Welcome to Queenstown.

It has been a while since the folks at San Dai Yong Tau Foo 三代酿豆腐 had opened their first dine-in Yong Tau Foo eatery at myVillage @ Serangoon Gardens — these folks do seem to ready for the brand’s next phase of expansion, with their second outlet having recently opened its doors at the basement of Anchorpoint. One can find San Dai Yong Tau Foo around the same area as where the Koufu food court at Anchorpoint is located; the shop is decked in a striking blue and yellow facade that should be pretty noticeable to passer-by. The Anchorpoint location of San Dai Yong Tau Foo is bigger than their myVillage @ Serangoon Gardens outlet — there are a good mix of typical dining tables paired with dining chairs as well as bar counter-esque seating that works great for individual diners here. The menu at their Anchorpoint outlet largely remains the same as their myVillage @ Serangoon Gardens location — revolves around their Yong Tau Foo offerings with the option to go carb-less or with carbs; the Yong Tau Foo offerings being made available in both dry and soup variants with an option to pair it up with curry as well.

As with how things are like at other establishments serving up Yong Tau Foo as well as at their myVillage @ Serangoon Gardens outlet, patrons get to pick and choose the Yong Tau Foo pieces that they desire at the counter before making payment for the order. For our order, we had chosen seven (7) items; three (3) of which being fried items and four (4) being soup items — the fried items are served in a bowl separate from the soup items — we also opted for the curry option for the soup as well. Items that we went for included the fried eggplant, fried meatballs, fried beancurd skin with fish paste and long beans, bitter gourd with fish paste and fish ball amongst others. One highlight at San Dai Yong Tau Foo would be their Fish Ball as well as other fish paste items — San Dai Yong Tau Foo is best known for using 100% fresh yellowtail fish for their fish paste, and this is well showcased in their fish ball that is sized larger than those that are being found at other establishments; the fish ball carries a firm bite and was springy — the flavours being pretty clean without any undesirable fishiness as well. Our personal favourite would always be the fried meat ball; also came in a substantial size and provided much bite with a crusty exterior, though the curry broth here can be a little salty for some.

Dawson Place has been going through a round of its own renovations and it does seem that the Koufu food court there has also been through its own set of renovations and with a refreshed line-up of stalls in its current iteration. An interesting addition to the food court would be Aunt Yee Dumplings — this is a concept that is run by the same folks behind Manna Fish; one very obvious clue would be the offering of Manna Fish’s menu at the stall despite the stall bearing only the name of Aunt Yee Dumplings on its shopfront. Aunt Yee Dumplings does feel like Manna Fish’s attempt to serve up similar offerings as what Yuen Kee Dumplings offer — the menu for Aunt Yee Dumplings is split into sections dedicated to Wonton, Noodle, Dumplings and Sides; there is apparently more flexibility at Aunt Yee Dumplings to opt for different flavours (i.e. soups or sauce mix) to go along not just with the wontons and dumplings, but also with some of the noodle dishes.

Interested to give their wontons a try given how we are pretty much fans of how Yuen Kee Dumplings serve up their wontons, we found ourselves going for the Family Feast Assorted Pork Wontons (12 pcs) — this would be a mix of their Pork Wonton, Corn & Pork Wonton and Shepherd’s Purse Vegetable and Pork Wonton in a single bowl; whilst we did note the inclusion of a Pork and Century Egg Wonton on its menu under the Wonton section, it does not seem that it was included as one of her flavours that came with the Family Feast Assorted Pork Wontons (12 pcs) that we had ordered. Being one whom always order the other wontons with the Viral Mixed Sauce with Chili Oil, we opted for the Popular Sesame Paste Dry Mix to come along with our order of the Family Feast Assorted Pork Wontons (12 pcs). Rather than beansprouts, the Family Feast Assorted Pork Wontons (12 pcs) is accompanied with leafy greens and nibs of corn; going for the Popular Sesame Paste Dry Mix itself, we did note that the sauce is different from Yuen Kee Dumpling’s Viral Mixed Sauce with Chili Oil and seems to feature light soya sauce, sesame sauce and chili instead — the use of light soya sauce over chili oil does provide a lighter note that gives a cleaner flavour to the sauce here instead but still sufficiently creamy and nutty from the use of sesame sauce. The various wontons at Aunt Yee Dumplings are sized smaller than Yuen Kee Dumpling’s wontons; the wonton skin still being pretty silky smooth and delicate, while the pork filling does not come with any undesirable porky stench — our favourite here being the Shepherd’s Purse Vegetable and Pork Wonton which felt a little more wholesome with inclusion of vegetables, though the Corn & Pork Wonton does come with an additional hint of sweetness from the nibs of corn.

