Here’s how you can show your support at APSN centre, a social service agency that trains special-needs people

Tucked away on Jalan Ubi is the Association for People with Special Needs (APSN), a social service agency that trains and empowers individuals with mild intellectual disabilities (IQ 50-70) since 1976. Upon an invitation from APSN, I made a visit to APSN Café for All, a Singapore Food Agency-licensed and Halal-certified establishment that provides valuable opportunities for trainees to gain skills in food preparation and service.

Partnering with Andes by Astons, a casual chain of restaurants, the trainees at APSN are able to gain culinary experience through on-the-job training and upon successful completion of their training, they are offered full-time employment at Astons and its subsidiaries.

And as part of an innovative digital partnership, APSN has collaborated with A11yverse to create a virtual replica of the APSN Café for All. In this metaverse, trainees and instructors are featured as Non-Playing Characters (NPCs), allowing users to engage in café-related quests, such as serving drinks. 

The café’s environment, which was recently revamped, is pretty cosy and warm, with ample seating spread out across the area. There’s even a closed room should corporate offices like to throw team lunches or meetings.

The menu at APSN Café is pretty extensive — from special breakfast bakes to grilled dishes like chicken, steak and fish and spaghetti options — one can easily be spoilt for choice. I opted for the grilled fish with a splash of sambal and a hot drink. Sides of salted egg salmon skin, onion rings and nuggets were also served during the luncheon. 

The initial bite of the grilled fish with sambal was deceptively mild, until a wave of spice hit me. I liked how it was punchy without overpowering the dish. A representative from APSN mentioned that the sambal sauce was chosen as the winning sauce after conducting an internal competition with the trainees, which I thought was a nice initiative. I also especially enjoyed the salted egg salmon skin — which I was told to pre-order two days in advance if I wanted to buy a few bags for friends. I would definitely return for that again!

The quaint retail space within the café showcased the budding talents of its trainees, featuring unique designs alongside a selection of artisanal products crafted in-house. Handcrafted chocolates Wildness Asia is sold here, produced together with APSN trainees by utilising sustainable packaging techniques using soy ink and biodegradable wraps.

Body care brand Omno is also available here for purchase — including a diverse range of products like hand creams, body soaps and lotions. The brand also partners with APSN trainees in product assembly processes like bottling, packing and candle-making tasks.

And to reduce fashion consumption and wastage, social enterprise Cloop puts out a curated rack of secondhand clothes that members of the public can purchase for a small fee. The APSN trainees are also involved in the sorting, cleaning and arranging of items for reuse, upcycling and recycling in the APSN facility centre.

The unassuming, quiet exterior of the café belied the vibrant, bustling activity within. With the café’s operating hours starting from 9.30am to 6pm on weekdays and 10am to 2.30pm on Saturdays, it’s also perfect for getting work done if you need a cosy place to catch up on emails and calls.

APSN Café for All is at 11 Jalan Ubi, Block 6, #01-51, Singapore 409074.