Get out of Tanuki Raw by 21:15hrs, ok?

Tanuki Raw honestly needs no introduction… Happy Hour from 5-8PM daily; their drinks aren’t anything to shout about, & I only order them because they are a prerequisite to get the happy hour bites.

Plate of 12 Oysters (max-ed out our limit with 2 drinks)

Oysters at $2++ a pop (which is half off the usual price of $4++ a piece) if you order a drink (max 6 oysters per drink); these were well-shucked & delightfully creamy to my preference.

5 slices of salmon sashimi for $7++ (limited to 5 slices aka 1 set per drink); I can’t eat raw fish so I can’t say much, only that they look fairly thick – but my dining partner said these were okay.

Lobster Salad & Salmon Bao at $5++ a piece. Again, didn’t try this but here’s a pic for reference.

Tanuki Raw’s Truffle Yakiniku ($19++) hasn’t changed much over the years – decently delicious, an average sized portion. However, quite disappointing to see that our request to serve the onsen egg (of another bowl, not in picture) separately was not taken seriously. It was indeed in a separate bowl, but had egg white remnants on the beef slices. If the diner requested for this & had an actual egg allergy.. 🤔

But wait, there’s more! That wasn’t the ultimate turn off during this particular visit. Get this – we were reminded FIVE times from 20:53 – 21:12hrs that we had to leave by 21:15hrs, as that was when they were closing.

We had already been informed of this upon arrival at 19:53hrs. Reminding us once would be acceptable but 5 times in 20 mins? Especially when you can clearly see we were in very intense conversation throughout dinner? How rude.

However, let me try to make the most out of this occurrence. I interpret this ferverent frequency of reminders as a reflection of how important this is to them.. So here’s me doing my part & making a public service announcement: To all who dine here, GTFO by 9:15PM, alright?

Our waiter was in such a hurry to clear our table that he spilled food back on the table in his haste to do so, & didn’t clear it up properly. Omg, punctuality is really so important at this outlet.

“You all are the last ones here already,” he barked at us, & even rapped on our table with his knuckles to bring his point across. Ok… Can.

What a way to make your customers feel so welcomed. Not sure if any other diners had experienced this before, but I certainly hope not.

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀ Al fresco seats available
📱 Accepts GrabPay
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Only seats the group when all are present
💦 Water is not chargeable

Seng Coffee Bar – Good Coffee, Relaxed Vibes

Seng Coffee Bar – another cafe whose interior decor I really like! Am plugged in to their WiFi & streaming my Spotify playlist with earphones on – for some much-needed me time. & I do feel quite relaxed. 😁

I ordered the Crabmeat Egg Benedict ($18+), as I was craving something brunchy & unique. It’s conceptually appealing, but I felt there was something missing from this. Would’ve liked more dimension to the flavours.. Some form of heat or acidity would be welcomed. Maybe some cherry tomatoes or a dash of cayenne pepper?

The Hot White Coffee ($5+) was goooood, though. Would return to have a cup of coffee & try the other food items on their menu. I have my eye on the salted egg chicken burger (yes they have lunch mains too)!

💳 Accepts credit cards
📱 Accepts GrabPay
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀ Al fresco seats available
📶 Free WiFi
🙋🏻‍♀️ Service charge applicable
🚫 No GST
💦 Water is not chargeable

Set of Six Before Dark

When I’m alone, I usually sit at the bar for a nice view of the bottles & the occasional chit chat/playful banter. But at Set of Six, it might be a tough call.. Both seem like good options. The seats look quite comfy & yes that is a disco ball 😉

Doesn’t look like something I’d typically order, but looks can be deceiving – Orchard Smash ($25++) is a cognac-based cocktail with citrusy goodness. Deceivingly refreshing with Dry Curaçao & Mint, go slow & savour it in all its cheerfulness, despite the temptation to slurp it all down. It’ll hit you with a fairly nice buzz after.

Didn’t have much time to spend here, but glad I made it & I will certainly be back. Make your reservations early as it gets packed as night falls. Yes lol I was here at 5pm on a Saturday – was able to walk in, but not before they asked me how long I’d be staying.

45 mins, I laughed. Hehehe.

