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.

Happy 1st Birthday Kins’ Cafe!

It sucks to not be able to chill at a cafe over the weekend to relax & unwind… But during this circuit breaker period, I’ve discovered some pretty delicious food & beverages to keep my tummy happy. &, for some of these, I would like to visit these establishments to dine in, the next time I can. Kins’ Cafe is one of them.

They have delivery options, but there was a self pick-up promotion back when I ordered so I went for that. I placed my order via WhatsApp & paid using PayNow. Drove to Bijou Condo where they are located – parking is open to the public. The carpark grace period is 10 mins, which was enough time for me to walk & navigate the elevator to reach the cafe.

When I collected my food, I got a sneak peak of the premises & it looks like a nice space to while my weekend away. I’d probably take the train here – Pasir Panjang MRT is a very short walk away.

Kins’ Cafe looks like a very nice space to chill in

The coffee was full-bodied & impressive; part of the reason why I’d return. I picked the largest size – a 7oz White Coffee ($6). Double shot coffee for the win! (The smaller sizes are, by default, single-shot)

The other reason why I’d return: I enjoyed the food that I had. The Tom Yum Pasta ($18) had plenty of fresh seafood ingredients, & the flavours were the right balance of slightly spicy, a little bit sour, & not too salty. I did not try the others – Wagyu Beef Yakiniku Rice Bowl ($20) & Lobster Mac & Cheese ($15) – but received positive feedback about them.

Also, their desserts were bomb. The Kins’ Burnt Cheesecake ($8) was actually the original reason why I placed an order with them. If you’re bringing this home to eat, I suggest putting it in the fridge for a little while to cool down before consuming, for a firmer texture.

This is the first burnt cheesecake I’ve ever tried, so I can’t say it’s the best as I don’t have a basis of comparison. However, I will say this – I enjoyed its light texture, unique (but not offensive, as it is only pleasantly not pungently cheesy) flavour so much that I would want to try other burnt cheesecakes as well.

Oh, & the Carrot Cake with Salted Cream Cheese Frosting ($7.50)? Also pretty good.

Project Açaí – Pickups at Holland Village During Circuit Breaker

During this circuit breaker period, Project Açaí’s outlets at Taka, Vivocity & Katong are closed, but their Holland Village one is open for curbside or pre-order pickups ☺

Nuts for Açaí Bowl (Top), Original Flower Bowl (Bottom)

This is what I ordered:

Original Flower Bowl ($9.30 nett, medium)
Nuts for Açaí Bowl – Almond & Cashew Butter ($9.30 nett, medium)
Sambazon Açaí Sorbet Pint ($20 nett for a set of 2) – this is on the sweet side, & the unsweetened version is $6 more expensive (for a set of 2) so that’s a bummer!

WhatsApp them for the menu (not sure why they don’t just put it online) & send them your order in the correct format that they’ll provide to you. Take note to use the correct number for their Holland Village outlet (I messaged the wrong outlet at first).

Possible payment modes: PayNow or GrabPay. During busy periods they might take more time to make your bowl (up to 60 – 90 mins), so be patient. If you’re in a rush, not sure if this is a good idea. It always helps to plan/order in advance.

When it’s time, drive up to the back of the store at your confirmed timing to pick it up. Their website has helpful photos if you need a guide. You don’t even have to get out of your car.. Which is great because parking at Holland Village is always such a pain.

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

Pope Jai Thai – Affordable Delivery of Thai Cuisine That Supports a Good Cause

I learnt about Pope Jai Thai from a friend – admittedly drawn in by the perk of a free mango sticky rice. She then shared with me about their cause & what they stand for. They are a F&B-focused social enterprise that employs a range of disadvantaged groups; underprivileged & marginalized individuals make up 90% of their workforce. During the COVID-19 outbreak, they’ve also created new job opportunities (since they offer islandwide delivery) for taxi drivers & dispatch riders who have been affected by this pandemic.

I’m not going to put myself on moral high ground here. But I’m happy to support a meaningful social cause like this. & eat delicious food while I’m at it.

Delivery is an affordable $5, & if you quote BUIBUISUPPORTPJ when ordering (min. spend $30), you get a FREE mango sticky rice on your first order! Valid until 4 May 2020.

Pope Jai Thai‘s menu is pretty extensive. They have set meal deals (main + drink), a la carte mains, zhi-char style dishes for sharing, appetizers, & dessert too of course. I was happy with the food I ordered:

Phad Thai Set (Seafood) with Thai Lemon Tea (Cold) – $8.80 nett
Stir Fried Tanghoon Set (Vegetables) with Thai Milk Tea (Cold) – $8.80 nett
Homemade Thai Prawn Cake (3 pieces) – $8.80 nett
Clear Tom Yum Glass Noodle Soup (Seafood) – $8.80 nett
Garlic Honey Chicken (Large) – $15 nett
Garlic Baby Kailan (Medium) – $11 nett

I usually don’t like paying for delivery, but their $5 delivery fee (min. $20 spend) is reasonable. Delivery service was also satisfactory; my food arrived on time (within the 30 minute window – in fact, at 12:22PM when I requested for 12:15PM delivery!). My soup was shrink-wrapped at the top to avoid spillage, & the dispatch rider had stored my food in an insulated bag (warm & cold in 2 separated bags) during the ride 👍🏻

Would order from them again & when circuit breaker period is over, I’d like to pay their dining establishment a visit too – they’re conveniently located at *SCAPE.

@haydenyja’s Scrumptious Rice Bowls

Don’t shoot me, but.. I’m a bad Asian. I’m not a rice lover. I can go for months without rice. But I loooove rice bowls when they’re done right.

