Halcyon & Crane – Creative Wholesome and Delicious [MEDIA INVITE]

Halcyon & Crane (H&C) is a concept by The Foreign Project Group, which includes Birds of A Feather and Sichuan Alley. Located in Paragon Shopping Centre, right in the centre of Orchard Road shopping district. H&C is not your average café, their concept is focused on creative, cosy, wholesome, plus some spicy twist in the menu.

Halcyon & Crane

We started our brunch with the latest addition to H&C menu. Dearborn Granola and Milk ($9). Inspired by “Eat Well Live Well” theme, H&C served this handcrafted popular boutique granola from Dearborn. The granola is roasted to crisp, delivering a crunchy, light and aromatic texture. The dried fruits and melon seeds deliver added a different texture to the granola. Perfect to go with fresh milk. There is also an option for oat milk or coconut milk.

Dearborn Granola and Milk 

Dearborn Granola and Milk

Crispy Squid ($18) – Green Chilli, Sichuan BBQ spices, Sticky Pepper Fish Sauce. Not your regular crispy squid. It is crispy, evenly coated with pepper and fish sauce. A dash of lime added a tangy spark to this dish.

Crispy Squid

Nutella & Banana French Toast ($23) – Crispy French Toast, Nutella and Banana Filling, Almond Flakes, Mascapone Cream, Ice Cream. Super duper yummy breakfast. The bread is coated with a light crispy batter, like “pisang goreng” (fried banana fritter) batter. The fillings in the middle are the irresistible Nutella and fresh banana. The ice cream and mascarpone cream lighten up the flavours on the plate, while the berries cut through the sweetness in this dish. A must-order dish at H&C. Yummy!!

Nutella & Banana French Toast

Nutella & Banana French Toast

Dan Dan Spaghetti ($26) – Pork Ragout, Peanut Sesame Butter, Onsen Egg, Kale. We choose the non-spicy version of this dish. It is an East Meet West dish. The spaghetti is al-dente, while the pork ragout is full of Sichuan-inspired spices together with peanut sesame butter. The onsen egg binds the dish nicely, while the bitter fresh kale provided the healthy ingredient in the dish.

Dan Dan Spaghetti

Grilled Tiger Prawn “Risotto” ($32) – Grilled Tiger Prawn, Oriental Corn Multi Grains and Pumpkin “Risotto”, Black Fungus, Toasted Sourdough. Not the traditional Arborio rice risotto. Instead, it is the blend of corn multi grain and pumpkin. I like the crunchiness and burst of flavours, while the tiger prawn is spices up with chilli powder. The sourdough is light and crispy, providing the base to accompany the "risotto".

Grilled Tiger Prawn Risotto

Grilled Tiger Prawn Risotto

Orange Yuzu Passionfruit Coffee Cubes Latte ($14) – Coffee Ice Cubes, Fresh Orange Juice, Yuzu, Passion Fruit. My drink to accompany the breakfast. I am getting used to having orange juice mixed with my coffee. Though it looks good and taste good, the coffee cube did not melt fast enough and the orange juice is cold. Once the orange juice is finished, I poured some water to make full use of the coffee cube.

Orange Yuzu Passionfruit Coffee Cubes Latte

The ambiance of the café is very comforting, blending the concept of East and West. The seats are very cosy and comfortable, inviting you to stay longer and chillax. Service here is friendly and efficient.

H&C Coffee & Bar

CBK verdict: A cosy and comfortable, serving creative, wholesome and delicious food with a spicy twist. A great place to meet up and a nice hideaway at Orchard Road. Cheers!!

Food & Drink: 8.25/10

Value: 6.5/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 8.5/10

Budget per Person: $26 - $50

Halcyon & Crane

290 Orchard Road

#03-09 Paragon Shipping Centre

Singapore 238859

T: +65 9727 511

W: https://linktr.ee/halcyonandcrane

F: https://www.facebook.com/halcyoncrane/

IG: @halcyoncrane

OH: Daily 11.00 – 20.30

Friends Café HK – Classic Cha Chaan Teng Comfort Food

It was our second try to visit Friends Café HK (‘FC’) at Sembawang, and it was more of an unplanned visit as we are waiting to pass time. Our 1st try was thwarted after we saw the queue to get into FC. This time around, it seems the hype has settled and we manage to get a seat easily.

Friends Café HK

From the outside, you will be welcome by the Friends Café signboard in Cantonese, brighten up by the light box with jade green colour as the background. I can’t read Chinese or Cantonese, so I need to rely on LD to confirm the place. Well, for those who do not read Chinese or Cantonese like me, the menu has English as well.

