I might be speaking for everyone in the F&B industry when I say that I've always loved wining and dining. It's this passion for great food and drink experiences that eventually led me to co-found OrderEZ, an F&B tech platform designed to help distributors and venues spend less time buried in paperwork and more time bringing incredible food and drink to our tables.
Luckily for me, Singapore is a veritable haven for F&B patrons, bringing together cuisines and experiences from around the world and serving them all up on this "little red dot" we all love. But this last year and a half has been anything but easy, with waves of restrictions seriously impacting businesses of all sizes over the last few months.
In the spirit of #supportinglocal, at OrderEZ we want to do our part to remind our readers about all of the incredible restaurants, bars, cafes, and more which make Singapore such a special place to call home.
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This December, here are a few of our favorite F&B outlets to enjoy. Feel free to say, "hello" if you see us around!
Por Kee Eating House 1996
A stone's throw away from the OrderEZ office in Tiong Bahru, Por Kee is an F&B institution that is frequented by locals of all ages. With a wide selection of Cantonese dishes that draws crowds every night, reservations are highly recommended for one of the best zi char places on the island.
Por Kee is perhaps best known for taking dining under the stars to the next level with its unique alfresco dining concept, nestled amidst a parking lot. As someone who prides themselves on having a fair bit of experience with unique F&B concepts, Por Kee’s bustling ambience and carpark dining still takes me by surprise!
One of my favourite things about Por Kee, besides the champagne pork ribs (one of my many guilty pleasures), is that there is no corkage. This has helped keep team dinners and other celebrations reasonable over the years, while still allowing us to enjoy a feast under the open sky.
Nylon Coffee Roasters
Like most working locals, I need my cuppa joe to kickstart the day. Most of my Singaporean friends love their coffee – from the classic Kopi-O to specialty coffees. For the latter, one of my favourite go-tos is Nylon, a quaint micro-roastery nestled in a corner of Everton Park HDB. The owners, Dennis and Jia Min, have been roasting and serving top-notch coffees for nine years now.
Coffees aside, there are two things I love about this place as someone who works in the F&B industry. The first is that they spotlight one of the most beloved aspects of specialty coffee — the supply chain. Pick up any bag of their coffee beans and you’ll learn about coffee farmers in Brazil and Kenya and how their beans found their way to this small roastery in Singapore.
The second is their clever use of space. Coffee bar, roastery, and cafe — Nylon packs quite a lot into a small space without seeming crowded, which is a smart way to operate in Singapore where rents are high. There is plenty to love about Nylon, like how thoughtful they are about everything they place in the outlet, from different pockets of seating areas (which lends nicely to social distancing) to a long communal table for consumers to wait for their fix. As for what to order? Well, half of the fun is talking coffee with the talented team there, let them know what you like and chances are good that they've got the perfect cup in mind for you.
American Tap Room
Cold fresh tapped beers under the sweltering Singapore sun...really, need I say more? With one of the country’s widest varieties of craft beer on tap, sampling a world of beers has never been easier than it is at American Tap Room. And it doesn’t end there — the team at ATR is constantly refreshing their roster of beers, sourcing and rotating their collection to ensure you never have to drink the same beer twice.
One of my favorite things to do is get a growler of their finest and bring it home; perfect for stay-home dinner or celebrations with family or friends. For those missing travel like myself, if you close your eyes, you can almost feel as if you’re in Vietnam at a Bia hơi joint (Well, one can dream!).
But keeping beers fresh and moving through the pandemic hasn’t been easy. With so many beers on taps and a growing number of locations, managing supply was becoming a nightmare for ATR — something OrderEZ was able to help with. Today, instead of tediously processing orders manually, operations are smoother and faster thanks to OrderEZ; which makes the beer somehow taste even better knowing we're each other's happy customers.
Now that restrictions have relaxed, I’m looking forward to visiting one of these favorite haunts and racking up on comfort food and drinks while playing my part in the #supportlocal initiative. If you haven’t planned yours already, start with the ones on my list – you won’t regret it.
If you’d like to learn more about OrderEZ’s solution and how we can tailor that to your business, drop us a note at hey@OrderEZ.co
