Tims Signature @ Somerset - Iconic Canadian Coffee Chain Opens New Elevated Concept in Town

Tim Hortons, the iconic Canadian coffee chain, has quickly expanded its presence in Singapore. It now boasts six locations since its debut in November last year. Their latest venture, Tims Signature, introduces a unique and elevated coffee experience in the heart of town at 313@Somerset. This new concept store offers exclusive menu items and focuses on artisanal coffee brewing.

The store takes the space right across Garrett Popcorn and Marché Mövenpick on the mall’s first floor. You will see it once you enter the mall’s side entrance if you’re walking in from Orchard.

The store takes the space across Garrett Popcorn and Marché Mövenpick on the mall's first floor. You will see it once you enter the mall's side entrance if you're walking in from Orchard. Coffee enthusiasts can sit at their new Coffee Craft Bar and opt for three speciality brewing methods. It includes the V60 Pour Over ($7), Chemex Pour Over ($7) and Kyoto Drip ($7.50) cold brews. Skilled baristas will be around to take customers through the brewing process.

Maple Cinnamon Latte

In addition to these speciality brews, Tims Signature also offers the brand's classic beverages. The Maple Cinnamon Latte (from $7 for Small) is a signature made with Tims' signature espresso blend.

Maple French Vanilla Iced Capp

The Maple French Vanilla Iced Capp (from $7.50 for Small) is a popular choice for something sweeter. For all beverages under its Iced Capp series, diners can request complimentary plant-based whipped cream and a syrup drizzle to finish.

Maple Glazed Chicken Ham & Cheese 4/5

Aside from beverages, the menu also features a selection of food items, including the Sourdough Melts series. We tried the Maple Glazed Chicken Ham & Cheese ($9.90), which, while not particularly extraordinary, was a comforting and no-frills choice. I wished there was a more distinct sourdough tang, but the bread was soft with a chew.

Pesto & Mozzarella 3.5/5

The Pesto & Mozzarella ($9.90) sandwich was another option we had. I would have preferred a stronger pesto flavour to pair with the oozy cheese.

Truffle Chicken Carbonara 3.5/5

The range of Pasta Bakes is another exclusive to Tims Signature. We tried the Truffle Chicken Carbonara ($9.90), served sizzling hot with a generous amount of shredded chicken and melted cheese. Unfortunately, the macaroni was a bit dry.

Classic Aglio Olio 3.5/5

Go for the Classic Aglio Olio ($9.90) if you are looking for a vegetarian option. It was more savoury, without the expected spice of an aglio olio.

No visit to Tim Hortons is complete without indulging in their range of sweets. Tims Signature features a display counter filled with popular items like donuts, Timbits, tarts, and muffins.

Timbit

"Timbits" are bite-sized portions of Tim Hortons' donuts. They come in a variety of flavours but tend to be denser than their full-sized donuts. Personally, I'd recommend opting for the donuts over the Timbits.

Donuts here are generously glazed and filled, which also lean to be much sweeter. Two exclusive donut flavours are the Belgian Chocolate Cruller ($4.90) and Maple Crumble Apple Fritter ($4.90). Among those we tried, we preferred the latter and the Maple Salted Caramel donut.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Tims Signature
313@Somerset
313 Orchard Road
#01-29
Singapore 238895
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Nearest MRT: Somerset MRT (NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 9pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Somerset MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Good Chai People @ East Coast Road - Singapore First Chai Specialty Cafe In Katong

Located in Katong, Good Chai People is Singapore's first Chai Cafe that puts a spotlight on handmade artisanal sticky chai, served along with hearty brunch and mains. The 60-seater cafe is tastefully designed to allow customers to enjoy a comforting cup of chai in a cosy and homely space.

Sticky Chai Latte 3.8/5, Hoji-Chai Latte 3.8/5

With a total of 11 iterations of chai, we were spoilt for choice. The Sticky Chai Latte ($8) features a soothing blend of Ceylon OPA leaves, oat milk, coconut sugar and cinnamon, while the Hoji-Chai Latte ($8) has subtle notes from the Japanese roasted tea, which paired well with the chai aroma. However, the chai flavour in both cups was not as intense as I would have liked and could be stronger. Oat milk and coconut sugar are used in the chai drinks to be more inclusive, vegan-friendly, and more considerate towards customers who are lactose-intolerant.

Burnt Brussels Sprouts 4.2/5

The Burnt Brussels Sprouts ($16) was an addictive side. The yuzu sesame drizzle provided a refreshing tanginess to the dish, which cut through the bitterness of the brussels sprouts. It is also topped with nori and sesame seeds for some added flavour.

