On The Menu | Coffee

Who doesn’t love saving money? We’re certainly not going to turn down a great deal, especially if it means we can eat more. Here’s our quick and easy to guide to a few of our favourite affordable eats this season so you can still enjoy the pleasures of dining out without worrying about burning too much of a hole in your pocket – especially after those ravenous 11/11 expenditures. Hurry, cause most of these end by December!

Timbre+
$1 food & drinks for ‘Good Eats Promotion’ until 30 Nov

For just the rest of November the hipster hawker center at one-north Timbre+ is offering over 200 food and drink items for just $1 each. Nope, that’s not a typo. Sounds too good to be true, right? The only hitch is that you need to pay with a UOB card using one of three mobile payment options – Apple Pay, UOB Mighty Pay, or Android Pay. A selection of craft beers from the Timbre+ Bottle Shop, select MAIN COURSES and alcoholic beverages from 14 pretty awesome restaurants, all at just $1 each…quick, let me round up all my UOB card-holding friends! It’s a ‘while stocks last’ kind of deal with limited supplies, and it starts from 6pm daily running until November 30th. Pro tip: try the Barramundi Fish and Chips from Dancing Crab Shack (usually $15) with a bottle of Vedett Extra White (usually $10) and it will be the best $2 you ever spent.

Click here for more info.

Privé CHIJMES
2-course set lunch for $25 nett ($15 nett with Visa card) until 30 Nov

Café-cum-all-day-dining-joint Privé is offering up a special weekday set lunch at their CHIJMES location for just $25 nett ($15 nett when you pay with a Visa card, now THAT’S a bargain). This two course indulgent holiday treat includes your choice of a Cajun Chicken Burger served with fries and mesclun, or a Pulled Pork Knuckle Panini with fries, a Sticky Date Toffee Pudding or Oreo Mudpie, plus your choice a coffee or tea. We could fantasize about the juicy cajun chicken topped with jalapeno cheese or the melt-in-your-mouth pork smothered in housemade BBQ sauce all day, but how about that oreo cookie, affogato swirl ice cream, cookie crumble, vanilla and chocolate sauce mudpie? Must. Have. Now. Considering the average entree at Prive is upwards of $20, this is a deal that’s hard to pass up.

Note: you must pre-purchase this menu on The Chope Shop, and it’s only valid until the 30th of November! See full menu and details here.

Ice Edge Cafe
1-for-1s on lunch menu, ongoing

We’re always on the lookout for a solid 1-for-1 deal, and Ice Edge Cafe already dishes out affordable grub so you know this is going to be a steal. From buffalo wings to creative seafood pastas, pizzas, and more, they’ve got anongoing 1-for-1 weekday lunch special from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm. It’s buy one get one on select starters and mains that are mostly all under $20 already, meaning you might have to break a $20 to pay for lunch for two. It also means you can use the money you’ve saved to indulge in one of their famous warm waffles, or our favourite buttery Maple Toast topped with a scoop of decadent chocolate gelato.

Click here for more info on Ice Edge Cafe.

Xiao Ya Tou
Set dinner menu for $49 nett ($39 nett with Visa card), until 30 Nov

For a slightly more refined dining experience, Xiao Ya Tou is offering up a Chope Diner’s Choice dinner menu that showcases the cuisine that everyone has been raving about. Choose two starters like the Grilled Eggplant with miso-cured egg, dried shrimp, and nam jim dressing, or the Spicy Baked Scallop with garlic, ginger, and salted soy bean. For your main you can indulge in a culinary home run like the Twice-Cooked Beef Short Ribs with roasted white sesame & scallion sauce and spicy kimchi cabbage-slaw (it’s on everyone’s Instagram, in case you haven’t noticed) or the Black Cod with ginger-soy and mirin dressing, crispy garlic, and goji berry. Top it off with a glass of merlot and that entire meal will only set you back $49 nett, or $39 nett when you pre-purchase with your Visa card. If you paid full price you’d be shelling out upwards of $70!

Mondays to Thursdays, 6pm to 9.30pm
Fridays – Saturdays, 6pm to 10.30pm

Note: you must pre-purchase this menu on The Chope Shop, andit’s only valid until the 30th of November – see full menu and details here!

Brewerkz
$15++ Set Lunch, $20++ with a Pint of Beer, ongoing

Microbrewery and American nosh fave Brewerkz has a well-known and ongoing lunch deal that we simply can’t get enough of. Their $15++ lunch set includes soup or salad, a main course (we recommend the Lunch Burger or Sausage Hash), a soft drink, and one scoop of homemade ice cream. Pay just five bucks more to add on your pint of choice if you’re feeling like your weekday grind needs some liquid encouragement, or you’re just starting your Saturday festivities early. Brewerkz makes all of our simple Western comfort-food dreams come true, and this lunch set seals the deal.

