Loysel's Toys

I'm sure Singaporean coffee lovers must know about Chye Seng Huat Hardware(CSHH), the special concept cafe which is cleverly disguised as a hardware store located along the streets of Jalan Besah. With their great offerings of breakfast, cakes and beverages it is almost the perfect rendezvous location for old friends to meet up and have a cuppa during the weekends. Unfortunately the place is always so packed with people, scoring a seat might just be to toughest thing to achieve when you're there. That is when I decided to venture into Papa Palheta's alternative coffee haunt, Loysel's Toys. 

This cafe is the brainchild of Papa Palheta(Creators of CCSH) situated nearby Lavender Station about about a five minutes walk away, also a hidden paradise that offers serenity unlike CSHH which is fashioned into a bar-style interior. Nah, just kidding. This place is fairly easy to find and is promptly beside the Kallang River at the end of Kampong Bugis.

Interior designs are kept to a bare minimum with wooden furniture alongside some simple decorative ornaments allowing the customers to immerse themselves in a calm and pleasant surrounding. Observations of the baristas doing their thing was made possible with the low tabletop they were working on. Perfect for a great "people-watching-session" if you will, especially when there are cute baristas on shift.

Papa Palheta is famous for their special blend of coffee beans; specially sourced and roasted in-house. During my visit, the blend they were serving was their famed Terra Firma, incorporating Brazil Alta Mogiana, Guatemala Antigua La Flor and Ethiopia Sidamo Suke Quto beans. It was conceived to bring out the special features of these three kinds of beans which is intended to produce a nutty flavour with rich, vibrant notes, zesty lemon overtones and a bittersweet chocolate finish. 

I ordered the cafe latte(S$4.50) and my friend had the macchiato (S$4.00). First sip was already quite disappointing. Too much milk and foam entirely covered the taste of the espresso. Needless to say I did not get to sample any characteristics of the Terra Firma. The only thing i appreciated was the delicious caramelised biscuit accompanying the coffee, a trait not practiced by the guys at CSHH. I did get to try my friend's macchiato (espresso with a dash of milk) which was not overwhelmed with milk. The coffee had a spicy note upon the first sip, which developed into a heavy flavour of a dark rost and ending off with a mixture sweet bright notes and bitter aftertaste. it was quite acidic as well. Did not really fancy it but was impressed by the complex taste that the blend had to offer.

In a nutshell, Loysel's Toys is a great place for breakfast brunch or afternoon tea with fresh coffee. Around a dozen of people can be seated inside and another dozen outside, but be prepared to enter a fully packed cafe on a weekend.

Coffee : 7/10
Price : 8.5 / 10
Ambience : 8.5/10

Brawns & Brains

This is my first attempt at writing about my adventures on sourcing for places which serve great coffee around the Island, and my hands-on experiements on my latest hobby being a home barista. I visited a cafe nearby my residential area, Brawns and Brains, a newcomer that settled in Mountbatten a few months back. The cafe is tucked away in a quiet corner which contributes to the serene atomsphere, just the right setting to enjoy a good cup of coffee or tea. Despite living in my current apartment for more than 10 odd years, i was never aware of the cafe's existence until recently.

It is located at the old Singapore Badminton Hall which underwent several changes in its tenants in the recent years, B&B was the latest addition. I learnt about this place by chance when i walked past this banner with a rather interesting name that caught my attention.

What is so special about this cafe is that they roast their beans daily. This can only mean that every cup of coffee they deliver to the customer is the freshest. They usually serve single-origin organic beans from mainly Sumatra and Brazil, but i was in luck today as they were offering the Honduras region coffee beans which I did not come across before.

First up is the Sumatra Linlong Latte(S$3.50) Upon the first sip, i find it to be quite a heavily bodied, with little to no acidity. It might be due to them roasting their beans darker or the special characteristics of the Indonesian beans. There was a hint of spiciness to it as well. I could describe it as a very earthy flavour and an overwhelming aftertaste which I did not fancy. 

I preferred the Honduras Latte(S$3.50) which i failed to identify the name, as it was smoother with a medium - heavy body and just a hint of acidity. The rich espresso taste was creamy and the frothed milk complemented the espresso really well. A nutty flavour was present in the coffee. One thing about B&B's coffee which i enjoyed was that their perfect milk-to-coffee ratio; not too much milk was added and thus doing the coffee justice by not covering their original taste.

All in all, it is a great place to hang out with your family and friends while hiding away from the bustling Singapore streets on a weekend and have a cup of great coffee made by a group of dedicated baristas who are serious about their work. I highly recommend it!


P.S. : I apologize for the lack of photos. Not used to taking so many pictures during a meal.

Coffee : 8.5/10
Price : 9.5/10
Ambience : 9/10

Rolex Sub Homages

The Rolex Submariner is one of the most iconic watch model from the Oyster Perpetual lineup, with its variant the Sea Dweller goes a long way back and have a rich heritage and history to its name. Its features are very impressive too, boasting capabilities as a tool watch that is built specifically for diving. Over the years, iconic individuals have been spotted wearing the Submariner; Sean Connery; in James Bond movie was never seen without one in the earlier movies.

Being described by a must-have collection in a watch collector's arsenal, it may not be easy to actually own one due to its hefty price tag nowadays. But of course, I'm sure we wouldn't go to the extent of purchasing counterfeits and smearing the good name of the revered model.

Many watch companies, even reputable ones have adopted the timeless design and using the Sub as a template for their own models. and that was when Homage models were introduced. A chance for watch lovers to have a feel of having one of the world's most inspiring model and not burning a huge hole in the pocket. But is a Homage Model worthy of matching to the real deal? I'll do a brief comparison of the Rolex Submariner (w Cyclops Date Magnifier) and two of the more popular sub-stitute from different watchmakers.