Mommy's Spinach 4/5

The Mommy's Spinach ($12) is an elevated take on the creamed spinach. It comes in a comforting mix of Gruyère cheese, bechamel sauce, and brown butter, with fried eggs atop. You can also add $2 for additional sourdough toasts to dip in.

24-Hr Beef Brisket 4.5/5

One of our favourite dishes is the 24-Hr Beef Brisket ($20). The beef brisket is well-marinated and tender and comes with two perfectly oozy poached eggs, tangy toasted sourdough, confit baby potatoes, and hand-cut potato chips.

Prawn & Chorizo Aglio Olio 4.2/5

The Prawn & Chorizo Aglio Olio ($22) comprises perfectly al-dente pasta tossed in umami prawn head butter and paired with char-grilled tiger prawns and savoury chorizo strips. The dish comes with a strong fiery kick, suitable for those who like their aglio olio extra spicy.

French Toast 4/5

We enjoyed the gorgeous French Toast ($20), which tasted as good as it looked, featuring a thick Brioche French toast sandwiched in layers of tangy berry compote and peanut butter, topped with whipped cream cheese, and a maple thyme drizzle.

Words and photos by Crystal. A girl who likes to eat, photograph, and write about food, and dreams about travelling around the world one day. Note: This is an invited tasting.


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Good Chai People
225 East Coast Road
Singapore 428922
Tel: +65 97835757
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Nearest MRT: Dakota (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 8am - 6pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Dakota MRT station. Take exit A. Walk to bus stop at Blk 99 Old Airport Road (Stop ID 81181). Take Bus 10 or 32. Alight 7 stops later. Walk to destination. Journey time about 18 minutes. [Map]

Angelina @ Marina Bay Sands Singapore - New Menu From The Iconic Parisian Tearoom And Patisserie

Iconic Parisian tearoom and patisserie, Angelina sits right above the Canal at The Shoppes in Marina Bay Sands. It offers diners a quaint dining atmosphere and a menu of savoury and sweets alongside its signature and world-famous L'Africain Hot Chocolate.

Diners can now expect a new menu of brunch (available from 11am to 2.30pm), starters, hot mains and desserts specially crafted in France. We sampled a number of their new dishes across the menu.

Oven-Baked Camembert 4/5

The Oven-Baked Camembert ($36.90) is well portioned to feed 2-3 pax. A whole camembert is oven-baked for 10 minutes to attain an oozy and molten texture. On the side, you will find a garden salad tossed with sliced apples, dried figs and roasted nuts, and toasted sourdough drizzled with balsamic dressing.

Oven-Baked Escargot 4/5

Another new starter that diners can look out for is the Oven-Baked Escargot ($23.50). A portion has six escargots, each coated with cream spinach, before being braided in parmesan garlic crumbs and baked to a golden brown top.

Club Sandwich 3.8/5

We enjoyed the fluffy and crisp toast used in the Club Sandwich ($27.80), which had a centre of chicken mayo and hard-boiled egg, topped with bacon and sun-dried tomato paste. You can opt for french fries or baby romaine lettuce salad as your side here. Our only gripe was that the chicken mayo portion could be much more substantial.

Fantasy of Grilled Seafood Aglio Olio 4.2/5

First of our mains was the Fantasy of Grilled Seafood Aglio Olio ($36.50). The al dente spaghetti is tossed in garlic, bird's eye chilli, parsley and extra virgin olive oil before being served with juicy Hokkaido scallops, a king prawn and mussel. The refreshing lemon cream foam adds a zesty touch and tempers the spice from the bird's eye chilli.

Smokey Atlantic Salmon Fillet 3.5/5

While it was beautifully presented by being unveiled from a glass dome of smoke, we found the Smokey Atlantic Salmon Fillet ($38.80) average tasting. The smokiness was nicely infused in the salmon, but considering the price tag, the overall dish with the accompanying shimeiji mushrooms, green pea puree, and raspberry coulis didn't surprise us as much.

French Duck Confit 4/5

On the other hand, the French Duck Confit ($32.90) impressed me. After being cured in fat and roasted for 5 hours in the oven at a low temperature, it resulted in flavourful fork-tender meat. The duck sat on mashed potato with caramelised onions and a bright honey orange reduction on the side.

Black Angus Sirloin Steak

My dining companions tried the Black Angus Sirloin Steak ($43.90), which uses 190g of US sirloin steak with sides of ratatouille, charcoal mashed potato and black pepper sauce. They found it decently flavourful and tender.