Was scrolling around social media and got to know about the opening of Sabana Coffehouse at Mei Ling Market & Food Centre. For those whom are not aware, Sabana Coffehouse has first started its operations as an online-based business before their move into the premises of the now-defunct Baker X at Orchard Central subsequently after the departure of Foreword Coffee Roasters in that space. These folks are situated within a stall unit that is located just across The Ceylonese Affair there — another stall which we had visited not too long ago within the food centre serving up Sri Lankan cuisine with an emphasis on Briyani and Appam. Sabana Coffeehouse is a stall that serves up beverages — its line-up of beverages consists of a series of Sabana’s Signatures, as well as that of Traditional and Specialty Coffee beverages. Non-coffee drinkers can also opt for Oriental Teas as well.

The Iced Black Sesame Kopi was something that we had previously tried during our visit to Sabana Coffeehouse during their days at Baker X; we found ourselves still gravitating towards this considering how they were serving only a variety of four different beverages on its opening day at Mei Ling Market & Food Centre. For the rendition of the Iced Black Sesame Kopi at Sabana Coffeehouse, it is observed that the beverage comprises of regularly-brewed local-style Nanyang Kopi that is topped with black sesame infused foam. Taking a sip of the Iced Black Sesame Kopi, we note that the Kopi here is freshly-brewed using the same recipe as they would with the Kopi (Hot); whilst not as rich and thick as what would expect out of a typical Kopi (Iced) — that being said, we felt that this gave some balance for the black sesame-infused foam that helped add a slight hint of sweetness and creaminess amidst the roasty and smoky notes of sesame that complemented the Kopi well, though the only qualm will be the slight temperature contrast of the Kopi that is still a little lukewarm being slightly cooled down from the ice cubes considering how this is a fresh brew after all.

Had came to know about the existence of Cafe Dough (not to be confused with Dough at CHIJMES) whilst scrolling around on the phone — these folks had just recently settled themselves within a shop unit situated at the mixed development named Alexis located along Alexandra Road. These folks had taken over the former premises of the now-defunct EG COFFEE — whilst Cafe Dough itself is pretty much a new name within the local F&B scene here, these folks are actually by the same people behind thatsmypizza.sg. Cafe Dough is their very first entry into running their very own individually-operated space; the tight shop space at Alexis does have its own dine-in space. The menu at Cafe Dough comprises of a line-up of 10-inch pizzas available only between 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm on Thursdays to Sundays, while there are a line-up of pastries and bakes that are available all-day.

We went for the Japanese Chashu Kurobuta Pizza; all the pizzas here come in a default 10-inch size only with the pizza sliced into eight (8) slices — this rendition of their pizza is described as the favourite of one of its co-founders. The online POS system describes the pizza to come with elements such as Chashu Shoyu Sauce Base, Fior di latte, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Parmesan, and Kurobuta. Taking a bite into the pizza, we liked how the base of the pizza was pretty much similar to our previous experiences from the other pizzas at thatsmypizza.sg; the pizza base does come reasonably thin as compared to most pizzas that we had tried from other establishments — there is still this slight chewiness but we liked how it does feel pretty easy to have and not quite as heavy as most other pizzas we had previously have. The use of parmesan provides that usually cheesiness and savouriness one would expect from a pizza, while the Chashu Shoyu Sauce Base provides another dimension of savouriness that brings the meatiness of the braised Kurobuta together with the pizza base; the Kurobuta carrying a bit of a bite without carrying an undesirable porky stench at the same time.

