One of those establishments that had seen quite a success ever since the days of the launch of its first outlet in recent times would be The Hainan Story — first established in 2020, The Hainan Story had since expanded from their outlet at Hillion Mall at Bukit Panjang to three other locations to date. Following the opening of their Chapter Two outlet at Jewel Changi Airport, The Hainan Story has since debuted their very first coffee house concept dubbed The Hainan Story Coffee House at NEX in Serangoon. Taking over the former premises of Pavilion Banana Leaf, The Hainan Story Coffee House follows a design theme close to the look of the other The Hainan Story outlets around — the interior being decked in a splash of red and green whilst featuring tiled flooring and wooden chairs as well as cushioned booth seats; the table coming in a terrazzo-esque design. The interior decor can be said as a modern with a dash of retro vibes; apart from the neon lighting on the walls, playful touches include the use of their branded coffee cups for their wall lights and table lamps — an interesting and creative touch there. Being their first coffee house concept, expect the outlet to carry a limited variety of items as opposed to their other locations — the menu is segregated into sections including The Hainan Story Bakery, The Hainan Story Coffee & Toast, The Hainan Story Hainanese Delights, Newspaper Hainanese Curry Rice, and Uncle Robert Hainanese Western; all of which being pretty familiar concepts to those whom have visited The Hainan Story’s various outlets before. Despite so, the location at NEX features some outlet exclusives — this includes the Hainanese Ah Mai’s Chee Cheong Fun, Baked Hainanese Rice Cake Lasagna and Hainanese Pork Patty Noodle Soup amongst others.

Also one of the new items that is exclusive to the menu at The Hainan Story Coffee House would be the Pandan Waffles — The Hainan Story Coffee House offers quite a variety of spreads for the Pandan Waffles, which includes more usual choices such as cheese, red bean, peanut jam, blueberry jam and strawberry jam, as well as modern interpretations such as that of honey butter and peach jam. Interestingly, they also do offer a Rojak Jam option that sounds pretty unique; those who prefer to have their Pandan Waffle as-is can go for the Original as well. Having tried their Gula Melaka Kaya and Cold Butter Toast previously, it is needless to say that we found ourselves going for the Gula Melaka Kaya Pandan Waffle.

Coming with the same Gula Melaka Kaya as the Gula Melaka Kaya and Cold Butter Toast which they also retail in bottles, their Kaya is the brown-hued type that would be what one would usually find in a Hainanese establishment. The Pandan Waffle itself came pretty well-executed; being in the same style of which one would find in a neighbourhood bakery, the waffle Carrie’s a green-coloured aesthetic from the infusion of panda into the batter — we were impressed with how it was so fragrant from the aroma of pandan. The waffle was also carried a consistently crispy texture throughout, and remained so even when it cooled down. The Gula Melaka Kaya spread came with a consistency that is similar to Peanut Butter (there was an instance at their Hillion Mall outlet where we were actually served their Peanut Spread with Cold Butter Toast instead of the Gula Melaka Kaya and Cold Butter Toast by mistake) — dense, but smooth and creamy whilst carrying that earthy and mildly sweet note that one would usually associate with Gula Melaka. Overall, a pretty satisfying Pandan Waffle experience that would go well with all age groups.

The Hainan Story had pretty much come from strength to strength from the opening of The Hainan Story Introduction at Hillion Mall, and then followed by the subsequent opening of The Hainan Story Chapter One at Hotel Boss in Lavender, and then the same with The Hainan Story Chapter Two at Jewel Changi Airport. Despite The Hainan Story Coffee House offering a smaller menu as compared to their other outlets, The Hainan Story Coffee House sticks to the very same narrative and spirit behind their other outlets that came before it — celebrating their love of Hainanese cuisine and bringing the patrons of The Hainan Story the vibes and experiences that one would have from dining at a Hainanese-owned coffee house with a modern twist. While the brand has become relatively mass market over time, The Hainan Story does seem to be remain particularly popular amongst locals — their broad menu ensuring that there is really something for everyone; from local classics that the old would be familiar with, to modern interpretations of old-school Hainanese fare that would attract the attention of the younger generation, they have done well it staying relevant and relatable to the local population. No doubt that there are usually some hits and misses in their menu, but The Hainan Story’s other outlets have managed this fairly well — the same consistency in terms of food quality can be said of The Hainan Story Coffee House; the Hainanese Ah Mai’s Chee Cheong Fun being somewhat of a mix of some commercially-made elements served in a bowl thought the tamarind-infused sauce was pretty interesting. For those whom are living in the north east whom have yet to hit The Hainan Story’s other locations — perhaps it is a good time to give them a go!