Rilek1Corner

Tag: hipster

  • Kini Lebih Banyak Kafe “Hipster” Halal Di Tampines

    Kini Lebih Banyak Kafe “Hipster” Halal Di Tampines

    Berita baik bagi penduduk Tampines! Anda tidak lagi perlu pergi ‘jauh’ ke Arab Street untuk menjamu selera atau relaks sambil menghirup kopi di kafe-kafe ‘hipster’ ala Eropah yang sedang rancak tumbuh di sana.

    Tampines kini nampaknya kian menjadi besi sembrani, dan mendakapi budaya kafe ‘trendy’ seperti itu, yang popular terutamanya di kalangan anak muda dan pelancong sejak beberapa tahun lalu.

    Tinjauan BERITAMediacorp mendapati, kini terdapat sekurang-kurangnya empat kafe halal sedemikian di Tampines, daerah timur Singapura yang ramai penduduk Melayu/Islam.

    “I AM…” DIBUKA MINGGU KE-3 FEBRUARI

    Selain kafe Alt-Yard yang dibuka pada 2015, Brothers in Fine Food serta Commonground yang menawarkan menu ‘brunch’ (dan sedang dalam proses mendapatkan sijil halal), kafe ‘I am…’ – iaitu sebuah kafe ‘hipster’ terkenal ala Belanda di Haji Lane – akan membuka cawangan keduanya di Our Tampines Hub tidak lama lagi.

    Kafe ‘I am…’ di Our Tampines Hub yang bakal dibuka. (Gambar: Instagram/@iamathajilane)

    Pengarah kafe ‘I am…’, Encik Muhamad Jamuri Busori, memberitahu BERITAMediacorp bahawa cawangan kedua kafe itu akan dibuka pada minggu ketiga bulan ini.

    Kafe-kafe sedemikian kini ternyata semakin popular, bukan sahaja di kalangan pelanggan yang inginkan suasana kafe yang unik yang seolah-olah membawa mereka ke kafe-kafe di negara Barat, tetapi juga dek hiasan dalaman dan menunya yang cukup ‘hip’. Ia ibarat halwa mata untuk para pengguna Instagram yang gemar memetik gambar makanan dan ‘berselfie’ di kafe.

    Pendeknya, ia disebut sebagai begitu ‘Instagrammable’!

    Kafe Brothers in Fine Food. (Gambar: Instagram/@brothersinfinefood)

    Kafe I am… di Haji Lane. (Gambar: Instagram/@iamathajilane)

    Menjelaskan lebih lanjut, Encik Muhamad Jamuri berkata pihaknya memilih untuk membuka cawangan kedua di Tampines bagi memaksimumkan peluang-peluang yang ada di sana, memandangkan lebih banyak pusat beli-belah kini dibuka di kawasan itu.

    Beliau menambah, pihaknya juga menerima maklum balas daripada para pelanggan yang ingin kafe ‘I am…’ membuka lebih banyak cawangan di kawasan lain di Singapura.

    KEISTIMEWAAN TAMPINES SEBAGAI LOKASI?

    Selain dua cawangan ‘I am…’ itu, pihaknya kini mempunyai kafe ‘& Why…’ dan kafe ‘all in…’ di kawasan Arab Street.

    Kafe ‘I am…’ ditubuhkan pada Ogos 2013 bersama dua rakannya, Jaffar Sariban and Salle Ahmad. Malah ia turut disenaraikan di kalangan 17 restoran dan kafe halal terbaik di Singapura dalam majalah Time Out dalam edisinya pada bulan lalu.

    (Gambar: Instagram/@iamathajilane)

    “Kami lihat semakin banyak pusat beli-belah kini dibuka di Tampines, jadi ada peluang yang baik di sana untuk mengembangkan perniagaan kami,” kata Encik Muhamad Jamuri ketika dihubungi BERITAMediacorp.

