ARTSYFACT

The Chinatown/Outram Park area is full of surprises these days. After my discovery of that hole-in-the-wall place on Keong Saik Road not long ago, this week saw me stumbling upon yet another hidden treasure in the Everton Park neighbourhood.



Going by the motto 'one man's junk is another's treasure', the team of 'Karung guni' behind this shop give a new lease of life to the things they collect by turning them into something functional, often with a unique/artsy touch of their own. While surveying their collection, I spotted a few table tops which were once household doors, then there was this bench made from wooden planks of an old kampong which gave way to urbanization. You get the picture?







It was love at first sight for me of this bean sack couch. Complete with classy Scandinavian wood, it was great to hear that the sack material has been treated so you won't start feeling itchy once you sit on it.



It certainly has the right foot rest to match.



A visit to the shop is never complete without having a cup of coffee pulled by Axil-trained barista Leon.

No menu here, no price therefore. You tip as you wish, very Papa Palheta-stlye. (Man, I miss that place.)

Leon pulled me a cup of 'Magic', by Nylon's house blend. The med-bodied cup I had was surprisingly sweet and carried an unusual minty note. Though I would love the micro foams to be smoother, it was nevertheless a decent cup.

What followed was a pleasant coffee conversation, in which the young chap shared much about his coffee ambition and passion for the beans. And he thinks Nylon is the best local coffee roaster. (Are you reading this, Dennis and Jia Min?)























So next time when you need some fresh ideas for your new home renovation, Artsyfact might be able to offer just that. They also host coffee appreciation weekends from time to time, so check out their facebook for event updates.


ARTSYFACT (Facebook)
2 Everton Park #01-47
Daily, 11am - 8pm


A random shot at road junction while waiting for the green man.

Penny University

With the arrival of Penny University last week, coffee geeks in the east who have been long yearning for a decent coffee place in their backyard can finally get their pick-me-up at the convenience of Joo Chiat/Katong.



Coffee here is from Oriole's Raven Blend (Brazil and India) and Nylon's el Primero seasonal espresso blend (60% Brazil 40% Nicaragua), on a FB80. Over at the counter display, there are Windowsill pies and decent cupcakes for the sweet-tooth. For something more filling, you have the all-day breakfast and sandwich menu.














Penny University (Facebook)
402 East Coast Road
Tue - Fri, 0830 - 2130
Sat - Sun, 0830 - 2230
Closed on Mondays

Keong Saik Snacks

Our initial dinner plan was dropped shortly after we chanced upon a hole-in-the-wall space along Keong Saik Road.



Keong Saik Snacks, one of the latest that opened just last week, is a collaboration between Hotel 1929's owner and renowned chef Jason Atherton, who is also behind Pollen at Gardens by the Bay and tapas bar Esquina in the vincinity.



Like many food bars, the bar top seats offer opportunity for a more intimate dining experience.



For someone who doesn't take fried stuff often, their thin cut Chilli Garlic Fries ($6) sure made an impression. Not only the fries didn't fall into the too-soggy or too-hard extreme, and the taste of garlic and other spices were strong and ran deep into every bite.



The kitchen was quite generous with ingredients judging by the Lobster Roll ($18) we had, not to mention the lobster chucks were super bouncy and packed a punch with the spicy mayo.



Don't let its humble appearance fool you. The Kimchi Burger ($20) had a really juicy medium-rare wagyu patty. A hearty dose of homemade kimchi was served by the side. The fermented vegatable was less spicy than the common ones and had a savoury note to it.





We shall be back soon for the interesting-looking D-I-Y Tuna Tartare I saw next to our table, as well as the desserts we missed.

Keong Saik Snacks (Facebook)
49 Keong Saik Road
Daily, 12nn - 11pm
6221 8338


On the hole-in-the-wall space I mentioned earlier in this post, it was a preview pop-up store called TheLibrary. Located just adjacent to KSS, the reference library showcases a collection of books on arts, photography, designs and et cetera. Pop in next time you are in the area.









All books here are free for browsing.



There is this trap door that opens up to a secret location within KSS, made known to only the close acquaintances of the business owner, according to the librarian. How intriguing.


The Library (Facebook)
Mon - Sat, 6pm - 1:30am

茶淵

Sorry for being MIA last week. The laptop which had been loyally by my side the past five years has finally passed on. If you find the colours of my photos in this post a tad different from my usual ones, please bear with me for the time being while I try to get used to this new uncalibrated monitor which appears to make things more blue-ish and saturated than they should be.


Anyway, my last Sunday saw me at Tea Chapter to seek inner peace after a hectic week coupled with many sleepless nights.









There is a bit of waiting if you order hot food here. It would thus be a good idea to order some readily available snacks like the Tea Egg ($1.5) to keep the mouth occupied.



The Set B ($7) on the menu comes with one Lor Mai Kai (Glutinous Rice in Lotus Leaf), 2 x Siew Mai, 2 x Shark Fin Dumpling and a Lychee Tea Jelly. Quite worth it in terms of both quality and quantity.





The Oolong Sweet Potato ($3) here was another winner. Baked sweet potato was perfumed with the alluring scent of oolong tea. The ideal comfort food for a gloomy day.









The minimum charge of $7 per person on tea could be quite expensive for some (think for the family of 6 next to my table). But if you treat tea appreciation as a form of art, the experience is simply priceless.


茶淵
9A Neil Road
Daily, 11am – 11pm
6226 1175