Designed by the people behind ANDSOFORTH and Warehouse16, Haus217 is a brand new venue in Singapore that takes on the Japanese lifestyle concept of Wabi Sabi, which is to embrace imperfection. Haus217 is located within a 60-year-old shophouse, and its interiors feature meticulously-crafted stained wood accents, reminiscent of European travel homes.
On random days of the month when there are no bookings for their event venue, HAUS217 will be transformed into a cafe with art installations. In late May, we got our chance to make a visit before it went into hiatus for reformation. For this current pop-up concept, we booked tickets where they are priced at $8 per person, with $8 credits given to spend (technically free to enter).
Stepping inside, the interior is decked in the Japanese lifestyle Wabi-Sabi which is to embrace and appreciate the beauty in imperfection. Stones, crafted stained woods and the deliberate unfinished surface of the walls are used to create a natural habitat, and the extensive use of textured glass allows natural sunlight to enter the space. With a single art installation in the centre of the room, furniture pieces are arranged around it to recreate the vibe of an art class in school.
Seasonal bakes are sourced and available on different days and timings, specially curated to bring something new for diners. There was Rose Lychee Cake ($8), Hojicha Roll Cake ($8) and Red Velvet Cake ($8.50) during our visit. As we have a full meal previously thus we only order the Rose Lychee Cake and some drinks along. On the other hand, a limited savoury menu is available such as Bolognese ($16), Fennel Meatballs ($18) and Salad ($12), and takes quite a while to prepare.
Slowly sip the coffee and enjoy the art installation right before our eyes, and enjoy the natural habitat created in the house (HAUS).
HAUS217 Address: 217 Lavender Street, Singapore 338772 Opening Hours: 10 am – 4 pm, only by reservation (Currently on hiatus)
It’s the time of the year to celebrate the little joys of Summer. After spending hours looking at various photos of pale sandy beaches and crashing ocean waves, we started noticing the beauty of certain pigments. So, this Monday we wanted to dedicate the Slowdown to two timeless colors that continually catch our eye: BLUE AND BEIGE.
“Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with its many chords. The artist is the hand that, by touching this or that key, sets the soul vibrating automatically.” ― Vasily Kandinsky
Lately, the rising of the temperature makes you feel flushed and burning all the time. Wondering what to drink to stop the thirst through the hot summer? Below you will see our top favourite fruits to be used in the summer, assorted citrus (orange, lemon, lime), peach, and strawberry. You could also see our favourite ways of using soda water and sparkling water for the drinks. So here are our Top 10 Refreshing Summer Drinks that we always like to rotate the drinks for the summer!
Peaches are one of the fruits we love to have during the summer, not only does it taste good, the colour of the peach in the drink just made our day. Peaches add sweet, mellow roundness to traditional lemonade for a refreshing summertime beverage.
For this Cajun Peach Lemonade recipe, you can make the peach syrup ahead and store them in the fridge. When you are ready to enjoy them, simply rim the glass with some cajun spice and it’s inevitably going to sprinkle down into your drink, giving it the perfect amount of spiciness. Stir in white rum or bourbon for the grown-ups!
Limequats Sparkling Water with Honey will be the instant cure for your dry throat and immediately reduce your body heat. While many don’t know actually limequat helps to quench our thirst when we are thirsty and hot for the summer. Unlike drinking harmful artificial drinks to quenches our thirst, the summer drink can help you make your best choice, even though scorching temperatures.
Matcha has always been our favourite ingredient to be used in food and even drinks. Not that it tastes nice it also have good benefits for our body. You can make use of matcha to spruce up your soda or sparkling water – Sparkling Matcha Green Tea. It’s made with matcha tea powder and soda or sparkling water for a bubbly and refreshing drink. You only need a few minutes to create this drink and it’s absolutely perfect for warm days when you don’t feel like sipping hot matcha tea.
The weather is really bad during this time of the year. It is hot and humid and gets rains from time to time in Singapore. We always have this traditional Chinese home remedy for cough relief as this Summer Fruits Drink is inspired by it.
Steamed or boiled pear with rock sugar is a delightful dessert very easy to prepare. This time we added in our favourite fruit making it more flavourful. Usually, all you need is a pear, but we added apple, lemon, dates and rosemary for more flavour. The original recipe is to serve the drink warm, but you can leave it cold in the fridge for this summer too.
