SINGAPORE — As we all know, a true blue Singaporean foodie can deal with sweaty queues that snake around the block, venture into ulu locations and gobble up newfangled creations their friends swear by.

With a grub-obsessed population like ours, it makes absolute sense that a new breed of young entrepreneurs and chefs are forsaking conventions to cook up what they love in offbeat and off-the-road spots.

For some, it’s the oft-cited sky-high rental fees in the usual malls or shophouses that lead them down this road. How else would you explain Coocci, which presents a wonderful — and painstakingly plated — dish of chicken smoked with apple wood at Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre, which is more known for its congee and fried carrot cake?

For others, it’s the immense satisfaction of offering gourmet items not commonly available in certain neighbourhoods to customers who would otherwise not have been able to tell their madeleines from their scones.

There have been success stories such as Astons, Botak Jones and Saveur, which all started in humble, dingy kopitiams. There are also gems like Chocolat N’ Spice selling muffins, mousse cakes and crème brules which still has its first outlet at Shunfu Mart.

Before recently moving to K88 Coffeeshop at Banda Street, Erich’s Wuerstelstand was a fixture at Chinatown’s night market for eight years, plying artisanal Austrian baked goods like schwarzbrot (no, not Arnie’s bro but a dark rye bread) in addition to German sausages.

The last year or so have seen more trailblazers joining in the fun—and they’re getting increasingly sophisticated at that. These independent, intrepid and inspirational “chef-trepenurs” deserve to thrive.

Watch our slideshow to learn more about their food and stories. And please, try not to drool all over your computer. PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALEXANDRA WESCOTT, SLIDESHOW BY ALVIN CHONG

***

1. MAPLE AND MARKET

Working at hip coffee joints like Papa Palheta and Loysel’s Toy Cafe taught Sarah Khor a couple of things: That she could survive on very little sleep while slogging in a café and that people will hunt you down if they really want to come taste your food.

Both were perfect lessons to start her own bakery cafe in the blocks behind Old Airport Road Food Centre. The former graphic designer turned home baker opened Maple And Market (because she loves maple and sees her space as a little market selling different wares) last month and it took off immediately.

“I didn’t worry about the location, nevertheless I’m very grateful and surprised,” said Khor who also has a strong following courtesy of her blog, Sarah’s Loft, and her baking classes at home last year.

“People like hidden spots; I’m not here to cater to the masses so I didn’t want to be downtown either.”

Besides cakes, pastries and java from specialty local roaster Geisha Coffee, Maple And Market stocks items such as stationery, handmade ceramic wares and terrariums from indie sellers, organises baking and floral arrangement classes, and also offers goods from other home bakers.

“We’re a community and we support each other — there’s no competition,” she explained. “I share my recipes online and I can rent out my space for others to conduct workshops like a coffee appreciation workshop or you can just hang out and browse through our books.”

Who wouldn’t want to pour through a Pierre Herme recipe tome while biting into a raspberry blossom cake? (34 Cassia Crescent, #01-82, www.facebook.com/mapleandmarket)

The 1919 (S$5.50)

As a child, Khor adored Sara Lee cakes, which kick-started a lifelong affair with rich, dense, American-style cakes. This Gula Melaka cake, named after the birth year of her granny, is a fragrant, solid indulgence made with kaya cream frosting and topped with desiccated coconut shavings. “You don’t want to know how much kaya is used!” she joked, sharing how how she experimented with all types of kaya from Hainanese to Nyonya for her cream cheese before hitting a winning formula.

Bundt Cake (S$3)

Bundt cakes aren’t the most common sight in bakeries here so it’s a joy to find a decent one that’s crumbly yet nicely moist, with caramelised oranges and orange syrup. Even without any glaze or frosting, this bundt cake’s almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

***

2. COOCCI

Despite our pleas, owner and chef Glen Choi declined to have his picture taken, preferring to let his food be the star. And what dishes they are: Atas-looking but highly affordable oddities, really, in a sea of local fare.

