September 23, 2021, 11:57 AM
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If you miss Hong Kong and all the delicacies that the area has to offer, this one's for you.
A new Hong Kong style cafe called Friends Cafe has popped up in Yishun, and it serves up Cantonese favourites in a retro Cha Chaan Teng (Cantonese for tea house) interior.
Image from @bimbiboon/Instagram.
Friends Cafe's interior
The cafe opened on Sep. 7, 2021 and is run by a Hong Kong husband and wife, Vicky Lee and Keith Wong, where Wong heads the kitchen.
Speaking to Mothership, Wong shared that the reason for opening up the Hong Kong style cafe was because he and his wife had missed the familiar tea houses commonly found in the area.
Having only moved here recently, the pair of Hong Kong natives had grown up with the comforting sights and sounds that so often accompany the traditional tea houses.
As such, the duo decided to recreate a little piece of their childhood from Hong Kong.
Based on their recollection, the pair designed the interior of Friends Cafe to look and feel like the Hong Kong tea houses of the 1960s.
From the pastel coloured mosaic tiles that line the walls and the floor, the glass covered table tops, soft and cosy yellow lighting, to the individual booths with seats and tables, each fixture within the eatery is a recreation of what can be found in Hong Kong.
Image from HG Tan/Google Maps.
Image from @saltyaaron/Instagram.
Image from HG Tan/Google Maps.
Image from HG Tan/Google Maps.
Menu
Of course, one cannot forget about the comforting Cantonese fare that is served within such establishments.
Wong, who developed and prepares the recipes himself, described this food as easy grab-and-go food that is suitable for the hectic and on-the-go lifestyles of the busy working class.
Everything that is on the menu at Friends Cafe are staple items found in Hong Kong's cha chaan tengs, and some of the ingredients are even sourced directly from Hong Kong.
According to Wong, the popular items on the menu are the Curry Fishball, a popular street food, and Satay Sliced Beef Noodles.
Curry fishball. Image from @friendscafehk/Instagram.
Satay sliced beef noodles. Image from @friendscafehk/Instagram.
The eatery also serves other familiar favourites such as French Toast and Black Pepper Pork Chop Rice.
Video from Friends Cafe HK/Facebook.
Image from Friends Cafe HK/Facebook.
Friends Cafe
Image from @friendscafehk/Instagram.
Address: 60 Springside Walk #01-18, Singapore 786020
Operating hours: 11am to 9pm from Monday to Sunday, closed on Tuesday
Number: 8621 1125
Nearest MRT: Yishun MRT or Springleaf MRT
Other retro places you can eat at in Singapore:
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Top image by @bimbiboon/Instagram and @friendscafefk/Instagram
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