Cheeky

Learnt all about the opening of the new Cheeky that is situated at Blk 24 Sin Ming Road when passing through the area recently — Sin Ming had seen quite a fair bit of interesting F&B tenants moving into the neighbourhood in recent years with the addition of establishments like Bake Anthem. Cheeky takes up a shop space that is half the size of the usual shop space at the block; the shop unit in which it occupies being fairly close to that of the coffeeshop that houses Sen Yen Charcoal Traditional Toast and Sin Ming Roti Prata. From the outside, Cheeky bears the look of a cosy nook; the entrance of the store has been moved slightly inwards to create a “front porch” which caters for outdoor seating comprising of camping chairs that is also pet-friendly. The space exudes a rustic, vintage charm from within — almost to the style of that of a European-style living room with antique tables and matched with couch seating, wooden stools, metallic benches and wooden carpentry that gives it a slightly modern touch; all that without losing the cosy atmosphere. Seatings are limited to just the stools around and there are no tables within the establishment for dine-in patrons; the door does seem primarily catered for quick turnover with the already limited seating space available. Considering the size of the establishment, the food menu at Cheeky is limited — there is small variety of Sammies listed on the menu, though it also carries a line-up of bakes in its display shelf at the counter that are not of a fixed selection (i.e. seasonal offerings). Beverages that Cheeky has to offer includes Cuppas (i.e. espresso-based specialty coffee), Cha (i.e. Matcha, Genmaicha, Hojicha offerings), House Pours (i.e. drinking chocolate and cold brew tea) and Spanners (i.e. Einspanner and other Einspanner-inspired drinks).

Heading to Cheeky for a light lunch, it was needless to say that we found ourselves settling for one of their Sammies that were listed on the menu. We liked how the Otah Pei Ya Som has a rather cheeky name play on its namesake that references to a local game that almost everyone would be exposed to during their early schooling days — this also reflects on how Cheeky incorporates local elements into their food offerings as well. The Otah Pei Ya Som is described on the menu to come with elements such as Banana Leaf Otah, Mesculun Greens and Cheese. The simplicity of the item is reflected in the way that the dish is being presented in its plating; a sandwich that has been through the panini grill with a very obvious “embossed” look on the surface of the bread. It does seem like the folks at Cheeky seem to have opted for a more artisanal type of bread to be served that the usual commercial loaves that some establishments opt for when it comes to their toasties / sandwich offerings; one can feel the lightness of the bread despite it being gone in between the panini press — there is a slight crustiness that goes over the top but the bread still retains its fluffy texture without feeling particularly dry. The Banana Leaf Otah here is layered in a manner that gives the Otah Pei Ya Som Sammie a more substantial bite — gave it a good “meaty” texture whilst also carrying a slight kick of spiciness that tickles the tongue which should be manageable to those whom are tolerable to lighter levels of spiciness. The melted cheese gave it an added note of savouriness, and gels everything together with the mesculun greens that came along with it.

We opted for the Milkspanner (Iced) for our choice of drinks — this would see the combination of Milk Coffee and House-made Cream; a twist to the usual Einspanner which will come with Black Coffee instead. The House-made cream here is subtly sweet, providing just the right amount of sweetness for those whom must have some degree of sweetness in their cuppa — all that whilst being of a velvety smooth and creamy texture that we found to be especially on-point. This matched well with the Milk Coffee, which is one that came with a nutty and earthy flavour profile and a light body that is fairly easy to drink. Despite the size of the establishment, Cheeky does seem to be one of those humble, down-to-earth establishments that does not feel pretentious — though their food offerings are simple, the Otah Pei Ya Som does feels hearty and well-made; satisfying the soul through familiar flavours that we hold close to our hearts. In an era where specialty cafes are more focused on serving up more contemporary offerings and sometimes on the pursuit of the last trends, it is establishments like Cheeky that makes a difference in the local cafe-hopping scene that shapes an identity unique to themselves. We do look forward to see what the folks behind Cheeky would be coming up with, and wishing these folks all the best in all else that is to come!