Everyone takes a photo here (outside the bathroom)

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🖥 Accepts reservations online/by phone
💦 Water is not chargeable

Evening Oyster Happy Hour at Beurre

Beurre’s Oyster Happy Hour: Mon – Sat, 5-7PM. With a minimum order of 2 drinks, you can get these babies at $2++ a pop. Do read the fine print, though – with a minimum purchase of 6 oysters & maximum of 12 per bill, there isn’t much wiggle room IMHO. I reckon a table of 2 diners would optimize this perfectly…. Or a single solo yolo diner like myself 😂

So these oysters… They are the bomb, man. While not the plumpest, they are juicy enough for my liking. Slightly creamy & with a tinge of brineyness – which is the flavour profile I enjoy. I ordered 6 oysters for myself & tbh as I sit here typing this, I’m tempted to order 6 more to finish on my own…

I enjoy my oysters best with a squeeze of lemon & a nice glass of wine. Pleased to find that Beurre’s drinks menu has some pretty affordable options. I chose the Delle Venezie Pinot Grigio. A light & fruity one, it has hints of pears & apples, which sounds easy to drink – & that it was. It also complemented the oysters nicely, warranting a double thumbs up from me 👍🏻👍🏻

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats available
☀ Al fresco seats available
🖥 Accepts reservations – I used Chope
🍽 Burpple Beyond Partner (1-for-1 set course menu)

Sarnies Promo Codes for Coffee Beans and Food

Sarnies’ coffee beans are going at an awesome 1-for-1 ’til 1st June 2020! Simply walk in to their store along Telok Ayer street to purchase, or order online with the promo code WENEEDCOFFEE.

I got the Meerkat blend, described as: whiffs of sweetness when freshly ground; a chocolate & nutty aroma, followed by a smooth lingering toasty aftertaste. Bought a bag for me, & a bag to give away (since I can’t finish 2 bags that quickly). You can opt for various grind sizes: Whole bean/espresso/filter/french press.

There was a bit of communication breakdown regarding what I wanted – I walked in asking for a coarse grind, & they kindly ground the beans on the spot for me 👍🏻 But I realized when I reached home that they’d given me an espresso grind.

It’s not easy to communicate & confirm details through a mask, I guess.. So next time I think I’ll write my order down or place it online for self collection. The benefit of walking in-store is that you get Shopback GO cashback, so that’s my preference 😁

Besides selling coffee beans, Sarnies also sells breakfast/brunch/lunch grub! With the promo code HELLO10, you get a nice 10% off your online order. I placed mine a day in advance & paid up using PayPal after details were WhatsApped to me. Other payment options: iBanking/PayNow. Whatever method you use, payment must be done before your order is confirmed.

Their Quinoa Salad ($15.50 nett) looks like health, tastes like DELICIOUS health. You’ve got feta, olives, pomegranate, pistachios – tossed in a bed of spinach & fluffy quinoa with cumin dressing. My mum & I enjoyed this, & we would order this again.

My favourite item from Sarnies’ menu was the Brunch Wrap Set ($13.50 nett) – only available online on weekends & public holidays for brunch. My wrap of choice was the Breakfast Wrap (U.P. $9.50 nett), which is stuffed with eggs, roasted tomatoes & mushrooms.

The description alone reads like a deliciously good idea; biting into it convinced me this was a GREAT idea. Despite a 20-minute drive home, it was still warm, yet not soggy. The eggs were fluffy, mushrooms juicy & earthy, & acidity & slight char of the tomatoes gave life to this wrap. I shared it with my parents, & they were impressed.

The set comes with a drink of choice – any coffee/tea/kombucha. I had a Flat White (U.P. $5 nett), & I honestly don’t need to say anything about their coffee ‘cos I’ve gushed about it so much already. Consistently tasty, strong, & this is why I keep coming back.

💳 Accepts credit cards
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🍽 ShopBack GO partner
🙋🏻‍♀ No service charge
🚫 No GST

Strangers’ Reunion – Loved their Grain Bowl and White Magic Coffee

Strangers’ Reunion has free delivery for orders >$50, which honestly isn’t too difficult to hit with a couple of dishes. I ordered some of these items while they were on sale, & ended up spending more than double required for free delivery… LOL.

Their delivery time slots are in 2-hour brackets; I chose 10AM – 12PM but indicated that I’d prefer as late as possible (“closer to 12PM”) & they actually took note of it.. Very appreciated!

Their Grain Bowl with Seasonal Vegetables caught my eye – with several options available, I went for the Hanger Steak with Chimichurri on a base of Quinoa ($16.00+).

The steak survived the delivery journey well. Even though it wasn’t warm anymore, when I bit into it & decided I didn’t need to heat this up to enjoy it. The hunky pieces of beef were still moist & tender; I wasn’t fighting tooth & nail to bite it into manageable pieces.

