Guides

A popular destination with the expatriates and students, Holland Village becomes even more accessible with a MRT station right at its doorstep. While the antiquated Holland Road Shopping Centre has a certain old school charm, with retail shops selling clichéd Asian products and its numerous nail salons, Holland Village has more eateries, restaurants and cafes (and a hawker centre) that serve residents and office workers there. For a quick bite when you are there, check out some of the cafes, some new, while some have been around for a while.

PARK HV

PARK is a café by day and becomes a bistro by night. Located at the junction of Holland Avenue and Holland Road, PARK draws constant attention from its eco-friendly infrastructure. Its cool structure is constructed from 3 containers taken apart and then reassembled on site. PARK offers its special blend of coffee and a selection of espresso drinks on top of its full day brunch menu, salads, sandwiches and pastas. Try the Reuben Rye with corned beef, emmental cheese, sauerkraut, tomato, cucumber, onions on toasted rye bread with home made dressing. The adventurous diner can try Park Blue Cheese Burger with blue cheese sauce, caramelised onions, sautéed mushrooms, bacon and fried egg. Come night, the bistro menu replaces the day menu and a wide selection of alcohol are included, to get the party started.

Credit: PARK HV Facebook

281 Holland Ave, #01-01 Singapore 278996 https://www.facebook.com/PARKathv/

Da Paolo Gastronomia

Da Paolo Gastronomia has since moved from its original location at Chip Bee Gardens (since 2001) to its new swanky space at Raffles Holland V mall. Choose from a mouth-watering array prepared dishes, including homemade pasta, salads, pizza and sandwiches. Do not go overboard when creating your own salad, as the prices are not exactly that wallet-friendly.   Indulge in delicious pastries, cakes or the celebrated tiramisu. The crodo (a hybrid of croissant an donut), in several flavours, weirdly works, complementing with a cup of authentic Italian coffee. While some regular customers bemoan the lack of al fresco space at the new location, this is still a great place to spend a lazy weekend afternoon.

Credit: Da Paolo Gastronomia Facebook

118 Holland Avenue, Raffles Holland V #01-06 Singapore 278997 https://www.facebook.com/Gastronomia.HollandVillage/

Haakon Superfoods & Juice 

If you are feeling virtuous, Haakon offers a wide range of protein smoothies, green smoothies, cold-pressed juice and superfood smoothie bowls. Try the Acai Viking Bowl with a blend of raw cacao and organic acai, topped with almond flakes, granola, cacao nibs and seasonal fruits on top. Dessert without the guilt.   Additional toppings like bee pollen, almond butter or even goji berries are available for $1 each. Haakon also offers salads like Salmon Zoodles with Norwegian smoked salmon, zucchini noodles, onsen eggs, edamame, cheery tomato, feta cheese and miso sesame dressing. You may also create your own poke bowl. Healthy and delicious.

118 Holland Ave
#01-03 Raffles Holland V
 Singapore 278997 https://www.facebook.com/haakoncafe/

Sunday Folks

If you have sweet tooth and ice cream and freshly baked Belgian waffles are your thing, Sunday Folks is the place to be. Soft serve ice cream flavours includes Dark Chocolate, Earl Grey Lavender, Roasted Pistachio, Sea Salt Gula Melaka and Summer Strawberries. It also offers a variety of cakes and desserts.   Founded by the same people of Creamier at Toa Payoh, this space at Chip Bee Gardens oozes a laid-back cool. Be prepared to queue on certain days.

Credit: Sunday Folks Facebook

44 Jalan Merah Saga, Chip Bee Gardens #01-52 Singapore 278116 https://www.facebook.com/sundayfolks.singapore/

Project Acai

As Singapore’s first dedicated acai cafe, Project Acai focuses on offering a variety of acai bowls to thick smoothies. The items on its menu are completely dairy-free and vegan friendly with no artificial flavouring or sweetener. Order the Supergreens Açaí Bowl with blended açaí base, kale, spinach, topped with banana, granola, goji, blueberries, passionfruit, toasted coconut flakes and cashew butter. Skip the caffeine and have a power packed smoothie instead.

Credit: Project Acai Facebook

27 Lorong Liput Singapore 277738

https://www.facebook.com/projectacai/

Baker & Cook

Baker Dean Brettschneider brought Baker & Cook to Singapore and exposes Singaporeans to a variety of top-notch, artisanal breads. It produces bakery-inspired food that is served throughout the day, and fits Dean’s philosophy of baking inspired food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Simple brunch items include omelette or Eggs Benedict, served with rustic freshly baked breads. There is a long list of cakes and desserts (like Gluten Free Orange Almond Cake), if you are not a bread person.

Credit: Baker & Cook Facebook

44 Jalan Merah Saga #01-56 Chip Bee Gardens Singapore 27811 http://www.bakerandcook.biz/index.htm

Breko Café

Established since 1999, Breko Café is a no fuss place that serves pretty standard western fares like Eggs Benedict, Ribeye steak, Steak Sandwich and Chocolate Molten cake. It has alfresco dining area, which is great for chilling in the recent cool weather.

Credit: Breko Cafe Facebook

38 Lorong Mambong Singapore 277694 https://www.facebook.com/Brekocafe/

You have just fired your boss and are raring to jump into the world of F&B business in Singapore. Okay, where do you start? In order not run afoul of the local laws and regulations, you will need to know what are some of the licenses and permits to apply before you can open your door to feed the masses. You should be aware of the following existing requirements.

