Consider the new Well Collective an antidote for the weary urbanite. Located at the rather far-flung seafront Northshore Plaza II in Punggol, the cafe’s high ceiling and laidback interiors with rattan fixtures lend a minimalist vibe with a coastal touch. It’s also headed by the same team behind Botany and The Ritual cafes.

With Japanese and French influences, the menu’s designed to be inclusive, with flexitarians, vegans, vegetarians, and those on a gluten-free diet in mind; the menu’s also pork- and lard-free.

During the day, dig into authentic French crepes with both French- and Japanese-style toppings (like matcha azukuki and smoked duck with yuzu miso), alongside a Well Daily Big Breakfast, housemade deli, and bakes.

If you’re swinging by for dinner, choose between plates like Chicken Yakitori and “No Chicken Tsukune”,  Torched Pitan Tofu, and a rotating dinner pop-up menu with monthly themes. For pet owners, there’s a pet grooming salon and vet clinic conveniently located next door, so you can hang out and wait while you’re waiting for your pets.

Well Collective at Northshore Plaza II (#02-11/12), 418 Northshore Drive, Singapore 820418. Open daily from 10am to 10pm.

Fancy a sandwich and cocktail pairing? Stop by HongKong Street 28, which is showcasing a line-up of eats by sandwich shop Park Bench Deli, specially created to complement the bar’s renowned cocktails.

If a doughnut’s up your alley, get the lightly glazed Pastrami Reuben Bombolini ($16++) packed with house-smoked pastrami, sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese. There’s also the Ebi Sandwich ($18++), with breaded Ebi and cabbage slaw and shichimi togarashi mayo, or you can nibble on crunchy battered root vegetables with the Fried Mezze ($12++).

Love instant noodles with your booze? Try the sour and spicy Kaho Soi Cup O’Noodles ($15++), with noodles sitting in Kaho Soi Curry, topped with thin slices of turkey.

28 HongKong Street’s Deli Monday menu is available every Monday through Aug 2022 from 6pm to midnight. Reservations are required. Call 8318 0328, e-mail  findus@28hks.com or click here.

If you’ve been on the prowl for plant-based chocolate for your baking needs, Callebaut has debuted Nxt, its new plant-based chocolate. And it’s dairy-free, too.

How so, you ask? The chocolate uses sunflower lecithin, as well as chufa (also known as tiger nut) as a milk alternative, which isn’t actually a nut. Instead, it’s a tuber that has a flavour reminiscent of almonds. We love the dark chocolate callets, which are intense, velvety and rich, and quite identical to their dairy counterpart. With the milk (or as Callebaut calls it, “M_lk”) chocolate, the distinct flavour of the chufa comes through.

Not into baking? You can also try out the Callebaut Nxt with the treats from local brands who have tied up with Callebaut to use the Nxt chocolate in their delicious treats. They are healthy snack brand Box Green, ice cream parlour Kind Kones, vegan bakery Roa, and Oh My Goodness, a food company that specialises in gluten-, dairy- and refined sugar-free bakes.

Callebaut Nxt Dairy-free Chocolate retails at selected Phoon Huat outlets islandwide. 10kg packs are available now at $187.20 for Dark and $210.60 for M_lk. 2.5kg packs will be available from Sep 2022, at $51.80 for Dark and $56 for M_lk. Visit Callebaut’s website for more information.

Orchard Central baking studio and café Baker X’s latest resident home baker will be Joo Bakes, who takes over from Aug 9 to 31, 2022.

Founder and baker Pang Joo Soon mans the kitchen, with signatures like the OG Butter Cake ($5 per slice, $33 per loaf) that uses French butter for a light but rich confection. There are also flavoured iterations of the classic butter cake, with options like Orange ($5.50 per slice, $36 per loaf), Lemon Drizzle ($6 per slice, $38 per loaf), and Coffee Walnut ($5.50 per slice, $36 per loaf).

Just in time for National Day, he’s whipped up two locally-inspired and limited flavours – Pandan ($6 per slice, $38 per loaf) and Sugee ($6 per slice, $38 per loaf). Other swoon-worthy bakes include toothsome and chunky cookies ($6 per cookie, $36 per box of 6). Choose from a variety of flavours like Choc Chip with Walnut Cookie, Matcha with Macadamia Cookie, and Biscoff Cookie.

Pandan will be only available from 9 to 14 August. Sugee will be available from 16 August. A minimum of three days is required for all loaf cake orders via WhatsApp at 82822722.

Baker X is at #04-29 Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road, Singapore 238896.

Birthday cakes don’t always have to be a sweet, cream-laden affair. At least not at casual sushi joint Kozen Sushi Bar & Restaurant anyway. A crowd favourite here is the Birthday Sushi Cake, with fresh sashimi layered over sushi rice tossed in tobiko. Take your pick from different versions, with toppings like Salmon ($55++), Hotate ($69++) and Unagi Hotate ($79++).

It’s also got inventive takes on its sushi rolls, with plates like the Foie Gras Salmon Roll, the Unagi Avocado Roll, and an Unagi Tamagoyaki ($19.90++) that sees little egg tamagoyaki ‘sandwiches’ with grilled unagi tucked in between.

For a more conventional take on raw fish, there are the signature sashimi platters (from $13.80++ for salmon sashimi), including a Kozen Sashimi Set ($50.80++) with various types of fish for the sashimi lover. A la carte sushi options are available, and if you prefer something more substantial, go for the donburi (rice bowls), with options like Salmon Foie Gras Don ($33.90++)  and Wagyu Don ($29.90++).

Kozen Sushi Bar & Restaurant is at 22 Flanders Square, Singapore 209306.

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