The Provision Shop (Not your usual Mama Shop)

The lions paid a visit to The Provision Shop, brainchild of hotelier Loh Lik Peng.
Grub here is created with expert hands that worked the kitchen at Cocotte.
Woof! Neighbouring animal friends gave their approving paws-up
for another Everton Park cafe addition. 

Love that the decor was not 'overdone'. Simple old school furnishings make
this down-to-earth joint suitably welcoming and unpretentious.
Still this place is, of course, a far cry from what one would expect of
the endangered heartland provision shop selling an eclectic mix of
humble household sundries.

The lions settle for an alfresco seat  by this charming
vintage wood laminate coffee table with stools.

Tin cans holding napkins, forks and spoons.
Nostalgia is a recurring theme here. They should have the
pulley-operated milo tin to store the day's takings
here to complete the picture. Lol.

Ice-cream Float. The delicious homemade Salted Vanilla
Ice-cream is such an addictive winner, it is better
consumed separately.  Do not be jealous root beer!
This marriage is an unequal union.

Latte served in a kopitiam glass mug is a cheeky twist
or a slap on the cheek of the please-take-me-seriously
gourmet coffee offerings these days. This cup of java is a
little too milky though; a double shot might have done the trick.

Reuben Sandwich with melted swiss cheese
done panini-style. The lion loved that the
corned beef came in chunks instead of thinly shaved slices.
The portion was rather small though
and there could have been more sauerkraut in it.
They still preferred Nassim Hill's version of the Reuben even
though the bread used here (sourdough from France) could rival NH's.

Blueberry Almond Lemon Cake with a dollop of fresh cream.
This was a dense and crumbly cake that tasted like fruit cake.
Not a particular favourite of the two cats.

Belinda's Perogis Traditional Hot Polish Dumplings filled with
Mashed Potatoes and Ricotta Cheese. Topped with Bacon,
Onions and Sour Cream, this exotic dish is a little steep at $5 a pop.
But it's worth a try!

The Provision Shop specialises mainly in sandwiches and
salads as seen in its rather limited menu. It's more of a
lunch or brunch venue rather than a dinner destination.
Still, light and health-conscious eaters would appreciate the greens here
(half the menu is mainly salad dishes).

Childhood memories of rainbow chairs.

Here is our review for The Provision Shop :

Coffee Quality: 7.0 pawprints out of 10

Food Quality: 7.0 pawprints out of 10
Ambience: 7.5 pawprints out of 10

The Provision Shop
Blk 3, Everton Park
#01-79
Singapore 080003

Just Want Coffee and Other Everton Park Adventures

Another haven for coffee has sprouted up at Everton Park, currently the place to go to for indie boutique joints. Located just at the corner end of block numero uno, Just Want Coffee is a franchise of a flagship cafe originating just across the causeway in Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru.

Verdict: the coffee was excellent! The latte was not too milky, nicely frothed and robust. The Colombian single origin siphon coffee had a welcomed fruity note and was not too acidic. This is one joint that takes their coffee seriously, urm but a little too serious perhaps. Service was rather formal, stilted and a little awkward. You are politely brought to your seat and a menu is tentatively placed in front of you. Hey loosen up guys :) Attempts at bantering with servers were met with horrified, stunned looks. The lions don't bite, you know hohohoho....  Coffee lovers will be pleased though, with the ample seats and space unlike their tiny, cramped neighbour Nylon (but service much warmer there!).

With the very limited choice of finger food and sandwiches on the menu, the lions settled for the agreeable tofu cheesecake.

A joint with not much personality but great coffee if you're starved for caffeine.

The lions are great fans of the char siew pastry and mini carrot cake at Batterworks at Block 4. Do give them a try for your catering needs, wedding favours or other events. Limited sweet bites but they don't stinge on quality.

If your stomach's still growling after all the coffee and desserts, you might want to head down to this humble Korean joint at Block 2 for some home-cooked food, authentically prepared by a Korean obasan. The lions did a mini Gangdam style dance when they found it.

Admittedly, this place specialises in traditional Korean rice cakes and other sweets but the lions thought that the food fared much better. They had bought a box of rice cakes with liquid brown sugar inside (much like the local onde onde), but after taking a bite, they were too shocked for words. They would not label it as bad but it was definitely the weirdest thing they had ever swallowed in their lives! Not something that they would order again, truly an acquired taste.

Spartan premises with mismatched plastic chairs and tables.

Menu crudely displaced on the tiled walls.

The kimchi pork stew was hearty and wholesome.

Imported canned drinks from Korean.

Lions checking out the funky tasting rice cake balls
under an outdoor pavillion.

The skin of the rice balls was so thick and chewy
that you have to wash it completely down
with water. Yikes!

Working out after all that sinful food.

Playing on old school chairs along the
corridors of a conservation shophouse.