“It was an itchy backside situation,” quips actor Adam Chen. He is explaining to 8days.sg why he has opened a new cafe, after toughing out the recent Covid-19 pandemic where he saw business for his eateries fall by as much as 90 per cent.
His latest venture, called Sunset on 11 (abbreviated as Soll), is located at the 11th-floor rooftop of Louis Kienne Serviced Residences at Havelock Road. Adam, who grew up in the neighbourhood and still lives there, came across the space by chance while looking for a location to open a cafe.
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
1of11
Cafe used to be a meeting room
Before Adam took over his cafe space, it used to be a corporate meeting room that was open for bookings. “When I first viewed this place it was a dealbreaker for me, ’cos there was no kitchen,” he recalls. But he returned for a second viewing in the evening, where he saw the sunset from the rooftop. “The view blew me away,” he says.
The serviced apartment building, which also functions like a tourist hotel, had a pantry on the 10th floor just below the rooftop. Convinced on the location’s potential, Adam got approval from the building management to convert the pantry to a commercial kitchen. “I retrofitted it with an exhaust hood at my own cost so that the kitchen is functional,” he shares.
2of11
Over the years Adam has opened and shut F&B concepts like yakitori bar Birders, donburi restaurant Ebisu Bowls and Park cafe at Holland Village, but still maintains a can-do attitude in the competitive industry for his loyal staff.
“My chef has stayed with me for over 13 years, and my staff were the ones who helped me earn money when times were good. At least I give them something to look forward to when I open a new outlet,” he explains. He still runs his longtime restaurant-bar Ikki Izakaya at The Metropolis.
3of11
‘Hidden’ spot
His new cafe’s location is hidden and relatively hard to access, which means that only people who know of its existence might patronise it. “This place is tough, I will admit. It’s not easy for me to market this place,” laughs Adam.
He reasons that customers’ tastes and expectations have changed after the pandemic. “When people go out these days, they really want to make it count. They want a special ambience, so I have to focus on giving people an experience,” he says.
4of11
Cafe with a pool
Sunset on 11 has 40 indoor air-conditioned seats, which overlooks a scenic rooftop pool and has a bird’s eye view of the Havelock Road neighbourhood. The pool area comes with 10 deck chairs and another 30-pax patio which cafe customers can also use. “It makes for a good event space,” shares Adam.
A unique perk for diners: You can bring your swimsuit and have a dip in the pool without having to book a hotel room. The caveat? There are no shower facilities save for an outdoor pool shower to rinse off, so plan your visit accordingly.
According to Adam, there is a confinement centre operating in the building too. He reveals: “The rent for a three-bedroom apartment here costs around $12,000 a month.”
5of11
The menu
The cafe serves a Western-style brunch menu similar to the Adam’s defunct Park cafe. There are burgers, burritos, mac & cheese, loaded bagels, pasta and pizzas to go with beers, wines and coffee.
6of11
Soll Tall Stack, $24
Prices start from $12 for a har cheong gai wings appetiser, and average at $16 to $19 for a main dish like Seared Mentaiko Salmon Burger ($19), Parma Ham Pizza ($16), Fish & Chips ($16) and Rib Eye Steak Wrap ($18).
For big eaters, there is an “ultimate beef burger” called the Soll Tall Stack ($24), which comes with a thick beef patty, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, fried bacon, sunny-side up egg, blue cheese dressing and guacamole.
7of11
Espresso Pork Chop Burger, $18 (8 Days Pick!)
Portions here are generous, like this hearty zi char-inspired coffee pork ribs burger draped in a sticky house-made espresso glaze. The succulent boneless pork chops are stacked with caramelised onions, pineapple and toasted buns, and served with fries.
8of11
Truffle Mac & Cheese, $17
The truffle mac & cheese is also good, baked with turkey ham, gruyere, cheddar and finished with a drizzle of truffle oil.