Riverside Point: Daily, 12-3 pm,
Indoor Stadium: Fri-Sun, 12-3 pm
Orchard Parade Hotel: Mon-Fri, 12-3 pm
Sentosa Boardwalk: Sat-Sun, 12-3 pm

Book a table at a Brewerkz location

Supply & Demand at Orchard Gateway

Set lunch menu at $25 nett ($15 nett with Visa card), until 30 Nov

Supply & Demand is the perfect place to experience the modern trattoria feel without dropping serious cash – this lunch comes with a petite salad of the day, petite antipasto of the day, cheese of the day, and handmade bread. You get to choose a main from their varied assortment of fresh pastas, pizzas, chicken, and seafood – seriously, check out the menu, it has every food craving you could possibly harbour. You also get a choice of drink (fruit juice or iced tea), as well as the chef’s pick of the day for dessert. A weekday set lunch is a steal for just $25 nett ($15 nett with your Visa card) at the chic and well-situated Orchard Gateway branch.

Note: you must pre-purchase this menu on The Chope Shop, and it’s only valid until the 30th of November! See full menu and details here.

Tao Seafood Asia
30% off a la carte menu, until 31 Dec

Introducing the best way to save some dough and experience fine Chinese dining this month: Tao Seafood is offering up a whopping 30% off their a la carte food menu for dinner on weekdays and all day on weekends & public holidays until December 31st. Choose from classics like Stir-fried Prawns, Specialty Pot Roasted Fishes, and Chinese favorites that you can expect to taste like near perfection, made even sweeter by all the cash you’re saving. Marina Bay area joints don’t give out deals much better than this!

Book a table at Tao Seafood Asia.

Full of Luck Club
Bao Lunch Set from $11.80++, ongoing

This quirky Holland Village mod-Chinese joint makes a mean bao – but actually just about everything on their menu is ridiculously good. Our minds are stuck on the buns though, ‘cause Full of Luck Club’s ongoing set lunch offers your choice of 2 baos plus a homemade iced tea or coffee (+$1.50 for coffee) at just $11.80++. Can’t choose between the Kung Pao Fried Chicken Bao and the Salted Egg Yolk Prawn Bao? Go with friends to mix and match and try more of the five choices. Not a bao fan? Opt for the Claypot Rice Set Lunch – which also includes a drink – and choose from standards like the Braised Beancurd or Truffle Pepper Beef (+$2); you’ll be rewarded with an incredibly scrumptious meal for a mere $15.00++.

Available Monday-Friday excluding public holidays from 11am-3pm.

Book a table at Full of Luck Club.

Wheeler’s Yard
6-course tasting menu for $25 nett ($15 nett with Visa card), until 30 Nov

The trendy cafe meets bicycle atelier meets hip dining destination does more than just pair bikes and coffee, and its super affordable 6-course tasting menu is a great way to become acquainted with the cuisine. Dishes like Sakura Ebi cold tofu, Deep Fried Crab Cakes, and the most succulent 60°C Chicken Breast all serve as perfect examples of simple fusion food done right. End with the ‘Summer Delight’ dessert: a mix of homemade coconut panna cotta (YUM), butter crumbs, milk foam, mango, and passionfruit coulis, and you’ll have a hard time thinking of a better way to spend $15 bucks.

Note: you must pre-purchase this menu on The Chope Shop, and it’s only valid until the 30th of November! See full menu and details here.

These are not your typical espresso martinis, folks.

Inspired by a recent visit to my Chope Shanghai compatriots that involved several coffee-based alcoholic beverages, as well as my general predisposition for all things coffee and alcohol, I decided to take it upon myself to find the most innovative caffeinated cocktails across Asia.

While a shot of whisky in your afternoon long black is a quick ‘n dirty instant fix (not that I’ve ever done that), I suggest you instead visit any of these renowned spots to experience a creative coffee cocktail mixed to perfection – at a more socially acceptable hour of course.

The Liberties: Coconut Cold Brew & Irish Whiskey at Jigger and Pony, Singapore

Let’s start right in our own backyard – we all know that the team at Jigger and Pony crafts a killer cocktail, but The Liberties truly exceeded my high expectations. As you take the first sip an arresting aroma of roasted chocolate makes it difficult not to dive right into the mix of Teeling small batch Irish whisky, coconut cold brew coffee, pandan bitters, and the source of the heavenly smell: a garnish of roasted chocolate nibs. The taste is impeccably smooth with only the faintest hint of coconut complementing the full-bodied flavour combo of Irish whisky and cold brew. It’s like the rich, sophisticated aunt of a Black Russian who you’ll want to visit again and again.

