The Lokal at Neil Road

The Lokal is the latest addition to the cafe scene in the Cantonment / Everton Park area. With a strong track record at its sister cafe - Sarnies at Telok Ayer Street - The Lokal is set to be the next big hit among the cafe-hopping enthusiasts.

The Lokal is situated in the shophouse at the corner of Neil Road and Bukit Pasoh. It is right next to Goethe-Institut Singapore, and near The Phantom Joker Escape. Perfect location for a cafe if you ask me - a healthy distance from the MRT station (Outram Park), a relatively quiet area plus there are many pretty historical architecture in the neighbourhood (the famous Dong Ya building which now houses Potato Head Folk is just a stone's throw away).

At The Lokal, breakfast is served from 8am to 1130am which lunch is served from 1130am to 3pm. The Lokal lunch menu consists of 4 sandwiches, 1 salad and 2 main courses. The Lokal prides themselves in offering comfort food that is made lovingly from scratch. Even the tiniest detail like butter and pickles are made by the chef from fresh ingredients.  Now, this is what we call passion and sincerity and we would definitely love to see more of these in the (almost saturated?) industry.

The Lokal uses coffee beans from their sister cafe, Sarnies. The coffee is handcrafted using a cool, super slick custom-built Slayer expresso machine. Apart from coffee, The Lokal also serves craft beers and ciders, as well as a selection of tea and homemade smoothies.

Apart from what is stated on the menus, do look out for the daily specials, dessert selection and happy hour promotions that are scribbled on the huge blackboard right behind the counter.

The Grilled Chicken Panini ($15) was such a feast on our eyes when it arrived. Set on a huge grainy wooden board, the sandwich was bursting with colours and oozing avocado and grilled chicken. There was a generous serving of pure avocado in the sandwich, and it was a little overpowering for us. The grilled chicken was nicely marinated and the panini was crisp and chewy.

We wondered where was the smoked mackerel and concluded that they must have ran out of it hence the two chunks of orangey smoked salmon ($22). The salmon was hot-smoked over cherry woodchips right at The Lokal itself, and we certainly could taste the sincerity and passion put into it. We could also identify the thought put into the creamy potato salad, and the perfectly toasted pita. Such an amazing combo!

The toastie of the day was mushroom, sundried tomatoes with parmesan and pesto sauce ($14). This was da bomb for me - best combination ever for a toast! There were generous portions of nicely sauteed mushrooms, with savoury sundried tomatoes nestled in between. The mushrooms and tomatoes were held together by a lovely blend of pesto and melted parmesan. I could eat this everyday!

The latte at The Lokal was very much to my liking. It was smooth, creamy with a nutty aftertaste. There are options to upsize the coffee to medium (+$1) or large (+$2), and I would definitely go for a bigger portion the next time we visit.

We settled for the Pear and Almond Tart with Ice Cream ($12) for dessert. While the vanilla ice-cream and pastry was lip-smacking, the caramelised pear was a little tough and bland. We felt that the price was also a tad steep for the size of the tart.

We certainly enjoyed the wholesome and hearty food at The Lokal, and the awesome laid-back atmosphere of the cafe. It is by far one of my favourite cafes, and I would definitely return to spend an indefinite amount of time lounging on one of the cushioned seats. Did I mention that they also have free wifi and electric sockets? And as if the level of awesomeness is not high enough, The Lokal will also be offering a dinner menu and extended dining hours come end July. Now, don't miss out.

SINGAPORE FOOD BLOG REVIEW BY KUMORY

☁☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

The Lokal

136 Neil Road Singapore

8am to 6pm (Mon to Fri, kitchen closes at 330pm)

10am to 4pm (Sat & Sun)

Potato Head Folk at Keong Saik Road

The red and white Dong Ya building at Keong Saik Road is an icon by itself. And it is exactly why the folks at Potato Head Folk were willing to pay the skies for the four storey shophouse right at the fork of the road. Each level of the shophouse were renovated and converted into interesting spaces and differing experiences.

The first level of Potato Head Folk houses the kitchen of Three Buns, the restaurant at Potato Head Folk serving burgers and cocktails. Alfresco dining is available here, with tall bar tables and chairs right by the curbside.

The second storey of Potato Head Folk, also known as the living room, is the air-conditioned dining area of Three Buns. The space is artfully decorated with colourful and whimsical paintings, sculptures and buntings.

Three Buns has a very targeted offering- burgers and cocktails. This makes choosing so much simpler - a rarity these days when we are constantly bombarded with numerous options and multiple customizations.

We immediately knew that we wanted Sherbie Hancock ($7) for we were bought over by the promise of a zingy lemonade with orange, lemon and grapefruit. Anything that is sour and fizzy would work well for us. However, we were disappointed when it turned out neither sour nor fizzy. It tasted like flat, watered down syrup water, and the promised grapefruit was missing.