You can never think of making Thai Mango Sticky Rice into a drink, but surprisingly it works well. Thai Mango Sticky Rice is a sweet snack that combines the richness of sticky rice, the sweetness of ripe mangoes and the creaminess of coconut milk. However, rather than eating them, we will be enjoying them as a drink. Turning the sweet dessert into a refreshing drink for the summer. It consists of mango white tea, topped with coconut cream, sticky rice ball, vanilla ice cream and mango. It is refreshing and tasty at the same time.
The Osmanthus is good to have during this hot and wet season, it is the best natural remedy to keep at home. It is a well-known herb that can improve skin, detoxify the body, reduce thick saliva in the throat and boost lung health. It is great for all seasons, Osmanthus tea is often consumed when one suffers from dry skin or hoarseness.
Thus this Sweet Osmanthus Soda will be the prettiest and simple beverage to serve during this humid weather or the hot Summer. All you need is the homemade Osmanthus Sugar (aka Honey Syrup)and you can make this glass of sweet osmanthus soda in the least 5 minutes.
Not many are a fan of all kinds of fruits, for us, kiwi and pineapple are a no-no, as they always left a tangy feel on our tongue. However, kiwi is a delicious fruit with a unique taste. The green kiwi juice has a tangy taste that is great for making a refreshing Kiwi Soda. For a deeper taste experience, we pair it with lime and mint. Green kiwi juice can be very sour and you need to balance the sour taste with some sort of sweetness. We use soda compared to the usual sparkling water.
Food is like an art, there is no 100% of procedure to follow. Coffee is like a cocktail, a good mix you will get a glass of magic. While lately, we realised coffee and fruit juice share the cup in a most refreshing twist – you will be in love with this Green Citrus Coffee. Ready yet, to embrace the joy of mixology.
What could be finer than this summery Strawberry Gin Smash? This wonderful recipe comes from my favourite the Kitchn with its brilliant ideas. According to to the Kitchn a ‘smash’ is a ‘thing’. It is a cocktail involving herbs, sugar, fruit, and booze – which ones seem to be up to you. This pretty drink speaks for itself, with its super tasty mixture of lime, sugar, strawberries, gin, and a fashionable mint sprig garnish.
Lemon is one of those juice that just goes down so easily, especially on a hot day with friends. So why not use lemon as a base for punch? That’s exactly what we have done with this number. Think mildly boozy, bubbly adult lemonade with a soft earl grey undertone. Since this is a punch, you can use an ice ring to freeze a large block of ice; otherwise standard cubes work, too (We like to freeze fruit and herb in the ice). This is a good drink for a party in the summer.
Here are our top 10 favourite refreshing drinks for the summer. We hope you enjoy them like we enjoy our summer.
Sandwiches and sammies seem to be all the rage these days. Korio at Telok Ayer might not be well known unless you work there. It was considered far down the rabbit hole until you got curious and dug it up. Located in the middle of Far East Square, at the end of Amoy St., This may not interest you if you are not a morning person, as they only operate for six hours.
I’m glad that Joe decide to get up early for me to get a taste of Korio, they served artisanal doughnuts, sammies & coffee. We have the Grilled Cheese ($14) which was paired with a tangy sourdough, complemented with a jammy, slightly tart, and acted as a counterbalance to the decadent melty cheese. You should also order the Breakfast Sammy ($14) sees an entirely new set of ingredients. Eggy, fluffy brioche slices, with a creamy egg mayo slathered on, and a slice of savoury luncheon meat snuggled between—a classic flavour with nothing to complain about.
Their doughnuts are also one of the signatures in their stores, it looks so fluffy. The choice of brioche seems to give the doughnuts a fuller flavour, as well as a softer texture. Can’t wait to try them all on our next visit. Please make sure to visit them early as it closes as early as 2 pm.
Now built-ins (as with many midcentury elements), whether beds, benches or dining room tables, are popping up everywhere in new builds and renovations. They’re particularly good for creating effective storage or adding useful elements in tight spaces. Not only so, but it is also a good way to customise some unique pieces that only can bring out your characteristic to your house.
At this apartment 116 located in Shanghai, China uses 3 main elements, white, wood and stainless steel to bring out the characteristic of the house. We especially like the customise shelves from this apartment, the combination of wood and stainless steel works really well here.
Ler us know in the comment below what do you think?