    “Kami juga mahu menyasarkan pelanggan di kawasan timur Singapura, terutamanya keluarga, memandangkan ramai penduduk Muslim di sana. Tahun ini ialah tahun keempat kami beroperasi, jadi kami mahu kembangkan lagi jenama kami, sebab ada yang tidak tahu pun tentang kafe ‘I am…’ di Haji Lane.

    “Kafe kami juga akan terletak di Home Team NS, jadi di situ juga ada banyak peluang kerana ramainya anggota Home Team NS,” ujarnya lagi.

    Selain itu, Encik Muhamad Jamuri juga akur bahawa kafe-kafe halal yang ‘trendy’ dan ‘hipster’ kian bertambah di kawasan Tampines, dan trend itu adalah sebahagian sebab pihaknya memilih kawasan itu untuk cawangan kedua ‘I am…’.

    PERBEZAAN “I AM…” HAJI LANE DENGAN TAMPINES?

    Beliau berkata ia akan mempunyai konsep yang sama dengan cawangan pertama di Haji Lane, iaitu menu, hiasan dalaman dan suasana keseluruhan yang seolah-olah membawa anda ke Amsterdam, bandar yang terkenal dengan kincir angin dan bangunan-bangunan lama yang indah berlatarbelakangkan terusan air.

    Namun sementara kafe ‘I am’ di Haji Lane lebih menyasarkan pelancong dan golongan muda dengan lokasi ‘hipster’nya serta tempat duduk alfresco sesuai untuk para pengunjung relaks sambil memerhatikan orang yang lalu-lalang, cawangan keduanya di Our Tampines Hub lebih menyasarkan keluarga.

    (Gambar: Instagram/@iamathajilane)

    Bahkan, Encik Muhamad Jamuri menjanjikan rekaan dalaman kafe di Tampines itu akan lebih menarik dan lebih menerapkan keunikan bandar Amsterdam.

    ”Kafe di Our Tampines Hub akan mempunyai ‘industrial feel’ (suasana industri) dan seolah-olah membawa pelanggan ke lorong-lorong di Amsterdam, lengkap dengan papan-papan tanda jalan raya Amsterdam, lukisan-lukisan muralnya, basikal-basikalnya, pinggan mangkuk yang digunakan serta suratkhabar-suratkhabar Belanda di lantai kafe.

    “Ini berbeza daripada kafe di Haji Lane, yang berkonsep terbuka dan mempunyai tempat-tempat duduk di luar dan kawasan Haji Lane itu sendiri mempunyai ‘vibe’ seperti di Amsterdam,” kata Encik Muhamad Jamuri.

    MAKANAN BARU DI “I AM…” TAMPINES?

    Pemilik “I am…” seterusnya mendedahkan kepada BERITAMediacorp bahawa kafe kedua itu juga akan memperkenalkan beberapa hidangan makanan baru yang lebih mesra keluarga dalam menunya.

    Satu lagi perbezaan yang ketara ialah sementara kafe ‘I am…’ di Haji Lane hanya dilengkapi kipas kerana berkonsep terbuka, kafe di Tampines akan berhawa dingin.

    “Hawa dinginnya cukup sejuk, jadi ia akan benar-benar membawa pelanggan ke Amsterdam memandangkan di sana sedang musim bunga,” ujarnya lagi sambil berseloroh.

    (Gambar: Instagram/@iamathajilane)

    CAWANGAN KE-5 BILA PULA?

    Ditanya BERITAMediacorp sama ada pihak ‘I am…’ sudah ada rancangan untuk membuka kafe kelima pula di negara ini, Encik Muhamad Jumari berkata: “Tiada rancangan buat masa ini, tetapi kalau ada rezeki, insya Allah.”

    Encik Muhamad Jumari mendapat ilham bagi kafe ‘I am…’ setelah menemani isterinya ke Amsterdam untuk urusan perniagaan dan terpegun dengan keindahan bandar itu.

    Ia menawarkan menu makanan Barat, termasuk ‘Fries & Mayo’ ala Belanda, ‘The Platters’, ‘Fish & Chips’ dan burger daging panggang, ‘Charcoal-grilled Juicy Beef Burgers’.