Case Diameter : 40mm

Crown : Screw-down

Beats per hour : 28, 000

Water Resistance : 300m

Crystal : Sapphire (Scratch Resistant)

Calibre : In-house Rolex 3135 movement

  VS

Steinhart Ocean 1

Slowly gaining a solid fanbase over the years, the Steinhart Ocean 1 is a remarkable watch revered by collectors as one of the best homages ever made. Made in Switzerland and powered by a ETA 2824-2 caliber that is at 28, 000 beat per hour producing a 8 ticks/sec sweep, which is the same BPH as the 3135 caliber. Many aspects are true to the Sub; WR to a dept of 300m, Cyclops date magnifier, "Mercedes" hour hand, 120 clicks Bezel. The only difference is the case diameter at 42mm instead of 40mm,  might be a bother for die-hard Rolex fans. Steinhart applied a double coat of anti reflection on a sapphire crystal on the inside, effectively reducing glare when used under bright surroundings.

MIIK Kingston

This Kingston model by MIIK is a no-nonsense watch that is inspired by the Submariner. It is very popular among watch collectors, due to incorporating new elements into the design while inheriting most of the No-Date Sub's overall look and characteristics. What makes this homage stands out as a favorite is that they employ technical features like a double domed sapphire crystal. A normal (single) domed crystal will give a clear view of the time underwater, but on land there are certain angles that will distort the vision of the dial. This application would eliminate the drawback while maintaining the initial utility of the domed crystal.

Not forgetting to mention that it has anti reflection coat applied on the underside as well. Triple gasket screw-down crown is used for a more effective measure to prevent water from seeping in. Caliber is a Swiss ETA 2824-2, 28, 000 BPH , hack setting automatic with manual winding function. The few shortcomings compared to the Sub are having a 200m WR instead of the Sub's 300m, and a 60 click bezel.

Watch Bracelets

Watches come in different shapes and sizes, the accompanying bracelets / straps are no exception. In this post I'll be writing about few types of bracelets and strap types seen on the market nowadays. The relationship between a watch and bracelet would not vary much, given the standard pairing patterns according to the type and function of the watch itself. For example, dive watches would usually come with either a metal bracelet or rubber strap, due to the nature of the material that is suitable for the sport. Of course, it all boils own to personal preference and many people choose to swap the factory strap for an after-market strap for various factors; functions, aesthetics, comfort to name a few.

Metal Bracelet

Here are a few styles of metal bracelets commonly found on today's watches; the more common style are mostly popularised by Rolex. They are very functional and easy to match, as they can be used for activities ranging from sports to  more formal occasions. Widely available, watch companies often offer metal bracelet options on many of their watch models. Mostly constructed out of stainless steel, maintenance and cleaning of the bracelet is simple and usually does not require additional care.

Presidential 

Oyster

Jubilee

Shark Mesh

Military Straps

Bond Styled Nato on a Rolex Sub

Leather Nato Strap

Fashioned in a strap with two fixed metal rings and a securing buckle, these military straps are commonly known as a Nato or ZULU strap. It is cheap, durable, comes in different materials and a myriad of different colours and styles. Not only do they look good, they are also known for its signature functionality which utilises a simple yet genius application with the strap passing through the spring bar, going under the case and out of the bottom spring bar. In any case when any of the spring bars broke or come off, the strap is still secured to the other untouched spring bar, thus preventing the watch from falling to the ground. Choices are mainly the Nato Strap, which has an additional piece of material and metal ring attached to the main strap that provides a more securing fit to the wrist, and the ZULU strap which does not have the extra feature. Another trait about these straps are that they usually come in a longer length enabling to wrap over diving suits easily, serving as a great after-market strap for dive watches.

Great watches under $500

I've been looking through reviews and recommendations on watches for quite some time now, so i reckon i could come up with one on my own as well. Below listed are a few watches which i feel is well worth the money and of course good quality in terms of craftsmanship, movement, brand image, design and so on for the price paid.

Tianjin Seagull 1963

Once a military issue of the China Air Force watch, this timepiece is back as a revised edition that rich in history dated back into the 1963s. It is a hand wind chronograph with superb details such as the chinese characters found on the dial, the special colour combination on the hands and down to the packaging box of the watch itself.

Seiko Orange Monster

An iconic watch in the Seiko Diver Line, sets itself apart from other conventional Rolex Submariner diver due to its unique silhouette. It compromises of features that aid in every aspect of diving, utilising domed Hardlex crystal,LumiBrite, clear distinguishable markings on a bright coloured dial to ensure easier visual on the time under watch. On top of that, a 120-click bezel and 200m resistance makes it a true ISO rated divers watch that is great in quality but not hard on the wallet.

Orient Esteem

The Esteem is a classy dress watch that is loved by Orient collectors. A beautiful case with an open heart design which shows a part of the semi skeleton movement, which is a really nice feature that brightens up the otherwise plain dial. Also, Orient movements are built in-house and it is known for its accuracy so time keeping is made easier. Equipped with a leather strap, it gives a subtle and elegant look to the watch which can easily fit in a casual or formal occasion.

Orient Ray

Next on the list also comes from Japanese watchmakers Orient, dubbed the Ray. Very much like its predecessor the Orient Mako, it packs an array of features built for scuba diving and is great for day to day activities as well. It comprises of the standard screw-down crown, day/date display, bilingual language option(date), unidirectional bezel and boasts a 200m water resistance. As mentioned on the above Orient Esteem, they are powered by an in-house movement, which is noted for their accuracy without regulation. The Orient Ray is also very versatile for various occasions, able to match a dressy outfit when needed. It is a great value-for-money watch that will last for a good amount of years to come.