Strangers’ Reunion

Great waffle, not so great service. Have been there twice and service was slow both times. We had to wave several times before someone would come to take our order. We could never find anyone when we wanted to pay. The second time I just went to the cashier directly. They don’t accept cards for orders under 20 dollars. The food was good though. The waffle was fantastic. I would definitely give it a 5 star if the service was better.

Strangers Reunion does offers some really good brunch dishes and unfrtonatley that means that on weekends there is really a rush here so the atmosphere is not the best to actually enjoy a nice weekend brunch. While the food is actually very good (I had excellent waffles and good eggs on toast) I always feel slightly rushed and stressed here.
The service is very up and down here, sometimes it is totally absent, at other times almost rude and then times just confused (mixed up orders, not understanding the order). The food has however been very good and that is the reason I have returned. The coffee is clearly better than your average place but I believe it has slipped since I first visited in 2012 or so. They can still deliver some good cups but they are not as consistent as they used to be. Still a good place but not worth going out of your way to reach but if you are around it is good enough,

Service here starts when you walk in; they all tend to look at you dumbfounded and sullen: «Yes?»
Then you order. It confuses them if you don’t point at the thing you want on the menu. Most of them look fourteen years old, so don’t scare them by saying too much.
The music tends to be way too loud but sometimes they’ll be nice and turn it down if you ask nicely.
The avocado is good. The coffee manages to be both cold and burnt, which is an interesting paradox.
Don’t order the steak, whatever you do. It was such a deadly cut I almost didn’t make it through my business meeting.
The next time you want good coffee and great service in the area, go to Highlander next door. They also have smiles for free.

Brunch should be about two things. Good food and good times and that’s exactly what we got today at Strangers Reunion. Service was super quick, the Eggs On Toast were light and fluffy, and the waffles were sensational. Perfectly sweetened, and not too thick — can’t wait to come back for more!

This is a little café in Kampung Bahru with illegible sign and okay food. Anyone’s first trip to this place will start with looking weirdly at the sign thinking if this is Stranger’s Reunion. On a Sunday afternoon, your chances of getting a seat is slim and when you do, you don’t really want to stay long after you eat. Before I had a chance to order, I was served twice with delicious looking food that I of course did not order. As soon as I ordered, I was presented with a waffle that I did not order either. Seriously?
Food wise, it was pretty good. I ordered their corn and zucchini fritters that came with spinach and a poach egg. The flavors were just right and portion reasonable for the price.
So why not more stars? The ambiance were just rushed and unorganized for a café. While their food was good, it was not the best and with so many unique cafés in Singapore, there really is no reason to come back here. Definitely not on a laid back Sunday.

This place is extremely crowded and noisy. The tables are too small to hold plates and the chairs are uncomfortable mini-​stools. The service is quite poor, with no one tending to the tables in a logical fashion. I had to talk to the person at the register specifically to request a server and cutlery, which ultimately meant that person leaving the register to serve us. No one communicates with the runners, who walk to each table one by one with each dish in a hopeless search for the proper recipient. This is not a case of understaffing, but of poor organization and utilization of the staff.
The food was decent, but overpriced. I tried the waffle with mixed berry compote and greek yogurt. The waffle was a little crispy and baked nicely. The toppings combined to form and very sweet and somewhat sour flavor.
Overall, you can find much more pleasurable places to have a meal across all factors.

Ok food, but poor service. Closed on Tuesdays.
Had to ask three times for a glass of ice. Food and drinks brought randomly.

One of the first of the hipster cafes! This is practically an institution amongst the hipster crowd, methinks.
I used to work across the road from this place and so it was the to-​go whenever my colleagues and I felt like having something different from the usual hawker food in the area. It was also my source of comfort food/​coffee in the early mornings, after working through the night. As such I have eaten here so many times that this review is going to be a bit too long…
1. Coffee — I find the coffee here too acidic– from lattes to mochas to their famed «magic» (the first time a coworker asked me to help him order this I looked at him dubiously as though he was asking me to get him some drugs). Umm… good if you like your coffees sour but IMO Highlander’s down the block is much better.
2. Brunch — have never gone wrong with the brunch options here, your usual eggs-​and-​toast. Scrambled eggs were much better than the poached from what I remember.
3. Lunch — pastas are good, but get the truffle fries and the more special spam fries with lime kafir mayo to share! Spam fries are so so so sinful but go really well with the lime mayo — my ultimate comfort food after an overnight shift.
4. Dinner — had beef tacos here a really long time ago which were MEH — dry, tasteless, bland, looks like it was put together in less than a minute. But I heard that they’ve changed their dinner menu
BUT THE REAL GEM IN THIS PLACE IS
WAFFLES! Their waffles look VERY typical and nothing too extraordinary but they are perfect! (Was not surprised when the folks here decided to open a waffle shop next door) Fluffy, light, not too dense– looks simple but tastes SO GOOD. In fact these are probably my favourite waffles in Singapore! If you only have space for one thing, get the waffles. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.