    Berikut ini senarai 3 lagi kafe halal di Tampines

    1) Alt-Yard di Kelab Masyarakat Tampines West

    Dibuka pada 2015, ia merupakan usahasama Fluff Bakery dengan sebuah pemilik kafe tempatan, Penny University.

    Ia terkenal dengan churros (termasuk churros perisa ondeh-ondeh) serta kek-kek cawan Fluff Bakery.

    (Gambar: Instagram/Alt-Yard)

    2) Brothers in Fine Food di Kelab Masyarakat Tampines West

    Dibuka pada November 2016, ia turut diusahakan oleh pemilik kafe Penny University.

    Ia menghidangkan menu sarapan, brunch dan makan malam serta pelbagai kek dan pencuci mulut, antaranya termasuk ‘Butcher’s Daughter’ iaitu filet daging, telur, kentang dan salad, ‘Peanut Butter Jelly Toast’, stik daging dan Greek Yoghurt Panna Cotta.

    3) Commonground di Our Tampines Hub

    Dibuka pada November 2016, ia menawarkan menu menyeluruh untuk brunch, makan tengah hari, makan malam dan juga untuk teh petang termasuk salad, sandwic, piza, pasta, stik ribeye, daging rusuk kambing panggang, ayam rotisserie, dan pelbagai pencuci mulut.

    Menurut laman Facebooknya, ia sedang dalam proses mendapatkan sijil halal tidak lama lagi namun semua produk dan bahan makanannya daripada sumber yang disahkan halal.

    (Gambar: Facebook/Commonground)

  • The Halal Food Hunter: 5 Reasons Why Geylang Bazaar Is Not “Too Westernised”

    The Halal Food Hunter: 5 Reasons Why Geylang Bazaar Is Not “Too Westernised”

    IT’S ALMOST NOT  RAMADAN WITHOUT SOME SORT OF DEBATE WHERE A PURIST WAVES AN AYAM PERCIK FOR EMPHASIS AND SOMEBODY CRIES. THIS YEAR, THE GEYLANG BAZAAR TAKES THE HIT.

    Last week, Rilek1Corner served up some controversial fodder for the iftar table — the author opined that Geylang Serai Bazaar is too westernized, becoming more like pasar malam.

    • He said it’s hard to find traditional kuih at the bazaar for buka
    • He tried to make the case that since the bazaar is in Geylang Serai, a hub for Malays, vendors should be selling traditional kuih, and not foreign snacks like churros and kebab.
    • He expressed his concern of the cultural erosion amongst Malay youths, forewarning the day when the spirit of Hari Raya will be forgotten.
    • Netizens immediately weighed in their two cents, both in support and opposition to the article.
    • The author agreed that everyone has their opinion. Here’s mine:

    SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES, NOT JUST SHOPS SELLING KUIH, ARE ALL STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE

    It is not a secret–running a business in Singapore is no easy task. There are many pressing factors that determine whether a business thrive or fail, but none is more of a headache than the cost of rental. Having a physical space can easily eat into at least half of a shop’s earnings, which probably explains why some of the vendors we see in bazaars or pasar malams don’t have one. Instead, they sustain themselves by setting up shop in more transient spaces like bazaars, pasar malams, corporate events, trade shows, and weddings. The more successful pasar malam veterans eventually go on to have permanent homes, but even then, they do not fold their kiosks and continue to set up shop where the crowds gather.

    To lessen the burden of costly overheads, businesses are increasingly sharing spaces instead of renting one all to themselves. This trend of a sharing economy, while unique and enterprising, also puts light on the severity of the underlying rent-seeking behaviour of the organizations behind these bazaars. Understandably, traditional kuih shops may not want to bear these very high costs which is why they are nowhere to be seen in the bazaar.

