📍 Work Spot Review #4: The Hainan Story Coffee House (Tampines Mall)

Quick Summary

💻 Wi‑Fi: Connect to #CAPITALAND FREE WIFI. Password: freewifi (case-sensitive). Slightly annoyed that this free WiFi is password protected, but the fact that Google accurately answered my query for the password makes up a little for it. Reminder to self: Always a good idea to check on the WiFi avail before committing to a new remote WFH location!  

🔌 Power outlets: Did not see any.  

☕ Coffee & Tea: Nostalgic Hainanese kopitiam vibes — local kopi and teh are reasonably priced (I go for the large cup) at a cap of $3.20 for a hot beverage. I chuckle every time I see that I can add a butter slice to my kopi - I promise to be brave enough to try this someday.

🥪 Food: For a familiar set, there are options of Hainanese Toast Soft Bun / Crispy Traditional Toast as a base. Fillings vary from your usual heartland fillings to more trendy/daring ones (think peanut, blueberry, peach, redbean, avocado, rojak and gula melaka). To my delight, there are bagel options here too (both sweet and savoury ones). Full menu here.  

🛋️ Comfort: Retro‑modern décor—mosaic tiles, brick walls, chairs with/without backing. Feels like an 80s kopitiam twist. If you’re hoping to stay long, I’d recommend choosing a table with chairs that have a backing.  

🌡️ Temperature: Comfortably air‑conditioned, no need to pack a cardigan. If you’re an early bird like me (this cafe opens at 8am, I got there at 8:30am) – note that coffee houses within malls can get stuffy before the central air conditioning is switched on (on average 10am?). It wasn’t uncomfortable/stuffy here when the central air-conditioning was off on a weekday, a big plus.  

🕰️ Ambience: Light chatter from neighbouring tables (some aunties and uncles can get a bit loud, bless them) and gets a bit more hectic during the weekends.  

🚽 Washroom: Mall facilities—functional and clean. 

🧘🏽‍♀️ Stay Duration: 3-4 hours is ideal; longer if you manage to snag a power‑friendly seat (tell me if you find any!) 

📍 Address: 4 Tampines Central 5, #B1‑K2/3, Singapore 529510 

⛔ Avoid: Weekend morning/brunch hours, when mall traffic picks up.

🪑 The Vibe

This branch leans heavily into retro nostalgia with a splash of whimsy—mosaic flooring, brick accents, and even upside-down coffee mugs as light fixtures. The layout actually feels spacious for a mall café. It’s busy enough to feel alive, but not chaotic—kind of like a kopitiam with Wi‑Fi. 

Worth saying that I’m so glad there’s finally a sit-down coffee house in Tampines Mall’s basement. 

🔌 Working Conditions

Wi‑Fi stays strong across the seating zones, making it easy to settle in right away. Honestly not sure about the plug point situation so carrying a fully-charged lappie / battery pack is recommended. Seating combos of 2-4 seater booths, tables and stool options, though the backless stools might not be ideal for longer stays there. 

☕ Food & Drink

The coffee is familiar every time—no real mastery, but comforting. The menu is pretty vast and playful - I foresee many of my friends having decision paralysis here! Prices are quite varied, but you’ll find a quick pick-me-up snack for a couple of dollars. 

I had the Hainanese Toast Soft Bun (Peanut and Butter set comes with 2 soft boiled eggs and a large hot teh) = $6.60. Much more than I expected to spend that morning, but I wanted to give it a whirl. I’m not a big fan of a cold slice/slab of unmelted butter on my toast, though to eat their own? Eggs were on point though, I never take perfectly cooked soft boils for granted (they’re a craft ok!). 

📝 Final Thoughts

This is your go-to if you want a retro-cafe vibe with flavourful bites and a tonne of mall convenience. Not the tranquil hideaway of a tucked-away café, but perfect for a productive weekday morning/mid-afternoon pit stop or casual catch-up with laptop in hand.

It’s ideal if you’re:

• An east-side commuter working around mall errands

• In need of a bit of some bustle and life around you (with cheaper than cafe-priced cuppas)

• Up for tasting nostalgic Hainanese twists while grinding away

💡 Tips

• Best time: Weekday morning (8am-11:30am) or mid-afternoon (2pm–4 pm) for slightly quieter vibes

• Seat strategy: Heads-up: power-first communal counters get nabbed—arrive early

• Must-try bites: Traditional kopi/teh sets. I’ll try the bagels soon!

• Access: Tampines MRT East-West Line (Green) / Tampines MRT Downtown Line (Blue), followed by a short mall walk

• Bonus: Retro mug décor and nostalgic feel—your feed will thank you 😉

Fancy more lip-smacking, Wi-Fi-friendly spots nearby? Send me a name or neighbourhood—happy to keep the “work + wander” tour rolling. 😌☕📶

📍 Work Spot Review #3: Wakey Wakey Café (Concourse Skyline, Beach Road)

Quick Summary

💻 Wi‑Fi: Connect to Concourse Skyline. Free, strong, stable connection with no password needed.  

