Black & Ink
168 Changi Road
29 Swan Lake Avenue
https://www.facebook.com/blackandink/
Black & Ink closed for a few months, but has since re-opened in a new location as of May 2018.
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| Flat White (SGD $5.50) |
For The Love Of Coffee & Cakes
(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 7
Ambience & Setting: 9
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 7
Value for Money: 7
Spent about SGD $6 per person.
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Founded in January 2015, Black & Ink is a speciality coffee and pastry joint in the Eunos area of Singapore. Known for their chill, modern kopitiam look and relaxing vibes, the friendly managers of Black & Ink regularly introduce new pastries and desserts to the menu, making repeat visits worthwhile.
Ambience at Black & Ink is casual, modern, clean, bright, and relaxing. Though the small area has limited seating, it's neatly lined with sturdy marble topped wooden furnishings, akin to those old-school retro Singaporean kopitiams / coffee shops. Ample natural light casts a soft glow on the place, and faux greenery, photos, and hand-drawn artwork on the walls lend a charming character.
Service at Black & Ink is efficient and personable. As the place is small, staff are able to accord each diner personalised service, engaging them in conversation. They display good product knowledge on the small menu, and helpfully offer recommendations. Orders are fulfilled quickly, and I note staff clear away empty / dirty tables efficiently when diners leave.
Food at Black & Ink is focused on coffee, with sides of savoury pastries, sweet dessert cakes and waffles, and ice cream / gelato. There are no main courses here, it's purely a snacks, desserts, and drinks sort of place. Still, what little they have, is well executed and tasty. The coffee is good too, strong and robust in body. Portions are sized for individuals. Prices are typical of most cafes, budget about SGD $6 per person during a visit here.
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| Black & Ink Signage |
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| Black & Ink Exterior |
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| Black & Ink Interior |
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| Pastry Display |
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| The Love Of Coffee |
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| Game Boy |
The Flat White (SGD $5.50) can be made with the coffee bean of the day. Bold roasted aroma, robust flavour from the coffee beans, so good. It has a nice coffee berry acidity that is mild, with a strawberry caramel undertone.
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| Flat White (SGD $5.50) |
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| Flat White |
The Long Black (SGD $4.50) is nicely robust and strong. I got this made with the house blend of Ethiopian Amaro Gayo coffee bean mixed with Colombian Excelso Timana coffee bean. It has a nice coffee berry acidity that is mild, with a chocolate undertone.
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| Long Black (SGD $4.50) |
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| Long Black |
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| Long Black |
The Beef Cheek Pie (SGD $7.50) has tender meaty chunks of braised beef cheek and strips of tender carrot, baked within a medium thick pie crust that is buttery and flaky. Balanced flavours of savoury salty sweet herbal, so satisfiying when served piping hot. Cut through the crust and watch the lovely aromatic steam waft out. Worth ordering!
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| Beef Cheek Pie (SGD $7.50) |
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| Beef Cheek Pie |
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| Beef Cheek Pie |
The Rainbow Eggless Cheesecake (SGD $6.80) is colourful and visually attractive, the curved layers looking so sexy. On the palate, I like the creamy smooth yet light texture, it lacks the distinct denseness of regular cheesecake, so it doesn't fill you up, which is nice. Not overly sweet or rich, this is a cheesecake that's possible to finish on your own. Good!
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| Rainbow Eggless Cheesecake (SGD $6.80) |
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| Rainbow Eggless Cheesecake |
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| Rainbow Eggless Cheesecake |
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Update Oct-2018: Since its reopening at a much bigger, more spacious premises, Black & Ink has continued to draw in the crowds. Ambience is better than ever, the bright and spacious area neatly lined with comfortable wooden benches, decorated with vibrant greenery and a large chalkboard. Service remains as good as before, with staff being engaging and efficient. Food is better too; the menu has expanded to include savoury Modern Singaporean dishes, alongside their signature desserts. Prices remain affordable. Since I visited the new Black & Ink in Jun-2018 for drinks, I've returned several more times, in Aug-2018 for drinks and desserts, and then in Oct-2018 for a birthday celebration!
