There has been a surge of posts dedicated to dining places in the Serangoon and Kovan region as of late, and it is no surprise why.
Over the past 5 years, the area has been growing tremendously with cafes and restaurants to cater to every taste palette. From the established Ah Seah Teochew Porridge at its new Teck Chye Terrace location to the Nakhon Kitchen at Hougang Street 21, famous for its notoriously long queues, one will always be spoilt for choice when choosing to dine in this region.
The chore here always comes after dinner – where shall we go next?
Gone were the days where the only option diners had was Selegie Soya Milk along Upper Serangoon Road. There are now plenty of hang out spot that diners can go to hang out at that offers both affordable yet delicious choices. Here are 7 handpicked just for you:
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Nunsongyee Korean Dessert Café
Tucked away in a corner of the Serangoon Gardens Estate is Nunsongyee, a Korean dessert café that specializes in serving BingSu – a popular Korean dessert made up of milk shavings and various ingredients. Nunsongyee undoubtedly serves one of the best BingSu’s here in Singapore, with its fine and fluffy shaved ice and generous toppings that aren’t too sweet to digest.
All in all it gives a very nice and refreshing sensation when consumed. There are 2 ranges of Bingsu served here – Snowflake Bingsu ($12.90 – $15.90) and Premium Bingsu ($18.90), which in all honesty is priced considerably high compared to other Bingsu outlets here. However, for the quality and ambience you’re getting, I think it’s well worth it.
Address: 45 Burghley Drive #01-04 Singapore 559022
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 – 22:00
Closed: Mondays
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Chillax Café
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What’s a list of places to hang out at without Chillax Café? Located in Serangoon Gardens along Maju Avenue, Chillax Café definitely provides its customers a location to just chill out with its warm ambience, soulful music and welcoming interior design.
Their recently expanded menu offers a range of choices for customers to wind down and relax – from desserts that satisfies any sweet tooth to a range of beers, ciders and wines, this café certainly knows how to make one feel comfortable and at ease.
For the more adventurous, do try the Adult Milo Godzilla ($15) that mixes both Vodka and Milo into one delicious yet relatively potent serving, and may really leave your friends wondering how you got drunk on Milo Dinosaur.
Address: 28 Maju Avenue, Singapore 556698
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Thursday: 11:00 – 00:00
Friday – Saturday: 11:00 – 02:00
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Dessert Bowl
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Durian lovers, this one’s for you. Another hidden gem in Serangoon Gardens is Dessert Bowl, a store specializing in your typical Hong Kong desserts.
The store is well known for their rich and delicious durian desserts that will have you coming back for more. A personal favorite is their durian mousse ($5) – a thick, creamy and flavorful bowl of goodness topped with real durian flesh that could well be a good substitute for the king of fruits itself.
For those of you that flinch at the slightest thought of durians, do not worry. Dessert Bowl is also well known for its mango dishes, especially its Mango Mousse with Pomelo Toppings ($4.50) and its Aiyu Mango ($4.20) that is extremely refreshing. The tiny space does get really crowded and noisy during peak hours, and getting a table especially for large groups may be a rather long wait. It’s worth it though, I promise.
Address: 80A Serangoon Garden Way Singapore 555976
Opening Hours:
Tuesday – Thursday: 1300 – 2230
Friday – Saturday: 13:00 – 00:00
Closed: Mondays
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Lickers
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Of all the dining spots mentioned, Lickers is definitely the newest player in the block.
Located in the heart of Lorong Ah Soo, Lickers is definitely a good place to have after dinner desserts. The store makes their delicious ice cream in house daily with freshly supplied ingredients, and they offer their own unique range of flavors in addition to the popular favorites like Earl Grey, Vanilla Bean and Dark Chocolate. Oh and be sure to also try out the new flavors that the store comes out with every once in a while!
Address: Block 124 Hougang Avenue 1, #01-1446, Singapore 530124
Opening Hours:
Tuesday – Thursday: 13:00 – 22:00
Friday – Sunday: 12:00 – 23:00
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Nectars and Vine
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Located comfortably between Kovan and Serangoon MRT is Nectars and Vine, a retail and wholesale store along Upper Serangoon Road that offers a wide selection of imported bottled beers and good wine at very reasonable prices.
As it opens till 1am every night, Nectars and Vine is arguably one of the best places to hang out at with friends after a long day of work. Its spacious and inviting atmosphere makes it an especially great place for large groups to hang out at. The only downside would be that they don’t serve food to munch on while downing the drinks, apart from the usual convenience store snacks like potato chips and peanuts that are on display.
Address: 752 Upper Serangoon Road Singapore 534623
Opening Hours:
Sunday – Friday: 14:00 – 01:00
Saturday: 14:00 – 02:00a
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Saturday House
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Saturday House, located slightly out of the Kovan and Serangoon region, managed to bag a spot on our list simply because it offers good food and cheap beer, a combination you can never go wrong with. Glazed with a fusion of marmite and honey, Saturday House’s marmite mid joint wings is deliciously tasteful and crispy, and will certainly have you coming back for more.
Getting here by public transport is pretty easy – Bus 80 from Kovan MRT and Buses 22, 43 or 70 from Serangoon MRT gets you here in a jiffy. It gets extremely cooling here once the sun sets with the occasional gusts of wind from the evening breeze, this really is a great place to enjoy and sumptuous meal with a bottle of refreshing beer along with the company of your friends.
Address: 339 Upper Paya Lebar Road Singapore 534953
Opening Hours:
Sunday to Thursdays: 1130 – 2300
Fridays and Saturdays: 1130 – 0000
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Hatter Street
And what’s a list of after dinner hang out spots without Hatter’s Street?
Located right beside the famous Nakhon Kitchen, Hatter Street has proven to be a neighborhood favorite amongst residents here. The Alice in Wonderland inspired café serves possibly some of the best waffles in the entire country. Ask their long queue of patrons and I’m sure they will agree. Served piping hot and topped with an ice cream flavor of your choice, these waffles will definitely have you coming back for more. Their other desserts are pretty popular as well, and are well worth the queue, especially if you patronize the store on a weekend night.
Address: 212 Hougang Street 21 #01-333 Singapore 530212
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 13:00 – 22:00
Closed: Mondays
Are there any other places that we should include in this list? Let us know on our Facebook page!
