#14 - Forty Hands @ Tiong Bahru



After reading about this nice cafe online, I decided to explore the much underestimated area, Tiong Bahru. I always thought it was just another boring housing estate and only after walking around the area, then i discovered the beauty of its serenity. Forty Hands was well hidden in one of the streets in the area.


Blk 78 Yong Siak St #01-12
Tiong Bahru Estate
Singapore 163078
Tel: 62258545

Opening hours: 
Tue, Sun: 0830 - 1830
Wed, Thu: 0830 - 2200
Fri, Sat: 0830 - 2300

Forty Hands Website
Forty Hands Facebook

The Place

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It wasn't easy to find Forty Hands because it was surrounded by many other streets, so Janice and I ended up walking around the entire neighbourhood (which was good in a way as we could explore the area).

Then, we spotted some shops which appeared more modern than the estate. It happened to be Book Actually, one of the more interesting bookstores I found online as well (more about this later in the entry!). And right opposite the store was Forty Hands!

It looked rather small on the outside and they had very old school tables and chairs at the door which made it look a little like a coffee shop.





However, the interior is rather modern and it is rather artistic. The ambience was nice with its yellowish dim lighting.











There is an alfresco area which looks really cosy and homely but the day was too hot to sit outdoors!

They have simple decorations but they are rather unique!



I didn't know a simple drink like coffee was this complicated..







Nice drawing on the wall.



I was intrigued by these opaque glass bottles which contains plain water for the patrons. In my memory, this kind of bottles usually contain poison and there will be a skull sign indicated on it! Hah.



The Food



We shared a slice of banana bread, and it is similar to the Singaporean banana cake, just a little drier. It tasted alright though and definitely worth its price ($2.50)!





I ordered an Ice Mocha. I like the coffee. The taste was quite strong but it doesn't leave a bitter aftertaste in the mouth.

I always thought Mocha coffee was coffee with chocolate flavouring, but after tasting this, it felt like the chocolate fragrance actually came from the coffee beans. I just did some reading online and there is actually a kind of coffee bean that is named 'mocha' so this Ice Mocha i tasted is probably authentic. (the normal ice mocha in normal restaurants are really just coffee with chocolate sauce! x.x) Now to think of it, if i could have such a realization through the drinking of the coffee, the coffee must be really good!

(anyway, i am still an amateur in coffee tasting and stuff like that, so i am learning new things as i explore!)






As i was pouring water for myself, they put this on their counter and I was so disappointed i didn't order the hot drink instead!! The coffee art is so pretty! Blame it on my preference towards iced coffee.



Pretty..

The Menu



HOORAY TO "NO GST"!

{ In a nutshell }

As a whole, i think Forty Hands was a good find and their coffee is worth trying (order the hot ones!). The ambience is quite nice for a afternoon chat but not romantic enough for dates (keke). Have fun looking for it in the Tiong Bahru estate!


In addition...

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The rustic view of Singapore can be seen in Tiong Bahru estate. I really liked how quiet the area was and there was almost no tall buildings in the estate. The area looked very safe as well. It would be really nice to buy a house there and renovate it into a cosy and modern house within. However, i heard that the price of the house there has risen over a million because of the increase in demand from rich foreigners :(

Some of the nice stores nearby.





Loved this bookshop!!! The ambience was so nice and I really adored the stuff they sold in the store.



They had a corner that sold very old school stuff, a lot that reminded me of childhood!!
Love this sweet when i was young!!!



Surprised to spot a cat in the shop! So cute!!





And i realised it was a camwhore haha =p








Comments

  1. Hi Jovena,

    I came across your cafe hopping series while searching for more cafes to explore. I like hopping to different cafes as well. They're places where a single sole won't feel weird to spend a lazy afternoon away. They're also places where a group of friends can sit down and keep chatting away! I hope that you enjoy and continue your interest in cafe hopping as much as I do.

    Cheers,
    Gary

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