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If there is one part within the Queenstown neighbourhood that is turning more hipster than the rest; this would probably be the area around Stirling Road — the neighbourhood has seen the likes of Sin & Savage Bakehouse and Tiong Hoe Specialty Coffee within the area. The latest addition to the same neighborhood would be that of painpain — these folks had taken over the former premises of the now-defunct Little Red Dot Bakery. Whilst not something that is explicitly mentioned anywhere on social media, it does seem that painpain has affiliations with Nickel at Middle Road (these folks are by the now-defunct Lee’s Confectionery at Jurong East) — painpain does use Nickel-branded takeaway cups for batch brew coffee orders. Being more of a takeaway bakery, painpain offers a line-up of danishes, cakes and other pastries that are prominently displayed in the display case at the counter.

Skimming through the line-up of cakes that painpain has to offer, the Red Date Cake was the one that stood out to us the most considering how this features a slightly more unique an Asian-inspired element as compared to the other cakes that are being displayed in the display case at the counter. The Red Date Cake bore a similar aesthetic to the other cakes that are stocked in the same display case — all of which being loaf cakes that are served in slices. Going straight for the cake, we did notice how the notes of red dates is rather prominent in the Red Date Cake; there seems to be a layer of glazing over the top that seems to have made use of red dates to provide a distinct sweetness that wasn’t overly sweet, but also carried quite an Asian-style flavour to it at the same time. The cake was also sufficiently dense and adequately moist, whilst also coming with nibs of chopped walnuts for a bit of crunch and a slight nuttiness to go along.

Feel like prices are rising but I guess it's only expected

From top left, counterclockwise, and from mild to strong

The goat cheese has a bit of alcohol taste, but otherwise very mild and easy to eat. The alcoholic taste goes away after a while

Baron bigod is special. It's brie but with this particular flavour, it's hard to describe but I'd say it tastes like "openness" to me

Black garlic la bouse is very up my alley, super strong umami from the garlic, it's a flavour bomb

Won't comment on the truffle la bouse cos I hate truffle

Props to them for getting their hands on belper knolle, I got it in Austria (jumi kase, for anyone who's going) and loved it.

The comte-like cheese was pretty good. It's 24months so not completely dry yet, but there's alr salt crystals and the flavour was good

The next hard cheese was fine, didn't particularly leave an impression

The last one, lazuli, is an absolute joy. As described, the texture really was quite similar to cheesecake ( for a blue), strong umami, and not too funky. Stellar!

Managed to learn about the existence of the new Ernie’s Coffee whilst scrolling through the phone one day — these folks are likely an establishment that one would not notice if not for the fact that they are social media. Tucked away at the ground floor of Blk 49 Stirling Road just right across from Margaret Market in Queenstown, Ernie’s Coffee takes over the former premises of the now-defunct Goldies, which has had its operations being subsumed by The Rare Honey Company that is situated at Joo Chiat Place. Ernie’s Coffee occupies a fairly small shop space at the foot of the HDB block — its setup being one that looks especially quaint. Ernie’s Coffee might have kept the entire facade of the shop fairly intact save for details that relates to the brand itself; that being said, they did put in some work to convert the interior into something that carries its own brand identity — the interior now sees a cosy look with the use of wooden elements against white walls with orange tiles; there is also the use of mirrors that helps to make the space look slightly larger than what it is as well. A painting featuring Chinese calligraphy can be found on the wall, while some of the dining furniture features rattan elements; such elements does bring a slight quaint and old-school vibe to the establishment that somehow fits everything else within. Considering the size of the establishment, Ernie’s Coffee only has a single table with two chairs within the space that they occupy — this is apart from the two (2) window-facing counter seats and another two (2) al-fresco seating that is located outside of the shop unit. The menu consist of a variety of items including quesadillas and grilled sandwiches for those looking for something that is slightly more substantial — otherwise, that is also a range of cakes and bakes that are also available which are displayed prominently at the counter. Beverages offered at Ernie’s Coffee surrounds their line-up of espresso-based specialty coffee which also includes their very own unique concoctions; they also offer tea for those whom do not necessarily consume coffee as well.