🔌 Power outlets: I see a few of them along the tables by the walls.  

☕ Coffee: Good specialty roast crafted by friendly baristas; I’m not a coffee connoisseur but coffee here is definitely not basic. The cup size leaves little to be desired – I’m a ‘size matters’ girl when it comes to my coffee and would prefer a larger cup volume for $6.60/cappuccino. This is one of those joints that don’t bake in the service charge/GST into the prices on the menu - a practice I personally find pretty annoying.  

🥞 Food: Wide variety of brunch-focused offerings. I’ve had Eggs on Toast, Chilli Scramble,  Spicy Baked Eggs, Truffle Fries – all yum but pricey, starting at $14 per plate (before GST).  🛋️ Comfort: Choice of alfresco / indoor seating. You’ll find me at a table outside 95% of the time, where the chairs look uncomfortable but I’ve managed 6-hour stints here without even getting up for the washroom. Safe to say the outdoor seating area is magical to me and is definitely quieter and more spacious than the indoor seating. You’ll find diverse seating indoors —communal tables, cushioned benches and bistro chairs. 

🌡️ Temperature: Indoors is air‑conditioned: pleasantly cool, no cardigan required. Outdoors works better for me regardless where I go, and even if it rains, you won’t find yourself running to change your seats because this cafe is tucked under a solid building.  

🕰️ Ambience: Bright and minimalistic, with floor-to-ceiling windows providing ample daylight and calm energy—classic work‑friendly vibes. Baristas are friendly, remember your order and very quick to welcome/serve you (almost a little too on-the-ball but hey, that’s a good problem).  

🚽 Washroom: Clean, shared, well-maintained in the cafe.  

🧘‍♀️ Stay Duration: Ideal for deep work sessions that last over half a day. I think my longest stay was from 8AM - 2:30PM. You won’t get weird stares for sitting the whole day with just a simple drink purchase.  

📍 Address: 302 Beach Rd, #01-04/05 Concourse Skyline, Singapore 199600  

⛔ Avoid: I don’t really have an ‘stay away’ timeframe for this place. Always good to be here, whatever time it is. 

🪑 The Vibe

Wakey Wakey has a very spacious vibe to it (especially if you’ve wrangled an outdoor table). Its location and floor-to-ceiling windows allows for natural light to be the main attraction - big win for a sun-child like me. It gives “Let’s Hustle” vibes, but more of a creative hustle than anything. I’d definitely recommend this space for creatives who enjoy staring out to a random corner, thinking of their next creative expression. All sorts of patrons here - from suit-and-ties to gym-fits. Yet nobody feels out of place. Magic. 

🔌 Working Conditions

Wi‑Fi is strong, reliable, and consistent throughout the space—great for deep work or Zoom catch-ups . Outlets are moderate in supply: tables by the walls are your best bet. Seating-wise, you’ve got enough surface area for your laptop, drink, and notebook, although some indoor chairs are more bistro‑styled and may not be ideal for extended sessions.

One red flag for a highly distractible person like me - loud cafe music played within the cafe itself. Perhaps my ears are a little more sensitive, but I favour cafes with quieter music (if any at all). 

☕ Food & Drink

Baristas here aren’t messing around—the coffee is consistently praised and delicious. Try their “Magic” (double ristretto + milk) or a well-balanced flat white. Menu highlights include buttermilk waffles, eggs made any way and hearty soups like Roasted Tomato Basil. Prices are steep, but worth the occasional splurge. 

📝 Final Thoughts

For a cool, well-lit workspace with good coffee, Wakey Wakey gives the perfect (if only) reason to be in the city area just after sunrise. The atmosphere walks the fine line between café buzz and head-down concentration.

💡 Tips

• Best seating: Window-facing high tables / Outdoor seats.

• Best times: Any time on a weekday. 

• What to try: Magic coffee for caffeine clarity. Savory chilli eggs for when the hunger pangs hit. Sweet hit from a slice of key lime pie, for when you feel you deserve a treat.

• Access: Nicoll Highway MRT (Yellow line) is a 5-minute walk away.

• Bonus: A big plus here is the tower of water provided at each table. Good for branding and makes up a little for the small sized cuppa. Also, it’s a 5-minute walk to the Kallang Basin (just past the Nicoll Highway MRT station). Here’s where you’ll find me on a regular afternoon after a creative sprint at Wakey Wakey <3 

  
  

Got a favourite café or hideout you think deserves a spotlight? Tell me where to go next—I’m all about discovering new corners of the city to sip, sit, and stay productive ☕🛋️📶

📍 Work Spot Review #2: Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at CIMB Plaza (Raffles Place / Change Alley)

Quick Summary

💻 Wi-Fi: Free and open – FreeWiFi@CBTL. No password required. Fast, stable connection throughout the small café. 