I hate giving bad reviews to local restaurants, especially establishments I would easily become a regular at.
That said…
The quality of the coffee it the only reason I even gave two stars. There service was TERRIBLE. Took an hour to make 1 waffle with a scoop of ice cream. Come on…
The rest of the food was blah.

Came here for brunch on a Sun and we were quite lucky that a table just emptied for us without much wait. The staff was very efficient in cleaning the table for us to sit.
Food tasted very fresh. The ‘sausage lover’ has a good mix of 3 different kinds of sausages. The eggs benedict which my sister-​in-​law had looked very yummy.
The truffle fries did not have enough truffle essence to it so we could hardly taste the truffle…
The waffle… perhaps I should have ordered it with Greek yogurt or should have asked for the maple syrup on the side as it turned out to be drenched a bit in syup so too sweet for us.
The capuccino and latte that my in-​laws had, both of them raved about them. I tried the ‘magic’ and I think it has a bit too sour taste for me. I will definitely come try the latte next time…

Do not be fooled by the «cuteness» and «charm» of this place. My coworkers and I ventured out to try this joint for lunch and not only was there a lack of any service, but our food was delivered one by one at a slow pace. While asking politely after 25 minutes of waiting, the «owner» or «manager» defended this piece of shit establishment by saying «we only have a staff of 4». I mean do you not have any common sense? It is the lunch rush and you have a staff of 4? Logistically, I am not in the F&B industry but I am pretty sure a moron can figure this out.
On top of all of this, one of the orders was left out– which is another logistically error by not having the server repeat everything.
Finally, the last straw– no remorse from the manager at all, then accusing us of ordering things that we never ordered, with no SORRY for the missed lunch for our co-​worker, not even offered to knock off the pathetic 10% they call service.
In the words of you Singaporean people… «CHEAT MY MONEY!»
DO NOT EAT HERE.

I visited here with my dad on a Saturday morning, when the café was moderately busy. He ordered a shot of espresso and I requested a soy «Magic» (double ristretto with milk). Both beverages were flavorful and attractive – I deducted one star only due to the wait time. I felt the waiting time was a bit longer than necessary for two beverages and no food.
However: each and every food dish I observed being brought out looked amazing! The menu had appealing breakfast/​small bites/​dinner offerings and I sincerely wish I had waited to eat breakfast here. I would definitely return!

Stranger’s Reunion is the home of the three-​time and current Singapore National Barista Champion & the winner of ASEAN Barista Championship 2013.
As usual, I woke up and want and in need of a good cup of coffee. Kampong Bahru Road seems to be the area to go with a couple of good coffee shops, at least according to Unilocal’s reviews.
There was no lines when we arrived around 10:30 am and got seated right away. Coffee, I want Coffee…
Magic ($ 5.50) — Double Ristretto + Milk (according to their menu is supposed to the the magic ratio of coffee and milk) was smooth, mellow but still balance and of course that lovely latte art.
My sister which is not a coffee drink (why?!) opt for a Baby Chino ($ 3) which is steamed milk with foam and sprinkled with cocoa powder. The baby marsh mellow served on the side was just too cute. She also enjoyed her Apricot muffin ($ 4.50) which was moist and loaded with the fresh fruit.
Too bad Ryan is not in the house, it would have been fun to see him in action.
Strangers’ Reunion has this rustic European vibe. A great place to chill and just have a cup of coffee. Or maybe next time I am in town, I would have one of their waffles!

Had a late lunch on a Saturday. The place was packed but service staff was fast and efficient.
I like the coffee, rich and at the right temperature. We ordered the scrambled eggs and Benedict. I love it that the hollandaise sauce is on the side. Good and simple! I will come back for the waffles!