Grain Bowl with Seasonal Vegetables – I choose the Hanger Steak with Chimichurri on Quinoa

There was a nice variety of vegetables in the bowl too – various textures & flavours to keep things interesting. The onsen egg being kept separately such that you Add it in just before you eat? Brilliant idea. Mixed it in with the bed of fluffy quinoa & barley tucked right in. Quantity-wise, there were enough grains to pair with all the ingredients; glad they’re not stingy with that.

100% would order this dish again! Undecided if I should stick to this steaky goodie, or choose from their other options:

Grilled Chicken with Citrus Soy
Pan-seared Salmon with Spicy Shoyu
Charred Pork with Hoisin BBQ
Tofu & Tempeh with Ponzu (Vegan; No Egg)

Ps: If quinoa/barley isn’t quite your thing, you can opt for brown rice.

There are many parts to the Strange Breakfast ($20.00+). You can choose eggs done 1 of 3 ways: Scrambled/poached/sunny side up. I chose the former. It had good texture, creamy & not watery or hard despite having roughed out the delivery ride.

However, the taste was WAY off. It was salty beyond belief, & this was unanimous feedback from everyone at the table. I would hope that was a one-off incident & the eggs don’t taste like this for everyone who orders this.

Thankfully, this wasn’t my main dish – if it were, I wouldn’t have eaten any more of the scrambled eggs past the first bite. It was just that salty. It was disappointing especially because it was the most expensive item of the order.

The rest of the brunch was okay – grilled tomato on vine, smashed potatoes, spiced beans, bacon, butcher’s choice sausage, toasted brioche & seasonal salad. The eggs really had potential to be the star of this dish, but I’m a bit afraid to re-order this again.

I’ve heard great reviews of White Magic ($6.90+), but even that wasn’t enough to prepare myself for my first sip. Guys, this is freaking amazing. Few other milky coffees can compare to this.

Don’t think that just because it’s “white”, thus it’s gonna be more milky than anything else (although, yes, it has a touch of cream in it)… Um, no.

I took a sip of this before an early morning meeting & this PERKED ME RIGHT UP. The caffeine boost slapped me right in the face. It lifted my mood so amazingly. It is pretty potent & robust. I would order this again in a heartbeat… I think I’m in love. 😍

Unfortunately, this cup of coffee was barely warm when it reached me

In comparison, I’d advise against getting their regular coffee delivered. I had a Coffee: White – Magic/Skinny ($5.50+) delivered, & it was okay… I drank it all, but didn’t impress me as much as the White Magic did. It didn’t have that robustness that I was hoping for in the caffeine department. Perhaps also because it was only lukewarm by the time it reached me.

I mean, it wasn’t terrible, but I’d pay a little bit more & get the White Magic.. Trust me.

MJ Coffee Co – A New Home-barista Coffee Option

Chanced across MJ Coffee Co on an Instagram ad & was curious about this new home-barista coffee option. DM-ed them to order & also let them know approximately what time I’d drive by to pick it up.

PayLah & PayNow are accepted as payment modes, & they currently operate on a pay-as-you-wish basis! I sincerely hope this doesn’t get taken advantage of. (Also worthy to note that until 4th June 2020, 50% of their proceeds go towards a good cause – the Z Initiative campaign that supports the elderly.)

MJ Coffee Co’s Flat White in my trusty Seastainable collapsible cup

They have takeaway cups to serve your drinks in, but I brought my own reusable one & didn’t have to wait long. Not even 5 minutes! My trusty Seastainable cup is large enough to fit a medium-sized portion of bubble tea, so I “squished” it to be shorter for this coffee run. Looks… Funny. But kinda cute.

With the depth of my cup, I didn’t expect much latte art… But the taste. Damn. I licked the top clean.

I was very happy with the Flat White that I ordered. I don’t care so much about latte art (anyway, with such a steep cup is it even possible yo), but taste-wise.. Ooh la la. It’s creamy & toasty nutty, & does not have any lingering acidic aftertaste (acidic taste profiles aren’t to my liking). It was comforting & something I’d return to drink again. This started my weekend on a great note… & yes, I licked all the foam off the lid.

Residents of Hillview Heights condominium are so lucky that this is so accessible to them! But for those who don’t live there & wish to support, don’t worry – detailed (yet simple) instructions will be provided on how to pick up your order before you arrive.

Free the Robot – Bubble Tea, Coffee, Soups (and Self Pick-up Discounts!)