Find Jigger & Pony at 101 Amoy Street (Telok Ayer), Singapore

Californication – coffee infused beer at Ocean Grounds, Shanghai

What do you get when you cross one of the best craft beer breweries in China with one of the most innovative coffee bars in Asia? Cue up Californication, a combination of Boxing Cat Brewery amber ale that’s brewed with Ocean Grounds’ Santa Leticia Bourbon Especial cold drip coffee. The 14-hour brewed cold drip has hints of palm sugar, tootsie roll, and nougat, thus the the resulting beer that’s been brewed WITH the coffee is crisp with notes of caramel – a heady experience that warrants several rounds. What surprises me most is that coffee beers tend to be in the stout or porter families, but this light and refreshing amber ale brew pushes boundaries in new and delicious directions.

Find Ocean Grounds at Hong Kong Plaza, Room 1-09A,283 Huaihai Zhong Lu, Shanghai, China

Photo Credit: Eat Drink KL

Golden Eclipse – hot espresso Nutella milk with rum at Olfactory Bulb Cafe, Petaling Jaya (Kuala Lumpur)

Olfactory Bulb Cafe specialises in coffee, tea, and chocolate-based cocktails (when can I move in?), so choosing just one from their extensive menu proved a bit challenging. One look at “Nutella milk” however, and I was sold. The Golden Eclipse contains Mount Gay Barbados Rum, Frangelico, chocolate bitters, espresso, and house-made Nutella milk. It’s a nutty, sweet, hazelnut-mocha-like reason to drink alcohol that warms like a nice cuppa hot cocoa, with a grown-up twist.

Find Olfactory Bulb Cafe at 15-2, Jalan PJU 5/13, Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

reviver-regent-sg

Reviver – jalapeno and coffee bean infused apple brandy at Manhattan, Singapore

Forget an alarm clock, take a swig of the Reviver at Manhattan (which was recently named Asia’s best bar and 11th best in the WORLD) and you’ll be feeling all kinds of alive. Daron calvados (apple brandy), Carpano Antica Formula vermouth, Ferrand Dry orange curaçao, sugar, bitters, cloves, jalapeno, and coffee beans are all soaked together overnight to make this complex drink. Spicy, bold, and strong, this is a cocktail fit for one of the top bars on the planet.

Find it at 1 Cuscaden Road, Level 2, Regent Hotel, Singapore
Book a table at Manhattan.

Costadoro Martini, an updated espresso martini at The Artisan Room, Hong Kong

It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for a good espresso martini, but The Artisan Room’s updated version on the classic reinvents the wheel in all the right ways without straying too far from a formula proven to work. They specialise in coffee and tea cocktails, so rest assured there is skill, passion, and experience behind this badass tipple. Instead of coffee liqueur, vodka, and espresso (a typical espresso martini), the Costadoro Martini is created with dark rum, Costadoro espresso, Bailey’s, coconut milk, and Okinawa black sugar. The heavier coconut milk and dark sugar result in an exceptionally smooth martini laced with hints of hazelnut and toasted bread from the the Italian coffee exclusive to Artisan Room. Pair that with an al fresco garden area and I think that’s the sound of me packing my bags for Hong Kong.

Find The Artisan Room at 8 South Ln, Shek Tong Tsui, Hong Kong

Photo Credit: Q&A Bar

Coffee Negroni at Q&A Bar, Bangkok

This hip Bangkok speakeasy is so secret that there isn’t even a photo of the elusive coffee cocktail – but something as delicious and unique as a coffee negroni deserves a spot on the list. Hidden behind a nondescript green door in Asok, Q&A has become somewhat of a cult hit for cocktail lovers in Bangkok. With equal parts gin, vermouth, and campari, this negroni mixture brews for six hours with Ethiopian coffee beans resulting in a sultry combination of flavours that fit perfectly with the intimate interior of the bar. The depth and nuttiness of the coffee mellows out some of the bitterness you’d expect from a negroni, which basically means it’s the negroni I’ve always wanted. Ask about their cold brew version as well!

Find Q&A Bar at 235/13 Sukhumvit Soi 21, 02-664-1445, Bangkok, Thailand

Prohibition – Cutty Sark & cold brew at Gibson, Singapore

One of the fruitier options on the list, Gibson goes for a refined simplicity with Prohibition. They mix Cutty Sark Prohibition whisky, grapefruit & orange campari, and Antica Formula (sweet vermouth), with cold brew ice cubes, then garnish with grapefruit zest and gold leaf – ‘cause Gibson is that badass. Think a more robust Manhattan that becomes increasingly smooth as the cold brew ice gradually melts and infuses the drink with the dark and chocolatey notes of the coffee.

Find it at 20 Bukit Pasoh Rd, Singapore
Book a table at Gibson.

Timbre+ $1 food & drinks for ‘Good Eats Promotion’ until 30 Nov

Privé CHIJMES 2-course set lunch for $25 nett ($15 nett with Visa card) until 30 Nov

Ice Edge Cafe 1-for-1s on lunch menu, ongoing

Xiao Ya Tou Set dinner menu for $49 nett ($39 nett with Visa card), until 30 Nov

Brewerkz $15++ Set Lunch, $20++ with a Pint of Beer, ongoing