Exploring :)

Tucked away in the quiet corners of the city, there are lanes of untouched heritage that have recently found their way into the "cool" books of Singaporean youngsters.  Such was the experience I had with Tiong Bahru and Yong Siak Street.  To most, Tiong Bahru is merely an upper-middle class estate-- located in the Tanjong Pagar area, the community has been re-developed numerous times over the years, and is centrally located enough to command a high housing price.  But hidden away in the midst of the Singapore heritage trail are quaint cafes and bookstores that will light a hipster's heart up with delight.  (Unfortunately, as not much of a hipster myself, I'm not entirely sure if that's a valid statement), but I can say from a mainstream point of view that the charm of the comfortable road side eateries and restaurants were a pleasant change from the hustle and bustle of elsewhere in Singapore.

Unlike eating in other places al fresco, there was not a flurry of movement constant on the main roads, and any cars that did pass by were supercars (I counted 2 Audis and 3 BWMs in a row), giving one a faint sense of accomplishment and entitlement to the good service and good food being provided.  It was also a change as it was load enough to create a happening vibe, but not so loud that we had to shout over our eggs benedict to continue our conversations.

The interior of the restaurant for Brunch: Open Door Policy, which serves Brunch on weekends from 11-3:30.  Remember to make a reservation though, the place is packed!  Eggs Benedict had a curried hollandaise sauce, which I found very unique, but I would much prefer the original.  I wasn't expecting it to be so packed inside, but it seems to be an up and coming favourite with the expat and the young professional crowd...Almost becoming a slightly less expensive (and more young) version of Dempsey Hill


I appreciated the open kitchen as we sat by the bar, the red brick in particular gives it an illusion of a homey and vintage vibe.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: YUMMMMMMMMM EGGS BENEDICT!!!

Our next stop was a vintage bookstore called Books Actually that sold various kinds of books--- from cutesy art design photo journals to second hand books about famous politicians.  

I was very impressed by the DIY vibe of the store-- all the lights and decorations were handmade and the store was fully stocked of all kinds of DIY products and even DIY how-tos.  Also, if you're on Tumblr and into Tumblry- type books such as Haruki Murakami, this book store is on pointe.

There's a little corner of the shop that celebrates vintage and all things old-timey.  (Sorry Rachel--- disclaimer: she's not actually grunge but she's just trying a cool new look).  The entire area has old pictures of families, personal portraits, imported cigarette boxes and cigars...... its very unique.  

POPAGANDA!

http://www.popaganda.com.sg/--- check out this website for more information about Popaganda! Also, if you're in the Yong Siak Street area, you can be a part of this cool project if you stop by Strangelets, which is another DIY store that sells all kinds of super cute home-y stuff, including very wonderful smelling candles.  Popaganda, a kind of ice cream, is also sold there and they are popsicles that come in a variety of amazing flavours such as Mango Coconut and Kiwi Watermelon.  My friend tried one of them in the store yesterday but I wasn't aware that it was such a yummy flavour until I sampled one myself earlier today.  I'm starting to get very thirsty thinking about these yummy flavours ): ):  Popaganda is all about eating popiscles with fun and healthy flavours and contributing to others where we can.  2% of their sales go to non profit organisations such as the Association for the Visually Handicapped.  I will definitely be buying more of their popsicles from now on whenever I want to treat myself and get a healthy edge.


I know this area has been covered before by the likes of Lady Iron Chef and most other food-ish bloggers, but I was super excited to come visit here and be part of the cool crowd.  How did you feel about this place?

What did you think about this kind of blog style :O Where do you like exploring :)