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)
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!
Sambazon Açaí Sorbet Pint
Nutritional Content
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 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.
Bags of soup
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).
A small bottle of milk tea with boba
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.
But where are the pearls?
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 like their bag! Thanks guys!
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
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!
My Happy Family of Crust Beer
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.
Free delivery on all orders, by the way
So how do the beers fare?
Breaking Bread Ale (5% ABV)
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.
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)
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!
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
Lunch Time Feast from Pope Jai Thai
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.
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.
(L-R): Unagi, Duck & Beef Rice Bowls
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.
Beef Bowl
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.
Duck Bowl
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!
Unagi Bowl
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 always comes up top. They’re popular for a reason; consistent quality, smooth coffee that goes down easily, & every sip makes me happy.
1-for-1 Latte to Go
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 😂
Salmon Cream Cheese Bagel with Latte
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
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.
Interior of That Coffee and Beer Place
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!
2 Breakfast Sets
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!
Great Latte
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 😂
Craft Beer on Tap
💵 Cash/NETS only 🌬 Air-conditioned seats only 🍽 Burpple Beyond partner 📶 Free WiFi available 💦 Water is not chargeable 🙋🏻♀️ No service charge 🚫 No GST
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.
Noodles Galore from Ah Li Mee Pok
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.
Sixth Ave Wanton Mee has a simple menu of various noodle dishes such as Dumpling Noodles 水饺面 ($4.00 nett) & Wanton Mee 云吞面 ($3.50 nett), but my all-time favourite is their Mushroom Noodles 香菇面 ($4.00 nett).
It’s my go-to default dish whenever I am here. The mee kia noodles are perfectly bouncy, & the mushrooms plump & juicy. My mum finds the mushrooms bitter, though, & preferred her Wanton Mee. I guess she dunno how to 吃苦 (jkjk sorry mum).
Mushroom Noodles on the left, Wanton Mee (x2) & Dumpling Noodles on the right
I placed my order via Facebook messenger the night before (7:00PM cut-off time), & let them know I would bring my own clean containers to minimize waste. When your order is confirmed, you’ll get a confirmation number.
They’re still open during this circuit breaker period, with safe distancing measures in place. When I arrived late morning on a Saturday, there were about 5 people in the queue. But since I had pre-ordered, I skipped to the front of the queue with my confirmation number, & paid up to collect my food. Quite shiok 😁
Remember to stand >1m apart when you’re waiting in line during #circuitbreaker times
Popped round the corner to buy some coffee, returned to wait for my food & it was done really quickly. It’s quite rare to see 3 generations working together at a hawker stall. Thank you, Sixth Avenue Wanton Mee, for staying open & continuing to feed us with your delicious noodles!
I got to know of 小彭客家菜 Pang’s Hakka Delicacies through Veronica Phua, whose recommendations I trust very much. Hakka cuisine isn’t something I eat often, but I do enjoy a good Thunder Tea Rice 擂茶饭. It’s quite a polarizing dish; some will say it tastes too healthy (lol), others are addicted to it.
My mum is a fan of it, so I ordered a portion of Leicha ($7/set) for her & myself. It is only available with brown rice (#health) & has a minimum order of 5 sets. If you can’t finish all 5 sets, you can keep them in the fridge for a bit – or bless your neighbours with some a delicious contactless-food-delivery surprise!
Part of our lunch (not pictured: the other 3 Thunder Tea Rice sets required to make up the minimum order of 5)
You really get quality ingredients in this bowl with a thicccc green tea sauce. Yes, I called it a sauce – not a soup or broth, because it is that thick & chock full of flavours.
Our variety of Hakka delights
My dad isn’t a fan of Thunder Tea Rice (he doesn’t like little nibblies in his rice), so I ordered a portion of Hakka Mee Tai Mak ($7 for 250g, $24 for 1kg) for him. He happily slurped it up, though admittedly this is a small portion for a big eater like him. The Leicha is definitely a more filling dish!
I had to order their Abacus Seeds 算盘子 ($9 for 250g, $31 for 1kg) for all to share. Doughy soft & super fragrant, these were the best we’ve ever had. Heated all our dishes up the moment I got home, & my mum was so pleased with this meal that she now wants to make friends with Chef Pang. Hallo mother, people very busy cooking don’t disturb them hor.
Check out their menu on their social media pages (@hakkapang on Instagram / Facebook) , & WhatsApp them your order at least 2 days in advance. I opted for self-collection instead of delivery, & it was a fuss-free experience stepping into Antoinette to pick up my meal. There is ample street-side parking so I could easily do this on my own. Cash on delivery, all you need is the order number.
Fuss-free self-collection at Antoinette
Pang’s Hakka Delicacies has made one family very happy today!
Bui Bui Eats 