🔌 Power outlets: Not visible in the main seating area – bring a fully charged device. 

☕ Coffee: At a steep starting price of $7 for a regular drink, I usually only go to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf when I know I need an exceptionally strong and reliable WiFi connection for the day. There is no difference in cup size when you order a Regular/Large cappuccino.  So if you’re going for a high liquid volume – ditch the cap and order a large latte to make your money more worthwhile. It’s a whopping $8 for a large mug of cappuccino (ouch, said my wallet) – but the mug is MASSIVE. BIG PLUS: Drinks are 50% off at this CIMB building outlet + Chinatown Point outlet everyday, 7:30AM - 10AM! 

🥪 Food: Light bites, all-day breakfast options, cakes, muffins, pastries. Nothing gourmet, but you'll find a filling snack under $10. 

🛋️ Comfort: You get a choice of indoor & outdoor seating. Basic tables and chairs, which work for me. A little tight on space here, I had to adjust myself a fair bit whenever people walked in/out. 

🌡️ Temperature: Indoor seats are air-conditioned, great if you’re not a fan of the average Singapore heat. Outdoor seats are always my preference and this outlet doesn’t get any natural sun, so it doesn’t get uncomfortably warm. As for me, you’ll always find me alfresco.  🕰️ Ambience: Corporate café buzz. Many corporate coffee catch-ups happen here. This outlet is on Change Alley, a busy little area on weekdays. From 10:30am onwards, it got a little too noisy for my liking.  

🚽 Washroom: If you walk in the direction of One Fullerton, there's a shared building washroom you can use. Decent.

🧘🏽‍♀️ Stay Duration: 2-3 hours is optimal. Too crowded for my liking, I had to leave before the lunch crowd hit.  

📍 Address: 30 Raffles Place, #01-03 CIMB Plaza, Singapore 048622 ⛔ Avoid: Between 11:45am–2:15pm. The lunch crowd floods in hard. Also not ideal if you absolutely need a power socket.

🪑 The Vibe

This Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL) outlet is tucked into CIMB Plaza at Change Alley, Raffles Place—a location that screams “CBD caffeine stop.” It caters mostly to office folk, so the energy here is very quick-footed and transient. But if you’re the kind who thrives off the slight buzz of movement around you, this might work in your favour.

Mornings (before 10:30am) are lovely — calm, even. Any later than that and you might find yourself unwillingly eavesdropping on loud conversations from neighbouring tables. I’d recommend heading there earlier in the morning to watch/experience the place slowly transition from a quiet to bustling city. 

🔌 Working Conditions

Wi-Fi is on point – I never have to fiddle with sign-ins or passwords at any CBTL. Browsing, writing, and streaming light audio was smooth throughout. But… power outlets? Non-existent. This isn’t the place for a long video editing session unless your laptop’s battery is robust.

Tables are decent-sized: enough space for your laptop, drink, water bottle and a small notebook. Chairs are sturdy and functional—not plush, but not punishing either.

☕ Food & Drink

I went for a large latte. It wasn’t the most robust tasting cuppa, but the warmth of a large mug was honestly all I really needed that rainy morning. It helped that the barista was sweet and conversed with me about the 50% discount for a good minute or two.

If you’re like me and are not fussy about your coffee, this is the spot. Their 1-for-1 breakfast sets at $11.90 looks like a steal but I haven’t had one myself as I normally work solo. 

📝 Final Thoughts

This is a solid “drop in, get stuff done, move on” kind of café. Nothing mindblowing, just a reliable place to sit and be for a few hours. Its value lies in its predictability—sometimes that's exactly what you need when working in the city.

Come here when you need:

• A convenient stop between central area meetings

• A quiet morning hour to brainstorm / journal

• A quick sit-down to crank out a to-do list

Not the best for long-hauls or video calls, but a gem when used right.

💡 Tips

• Best time to go: Before 10:30am or after 2:30pm.

• Try your luck and find a seat at the end furthest from the entrance so you won’t get caught shuffling your elbows or chair when people come & go.

• Bring your laptop fully charged – no power sockets around.

• MRT access: Raffles Place Exit F – it’s barely a minute’s walk.

• Maybe grab your food from the nearby Change Alley outlets if you want variety – the seating here is flexible and I think people are too indulged in their bustle of a day to side-eye you.

Want me to check out another spot? Drop me a name or neighbourhood. I’m always up for a little “work + wander” mission. 😌☕💻