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Habitat by Honestbee
Its been almost a year since online grocer and food delivery platform Honestbee launched their multi-sensory high tech supermarket. complete with electronic gantries for entry and exit that can only be activated by QR codes from their mobile app, robotic check out machines and an entirely cashless shopping experience, the place was still bustling with people one year on despite many other retail distractions in 2019.
if the naysayers are ever so doubtful about the profitability of these online delivery players, a quick scan at their jam-packed physical store would be enough to convince them that Honestbee has found ways to diversify. a huge component of Habitat's success comes from their popular F&B offering. the kiosks carry food from popular dining concepts and have to be ordered through the app both for dine-in and food delivery. it was very easy to chalk up a hefty bill because it was so convenient to go trigger happy especially when tempted by other patrons around you.. 
We ordered this Char Siew rice from Char, a Cantonese roast meat specialist which has a few stores in Singapore. we are glad that these guys have now ventured into the food delivery scene as their barbecued pork is so well done. the Char Siew is marinated with strong flavour, grilled to a hint of crispiness but also has a soft texture. a tad pricey, but definitely very good. 
another popular choice at Habitat is Captain Snapper, this Fish & Chips operator is making a decent shout to become one of Singapore's best for the dish. We tried a battered Barramundi fish & chips and it was served Long-John-Silvers style. the portions were really generous with 2 pieces of fish, fried to great crispiness and delivered with fries and deep-fried flour bits. you can select from a range of complimentary sauces when ordering as well and you would notice that practically every table is having some form of fish & chips. 
we thought that the drinks were somewhat of a let-down in relative terms to the ambience of the place. Paper-cups for latte and plastic cups for craft beer just doesn't cut it. having said that, the baristas at Hinoki do brew a mean cup of coffee, using only the finest coffee beans and would even be good enough to organize coffee-making classes from time to time. The cakes from Niven are a totally different story, served on nice Instagrammable plates and looking pretty, we thoroughly enjoyed the black sesame cake and the Earl Passion cake - credit to them for retaining the distinct Earl Grey flavour and blending it well with the sweetness of passion fruit. In all, it was a unique experience. Online food brought offline is a tad expensive, but it surely didn't stop the throngs of people from coming to Habitat. 
Habitat by Honestbee 34 Boon Leat Terrace Singapore 119866 Opening Hours Sundays to Thursdays: 10 am to 10 pm Fridays & Saturdays: 10 am to 12 am a selection of dining concepts to excite every type of foodie.. Labels: #boonleatterrace, #charsiewrice, #earlgreypassionfruitcake, #fishandchips, #fooddelivery, #habitatbyhonestbee, #hinokicoffee, #honestbee D'Good Cafe (Ngee Ann City)
recalling the good experience we had some time at the start of this year visiting D'Good Cafe at Holland Village, we were somewhat happy that the creators of this concept opened a second store within the town area. like the first cafe, the store carries a strong influence on religious faith and good service. the theme of custom blend coffees also revolve around the ethos of D'Good cafe.
the design inspiration for the outlet at Ngee Ann City carries elements of the London Tube. from the metro station icons, the ceiling arches to the cobbled walls, the unit carries a British feel. the target crowd is diverse, just from the short time we were there, we saw patrons on a quiet date, a group of girlfriends having their get-together, lunch gathering for a young family with children etc. judging from the range of food that the cafe offers, this is no surprise. 
this joint carries some very good quality mains. not too big in portions, but with greater emphasis on texture and taste. we tried the "Ling" cod fish and chips, which has a very good batter, with fresh chewy fish on the inside. i'm not quite sure the purpose of serving the dish on a mesh tray though, because despite having a drip tray at the bottom, there's bound to be a rectangular oil mark left on the table. 
some very good pasta is also whipped up here. i recalled having seafood arrabiata at the Holland V outlet, and decided to go for Fresh sea prawn Aglio Olio today. the pasta is very flavourful, with a tinge of spice and generous servings of prawns. apart from these mains, one can expect traditional pancakes (served on a pan) and other bite-sized snacks to be available here. a tie-up with dessert chef Aki Watanabe for this outlet also means a great selection of cheesecakes to whet the after-meal taste-buds. 
finally, not forgetting coffee, which plays a big part to this cafe's reputation. you can check out our previous post which discusses abit on the custom made coffees, but we again went for the "surprise-me" option of taking their D'Unknown cold brew. this time, it turned out to be an iced-latte with some rose syrup, quite a refreshing mix. the main ambience of both D'Good cafes places emphasis on homely and casual dining, and maybe its a coming of age, but that's the way i'd like to spend weekends these days. 
D'Good Cafe (Ngee Ann City) 391 Orchard Road #B1-56 Ngee Ann City Singapore 238872 Opening Hours Daily: 10 am to 10 pm Experience goodness the moment you enter and bring a smile with you when you leave.. Labels: #coldbrew, #dgoodcafe, #fishandchips, #ngeeanncity, #pastaplace, #weekendcafe |
..ThE lEgEnD..
Last Movie: Ad Astra
Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
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