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Craftsmen Specialty Coffee
You can't really be considered a foodie in Singapore unless you're familiar with the Siglap area which is blessed with the abundance of good food. interestingly, this is actually one part of the island where we do not visit very often. that's why, we jumped at the chance when someone recently organized a gathering at Siglap V. it is a small development with a small row of shops, where at the end of it sits the popular Craftsmen Specialty Coffee.
opened by enterprising local coffee roasters and now having a couple of outlets in Singapore, Craftsmen Specialty Coffee is looking like your typical hipster cafe. the creators behind this concept share their altruistic motive of raising the bar for coffee offering, as well as bringing their own cosmopolitan cafe experiences to their customers. the menu is largely a European influence of sandwiches and brioche bread dishes, with emphasis placed also on waffles and of course, their coffee. 
the presentation and choices here are not exactly the extremely common brunch fare. so we went for their highly advertised 3-tier brioche which is a good blend of veggies, eggs and cheese. essentially, you'd get 3 layers of sliced brioche bread served with shaved ham, cheese and avocado in between, with 2 poached eggs to top it off. a generous portion of salad is included on the side. the hollandaise sauce is very flavourful and the variety of ingredients makes this overall a very hearty breakfast. 
of course, we didn't miss out on the coffee which is the "specialty" of the craftsmen. we tried a normal cafe latte as well as this iced butterscotch latte. i'd say the coffee lives up to its reputation, very aromatic, not too sweet and certainly Instagrammable. with good consistency and an increasingly strong following, we hope they would soon realise their goal of helping the local coffee scene to flourish. we should also mention that the cafe also carries some interesting bottled craft beers and freshly squeezed juices. so if you don't appreciate coffee that much, there are other choices. 
On the whole, the brunch experience is rather pleasant. Siglap is a rather pristine area that isn't quite reachable by the rail network as yet. the staff and the clientele at Craftsmen makes the place feel vibrant and joyous, without feeling the pressure of extreme crowds that some brunch cafes have. the brunch dishes are more unique and certainly very filling even for the sandwiches, not to mention, the coffee was good. For us, we were happy that we uncovered one of the many gems in the East. 
Craftsmen Specialty Coffee 2 First Street, Siglap V, #01-01 Singapore 458278 Opening Hours Sundays to Thursdays: 8 am to 9 pm Fridays and Saturdays: 8 am to 10.30 pm every design you see in the café tells its own little story.. Labels: #briochebread, #brunchcafe, #brunchfood, #craftsmenspecialtycoffee, #roastedcoffee, #sandwiches, #siglap Ginett Singapore
Hotel G is one of the newer boutique hotels that opened up around the Bugis area of Singapore, and with it came some interesting new bistro styled restaurants that appeals to a more cosmopolitan crowd. one such restaurant to catch on with young working professionals is Ginett Singapore, where virtually every evening is buzzing with a steady stream of chill out crowds.. be sure to make reservations before visiting, or you may have to face waits of up to an hour before you could get a seat.
the fit-out of this place is eye-catching no less, with the high ceiling, hanging wine glass racks and the day's specials written on the big chalk boards above, the restaurant achieved its vision of creating a relaxed but vibrant atmosphere when customers step in. Ginett is known for its French wine, and prides itself for carrying up to 15 different variations. coupled with cold cuts, cheese and European influenced main dishes at fairly affordable prices, it certainly has become one of the more talked-about destinations for the modern clientele. 
we went straight to order their signature G-Board, which offers a combination of cheese and cold cut selections. while choosing the meat is simple enough, you could do with some advice on the cheese unless you're a connoisseur. the staff there are probably just about helpful enough, and a couple of more experienced ones could also assist to recommend some good wine pairings. this is a must-try while you're here and we enjoyed the G-Board combinations thoroughly.. 
with good wines and champagnes, we could help ourselves to some Oysters Fine de Claire, the royal French oysters were served fresh, although till today we're still puzzled as to why they came with some butter on the side. probably, we were not European enough. these couple of starters were excellent for hearty catch-ups over a good bottle of wine and the restaurant also had the good practice of replacing your plates and cutlery after you've finished your starters. but for the Singaporeans amongst us who are used to restaurants being efficient in churning fast table-turns, we did wonder at times when our mains would be served. well, you've got to finish your starters first. 
we chose one of the house specials for the day as one of our mains. Charcoal grilled octopus with Ratatouille was an adventurous choice and we were glad that the octopus served was not at all rubbery, but instead chewy and well-grilled. accompanying it with a popular French vegetable stew somehow made the dish more flavorful and the portions were just right. we also tried some of their pastas which were alright, but probably not the specialty of this place. we recommend for first-timers to stick to the signature starters, and the grilled mains. in all, Ginett Singapore is the modern gathering place that has the right energy, fine food and good wine, all in without burning a hole in your pocket. We think this concept will be here to stay for awhile to come. 
Ginett Singapore 200 Middle Road Hotel G Singapore Singapore 188980 Opening Hours Sundays to Thursdays: 7 am to 11.30 pm Fridays & Saturdays: 7 am to 12.30 am a go-to destination for Singaporeans looking for a relaxed yet buzzy escape.. Labels: #cheeseboard, #coldcuts, #europeancuisine, #frenchfood, #ginettsingapore, #hotelg, #middleroad |
..ThE lEgEnD..
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