Having worked in Italian restaurant Parco Caffe in Raeburn Park and Tsukune Ichigo at River Valley, it’s no surprise Coocci’s menu of seven items display a mix of Japanese and European influences, winning raves for its presentation and flavour.

Choi decided to strike out on his own in October last year and tendered for a stall. “There weren’t a lot of hawker stalls available, the other spot was at Jalan Berseh but I thought Commonwealth has a good lunch crowd from offices around here and Holland Village is nearby,” said Choi.

When asked why he didn’t open a cafe since he already had experience, Choi cited rent and high overheads. “You need at least S$150,000 compared to maybe S$15,000 for a hawker stall and that’s just to start up,” he explained.

As gratifying it is to work for himself and see people enjoy his food, he admitted he has doubts. Getting help is proving difficult: No one’s interested to work as a dishwasher even though Choi’s willing to pay S$7 an hour. His wife left her IT job in Taiwan to help him out at the stall; the hours are long as they wake up at 5am to prepare for the day.

“But my family is very supportive, my parents got us a van because they saw how tired we were taking the MRT train every morning and night,” he said.

Fussy customers don’t help as they complain about waiting when dishes take time. “That’s why I really admire hawkers after being here. I’ve never worked so hard before. Do you know the porridge uncle opens every day? He only rests for seven days during the Chinese New Year period. I hope I can sustain this though I sometimes wonder if it’s worth the effort.”

For the sake of our taste buds and the continuation of a great hawker culture, we hope Coocci stays for a long, long time. (Commonwealth Crescent Market, Stall 92)

Smoked Chicken Set (S$7.90)

Chicken features prominently as Choi uses fresh chicken delivered every day. They are 80 per cent smoked with apple wood chips before lunch and dinner service starts at noon and 6pm, respectively. Due to limited stall space, Choi’s modified smoke machine fits just two chickens at any one time, which means he can only sell 40 sets of these a day. Every set comes with half a chicken — each piece succulent and if gentle on the usual sweetness associated with smoked meats — as well as a bowl of rice and refreshingly smooth daikon tofu salad. An absolute steal.

Tori Nanban Set (S$6)

The most popular item on the menu. Deep-fried chicken thigh chunks aren’t overly greasy, retaining a nice crispiness in the batter even as they’re flash-dipped in vinegar. Add to that a light tartar sauce made of egg, mayonnaise and finely chopped Japanese pickles. It’s so good you’ll finish it before realising you’ve left everything else untouched.

***

3. MILK & HONEY GELATO

It’s no coincidence this artisanal gelato store is right smack beside Choc-a-Bloc, the famed chocolate cake store in Bedok North. It turns out one of the four owners behind Milk & Honey, Clarence Sim, is pals with the son of a Choc-a-Bloc’s co-founder, who preferred to remain anonymous.

“We’re separate business entities but that auntie helped us a lot, from mentoring us to giving us her recipes to make waffles and lemon grass drinks, et cetera,” revealed Sim. Said auntie also leased them the space last November when it was vacated by the former tenant, a bubble tea store.

The gelato recipes, however, are all their own. Fellow co-owner Low Choon Leong took charge in the kitchen, studying and experimenting with different recipes for different flavours. “For our Shy Green Nut pistachio flavour alone, it took more 20 tries before we got it right. We also used pistachios from Sicily as they give the best flavour,” said Low of the store’s current best-selling flavour.

Both Sim and Low, together with another partner, left their jobs to devote themselves full time to Milk & Honey, so called as they see it as their own “promised land” in fulfilling their entrepreneurial dreams. So far, it gets a good supper crowd spilling from the popular 85 Market and residents nearby dropping in for waffles and coffee on top of a frozen treat.