The pina colada ($17) also looked and sounded better than it tasted. We were swooned by the colour and the presentation but that impression did not last through the first sip. The taste of rum was clearly missing, and all we could think of the slurpee from 7-11 and that we could have bought many cups of it.

Thankfully, the Naughty Fries ($9) was able to perk us up. The fries were huge chucks of double fried potato that had a crispy shell enveloping the mushy insides. Very well done, and went really well with the beef chilli and shallots that topped them. It was served piping hot, and we think they were certainly very naughty, and hearty.

Wings-it ($8) were also twice-cooked before being coated in a smokey BBQ sauce. The flavour of the chicken however, stopped right at the skin. The chicken itself did not have much marination, and lost its flavour once the skin had been stripped off.

The Baby Huey ($20) was a life-saver after the ordinary wings-it. The 150g beef patty was perfectly grilled to a medium doneness, with a smokey outside and a juicy inside. The buttered bun was also crispy and savoury, and the spiced mayo brought everything very nicely together.

The buttermilk fried chicken in Honky Tonk ($19) was lip-smacking. However, we did not really fancy the coleslaw that came in the burger. It was a little too creamy and cabbagey for our liking.

The third storey at Potato Head Folk houses Studio 1939, a bar that we pictured Sherlock Holmes investigating some peculiar crime. It was almost pitch dark behind the behind door. The only illumination was the bar counter, and the lights bouncing off the bottles of wines and liquor. The music was loud but the chattering was even louder. The room, though dark, was teeming with strong energy and vibe.

Finally, the fourth storey at Potato Head Folk boasts a rooftop bar overlooking the shophouses and flats of Chinatown, and the skyscrapers of the CBD. Such quaint, soothing juxtaposition somehow. The weather was forgivingly cooling and breezy the night we were there, and we lounged on the cushioned seats sipping and chilling the night away.

Despite its good track record in Bali and all the hype about them opening an outlet in Singapore, there were certainly hits and misses at Potato Head Folk. We would recommend skipping the drinks at Three Buns, and just go straight to the Naughty Fries and the Baby Huey beef burger. The staff waiting at Three Buns can be pretty unforgiving if you were to linger after finishing your food. So, we recommend that you head up to The Rooftop for drinks instead. There, you can be sure that you would be left alone for a slow sip and be able to lounge the night away.

Potato Head Folk does not take in reservations, so do go early. Else, the waiting list, we heard, could be a good one to two hours wait. Alternatively, we would strongly encourage you to head to The Lokal which is just a few steps away. Great coffee, great food and awesome atmosphere there.

SINGAPORE FOOD BLOG REVIEW BY KUMORY

☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Potato Head Folk (Three Buns and The Rooftop)

36 Keong Saik Road

11am to 12am daily (Closed on Mon)

Restaurant Standard Food at Salute Coffeeshop at Bukit Merah Lane 1

Salute Coffeeshop is definitely not your typical kopitiam. Tables are wrapped in picnic blue graham cloths; stalls have beautiful menus; and most importantly, Salute is a haberdashery of world cuisine and gourmet food. Salute Coffeeshop is proud to serve food of restaurant standards at affordable prices of below $20. We were very excited to be part of the bustling scene on a Friday evening, and we picked our favourites amidst the wide offerings here.

French - Immanuel French Kitchen

The menu of Immanuel French Kitchen is pretty, simple and focused. We were immediately drawn to the red labels and unanimously decided on the french duck leg confit. Duck confit is very much the national dish of France, if you would put away the (gruesome) foie gras aside, and is the test that every French food place has to pass with nothing short of flying colours.

Indeed, the duck confit ($14.90) at Immanuel French Kitchen put us on cloud nine. The skin was cooked to a crisp, while the meat remained tender and soft in its own oil. The meat separated from the bone very easily, and melted right away in our mouths. The mash potatoes was a creamy blend of happiness and was nicely complemented by the braised cabbage.

☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Immanuel French Kitchen

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German - Stew Küche

Stew Küche, or Stew Kitchen, is hard to miss with its sprawling signboard across two shopfronts at Salute Coffeeshop. It serves German food, and a good selection of German craft beers. It also boasts a friendly fleet of staff that would help to arrange and secure seats for you at the coffeeshop with 170 seats.

The staff from Stew Kuche recommended the half pork knuckle ($15) for the two of us to share. We were told that the whole pork knuckle was more suitable for a party of four, and we thought if they had underestimated us (hah).

