Forty Hands, Keong Saik Snacks and Stranger's Reunion

Hello June! And what better way is there to start the middle of the year than brunch and meeting up with friends over one/some? :)

First stop was to Forty Hands at Yong Siak Street. I have been thinking of brunching there for a long time. Somehow I didn't. And so Grace and I went last Saturday, after I completed a leisure 20 laps at the nearby public pool (skipping the swim today though, my lazy bones tell me to go for a massage and some shopping! :)) Both of us like Forty Hands, and I guess it was a good place for us to catch-up as we haven't met for since Good Friday. And happy birthday, babe!



My ice latte. Grace had ice mocha. Great choices as it was such a HOT day!

I like the coffee. In some cafes, ice coffee tend to dilute after a while but I thought this was quite consistent over the 2 hours I sipped at it. These days, I seem to like taking pictures from the top.



Counter at Forty Hands. The café is really quaint, a bit cramped perhaps. The chap next table kept bumping into Grace and he kind of apologised before he left. LOL.



Egg Benefits. Heard mixed reviews about it. But I like it because it was not too overwhelming in terms of proportion and the hollandaise sauce. Guess it was just RIGHT after a swim :) And well, the retro plates can survive knocks, see? No one can complain about the chips :P

Next stop and first stop last Sunday : Yong Saik Snacks at Yong Saik Street. It was a bit high-brow, I thought. And not really the kind of casual brunch I prefer. Food was good, pricey though. OK overall - you get what you pay right? :) Was there with Chris and MQ, a day which started rather dramatically but I shouldn't say more ;-)



Nice vintage decorations. It was empty when we reached shortly after 11am. So we could take pictures to our hearts' content. Haha.



Kind of open kitchen concept - we could see the chefs preparing food for us. I bet this converts to a bar counter at night because I heard there is a hidden bar somewhere - where? behind? :P

 

We didn't follow the menu from start to finish . LOL. Started with the second course. Fried snapper fish n’ duck fat chips. Mushy peas. Tartar sauce.



Veal sweetbread & pork pie. Onion gravy. Came with Foie Gras too. Yummy :) De Ja Vu - My French food meals continue. We ordered Skinny Fries too! 

Seared scallop. With crispy lamb balls?

Last stop of the weekend - Stranger's Reunion at Kampong Bahru. Heard that the neighbouring cafes - OKB (One Kampong Bahru) and Chef Icon - are nice. So this might be a good area to explore if you are thinking of CAFE HOPPING! By the way, I like the coffee at Highlanders just down the stretch of shop houses :P



Nice Decorations too. More down to earth. Homely. White roses, anyone? :)



The Macha Red Bean cake was quite unique.



Good service. Really attentive when it comes to topping up water. And so we left a small tip.



Another angle of Stranger's Reunion. Pretty meaningful name, is it not? When it comes to enjoying coffee and cake with people you do not know in the same abode again and again?



I forgot what tea MQ ordered. I had a ice mocha. Chris had a ice chocolate. HOT day too :P

So here is me, blogging about last weekend this weekend. Not sure if you know, I write for a living (kind of). But nothing is as enjoyable writing for you (and me) in my Long Vacation blog :)

Highlander Coffee, I need ice latte/cappuccino please!

It is really very hot today and I badly need a fika (ice latte/cappuccino please!). Unfortunately, I have no plans of getting out of the house today and hence, quenching the heat with a home-made ice super 3-in-1 coffee and blogging about my visit to Highlander Coffee (which I recall took place on a day like today - HOT!).

Highlander Coffee is at Kampong Bahru, about 2 bus stops from my house. In terms of proximity, I have taken a loooong time to visit it. Sometimes it's funny how we don't really cherish/desire things that are within reach that much :)

The location is charming, given it is nested in a shop house. Quite a few cafes/restaurants have popped up in this area in the last few years.

I ordered a carrot cake to go with the ice latte. Solid and simple, recommended by the service staff when I asked if it is good :) also value for money, compared to a few other cafes I have been to... was a bit surprised when the cake and coffee came in plastic plate/cup - guess no frills so no passing on of 'extra' cost to customers.

 

Not very packed on a weekday. Overheard that they follow working hours and closes at 6pm. Café looks small from outside but is actually quite big because of the length of the shop house (see area behind the ladies?). Reminds me of the story I heard in Malacca about why the shop houses are so long - well, it was said that the local government will only tax for width and not length hence created a loophole for the locals to build longer houses that stretch into backyards :) I love travel stories :)

 

Café décor was very coffee-related. Solid and simple, I say again. Heh.

Coffee machines can be seen all round the café. Heard they conduct lessons too, so do visit their website if your dream is to be a barista or you just want to know more about your favourite drink of the time! :)

 

Was reading a magazine Coffee t&i and this article about how to sustain coffee trend in Singapore caught my eye. I do agree with the article that cafes, coffee roasters and consumers must adopt a genuine and honest approach to it if this is for the long run...Fad or fact is really up to the community.