainly can take pride that their cakes, bread, and tarts make good take-out options for the heartlanders to go with their morning coffee after a dinner meal here. endearing well to the neighbourhood. 
the brunch proper is no slouch either. just check out this serving of the Burpz egg benedict, served with lotsa greens, avocado sauce and fresh salmon. the carbonara we tried also came with a good twist, beyond the typical cream sauce with an egg yolk that you'd expect from the japanese pasta stores; there are rich chunks of ham and traditional carbonara sauce in this one. other dishes to try here include their luncheon meat fries, lamb shank in Guinness and the mushroom escargot. 
in all, this makes a nice after-work chill out spot with some decent and interesting food to go with. haven't managed to try their coffee, which is an important part of being a cafe and will come back on that. the setting was great and the staff were hospitable. we've read some reviews on poor food-quality during weekend peaks due to their small set-up but we certainly didn't find any of that on weekdays. Brunch to the heartlands is still definitely a great idea! 
Burpz Cafe & Bakery Blk 603 Ang Mo Kio Ave 5 #01-2661 Singapore 560603 Opening Hours Tuesdays & Wednesdays - 3 pm to 9.30 pm Thursdays & Fridays - 11.30 am to 9.30 pm Saturday & Sunday - 10.30 am to 9.30 pm (closed on Mondays) Staff discounts for nearby factories and Nanyang Poly students Hai Di Lao Hotpot
there's a new rage in town that is redefining the way we enjoy our Sichuan-styled steamboat experience. i'm pretty sure many locals have heard of it and this new-kid-on-the-block which hails from Sichuan China is taking Singapore by storm. Opening its first outlet at Clarke Quay to huge success, Hai Di Lao Hotpot has recently opened a second outlet at 313 Somerset, replacing its previous anchor, HMV.
the Hai Di Lao experience prides itself on service from the get-go. instead of having to stand in line and queue to enter the restaurant (as with most popular food joints here), customers wait for their turn seated around these tables, served with tea and comfort. upon entering, each table virtually has a dedicated service crew to address your needs, and they certainly pay attention to every detail. 
we happened to whip out our mobile phones and place them on the table. noticing this, the service staff quickly offered us these little zip-lock plastic wraps. it protects your phone from the grease, and for most smartphones, still enables you to continue using the phone through the plastic. pretty neat! 
of course, we were there for eating and so the dining selections took center-stage. patrons are allowed to select a dual soup base (we chose chicken soup and sichuan spicy) that were contained in a very spacious induction-heated hotpot. the seafood and meat selections were wide, and we enjoyed the tofu pudding, tender chicken, black-pork slices, specialty fishballs and cuttlefish. 
the trick to the whole dining experience is that Hai Di Lao makes you feel well taken care of by progressively looking after your needs. when they noticed that we had to hold our ladle in the soup to prevent the noodles/dish from separating, they promptly (and pleasantly) offered us this hook-handle! 
showmanship also played a large part of their game as we noticed almost every table asking for this noodle-pulling "performance". the la mian was delicious also, in case you were wondering, very spongy and prepared with the right amount of egg. at this point, we'd like to remind everyone though, that this is not a steamboat buffet, you're charged for each ingredient you order and while we tried to go for variety by ordering half-portions, we felt that the quantities provided were a tad small.. 
not to mention, the condiments and desserts found along these counters were chargeable. nothing much unless you are a fan of sichuan sauces, but we loved their soya-beancurd pudding. in all, Hai Di Lao is a unique steamboat experience that emphasizes on service excellence. no qualms about the food, albeit their smaller portions, but ultimately, i believe that patrons are paying a premium for the degree of attention that other steamboat places will never give you.. 
Hai Di Lao Hotpot 313 Orchard Road, 313@Somerset Level 4 Singapore 238895 Opening Hours 10 am to 10 pm (daily) One pot, endless smiles.. |
..ThE lEgEnD..
Last Movie: Ad Astra
Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
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