The Menu

Once you enter the shop, you will feel the familiar feel of the place. The décor, starting with mosaic tiles flooring and on the wall, together with the green chairs and steel and wooden table will totally transport you back to the Cha Chaan Teng in Hong Kong. Those who have never been to Hong Kong, think of those scenes from Young and Dangerous movies, God of Gamblers or any HK shows in the 80s or 90s. Well, the Cantopop music from the 80s and 90s definitely set the ambience of the shop.

Part of the Interior

I start my meal with Beef Balls Brisket Horfun ($7.50). I don’t think I ever tried horfun in HK, most of the time I only order the egg noodle or the instant noodle. The broth is robust and packed with MOO MOO flavour, as you can see from the layer of oil on top. The beef balls are smooth and bouncy, while the brisket is fatty, soft and fork tender. Surprisingly, the horfun is smooth and silky, plus it soaks up the essence of the broth. Totally amazed by this dish and it is a must-order here.

Beef Balls Brisket Horfun

Beef Brisket

Beef Ball

The Horfun

LD starts with the Black Pepper Chicken Chop Set ($8.50). The set is served with our choice of 1 side and toast with butter. For the side, LD choose a fried egg. In traditional HK style, the chicken chop is served on top of a big pile of rice. The black pepper sauce, infused with Worchester sauce generously drizzle on top of the chicken chop and occupied half of the plate. The chicken is well-marinated, thick, yet juicy and succulent. The egg is perfectly cooked, with the yolk oozing out in the middle. Meanwhile, the black pepper sauce just binds all the ingredients together. Yummy!

Black Pepper Chicken Chop

Black Pepper Chicken Chop

We decided to share another set dish, Satay Sliced Beef Instant Noodle Set ($8.50). I choose bacon as the side dish plus it is served with toast and butter. For those who never try satay beef HK style, there is no peanut in it. It tasted more like bbq sauce or the beef sauce you find in Hai Di Lau. The beef is tender and soaks up the flavour of the bbq sauce. The instant noodle is al-dente while the light flavour broth allows the flavour of the satay sauce to shine. I feel the bacon is too salty, it just feels alien on the dish. I should have ordered luncheon meat instead.

Satay Sliced Beef Instant Noodle 

Satay Sliced Beef Instant Noodle 

The toast is slathered with lots of butter; however, I was not sure how to enjoy it as we already have lots of carbos. The solution present itself when the Curry Fish Ball ($4.50) arrived. From the look, I can tell you the fish balls are different from HK version but the curry taste is the same. The HK fishball is about the size of a quail egg and dense, while the SG fishball is bouncy, airy and bigger. I prefer the SG fishballs. While LD and I finished the fishballs, I decided to polish the curry using the toast.

Curry Fish Ball

Toast with Butter

Toast with Curry Sauce

For the drink, I have the cold Homemade Milk Tea ($3.50) and LD ordered Cream Soda ($2). FC made their cold milk tea in big batches, bottled it and put them in the fridge. They are smooth, silky and packed with signature HK tea flavour.

HK Milk Tea

Cream Soda

Since we are waiting for time to pick someone, we decided to order desserts. Fish Meat Siew Mai ($3.50) and French Toast (Peanut Butter, $4.50). Although the size looks small, the fish meat siew mai is tasty and bouncy. The texture totally reminds me of the HK version of fish ball, but it is steam instead of deep fried.

Fish Meat Siew Mai

Of all the dishes that we tried that day, the French Toast (Peanut Butter, $4.50) was disappointing. The temperature of the oil is not hot enough, allowing the oil to sip into the middle section of the bread. The exterior is not crispy and the peanut butter was ruined by the oil in the bread. Hopefully, they can improve on the French Toast.

French Toast

Peanut Butter Fillings

Service on the day was friendly and attentive. Luckily, you will not get the Signature HK stern and bo chap (‘I don’t care’) service here.

Overall, it was one of the best HK café experiences that we have had in Singapore. LD gave the Chicken Chop Rice two thumbs up, while I enjoy the Beef Ball Brisket Horfun and Satay Beef Instant Noodle. The HK Milk tea is good and the creamy soda drink is just a nostalgic HK drink. Hopefully, we have more chances to visit them in the future and enjoy the classic HK comfort dishes. Cheers!!

PS: I saw FC posted their homemade Bolo Bao with Butter on Facebook. Looking forward to trying this in the future.

Food & Drink: 8/10

Value: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Ambiance: 8.5/10

Budget per Person: $11 - $25

Friends Café HK

60 Springside Walk

#01-18, The Brooks 1

Singapore 786020

T: +65 8621 1125

F: https://www.facebook.com/friendscafehk

IG: @_friendscafehk_sg

OH:

Daily 11.30 – 20.30