Boy, we were glad to have heed their advice. Though half, the pork knuckle was HUGE. The skin was deep fried to perfection- it was crackling very loudly in our mouths. In contrast, the meat remained juicy and moist. I absolutely loved the whipped potato that came with the pork knuckle - there were huge chunks of potatoes and held together with bits of onion and black pepper. Very, very hearty. There was also an interesting twist to the national German dish- achar is also served as a side. The sour and slightly spicy preserved vegetable gave an interesting blend and texture to the pork too.

☁☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Stew Kuche

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Fushion - Mian

Mian, which has a mobile food truck called the travelling cow selling ramen burgers, had also settled down at Salute Coffeeshop. The menu of Mian is not for the unadventurous or faint-hearted. They challenge conventions and the curious.

The seafood laksa linguine ($12) boost a spicy and creamy homemade sauce that tasted like a cross between traditional laksa gravy and tomyum soup. There were generous portions of shrimps, sotong and fishcake, and the best part was the crabmeat salad that topped it all off. This dish may get a little gelat after a while given its thick sauce, so it is best to share.

However, the truffle fries (add $1 with every main course) at Mian was nothing out of the ordinary. We would have loved the fries to be crispier, and the taste of the truffle to be stronger.

☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Mian

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Belgian - Seasalt

If you love the concept of Brussels Sprouts at Boat Quay, Seasalt tries to be the counterpart in this coffeeshop. Seasalt offers seafood in a pot, served in a variety of sauces and with french loaf as a staple.

We ordered mussels in white wine (vino, $14) but we could not fathom where the white wine went. It was neither in the sauce, nor in the mussels themselves. Perhaps we had the taste (standard) of Brussels Sprouts in mind, and Seasalt fell short of our expectations. In fact, it fell flat. The mussels were pretty small, and more thought could have been placed in the taste of the sauce. This dish was ordinary, and needed a bit more work.

☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Seasalt

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Unlike conventional kopitiams, there is no drinks stall at Salute Coffeeshop. But fret not, drinks selection include craft beers from Stew Küche or bubble tea from Eskimo. Things are really done differently here at this new age coffeeshop.

Another stall worth mentioning at Salute Coffeeshop is Two Wings. The recipe of the chicken wings served at Two Wings is claimed to be the same as the once famous Carona Chicken Rice that was at one point in all major foodcourts around the island. We would be back at Salute soon, and would definitely give Two Wings a try the next time round.

It is heartening to see these young entrepreneurs putting their passion and heart into the F&B industry, and to have them all come together at a single location that exudes such vibrancy and energy. You have to experience Salute Coffeeshop for yourself - now.

SINGAPORE FOOD BLOG REVIEW BY KUMORY

☁☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Salute Coffeeshop

Blk 119 Bukit Merah Lane 1

Opening times vary from stall to stall

The Ultimate Guide to Best Steamboat in Singapore

Singapore, despite its fiery weather, is home to many steamboat restaurants and eateries. Though it may leave us sweaty and heaty after the meal, we Singaporeans do love our steamboats, don't we? 
We have chosen the best steamboat places from the different cuisines- Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Thai - and put together a list of the best places to have steamboat in Singapore.

Chinese Steamboat

Hai Di Lao Hotpot (海底捞火锅）

☁☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Must try: Mala soup, mushroom soup, seafood soup, marinated chicken slices, pork slices, handmade noodles, handmade dumplings

Bonus: Free snacks and fruits, free manicure, absolutely stunning service

#02-04 3D River Valley Road Clarke Quay Singapore

1030am- 3am daily

6337 8626

Korean Steamboat

Manbok Korean BBQ & Steamboat Buffet

☁☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Must try: Clam soup, clams, mussels, marinated chicken breast, marinated beef, bacon streaks

Bonus: Fountain drinks and ice cream are included in the buffet

277 New Bridge Road Chinatown Singapore

11am- 11pm daily

6557 0939

Japanese Steamboat

Mara Shabu

☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Must try: Kelp soup, organic vegetables, ponzu sauce

Bonus: You can buy and bring in the other wonderful items in Pasarbella!

#02-K16/17/18/19, PasarBella @ The Grandstand, 200 Turf Club Road Singapore

1130am-3pm; 6pm-10pm daily

6465 1639

Thai Steamboat

Tomyum Kungfu Mookata

☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Must try: Garlic chicken, marinated pork, bacon streaks, thai milk tea

Bonus: Thai cooked food are available too

16 Circular Road Singapore
1130am- 3pm; 6pm-1030pm (Mon to Fri); 6pm-1030pm (Sat-Sun)
6536 1614

There you go - our ultimate guide to the best steamboat in Singapore! Go on and sweat it all out, because they are definitely worth every once of it. Let us know if you would like to add a special steamboat to our list!