Free the Robot has options for delivery & self pick-ups. You get 15% off online orders (no min. spend) if you opt for self pick-up. It was too good an offer to pass up!

I love the wall art outside Free the Robot

There are a couple of open-air parking lots along Telok Ayer Street. If you’re lucky, you can stop right at the storefront to get your goods. If not, the other lots lining the street are still convenient – just a short, convenient walk away to zip in & out for collection

My first takeaway purchase of coffee & soup

I bought 2 bottles of coffee, good to keep in the fridge for a week:

Robo-one Chilled Vanilla ($14,00+, blue label)
Free the Robot Signature Cold ($14.00+, red label)

Each bottle contains 500ml of coffee & is enough for 3 servings, they say. But I finished half a bottle in one sitting…. Lmaoooo I guess I am a heavy drinker. I kept the other half in my own glass bottle, since they use crown cork bottle caps that aren’t resealable.

Not my first time drinking their coffee – quality is consistent & I will order again. Turns out they also accept returning the empty, washed glass bottles (never hurts to ask if stores do). I did just that when I dropped by to pick up my next order.

My mum is crazy about their soups, I’ve bought them twice already. They are thicccc & delicious, & “how come i don’t feel thirsty after drinking this ah”.

As I wanted to store them in the fridge for consumption later in the week, I chose the “vacuum pack” option. But if you wanted to have it fresh & hot, just select “hot”. Ordering online with them is pretty intuitive & simple.

Each bag has 350g of soup inside & there are several options – I bought the first 3:

Roasted Tomato Soup ($8+)
Mushroom Medley Soup ($10+)
Broccoli Soup ($8+)
Baby Abalone Chowder ($14+)

Unfortunately the broccoli soup doesn’t qualify for the 15% self pickup discount.. But if the quality of the first 2 soups I’ve tried is anything to go by, I’m not complaining.

Riding on the bubble tea wave/craze, Free the Robot now also offers milk tea or coffee with boba in them. Comes in a plastic bottle with a boba straw (but I rejected the straw as I have my own one at home).

Since I was picking up the other items I ordered from them, I thought to add a FTR Original Milk Tea with Boba ($6.00+) to my order, just for fun. It’s somewhat customizable:

Sugar level (0/25/50/100%)
Milk type (full cream milk by default; soy/oat milk additional $1+)

Take note that the 250ml portion is only about half the size of a medium cup at your regular bubble tea places. It isn’t that big! To get the larger (doubled) size of 500ml would set you back an additional $5+.

My thoughts: This is a bit expensive for me for the value & joy it brings to me. I’m not a hardcore bubble tea fan, so I don’t know if you trust my judgement. I would’ve liked the tea taste to be stronger, but I will say that the boba/pearls were sooo good & chewy.

Do check that they remember to put the boba in, btw! They initially forgot & I discovered after I left their store. Looped back & they were super apologetic about it – but ok lah, at least I wasn’t too far away 😂

If you’re picking up your order like I did, try to bring your own bags! Although I must say.. Their cloth bags are pretty cute & aesthetic. Take only what you need – if you’re a repeat customer, I reckon 1 bag is enough so their supplies can go to other customers!

I too have one now & will add it to my cloth bag collection. Auntie is like that one, bring cloth bag anywhere & everywhere 😜

💳 Accepts credit cards
🙋🏻‍♀️ No service charge
🚫 GST chargeable

Crust Brewing – All Sorts of Local Beer Made with Bread

Check out my latest beer stash from Crust Brewing! I shared their Instagram post & tagged them to get $10 off & free delivery. Sweet deal.

I love bread, & I love beer. I also love “optimizing” every part of my life. To know that the founders of Crust believe in maximizing their resources & reducing waste.. I like that. This seems like a great fit for my alcoholism, tastes & beliefs 😜

Crust was born out of their love for beer & founded on their strong belief in sustainability. Making use of fresh surplus bread from various sources (bakeries, hotels, grocers) in the brewing process, these bread are given a new lease of life instead of going to waste. 🍞 🍻

They currently have 5 beers available; 2 flagship & 3 collaborations. Quickly DM them for details, limited stock available!

Unfortunately, with circuit breaker rules in place, Crust Brewing can’t produce or bottle more beers at the moment. But hopefully once these restrictions are lifted, their online store will be up & running for us to GO GO GO 🤞🏻🍻

Also worthy to note: Don’t throw the beer bottles out when you’re done – you get a 50¢ refund per bottle on your next order when you return them. They also reuse their carton boxes for delivery, so keeping those to return to them would be helpful too.