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| Beer Taverner’s Honey Ale Ad |
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| Black & Ink Exterior 2018 |
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| Black & Ink Interior 2018 |
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| Seating Outdoors |
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| Seating Indoors |
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| Bar |
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| Counter |
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| Us |
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| Coffee Art |
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| Godzilla Art |
We were advised to have the Latte With Soy Milk (SGD $5.50) without any sugar, to really enjoy the natural flavours of the roasted coffee beans. Good!
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| Latte With Soy Milk (SGD $5.50) |
The Latte (SGD $5.50) here is robust with a good strength to its body, fragrant with the aroma of roasted coffee beans. Some precise coffee artwork too. Good!
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| Latte (SGD $5.50) |
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| Latte |
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| Latte |
The Beer Guinness Draught (SGD $9.90) is a dark Irish dry stout, named after Arthur Guinness, and is brewed by Diageo PLC in Dublin, Ireland. Among the most famous beers worldwide, this has a deep, dark black brown colour, with a creamy white foam head. The aroma and taste is similar, consisting of smoked malts, roasted coffee beans, faint caramel, and barley. The body is rich, velvety smooth, almost creamy, with a bitter sweet grainy flavour.
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| Beer Guinness Draught (SGD $9.90) |
The house made Swan Lake Scone Original With Butter & Strawberry Jam (SGD $5.30) and Swan Lake Scone Rosemary & Sea Salt With Butter (SGD $4.80) are very good, among the best scones I've tasted. Made with a house created recipe, the Swan Lake Scone Original has a soft exterior that yields easily, while the interior is crumbly with a buttery grainy sweet flavour. In contrast, the Swan Lake Scone Rosemary & Sea Salt has a firmer texture, with a more pronounced herbal savoury flavour. Both are very good with fruity sweet Strawberry Jam, and a luscious dollop of creamy smooth Butter. Excellent. Highly recommended!
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| Swan Lake Scone Original With Butter & Strawberry Jam (SGD $5.30) |
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| Swan Lake Scone Original With Butter & Strawberry Jam |
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| Swan Lake Scone Original With Butter & Strawberry Jam |
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| Swan Lake Scone Rosemary & Sea Salt With Butter (SGD $4.80) |
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| Swan Lake Scone Rosemary & Sea Salt With Butter |
The house made Buttermilk Waffles With Gelato - Sea Salt Malt & Durian King (SGD $15.40) features a classic crisp buttermilk waffle, with a slight crunch and a bready sweet savoury flavour. We got 2 scoops of rich, creamy smooth gelato on top. The Sea Salt Malt gelato has a sweet salty tangy flavour, while the premium Durian King has a fruity sweet, bold flavour of Mao Shan Wang durians. Tip: Get dressings served on the side, so it doesn't ruin the natural gelato flavours. Good!
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| Buttermilk Waffles With Gelato - Sea Salt Malt & Durian King (SGD $15.40) |
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| Buttermilk Waffles With Gelato - Sea Salt Malt & Durian King |
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| Buttermilk Waffles With Gelato - Sea Salt Malt & Durian King |
For the birthday celebration, we got the 4 Cheesecake (SGD $6.80 Slice, $78 Whole), as a whole cake. We cut it ourselves, so it's a little less presentable in slice form. The cheesecake has a soft, semi-dense texture, like a cross between heavy cream and souffle. Lighter on the palate than a regular cheesecake, I understand it's a fusion of American and Japanese style cheesecakes. Good cheesy sweet flavour too. Made with a blend of mascarpone cheese, goat cheese, ricotta cheese, and cream cheese, then garnished with strawberries, all set on a crumbly graham cracker crust base. You can eat this without feeling too full. Highly recommended!
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| 4 Cheesecake (SGD $6.80 Slice, $78 Whole) |
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| 4 Cheesecake |
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CONVERSATION