The folks at Ernie’s Coffee had just released their like-up of hot food when we made our visit to the establishment on a weekend in October — skimming through the selection of hot food items that they have to offer, we found our attention being drawn towards the Kaya & Butter Grilled Sandwich. Ernie’s Coffee does offer patrons with the option to add cheese for their Kaya & Butter Grilled Sandwich, though it was an option in which we found ourselves skipping anyway. It is with noting that the Kaya & Butter Grilled Sandwich is named as a “grilled sandwich” rather than toast not without a reason — the whole concept of the dish can be easily noticed from the way that it is being served up; the main intent for the Kaya & Butter Grilled Sandwich here is to be served as a grilled sandwich in a style similar to the western grilled cheese sandwich which is itself a bit of an element of fusion here. The option to add cheese to the order would bring this closer to the typical grilled cheese sandwich if one decides to do so. The bread does seem to have been buttered and grilled to achieve a somewhat crisp consistency but still retaining the soft and fluffy texture of bread in general, but it was how the butter and Kaya was within the Kaya & Butter Grilled Sandwich that really got us here. Considering how the Kaya & Butter Grilled Sandwich comes in a stack of three thin pieces of bread that is spread with Nyonya-style Kaya that comes with a green hue from the infusion of Pandan and butter, we really like how the Kaya did carry quite a hint of sweetness (likely from the heat during the grilling process) whilst the butter carried a consistency almost like whipped butter that was immensely rich and smooth. Overall, quite a thoughtful dish that is definitely more than just the typical Kaya Butter Toast that one would expect — also one that is likely to turn into a variant of grilled cheese sandwich but with a local twist if the cheese option is being opted for.

During the same visit, we had also given the Pandan Butter Cake a go. This was one of the few bakes and cakes which were being stocked up in the display case at the counter, and is an item that really came without any surprises — it does also seem that Ernie’s Coffee does rely on outside supplier for the cakes and bakes that they bring in. Think a typical butter cake that comes with a good density being both moist and buttery; all that with a touch of Pandan fragrance which lightly touches the tastebuds whilst at it. The infusion of Pandan also gives the butter cake a green appearance as well. Noting how Ernie’s Coffee does serve up their very own concoctions espresso-based specialty coffee, our attention was drawn towards the White Hug — a concoction that is said to be a Latte with a Rosemary aroma based on the description mentioned on Ernie’s Coffee’s menu. What we liked about the White Hug is how the concoction of espresso-based specialty coffee here comes nutty and earthy — it is also a surprisingly smooth cuppa but whilst how flavoured lattes does come with a strong hint of sweetness and a slightly artificial note of whatever flavour it attempts to replicate, the hint of rosemary in the White Hug is pretty much what one expects it to be and focuses pretty much squarely on the aroma of the herb itself. Despite the small size of the establishment itself, Ernie’s Coffee does present itself as a very homely establishment that is sincere and modest; a down-to-earth concept that really attempts to be a little different with a raw character. Its offerings are simple, but one that sees plenty of heart that goes into it which makes them well-designed, thoughtful and yet familiar — the cosy space also allows for small talks to happen between the guests and the barista owner; an element that we miss in the bigger cafes that serves up entire meals which do feel a little cold where service is of concern. Whilst the limited seating space may prove challenging once Ernie’s Coffee garners its loyal following, Ernie’s Coffee does remind us of the good ol’ days of cafehopping being an earnest and humble nook away from the main thoroughfare of Queenstown for the residents around the area to enjoy!

From Ya Kun Kaya Toast (Margaret Market)
SG60 item. Limited.

5 January 2025
Oat White 3/5
White 3/5
Chai Latte 4/5
Cookie 3/5

From Indulgence @ Queenstown
Only $8 for a plate of delicious Carbonara, savoury cream clinging each pasta noodle, the grilled bacon added the texture.
Definitely returning to get it again.

ordered the iced black and iced white from anagram and it was alright for the price, the iced white was too milky imo. the male staff was quite black-faced for some reason throughout but overall, the cafe aesthetics were rlly pretty & not bad to stop by if around the area for 1-for-1.