So how do the beers fare?

Breaking Bread Ale (5% ABV)

Crust entered the market with this flagship light ale. An easy pale ale to drink, the tasting notes are crisp & floral fragrant. Its caramel notes linger around, but it isn’t sweet. Not sure if I’m imagining it (placebo effect or issit I’m drunk liao), but I do taste a faint yeastyness of bread.

I like it! Would order this again. I am glad that the “duplicate beer” (6 bottles but only 5 kinds of beer, remember?) is this one 🍻

Kaya Toast Stout (4.3% ABV)

Kaya Toast Stout (4.3% ABV) with The 1925 Brewing Co.

This collaboration brew with The 1925 Brewing Co. is described as “your morning breakfast of kaya toast & coffee, reimagined at night“. This is quite true, & I enjoyed this stout very much.

The aftertaste is quite reminiscent of kaya – just a hint, only – without the saccharine sweetness that I dislike. This creamy stout has notes that remind me of roasted coffee beans & caramel.. The flavour profile isn’t too strong, but it is nonetheless delicious. A well-executed, easy-to-drink stout that I am impressed with.

The King’s IPA (4.7% ABV)

The King’s IPA (4.7% ABV) with Edible Garden City

Crust’s pioneer collaboration brew with Edible Garden City has hints of green mango. Not from actual mangoes (but my photo gets an A+ for effort, right?), but from ulam rajas grown right here in Singapore. Don’t know what that is? Google it. I had to. No shame in that, I’m always curious to learn 😁

I’m not a huge fan of IPAs, but I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I liked how refreshing this was with the slightly fruity notes.. Yet the characteristic hoppyness of an IPA was not lost. Made it easier to drink than your usual IPA.

I’d order this again – hopefully I’m not too late as it’s running low in stock. It’s a popular one!

Beerguette (4.5% ABV)

Beerguette (4.5% ABV) with Tiong Bahru Bakery

Another collaboration brew, this time with Tiong Bahru Bakery. This pilsner-style beer uses TBB’s fresh surplus baguettes. I found it to be rather bitter & too hoppy for my liking; in terms of flavour profile, I (expectedly) didn’t taste much breadyness in this one.

Not really my kind of beer – but everyone has their preferences, right? I’d still say give it a shot if you haven’t tried it before. I recommend starting out ordering a 6 pack so you can try Crust’s full variety of 5 types of beer. Then re-order your favourites next time.

I Knead An Easy IPA (4.7% ABV)

Right off the bat, I love this pun on their 2nd flagship beer. Second to that, this is quite the easy IPA to drink. The hoppyness is balanced with the fruity flavours.

Out of their 2 flagship products, though, I prefer the Breaking Bread Ale for its crisp/clean profile. Unfortunately, that’s sold out for now – when they’re able to start bottling again, grab that quick!

Sarnies Coffee – Consistently Amazing

Sarnies’ coffee always comes up top. They’re popular for a reason; consistent quality, smooth coffee that goes down easily, & every sip makes me happy.

I redeemed a 1-for-1 coffee deal here thanks to Shopback GO. Pick anything off their extensive coffee menu – I chose a Latte ($5.00). This deal is valid for regular-sized drinks, which is the smallest size, but enough to keep me satisfied.

Even without 1-for-1, I’d pay full price for their coffee as I’ve done all these years. By paying with my Shopback GO linked credit card, I can clock loyalty rewards here each time.. Upon an accumulated spend of $30 (til 30 Jun), I can redeem a free coffee/tea. Can’t wait 😂

To make my journey worthwhile (& because I’m a little fatty), I also bought Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Bagel ($9.50 nett) to go. Bagels generally travel & keep well. Even when biting in at room temperature, it wasn’t stiff or tough. The cream cheese & capers within added creaminess & acidity to this breakfast delight.

Breakfast is available daily 7:30 – 11AM. Sarnies is one of the rare cafés that start their day so early – great for all you early birds who want to catch those worms 🙂

Bring A Clean Container… But Don’t Do This

Pro-tip: Perching your container on the dashboard while you drive home may seem like a good idea to keep your food warm under the sun… But when you make a right turn, your container is gonna slide away & fall to the ground.

Thank God my bagel fit snugly into the container I brought. It emerged from the tumble to the ground unharmed. #saynotobaddriving #strapyourfoodin #seatbeltsplease

💳 Accepts credit cards
🍽 Shopback GO partner
🙋🏻‍♀️ No service charge
🚫 No GST