Chun Tin Rd, Lorong Kilat, and Cheong Chin Nam Rd
Sleepless in Singapore because you can’t get a decent supper fix? Want to get in on the pancake craze? Or just hankering for homemade jam and vintage furniture?
There’s only one place you need to know for Bukit Timah food: Chun Tin Road on Upper Bukit Timah.
Carpenter and Cook
Although they only opened this year, Carpenter and Cook has become the go-to café for foodies, vintage scourers, and (dare we say it) hipsters alike. Their secret to success? First rate bakes (our faves are the lemon crème tarts and the passionfruit meringue tarts), fantastic take home jams, terribly photogenic décor, and vintage goodies all around. Tip: they have a basement full of vintage finds, so if you’re in the market, book an appointment and go wild.
Carpenter and Cook, 19 Lorong Kilat, #01-06, Singapore 598120, p. 6463 3648. Open Tue-Thu 12-10pm; Fri 12-11pm; Sat 10am-11pm; Sun 10am-7pm
Nook
Nook not only lets you have your (pan)cake and eat it too, they also let you design it! This café will be a hit with kids- just beware of extra tiny fingers touching the griddle. Pancake mixtures come in an assortment of colours and flavours (e.g. banana-flavoured yellow and pandan-infused green). There’s also a full breakfast menu of other items to choose from for the pancake-weary.
Nook, 21 Lorong Kilat, #01-03, Singapore 598123, p. 6466 1811. Open Tue-Fri 12-10pm, Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-7pm.
Ng Kim Lee Confectionery
Those in the neighbourhood will know that this place has had its fair share of fame. They’ve been around for about 60 years now, and are perhaps most famous for their mini muffins… which we’re not crazy about. What we do like though, are their Portugese egg tarts. Make sure to head down early – the bakery sells out of egg tarts every day without fail.
Ng Kim Lee Confectionery, 4 Chun Tin Road, p. 64663515
Al-Azhar Eating Restaurant and Al-Ameen Eating House
Both Al-Azhar and Al-Ameen are highly popular nightspots. There’s no fancy service or food to be had; it’s noisy and you sit by the roadside, but there’s good and affordable supper to be found. Some even call these two supper institutions. Both restaurants are known for perennial local favourites like roti prata and mee goreng, but we think a visit isn’t complete without an order (or 3) of their creamy butter chicken. Skip the chicken tikka though. Best part: it’s so affordable you can head back the next night.
Al-Ameen Eating House, 4 Cheong Chin Nam Road, Singapore 599727.
Al-Azhar Eating Restaurant, 11/11A Cheong Chin Nam Road, p. 6466 5052. Open 24/7.
Joo Seng Teochew Porridge
One way to spot a Singaporean: They always want supper. This popular supper spot opens till really late in the morning and is particularly great when you want to fool yourself into thinking that porridge doesn’t really count as supper. The food’s nothing to shout about, but it’s affordable comfort food, and there’s a wide variety of side dishes to choose from.
Joo Seng Teochew Porridge, 14 Cheong Chin Nam Road, p. 6463 0768. Open 10am-4am.
Image: Carpenter and Cook