The ultimate guide to Everton Park

They say two halves make a whole – and that's certainly true at The Better Half. This quaint and cosy café in Everton Park is a true passion project by the lovely couple Jon and Hwee Ying, who first started their business online. Just as the two complete each other, the specialty coffees and artisanal cakes at The Better Half are simply divine together. Swing by the venue to try signatures like black sesame, carrot walnut and chamomile honey – and don't forget to order a well-crafted cuppa to go with. 

If you find yourself in Everton Park dying for a decent sandwich, head for 46 Mittsu. The Japanese-inspired sandwiches here switch up flavour combinations just about every quarter as teased by the energetic crew behind the grill. The signature B.E.C ($14) is a fat stack of bacon, scrambled egg and cheese in a sandwich that makes for an absolutely sinful breakfast. For more robust flavours, check out the Firebird ($15) where a spicy-savoury gochujang grilled chicken sits atop crunchy purple slaw and a sunny egg. For beef-lovers, have a go at the Holycow ($18), a combination of flank steak, herbaceous chimichurri and a sunny egg. The space is pretty compact and it does pack up on the weekends so hot tip, bring along camping chairs.

It's not just simple chocolate chip cookies that you can find here – the founders at Folks and Stories love to take inspiration from the people around them, creating innovative cookie flavours that change by the season. Signature cookies include familiar flavours found in the likes of Ambitious Sailor (sea salt dark chocolate) and Care Bear (strawberry cheesecake & crumble). But curious creations abound – like the Edgy Connoisseur, a miso cookie with caramelised white chocolate and cashew and Salted Egg, stuffed with salted egg cream and topped with a sprinkling of almonds. A favourite that we've tried is the Urbane Globetrotter, a malted milk chocolate cookie sandwich with the most delicious earl grey chocolate ganache. 

Trust Everton Park to have something as unique as a granola bar. The folks at Dearborn Granola are not playing either – the granola here are elevated creations by Chef Christopher Kang, who began his culinary journey at his family's Italian restaurant in Seattle, USA. Start the day right at the physical store in Everton Park, where you can chomp on breakfast granola bowls – you can expect flavour combinations like matcha, pecan and white chocolate or lemon pistachio, among many others. Come on the weekends for fluffy sourdough and decadent specialty butter too. 

Little Oasis is a hidden gem in Everton, where you can chow down on wholesome protein bowls and artisanal cakes. Tucked away in Block 3 Everton Park, the café is the perfect lunch stop for its calming atmosphere and customisable salad plates. Fresh greens, avocados, smoke salmon and soba noodles are some of the toppings you can choose from. If you're swinging by post-lunch, settle for their delicious cakes and muffins, rounded off with a side of coffee. 

Ji Xiang Confectionery has been making traditional handmade Ang Ku Kueh since 1988. Classic flavours include coconut, yam, salted bean and peanut for $1 each, while the more adventurous can opt for more unique flavours such as durian and cempedak.

Along Kampong Bahru Road, you get a taste of Japan – as if you're right there in the Land of the Rising Sun. Miz Japanese Restaurant offers traditional cuisine on the second floor of a shophouse hidden in the Spottiswoode neighbourhood. Order up the unagi rice bowl, garlic udon, rei shabu salad or chirashi – all at ridiculously affordable prices. Wash it all down with a pint of Asahi or shot of sake. 

Before starting Beano in 2004, Alan was working long hours as a banker – almost seven days a week. “When I missed my daughter’s first birthday, I realised that something was wrong with my lifestyle,” he shares. Alan decided that he wanted to brew his own soy milk, and started Beano to create a preservative-free version made with non-GMO beans. 

Try its signature creamy beverage ($1.80) made fresh daily, or have it as a beancurd dessert ($1.50) that’s made by curdling soy milk with fruit acid imported from France. Beyond these traditional treats, Beano also makes a pudding-like jelly beancurd that comes flavoured with almond ($2), chocolate ($2), and bandung ($2), alongside gut-friendly kombucha ($15) fermented using organic white sugar.

There's always a queue outside this cafe at 4 Everton Park. Since it opened its doors in 2012 as one of the earliest boutique roasters in Singapore, Nylon Coffee Roasters has remained a leading name when it comes to quality coffee here. 

Though the space is small, the joint has a loyal following of coffee drinkers who vouch that the coffee here is the best in town. Serving single-origin coffee, the brand is passionate about sustainability and transparency – don't be afraid to ask where your coffee is from. 

Tucked in between a row of shophouses is a familiar yellow facade with "Kith" splashed across the storefront. Kith Cafe Spottiswoode is the go-to place for those living in the area for a coffee or afternoon pick me up. Grab an acai bowl ($14.90) sprinkled with pure acai berry, banana, toasted coconut shavings, muesli, blueberry, strawberry, orange, watermelon, and green apple or order up the brunch of the month, pulled pork and eggs ($18.90). 

Tucked away on Blair Road, this cafe has been dubbed a secret hide-out by those living in the estate – away from the hipster cafes in the area. It's an irresistibly hip place to bend your arm, slow your bones and sample rare, imported and carefully selected brews from Germany and Switzerland. It carries an admirable selection of Belgians too, as well as being the only place in town to carry La Trappe from the Netherlands. On Thursdays, knock back $11 pints of draft beer for happy hour.