From The Straits Times    |

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OLD HABITS
#01-315, 38 Telok Blangah Rise, tel: 9127-7147.

Squirreled away at the old housing estate of Telok Blangah, this café is also a vintage collector’s haven. It not only serves up good old café food like pasta, sandwiches or casserole, it also sells wares ranging from old license plates and antique posters and signage to vintage toys and décor pieces. Food-wise, they have comfort eats such as Crispy Chicken Sandwich ($19.90), featuring a tempura chicken fried that is “fried to max crisp” and sandwiched within a multigrain toast as well as a local fusion dish Simply Salmon ($20.90), where a spicy pan-fried salmon is set atop spaghetti mixed with belachan olive oil. For desserts, a must try is the Coconut Kueh ($6.50). Topped with vanilla ice cream, the hot-and-cold sweet treat is just like a bread and butter pudding, except it has an old-school vibe to the taste. Coconut flakes in the pudding base give it a nice texture.

THE USUAL PLACE
#01-73, 346 Jurong East Street 31, tel: 6425-1517.

If you think the good eats are only in the East of Singapore, you’ll be pleased to hear about this HDB café located in the wild west of Jurong East. This cafe stands out among the neighbourhood shops with its grungy, industrial-style façade. But what makes this a hidden gem to go back again and again are its prices and no GST or service charge policy! Café staples such as its Eggs & Cheese Benedict ($9.90, and only available during the weekends) and Truffle Fries ($7) are a steal for its generous portions. Another must-try is their Salted Egg Prawn Pasta ($12.90). The salted egg sauce is creamy and flavourful with an amount that is just enough to cover the pasta.

MEET & MELT
#01-49, 915 Tampines Street 91, tel: 9185-8173.

Shibuya toasts seem to be catching on in Singapore. And there’s no better place to get them than in Meet & Melt, which offers an arresting array of flavours. These includes the savoury dessert Mentaiko Toast ($14.90) which is topped with mentaiko sauce and bonito flakes. Another recommendation is the Ferrero Rocher Lava Toast ($12.90), which is drizzled with Nutella sauce and is topped with a thick and rice chocolate and hazelnut ice cream. The toasts are huge, so you can choose to share or have it for lunch all by yourself. Other items on the menu include their over-the-top milkshakes and waffles, which, while decent, are but not as Instagram-worthy. While this cafe isn’t the most accessible or the most conducive (there is very, very limited air-conditioned seating), its appeal lies in its innovative desserts that you can’t help but want to come back for more.

THE WORKBENCH BISTRO
#01-1881, 332 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1, tel: 6452-0810.

If you love salted egg everything, then this cafe is the place to be. They have Salted Egg Chicken Pasta ($15.90), Salted Egg Chicken Burger ($16.90), Salted Egg Wings ($12.90) and Salted Egg Potato Wedges ($11.90). If you plan to only try one, our recommendation is for the burger, which comes with an ultra juicy buttermilk fried chicken patty that complements really well with the salted egg sauce and the curry leaves and chilli padi bits in it. Dessert choices are fun. There’s the S’moreffles Supreme ($29.90), where three waffles are stacked atop one another and then liberally festooned with marshmallows, strawberry jam, Oreo biscuits, whipped cream and four scoops of ice cream. If you prefer a less heart-stopping dessert, the TWB Purple Sweet Potato Waffle ($12.50 with ice cream) is good choice. The treat features sweet potato waffles drizzled in homemade gula melaka sauce and paired with a scoop of ice cream.

TOLIDO ESPRESSO NOOK
01-63, 462 Crawford Lane, tel: 6648-0178.

Tolido Espresso Nook is perhaps better known for its coffee rather than its food. They use Yahava coffee blends here. The Sea Salt Caramel Latte ($6) is smooth, creamy and not too acidic, with a sweet and salty amalgam that has us hook on the first sip. The Mocha ($5.90) is also decent with a dark chocolate aftertaste. Besides drinks, they do have a couple of mains worth a try. The Rosti ($14.90) is comfort on a plate. Their rosti, which comes with a pair of cheesy sausages, is handmade with shredded russet potatoes, so they are fresh and crispy. Want a taste of something local? Try the Pandan Pancakes ($10.90), which comes with a couple of pancakes topped with a vanilla ice cream and gula melaka sauce. It feels indulgent because of how fluffy the pancakes are.