I DM-ed @haydenyja to place an order & made payment via PayNow a day in advance. Picked these babies up from D’Leedon & went straight home to feast on lunch. Heated them up a little in the microwave – & the first bite was heaven..

.. Right until the last bite.

In fact, despite finishing the grass-fed ribeye slices before the rice, I still ate the rice on its own. That’s not something I do often. I had to, because it was cooked perfectly fluffily, the sauce was delicious, & with the perfect runny onsen egg mixed in..? I can’t waste any of that.

I tried the smoked black pepper duck slices as well; they were good. Not too heavily peppered & doesn’t assault the tastebuds offensively. Common to all 3 options: Pickled onion to refresh your tastebuds as you make your way through your meal. Lovely.

I’d order both the Beef ($12.90) & Duck ($11.90) again for sure!

Unfortunately, I did not get to try the Unagi ($12.90) because it was rudely wolfed down by the person I brought it home for. I was so upset, especially because that came highly recommended & I wanted to try at least one slice. & it looked hella good. Maybe next time!

Check @haydenyja’s Instagram for his latest menu as it updates often. I already missed the first round of salmon 😭 But hey, the beef, duck (& I’m sure unagi) more than made up for it.

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

That Coffee and Beer Place – Affordable Breakfast Sets

Tucked in a corner of Onze @ Tanjong Pagar, an inconspicuous condominium nestled in a cul-de-sac, I don’t think That Coffee and Beer Place gets much passerby traffic. It was Burpple Beyond’s 1-for-1 deals that brought me here.

The Entrance to That Coffee and Beer Place

Burpple Beyond Premium Membership gives you 2 Coffee/Tea deals, 2 Set Meal deals. I originally wanted to just get a coffee, but the breakfast set (served 8 – 11AM, Mon – Sat) deal was pretty tempting.

Breakfast Set = 1 Baked Good + Coffee/Tea. There are 2 different price points: $6.90 or $5.90 per set. I bought the more expensive one, choosing both options for baked goods to cover all ground:

Turkey Ham & Cheese Croissant
Smoked Salmon Quiche

Both of these are $5.90 on their own, so this set is really worth it. & when you swipe Burpple Beyond’s 1-for-1 deal, you save even more!

My croissant was deflated by the time I reached home, probably from being heated up before being packed away 😢 It looked sad, but was surprisingly delicious! Sufficient saltiness from the turkey ham, harmonized with the slight creaminess of the emmental cheese. The croissant wasn’t crispy anymore, but if you saw this as a light & flaky piece of bread, I guess that’s ok 😂

I thought I’d like the quiche more, but I wasn’t a fan of the mushyness of the salmon. I’d prefer larger flakes of chunky fish.. But that’s my preference. Taste wise, it was okay. It is pretty dense, with a good crumbly crust.

Which one would I order again? The croissant, actually. Even though the quiche is substantially more filling. I just liked the flavours a lot better.

What I liked best, though, was the Cafe Latte. It was creamy & smooth. Started my day off on a good note. I’d head back here again just for this when I next drop my sister off at work!

Or maybe I’ll try the $5.90 breakfast sets: Butter Croissant, Chocolate Danish, Jalapeño Cheese Brezel… Which one sounds good?

Ps: As you can infer from their name, they also serve beer here! I also love how they have a cute bottle opener mounted where the cash register is 😂

💵 Cash/NETS only
🌬 Air-conditioned seats only
🍽 Burpple Beyond partner
📶 Free WiFi available
💦 Water is not chargeable
🙋🏻‍♀️ No service charge
🚫 No GST

Ah Li Mee Pok – Japanese Fusion Bak Chor Mee

My all-time favourite bak chor mee (BCM) is the one served by Ah Li Mee Pok. A disclaimer: This isn’t your regular BCM. It’s an elevated, fusion type of BCM that still retains some local elements of traditional BCM.

I’ve been patronizing them for years; on weekdays, the lines get snakingly long by the time 12PM rolls around. I’m always here early to beat the crowd.

Anti-clockwise from top left:

Bombdiggity soup for 4 pax
Shoyu Mee Pok ($6.40 nett)
Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles ($4.40 nett)
Special Mee Pok ($4.40 nett)

I love their Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles/BCM because:

It’s affordable!
It’s flavourful & delicious. Texture of the noodle is good; vinegar, chilli & sauce live in umami harmony.
They are super generous with ingredients – sliced pork, pork balls, minced pork, abalone, & pork lard. I find that I finish my noodles way before I’m done with the ingredients. So rare!
Their soup is THE BOMB, actually has a delicious umami taste. There is a pleasant kind of sweetness that maybe is from clams or prawns or some kind of seafood?

During this #circuitbreaker period, they accept online orders for self-collection & delivery. By default, you pay for a packaging fee of $0.20 per bowl. To my surprise, I received a refund of my packaging fee ($0.80 total) with a kind note explaining why – it’s because I brought my own clean containers. Very appreciated!

Ordering online is simple; & you can indicate your preferences before adding to cart:

Noodles – Mee Pok/Mee Kia/Kuay Teow
Style – Dry/Soup
Chilli Level – Yes/Less/No (their chilli isn’t very spicy)
Vinegar Level – Yes/Less/No

If you’re opting for the dry variant, do indicate that you’d like to takeaway the soup as well. You really can’t miss out the soup, trust me on that.

Special Mee Pok (background) & Bak Chor Mee (foreground)

For variety’s sake, my family ordered a Special Mee Pok just to try it out. Unfortunately, it was comparatively disappointing & fell quite flat. The sauce wasn’t as tasty & there wasn’t a lot of it so the dish was pretty dry. The only plus point was the prawn as an ingredient… Which I can do without.

Will stick to my usual favourite next time. To me, the star dish really is their Mushroom Minced Meat Noodles.