Yeah to free curb side parking on weekends! I can see how it can be a pain if you are planning to grab a cuppa on a weekday during office hours.
The coffee is good, we didn’t try the food. Full bodied and rich.
Not sure if it is because it is a weekend, but the crowd is amazingly young! Like all early twenties. We felt that we brought up the average age the moment we stepped in. LOL.

The good
I came here with Cindy Q while we were on the Unilocal Coffee Trail :) She ordered a «cup of magic» for me and a pie? The former I was great. The latter I can’t say was very memorable. The secret behind the cup of magic is that it has 2 ristretto shots with a thick milk foam on top… & it’s loving created by one of Singapore’s reigning champion barista. Goes without saying… it was a marvelous cup of coffee.
The pretty
Ambiance — I love the homely, country feel to the place :)
The squeezeyyy…
My only gripe with the place might be that it is way too crowded. You can’t get up (literally) without elbowing your fellow coffee lovers. Oh well… signs of a hidden treasure going mainstream. All the best to the owners!

Kampong Bahru Road, Outram Park
I’ve written before about Outram Park in Singapore, where four quality cafes operate within a 10 minute walk of each other. Strangers Reunion is one of those cafes, and it doesn’t disappoint. This is an interesting café, with a very distinct look and atmosphere, and most importantly, well crafted coffee.
The espresso shot had a light mouthfeel, but a strong and robust flavour. It wasn’t bitter or citrusy — the dominant flavour was woody and earthy. This is an interesting combination, and it worked for me. The crema on the shot was dark brown, and the volume was correct — this tells me that it’s a shot made from fresh beans, extracted for the correct length of time. Bonus points for the friendly staff, who knew exactly what blend of beans were used, and were happy to talk coffee. This is great — I love seeing this in a café — staff who clearly love coffee too.
I ordered a cappuccino too. This was smooth as silk, with soft foam, and steamed to perfection. The coffee flavour is slightly muted by the milk, but is still there — it’s a good mix of taste and texture, and one of the better cappuccinos that I’ve had. There is an underlying sweetness also — this is from the lactose in the milk itself, and is brought out by steaming. More importantly, it is brought about by steaming at an appropriate temperature — it’s a learned skill, and this tells me that this was an experienced barista. The foam layer was about right too — by no means was this one of the «latte in disguise» coffees that I’ve noticed in a few places lately.
The overall aesthetic is quite distinct — I like the overall effect. The cement floor, rugs, subdued lighting and unique furniture ensure that Strangers has carved out it’s own niche, distinguishing itself from any number of independent café’s which have opened lately. I quite like that the café doubles as a gallery, supporting local artists — something that encourages repeat visits.
Overall, this was a good coffee experience, and there is one more coffee place that I can add to the list of places that I would recommend to friends. What stands out for me were the staff, more than one of whom asked about the standard of coffee — this is a sign of staff who are engaged in what they are doing, and want to serve good shots. They did, and I’ll be back for more.

Where can you can a better cup of coffee in Singapore than from Ryan Kieran Tan, two time National Barista Champion (2011, 2012), 2^nd runner up of the World Latte Art Championship 2011 and owner of Strangers’ Reunion?
Theres a coffee on the menu thats unique and never seen in Singapore cafes, Magic (flat white with a double ristretto base), highly recommended by Ryan himself. On a side note, they recently started serving weekend brunch from 9am to 5pm.
When I first saw the cup of cappuccino, I felt the cup looking strangely familiar (no pun intended)… Apparently, Papa Palheta and Loysel’s Toy are sisters café which explains the similar looking cups. What then is there not to like about Strangers’ Reunion? Coffee lovers should definitely pay this place a visit for the next caffeine fix.

I enjoy coming here on Sundays for coffee and a bite. Andrew (no longer works Sundays) and Cheryl are all really warm and enthusiastic. My favourite drink is the cup of magic but I sometimes make do with a latte. On Sundays now they have eggs benedict/​royale. Only downside is you come out smelling like smoky food. Love the décor.

This small shop can be found amongst the row of shop houses and if you don’t look out for it, it can be easily missed. Heard that the owner is a national barista champion, means to say the coffee he makes should be of excellent standard.
The pastries and food found there are not of much variety but just enough to keep customers coming back for more. My favourite would have to be the waffles as it has the perfect combination of a crispy surface with a soft and fluffy middle. The mocha i tried was good as well, not very chocolaty but still alright for my taste buds.
Service was very good, they made us feel at home and it was spot on. Overall i would come back for more lovely coffee and snacks.