    KUIH VENDORS ARE NOT MARGINALIZED

    The Rilek1Corner article, in my opinion, would have held more weight than an Overdose drink if it showed that the bazaar organisers had refused food vendors traditionally found there (Ramly burger, vadai, deng deng) to make way for these so called westernised food vendors. That’s definitely something to cry foul about. I would even go so far as to call it a violation of tradition.

    Yet, this wasn’t the case at all. In fact, take up rate for the stalls in bazaar has been dismal for years now. I’m sure the organisers would gladly offer an entire tentage to house a mountain of kuih lapis…if someone had laid down the cash for it. Yes, while it may seem that Geylang Bazaar is just a huge food market for hipsters this year (damn you social media), the reality on the ground is that the old school vendors that I grow up with are still there! They just don’t make for viral content.

    PASAR MALAM IS NOT A WESTERN THING

    Sure, you can argue that it is based after the model of street food markets or night markets of (insert western country here) but our local pasar malam definitely has its own unique flavours and charms. I grew up begging my parents to bring me to the pasar malam downstairs every night, even to just see the sights. Before social media and my travels exposed me to the food/night markets of New York, Bangkok, Seoul and Melbourne, I regard our pasar malam as the original. In fact, I still do and I see no point in debating on its origins. So if someone were to say that the Geylang Bazaar is the mother of allpasar malams, they couldn’t be more further than the truth. It’s a marketplace of sorts. It opens primarily at night. It’s earned that pasar malam badge. If anything, I think the normal pasar malams in our neighbourhoods have a lot to learn from this year’s Geylang Pasar Malam, I mean, Bazaar.

    GEYLANG BAZAAR IS NOT JUST FOR THE MALAYS

    One of the points raised in the article was the crazy idea that the bazaar was situated in a Malay hub, hence the food items for sale should reflect that. Historically, Geylang may be a community centre for Malays, just like how Little India is for the Indians and Chinatown is for the Chinese. But the lines are blurred now. There are no boundaries as to where people of all races in Singapore dine and shop at. One of my favourite chapati stalls is along Norris Road, right in the middle of Little India. I think Chinatown in the lead up to Chinese New Year looks the best from the rooftop of People’s Park Complex. If the bazaar draws crowds of all races, isn’t that a good thing?

    For every Malay that complains about Geylang Bazaar being too crowded, there’ll be someone else who enjoys going there to bask in the vibrant, if stifling, atmosphere. Singaporeans are known to be ultimate foodies, so I say give them what they want. I’ve went to the bazaar with non-Malay friends. I also know of people who bring foreign visitors. There are also non-Malay vendors who are always present year after year. Where do you think I get a bottle of H20 or can of Coke from? All I’m saying is, let’s be more inclusive to all and sundry. The Geylang Bazaar is as much a contribution to the colourful urban fabric of Singapore as it is an iconic Ramadan event for us Malay-Muslims.

    If anything, the rainbow bagels and the churros and the sotong kings of Geylang Bazaar all reflect one underrated quality of the modern Malay–that we are an enterprising people!

    EVERYBODY WINS WHEN WE SUPPORT MALAY LOCAL BUSINESSES

    A big motivation of starting this blog was to support the wave of halal food options that has emerged recently, and by extension the businesses that provide them. The businesses that offer these halal food have, by and large, been owned by Malay-Muslims. Then there are also businesses that are not necessarily Muslim-owned but go to great lengths to ensure they get the halal certification by MUIS. All these great efforts benefit us, the consumers. However, to say that I only support Malay businesses is only selling the thriving local halal food industry short.

    In a virtual sea of “same old”, I appreciate something truly unique and delightful. I need not look further than our local small businesses. Whether they’re designing clothes or are on a mission to disrupt an entire industry, small businesses bring new ideas and innovation to our communities. Then, as they grow, they attract like-minded talent who invest even more to the business and the community, bringing the cycle full circle. The next time you want to bring down our local businesses trying to make a change, spare a thought for the community, focus on the good, and discard the bad.

     

    Source: http://thehalalfoodhunter.com