9of11
Truffled Beef Cauliflower Fried Rice, $20
Avid gym rat Adam confesses that he wanted a diet-friendly dish to order at his own cafe, which is why he also offers cauliflower rice (which is basically cauliflower florets blitzed into grain-sized bits). This is paired with a slab of Australian rib-eye steak, an onsen egg, caramelised onions and teriyaki dressing. Not exactly clean eating, but reasonably tasty and filling.
10of11
Soll Refresher Cocktail, $18
Wash down your food with a draught beer like Asahi Dry ($8.50 for half a pint; $12 for a pint) or coffee like a Latte ($5.50). There are also cocktails, including a vodka and lemon juice-spiked Soll Refresher ($18) that’s topped off with sparkling wine. Non-alcoholic drinks such as Calpis Soda ($5) and juices ($6) are available too.
11of11
The details
Sunset on 11 is at L11 Louis Kienne Serviced Residences, 554 Havelock Rd, S169639. Tel: 88871280. Open daily except Mon. Tues-Fri 12pm-11pm, Fri Sat 10am-11pm, Sun 11am-8pm. www.facebook.com/sunseton11
Photos: Kelvin Chia
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
I consent to the use of my personal data by Mediacorp and the Mediacorp group of companies (collectively “Mediacorp”) to send me notices, information, promotions and updates including marketing and advertising materials in relation to Mediacorp’s goods and services and those of third party organisations selected by Mediacorp, and for research and analysis, including surveys and polls.
Some say one of the owners, 23-year-old Max, looks like HK actor Nicholas Tse! 👀 Link in bio to read more
📍The BeefFellas,
Chinatown Complex, #B1-43,
335 Smith Street,
Singapore 050335
https://tinyurl.com/4ye32vy6
He runs the ngoh hiang biz with his mum! Link in bio to read more
📍Mum’s Ngoh Hiang Cafe
BIk 154, #01-442,
Serangoon North Ave 1,
Singapore 550154
https://tinyurl.com/pshd3yme
The couple‘s Xiao San Mian dish comprises 3 small bowls of lor mee, prawn noodles and laksa! Link in bio to read more
📍 Nanyang Spice
Sim Lim Square, #02-02
1 Rochor Canal Road
Singapore 188504
https://tinyurl.com/2w9fvfp9
Sonia Chew's fiancé had planned a different proposal Link in bio to read more
@soniachew @joakimgomez @averyaloysius @ohyushi #justswipelah #buzzswipe
https://tinyurl.com/4rtp4tjw
According to the hawker, there are multiple benefits to putting earthworms in laksa. “It lowers cholesterol and improves blood circulation,” he says. Link in bio to read more
📍 Nanyang Spice
Sim Lim Square, #02-02
1 Rochor Canal Road
Singapore 188504
https://tinyurl.com/2w9fvfp9
Their new stall sells bakes like shio pan and shokupan 🤤
📍 Dough
Bukit Timah Interim Market & Food Centre, #01-027
2A Jalan Seh Chuan
Singapore 599213
https://tinyurl.com/494uxd3h
Can we get a labubu too? 🤗
Link in our bio to read the full story.
https://www.8days.sg/entertainment/local/987-germaine-tan-labubu-christmas-tree-838256
Looks like she will be skipping such rides in the future.
To read the full story, click the link in our bio.
https://www.8days.sg/entertainment/asian/girl-stunned-scary-rollercoaster-ride-838056
The hawker complains of poorer biz since moving to his new temporary stall location at Bukit Timah Interim Food Centre. Link in bio to read more
📍 Dough
Bukit Timah Interim Market & Food Centre, #01-027
2A Jalan Seh Chuan
Singapore 599213
https://tinyurl.com/494uxd3h
He sells very limited portions of fancy pastas like tagliatelle and gnocchi at night. Link in bio to read more
📍 Eightisfy Western
Maddox Canteen Bar
3752 Bukit Merah Central
Singapore 159848
https://tinyurl.com/yck6a5kx
You May Also Like
Content is loading...
This browser is no longer supported
We know it's a hassle to switch browsers but we want your experience with 8 Days to be fast, secure and the best it can possibly be.