[Review] Trip to 40Hands cafe in Singapore
40Hands is a coffee shop in a pretty neat neighborhood (Tiong Bahru), and I would like to live there if I can afford it someday! The neighborhood is known for all the small hipster cafes, bookshops, and bakeries. If you have time, wander around the neighborhood and you’ll find a few places to try. Here’s what I had at 40 Hands cafe.
The goodies
Find them at www.40handscoffee.com
I miss eating homemade carrot cake that my Dad makes with cream cheese icing, so this was a nice throwback. This carrot cake also had cream cheese frosting, which was lemon flavored! It was really moist, and not too sweet.
I got the eggs cocotte, which is a nice brunch meal if you are looking for one. Poached eggs are my favorite, and these were done nearly perfectly. I guess I like my yolks a tad more liquid-y! The spinach and mushrooms added a nice bit of flavor without being overwhelming, and they tasted very natural with the eggs and toast.
The coffee
They brew sustainably grown and fair trade coffee. This was the latte that I ordered. I’m still getting used to drinking coffee! I’m starting to like it, but not yet able to drink it without adding milk and sugar. The beans they used for this coffee are of single origin from Ethiopia and Brazil. They describe it as having a heaving, coating mouthfeel, marmalade, strawberry, citrus peel, dark cocoa, creamy texture, lingering and complex aftertaste.
Returner?
I look forward to going back to 40Hands again! They have several other brunch items on the menu including a salmon dish, as well as a slew of gourmet hotdog options. I hear they also have craft beers, though I have yet to go and try any. It’s a cute little coffee shop with good food, if you are willing to splurge a little bit (S$15 for the eggs cocotte, S$5 for the regular size latte). But once in a while though, I wouldn’t mind coming here with a friend for a nice coffee and a relaxing meal. It’s not a place where you could camp out and work, so if you are looking for that kind of coffee shop this is not it. It is a bit too busy for that on the weekends, but maybe on a weekday (I haven’t tried going on a weekday yet).
Also, there is a nice independent bookshop across the street called BooksActually. They print books out of their own press wing of the company, most by local writers and artists. They also have a killer collection of vintage books if you like to smell old books.
Hooray for adventures in coffee shops! Next time I hope to visit another one, probably in Tiong Bahru as it seems to be a hotspot for them.
Have you been to 40 Hands cafe?
