According to the Productivity Benchmarking Report (Food Services) of Singapore Productivity Centre, between 26% and 30% of food businesses shut down each year. The Tiramisu Hero @ Tyrwhitt Road is a small whimsical cafe that opened in 2013 and it is not just surviving but thriving. It must be doing something right.
Wine & Chef Singapore is a relatively new restaurant that opened in early 2017. It is located in one of the shophouses along the stretch of restaurants on Keong Saik Road. It serves an eclectic mix of food items that could be from menus at a zhi char stall, a Japanese izakaya or a French bistro. It has an extensive list of Italian wines which would not be out-of-place in an enoteca in Rome. The extreme mix and match could either end up successfully as the best of both worlds or as a complete disaster. There was only one way to find out.
A new train operator has set up shop in Singapore, but SMRT and SBS Transit are not getting a new competitor. Japanese train operator The East Japan Railway Company (JR East) has opened a Japan-bound tourism theme cafe in Tanjong Pagar Centre. At Japan Rail Cafe, you can buy Japan rail tickets, get tour information as well as enjoy cafe food based on various F&B recipes developed by JR East Food Business, which has more than 50 brands of F&B outlets in Tokyo.
We had brunch at new restaurant Summerlong at Quayside despite the warning from respected food critic Wong Ah Yoke about thumping music and sweltering heat in his review, “Summerlong – A buzzy Mediterranean restaurant with Middle Eastern influences” (ST 4 June 2017). We figured that we could be from a different demographic and therefore be more receptive towards thumping music. If we went early, we could beat the crowds and the heat of the Singapore afternoon sun. It turned out that we were partially right.
While we were asleep, a new skyscraper has sprouted up in Tanjong Pagar. It is known as Tanjong Pagar Centre, now the tallest building in Singapore. Only 64 storeys tall. It contains a hotel, some office and residential areas as well as six levels of retail in this building. Hattendo Cafe Singapore 八天堂 is one of the tenants in this new retail space.
Essen at the Pinnacle is a collection of food stalls in an air-conditioned space, food court style. Here you can find French cuisine by Garçons, innovative burgers by Burger Buddies, fried chicken wings by Two Wings, Italian food by La Stalla, Thai and Vietnamese fare by Viethai and a wide selection of alcoholic beverages, especially beers and ciders. Essen is located on the ground floor of the 50-storey Pinnacle at Duxton, the most impressive HDB project in Singapore so far. Do note that because it is a huge project, locating Essen at the Pinnacle can be a challenge. We suggest you head towards the part that is closest to Craig Road which runs in front of the restaurant.