It joins other cool HDB hangouts like Creamier in Toa Payoh and The Daily Scoop in Sunset Way. “The retail landscape is changing in Singapore, I think we’re seeing more quality F&B concepts and artisanal products in the heartlands as the older generation retire and new entrepreneurs are simply priced out in more central locations,” said Sim. With the weather so blisteringly hot, the more quality ice cream shops in the ‘burbs, the better. (Block 86, Bedok North Street 4, #01-179, www.milkhoney.sg)

Gelato ($2.80 to S$4.20)

The gelato here is made fresh daily and is continuously refined with customer feedback and suggestions to achieve the best balance of taste, density and consistency. Other premium ingredients used include double-boiled Madagascan beans for their vanilla flavour, Australian oranges hand-squeezed to create Sun-kiss, and Piazza D’Oro coffee beans from Australia for Irish Latte. A total of 12 flavours are sold every day and new offerings are released every two weeks, the latest being Black Sesame and Lime.

Milk and Honey also introduced Gift Gelato two weeks ago. These cheery-looking pints are printed with special messages such as “Happy Birthday” and “Scoop Of Thanks” to make that happy ending even sweeter.

Waffles and Ice Cream (S$2.80 + ice cream price)

Milk & Honey does a mean waffle — crispy yet fluffy on the inside. Of course, you can choose your preferred flavour but the sweet and zingy strawberry balsamic and salty malty gelato gives the combination a strawberry cheesecake-esque twist (never a bad idea). Alternatively smother your waffle with the intensely chocolatey Choc-a-baby or Matcha heaped with Hokkaido azuki beans for a straight-up, luscious treat. By the way, they also have a Buddy Waffle Meal (waffle, two scoops and a lemonade) for S$9.50

***

4. LE STEAK

Chef Amri Azim would be a familiar face to Suria viewers. The French-trained Malay celeb chef who’s worked in the kitchens of Nicholas and Gourmet Plus is now bringing some French flair to Jalan Kayu.

Don’t expect your usual supper nosh here. The simple 20-seater restaurant, which used to house Canadian 2-For-1 Pizza, opened last March and serves what Azim calls “casual gourmet food” with prime grade steaks and hearty pastas. More impressively, you can savour fresh oysters, mussels and special seasonal creations like saute sea urchin capellini pasta from Friday to Sunday sans dress code — feel free to schlep in to slurp up those oysters in your slippers if that’s your default uniform.

“I’m in the process of educating my customers. I want to show that premium products aren’t just for fine dining restaurants in town and I hope to open up the palettes of people in the Malay community. For example there are still many who don’t understand how to eat good beef as they mistake the redness in beef for bloodiness. I want to show them how delicious premium beef can be so I’m offering halal Wagyu grade 6 and USDA Prime Grade steaks,” he said.

Customers have been eagerly lapping up the steaks and the oysters; Le Steak is now so popular it no longer accepts reservations. It even counts football hero Fandi Ahmad, who once celebrated his birthday here, among its fans.

There are plans to expand both place and menu, as Azim is looking into adding a couple of other items such as beef short ribs. Stay tuned. (248 Jalan Kayu, http://lesteak.com.sg)

Fresh Oysters (S$22 for six)

Le Steak gets its fresh oysters from seasonal sources. Currently, the menu features Pacific oysters from Coffin Bay, South Australia and New Zealand. The oysters were firm and sweet when we tasted them, and are truly of good value. No wonder, Le Steak has gone from ordering 10 dozen in the beginning to 20 dozen oysters to feed the demand. Get here early for these babies.

Caviar (S$50)

A new addition to the menu, the bejewelled Kaluga Queen Caviar from China is said to rival those from the Beluga fish in the Caspian Sea. These gleaming pearls are of the Baeri variety known for its smooth, nutty and buttery taste. The caviar comes with the whole works, enough to please any caviar czar: Buckwheat blini, chopped eggs, onions, chives and a dollop of sour cream. All served on a platter with a mother of pearl spoon to prevent the caviar from oxidising.