Apply For Licences & Permits

Licences and permits are required when you:

Import ingredients and equipment
Operate central kitchens & food processing establishments
Operate F&B outlets like hawker stalls, restaurants, cafes, and mobile food wagons, among others
Renovate existing premises
Provide entertainment in your F&B outlet
Serve alcohol to customers
Sell liquor and tobacco products
Provide outdoor dining areas
Operate establishments such as food factories or premises that could pose a risk to health and safety
Use materials or apparatus in your manufacturing process that are radioactive or include hazardous substances
The business licensing portal, LicenceOne https://licence1.business.gov.sg/, provides more details and information that you can refer to.

Learn More About Laws & Regulations

Find out about the laws and regulations that apply to each stage of food & beverage production:

Importing and exporting food and food products
Employing staff and foreign workers
Selecting premises for your F&B outlet
Applying for Halal Certification
Environmental health regulations
Registering your food factory
Getting planning permission if your premises were not originally approved for factory use
Licensing compliance (e.g. operating a cold store or food processing establishment)
Record keeping
Filing and paying taxes

Make sure you run through the list and take note to apply for all the necessary licences and permits.

Source: Publisher Image Published by SPRING Singapore on 27 May 2016

When it comes to which Hokkien Mee or Char Kway Teow is the best, Singaporeans will argue passionately and taxi uncles (or Uber drivers?) will attempt to drive you to vendors that they swear by. So when their Bak Chor Mee is bastardised, Singaporeans may either throw up their collective arms in protest or embrace a new way of consuming their chicken rice. We are an adventurous bunch when it comes to food, I am sure. Singapore has seen a resurgent interest of mod-Sin cuisine since chef Willin Low set up the grand-daddy of Mod-Sin restaurant, Wild Rocket. We introduce some of the latest concepts that have sprouted since.

Pó

Imagine savouring your Popo’s (grandma) homey popiah and Hokkien Mee but in a posh setting that is Pó restaurant, located within the Warehouse Hotel. Would you pay $28 for four popiah that you have to wrap yourself? Or if it happens to be your payday, indulge in the flower crab version at $58. Sure, you probably can get one at $2 at the foodcourt but Pó provides an element of fun in creating your own versions as well as premium and fresh ingredients at that price. Other equally amped-up local dishes that are given new spins are the Hokkien Mee (Carabinero Prawns and Konbu Mee) at $32 and Yu Sheng (Barramundi Salad) at $19. End off the meal with an ice-cream popiah with taro and peanut gelato, pineapple, peanut brittle and coriander ($15).

320 Havelock Road, Robertson Quay, S169628

http://www.po.com.sg

photo: Pó Restaurant Facebook

The Naked Finn

The founders of The Naked Finn believe in letting the top quality ingredients speak for themselves, naked and unadorned. They only use condiments and sauces where necessary and 90% of their sauces to sorbets are (hand) made in-house. While most of the items on the menu are not strictly Mod-Sin (most of are seafood), there are some dishes that are worth mention. The Hae Mee Tng (Prawn Noodles Soup) ($25) boasts a soup that is intenseand complex, simmered using a combination of wild-caught giant red shrimp, Northern prawn and dried Sakura shrimps, with pork stock for 7 hours. The Teochew-style fish soup is a five-hour stock that is finished with tomato, Chinese cabbage, tofu, deep-fried yam and sliced bluenose Warehou and served with rice on the side.

Block 39 Malan Road Gillman Barracks Singapore 109442

http://www.nakedfinn.com

Photo: The Naked Finn Facebook

Creatures 

Creatures is located in a quaint 2-storey shophouse in the colourful Desker Road. Looking at the menu, reminds one of feasting at a foodie friend’s home. The Creatures Laksa ($24) is the
quintessential Nonya laksa, a modern take on a traditional Peranakan classic served with fresh prawns, quail eggs, chicken, fish cakes and cucumber laces simmered in a signature rich coconut laksa broth. The Ah Gong Fried Chicken & Ah Ma Noodle ($24) is a dish of
crispy fried chicken leg with garam masala, served with chinchalok mayonnaise accompanied by la-mien tossed in fried shallot and light soy. A meal at Creatures is incomplete without ordering its popular Creatures Durian Cake ($12 per slice), made with the Mao Shan Wang paste and Pandan Genoise Sponge. The portions are huge, so be warned.

120 Desker Road, Singapore 209639

https://www.creatures.com.sg

Photo: Creatures Facebook

The Coconut Club

Serving just one dish really well is The Coconut Club’s mantra. In this case, it is the Singaporeans’ beloved humble Nasi Lemak. Except, this is priced at $12.80 and served in a café setting. The owners search for the best coconuts for its recipe. The Coconut Club’s MSG-free Nasi Lemak includes a generous portion of fragrant coconut rice, cucumber slices, peanuts, dried anchovies, succulent chicken leg, a fried egg and sambal sauce. The entire dish—besides the sambal—is gluten-free. But if you would like, you could also request for gluten-free sambal chilli sauce.

6 Ann Siang Hill
 Singapore 069787

http://www.thecoconutclub.sg

Photo: The Coconut Club Facebook

Jiakpalang Eating House

Chef Nixon Low’s latest project in form of Jiak Pa Lang Eating House serves local cuisine in a bowl. From Sesame Sous Vide Chicken ($6.90) to the Charcoal Katarosu Pork Collar ($16), a version of a zi char staple, the coffee pork ribs to the Thai Style Wagyu Beef Salad ($13.90). Order the Milo Dinosaur ($8), that is fun and yummy, for dessert.

456 Alexandra Road, #01-04/ 06 Fragrance Empire Building Singapore 119962