Passion Ananas 3/5

One of Angelina's new seasonal desserts is the Passion Ananas ($17). It has coconut, pineapple-passionfruit compote layered with coconut-pineapple-lime mousse on a soft lime biscuit. It was sweet with a distinct tangy kick of passionfruit notes.

Trocadero Pistachio 3/5

The second of its seasonal desserts, flown in directly from France, is the Trocadero Pistachio ($17). This piece features everything pistachio, with pistachio dacquoise and pistachio cream, solidified in pistachio paste and further coated with chopped pistachio. We appreciated how the elements were put together, but there was an almond-like aftertaste that I was not a fan of.

Paris Brest 3.5/5

The Paris Brest ($17) was our favourite dessert, though we still found it a tad pricey. If you are a fan of Ferrero Rocher, this may be up your alley. I prefer a crispier choux pastry for texture contrast, but otherwise, there's nothing to dislike about the nutty combination of praline mousseline cream, hazelnut crunch, caramelised hazelnut and hazelnut paste. It's rich without being cloying.

Mont Blanc 3/5

We ended our dinner with Angelina's signature dessert, the Mont Blanc ($18). It has a centre of meringue, chestnut puree and souffle whipped cream and a piped exterior of chestnut cream vermicelli. Unfortunately, my dining companions and I agreed that this was too sweet for our liking.

Overall, the ambience here at Angelina was lovely, but the prices were definitely steep. We enjoyed their savoury dishes significantly more than the sweets.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


Angelina
Marina Bay Sands The Shoppes
Canal Level
#B2-89A
2 Bayfront Avenue
Singapore 018972
Tel: +65 66887236
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Nearest MRT: Bayfront MRT (CC Line, DT Line)

Opening Hours:
Sun-Thu: 1030am to 11pm
Fri, Sat, PH Eve and PH: 1030am to 1130pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Bayfront MRT station. Take Exit D. Walk to destination. Journey time about 3 minutes. [Map]

Knock Knock Cafe @ Kallang - Floral-Themed Cafe Serving Asian-inspired Pasta, Burgers And Instagrammable Bear Lattes

Knock Knock Cafe is a quaint cafe decked in flower-filled walls in Kallang. The cafe serves up Asian-inspired Pasta and Burgers, and picture-worthy lattes. The cafe is a spin-off of the Knock Knock livestream app, created to connect creators with their fans and followers. In the same spirit, the cafe aims to be a space for people to gather over good food and service in a work-friendly environment.

Iced Bear Latte 4/5

Insta-worthy and adorable is the Iced Bear Latte ($6.50). It comes in 4 different flavours - caramel, lavender, mocha and chocolate. I went for Mocha which has a nice balance of roasted coffee notes and creamy cocoa flavours.

Golden Prawn Tacos 4.2/5

We started with some light bites in the Golden Prawn Tacos ($13 for 2pc). The deep-fried crunchy prawns are served in a soft toasted tortilla, laced with an addictive salted egg sauce and finished with tobiko bits. Other choices include Chilli Krab Tacos and Beef Steak Tacos.

Otak-Otak Burger 4/5

The cafe is known for its Asian-inspired pasta and burgers, so we have to try them. We had the Otak-Otak Burger ($17). The homemade batang fish patty is marinated with a medley of aromatic spices, coated with bread crumbs and deep-fried for a crispy golden exterior. The delectable patty is sandwiched between soft fluffy buns, served with fries and a sambal mayo dip. Other burgers available on the menu are Ultimate Wagyu Beef Burger, Krispy Buttermilk Chicken Burger and Mad for Mentaiko Fish & Chips.

Hae Bee Hiam Aglio Olio 4.5/5

The Hae Bee Hiam Aglio Olio ($17) is loaded with umami-rich hae bee hiam (spicy dried shrimp) on olio and topped with crunchy tiger prawns. The incorporation of spicy dried shrimp works for me. It complements the al dente pasta excellently.

Ondeh Ondeh Tiramisu 4/5

For dessert, we had the Ondeh Ondeh Tiramisu ($12). It comes in layers of pandan and gula melaka, topped with toasted coconut flakes. Each mouthful reminds me of the traditional kueh's characteristic flavours.

Note: This is an invited tasting.


Knock Knock Cafe
101 Geylang Road
Singapore 389211
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Nearest MRT: Kallang (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 12pm - 1030pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Kallang MRT station. Take Exit A. Turn left and walk to junction Geylang Lorong 1 and Sims Ave. Cross the road and walk down Geylang Lorong 1 towards Geylang Road. Turn left onto Geylang Road. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]