Typical All Hands On Kaya Roti & Eggs Was passing through the Telok Ayer neighbourhood when we managed to find out about the existence of All Hands — these folks takes over the former premises of the now-defunct Boeuf along Telok Ayer Street; itself also being a concept that is by the same folks behind Boeuf as well. Despite the change of concept, there are several cues that have been left behind for the shophouse that makes All Hands a pretty easy-to-recognise spot after all; the shade of blue paint as well as the two lions placed at the entrance of the shophouse are pretty much a stark contrast against that of the other shops within the same stretch of shophouses there. All Hands have however did a fair bit of work throughout the entire space that creates its own vibe that is quite unlike that of Boeuf; the interior of the space now sees the use of white walls, green curtains and wooden furniture and fittings that help to give it a chic and somewhat old-world vibe — these design elements are especially stark for the “booth” that there had created for the espresso bar and the counter area which definitely reminds us of old school establishments serving up more upscale fare. The tables features marble-esque accents that further evoke an old-school vibe, while there are some Chinese characters that are inscribed on the walls above the entrance that has to be retained per the guidelines for conserved shophouses — these do look pretty much at home with the rest of the decor within the establishment as well. Visiting All Hands before their official launch / grand opening, the establishment splits their food menu into sections comprising of First Bite (brunch-style dishes that are served from 8am onwards), A Hand Full (main dishes that are available from 11am onwards) and The Heart Line (i.e. dessert offerings). Meanwhile, beverage offerings available at All Hands are split across sections such as Coffee, Matcha Cha-Cha, Cold Press Juices and Kombucha / Jun.
Wanting to go for something on the lighter side, we found ourselves sticking to the items that are listed on the First Bite section of the menu rather than the more substantially-sized mains that are offered in the A Hand Full section of the menu which features entrees, pastas and other dishes that are more suited for lunch instead. Considering how we are pretty much a sucker for artisanal kaya whenever we come across one that is being offered by a cafe, it is needless to say that we decided to give the Typical All Hands On Kaya Roti & Eggs a try after noticing it on the menu at All Hands. All Hands describes the Typical All Hands On Kaya Roti & Eggs to come with elements such as All Hands Milk Toast, Pandan Kaya Custard, Shaved Butter, Sous Vide Eggs, Kombu-infused Soy Sauce and Furikake on the menu. It does seem like All Hands does pride itself over its All Hands Milk Toast which is freshly baked in-house and also featured in a number of items that they have to offer as well. The Milk Toast does come with a pretty neat aesthetic where it has been sliced into rectangular blocks — the Typical All Hands On Kaya Roti being served in a format that is almost akin to an open-faced sandwich where Pandan Kaya has been spread atop the light and crusty toast before butter is being shaved atop. The Pandan Kaya Custard does remind me of the artisanal Kaya spreads served up by other cafes such as that of Brawn & Brain Coffee and MICRO | bakery kitchen serves up — one that comes velvety smooth with a really intense hint of Pandan that is being extracted from Pandan leaves; custard-like and runny but doesn’t come as sweet nor lumpy as what one would typically expect out of commercially-made Kaya spreads. The shaved butter also helped make a difference with the dish in terms of texture — rather than having the butter come in an entire block, the shaving of the butter does create a fluffier texture than also comes smooth and rich without being overly salty; compliments the Pandan Kaya Custard well. All Hands had also managed to zhng-ed up the soft-boiled eggs that typically come alongside the local Hainanese breakfast of Kaya Butter Toast — the soft-boiled egg does come with the same jiggly whites and runny egg yolks, while there is this umami note added from the Kombu-infused Soy Sauce and Furikake that sets it apart as a more modern interpretation to the local classic.
Whilst the range of the items listed in The Heart Line section of the menu are not reflected on the hard copy menu at All Hands, they are all listed inside the online POS system that is to be accessed by scanning the QR code on a slip that is printed by the staff upon being seated in the cafe. With a number of more interesting offerings being listed as “sold out” on the online POS system, we found ourselves going for the Monkey Business — an item that is being described in the menu to come with elements such as All Hands Banana Cake and Coconut Gelato. Other elements not mentioned in the description of the item on the menu would be the various types of berries that come along with it, as well as Gula Melaka. The All Hands Banana Cake does seem to be one that is also being baked freshly in-house; the Banana Cake coming with a somewhat crusty surface whilst also accompanied with the inclusion of walnuts that helped to create a nutty crunch — one can also find bits of soft banana being included within the cake, with the overall texture of the cake being sufficiently moist and also consistent to that of the bananas within. This is further enhanced with the inclusion of Coconut Gelato — smooth, creamy and fragrant, keeping a somewhat neutral flavour while the addition of Gula Melaka adds an earthy sweetness. The berries that come alongside provide a bite and a tang to the dish overall.
Since we were in need of a cuppa to go with the food items that we had ordered, we went for Yuzu Espresso Soda which is an item that is listed under the Coffee section of the menu only in the online POS system — available only in iced format, the description on the meh suggests that the item features elements such as Yuzu Jam, Espresso, Soda Water. We do feel that the coffee element within the Yuzu Espresso Soda was a little bit on the weaker side, though we did enjoy the carbonation from the soda water while the Yuzu Jam adds a contrasting sweetness and zing to the beverage. Overall, All Hands does seem to be an establishment that seems to serve up pretty simple brunch fare that comprises of elements that are being made from scratch — examples being their All Hands Milk Toast and Pandan Kaya Custard featured in their Typical All Hands On Kaya Roti & Eggs and the All Hands Banana Cake featured in their Monkey Business. That being said, All Hands does also recognise that there is also a need to be serving up more than just breakfast / brunch fare considering its location in the Central Business District — there are dishes such as the Still want to go Boeuf? which is essentially a Steak & Frites dish that Boeuf once offered, while other dishes like the Bara-Laksa and Hae-mee Pasta that sees local fusion elements in western-style dishes. Dishes from the First Bite section of the menu are priced lower between $8.94 to $23.10, while items listed on the A Hand Full section of the menu are priced from $12.70 to $32.70. Looking forward to give the other dishes a go some other time.
