40 Hands

40 Hands
78 Yong Siak Street #01-12

http://www.40handscoffee.com/


Many Hands Make Good Coffee

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 7
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $20 per person.


.....


I like to think that 40 Hands refers to all the people who helped to grow, roast, ship and brew the award winning coffee that 40 Hands is known for. They take pride in their directly sourced coffee beans, and the intricate and precise artwork in each of their lattes.

Being located in the quiet Tiong Bahru neighrbouhood, 40 Hands is perfect for a quiet breakfast, or just chilling throughout the day. I actually prefer the outdoor seating, though indoor seating is plentiful. However, peak periods can see 40 Hands become rather noisy indoors, as the front of the shop is rather cramped.

Service at 40 Hands is average, as they practice self-ordering at the counter. They will however, serve your food and drinks to your table, but this doesn't leave much room for interaction between staff and customers. They will however, greet you when you enter, or when you leave 40 Hands. Sometimes, they'll also hold the door for you if they happen to be standing there.

Food is rather good at 40 Hands, though the menu is limited. Generally, toasties, salads, and desserts are available thoughout the day, their gourmet hot dogs are only available at lunch, while brunch is only available on weekends. Food portions at 40 Hands are generous, and somewhat healthy as well. Prices are affordable, and in comparision, slighlty lower than other cafes.

While I like the tasty and flavourful dishes at 40 Hands, the true star is their coffee. Coffee beans are fresh and well roasted, from farmers who are empowered to produce sustainable crops through education. Baristas here are well trained, and produce beautiful, full-bodied cups of coffee, with nicely drawn foam art. Another great concept brand produced by the Spa Esprit Group!


.....


40 Hands Table



The Big Boy Breakfast is a Mexican inspired spin on the classic breakfast, with flatbread and spicy chorizo sausage. I like the idea of serving this in a small pan, but the dish can get rather messy while eating. Fortunately, the flatbread isn't that absorbent, so you don't end up eating a soggy piece of bread. The scrambled eggs were slightly below average though, as the consistency was more solid than it should be.

Big Boy Breakfast 01


Big Boy Breakfast 02



The Salmon Hash consists of chunks of salmon, diced potatoes and pan fried onions in a cream and mustard sauce. It's accompanied by 2 slices of toast, mesclun salad, and truffle fries. Light in terms of taste, but heavy in terms of fat... A guilty pleasure.

Salmon Hash



Loved the intense flavour of the Mocha, Latte and Piccolo Latte! And the artwork is beautiful and so pretty!

Latte 01


Latte 02


Latte 03


Piccolo Latte 01


Piccolo Latte 02


Piccolo Latte 03


Mocha



The Salt Cod Mash Toastie is made with mashed potato and chunks of salt cod, mixed with fresh herbs and cilantro. Sandwiched between 2 slices of well toasted bread, the flavour profile is somewhat savoury and slightly salty. While nice, I did find the taste to be rather one-note throughout the meal, and it might get boring for some towards the end of the sandwich.

Salt Cod Mash Toastie 01


Salt Cod Mash Toastie 02



A signature item on the menu, the Kong Ba Pau Asian Sliders comes in either a set of 2, or 3. What makes this great is the slow braised pork belly, which just falls apart in the mouth. The bun is pretty standard though, as it's mass produced.

Kong Ba Pau Asian Sliders






.....


CONVERSATION