More bang for your buck

SINGAPORE — The Steamroom with the Pillar and Stones, as a name, is a bit of a mouthful.

Likewise, describing it requires one to say at that this new entry into the lifestyle market is a teahouse, a restaurant, a boutique, and an art retail space and workshop.

“Just call it SRPS,” managing partner and co-owner, Wong Lip Chin, said helpfully of the new Orchard Central store.

Opened officially on May 3, the name as explained by Wong, reflects the multiple uses of the space.

While the multi-concept space is nothing new — think Mahota Commune (a food store, fitness studio and crafts space) or Stamping Ground (which houses a florist and coffee shop) — SRPS is perhaps the most “sensory”.

“I want to challenge, engage and attract the inquisitive,” said Wong, 30. “Food is a sensorial experience, just like art; so is tea-drinking and even shopping,” he added.

SRPS is divided into three spaces over 5,000 sq feet.

The Steamroom refers to the “kaffatea” room where a Alpha Dominche steampunk machine is used to brew tea. Coffee is served, too.

At Steamroom, the focus is on Chinese teas picked in small plantations. Expect to find green teas such as Bi Lou Chun, or the fermented black tea Pu Erh.

Pillar refers to the restaurant because Wong feels food is the key (pillar) of gatherings while the Stones referring to the very first medium for the earliest art forms, is an art workshop and retail space. This resto is helmed by executive chef Stephan Zoisl — who has worked at esteemed places such as The Fat Duck and Alinea — and head chef Trevor Paulo. Dishes here include New Zealand salmon, tataki-style, and Salmon Ochazuke, a dish of rice, salmon and clear consommé.

Most intriguingly, Stones is an “art lab”, said Wong, who is an adjunct lecturer at LaSalle College of the Arts. He is also an artist whose practice includes painting and printmaking. At Stones, aspiring artists can immerse themselves in masterclasses, workshops and “jamming sessions” led by professionals.

Wong said that he was inspired by Colette and 10 Corso Como, when coming up with the idea for SRPS. He was referring to the famous concept stores in Paris and Rome respectively. Those combine photography studios, and retail spaces for coffee, food and clothes.

At Stones, a range of lifestyle brands — from offerings from Portuguese men’s grooming brand Musgo Real, to clothes by UltraMarine Studio from local multi-label fashion and lifestyle company Emporium of Modern Men — are for sale.

When asked if he has plans to expand SRPS overseas, following the 10 Corso Como model, which grew in different cities, Wong whose creative chops even extend to cooking — he once opened a hipster ramen stall in Maxwell Market — is ambiguous.

“We are open to collaborating with partners who share our vision of creating unique experiences,” he said.

Steamroom with the Pillar and Stones, at Orchard Central (181 Orchard Road, #03-08, Tel: 6592 0571, www.srps.space).

Check out the latest multi-concept stores

Monument Lifestyle

Opened in April on the hip stretch of Duxton Road occupied by boutique gyms and advertising agencies, this café-cum-lifestyle store is owned by couple Dustin Ramos and Iris Sangalang. It aims to make everyday moments like drinking coffee, having a sandwich and buying lifestyle products so pleasurable, they seem monumental.

To this end, they have brought in specially curated brands and products they loved while living in San Francisco where they were last based with a tech startup. Ramos and Sangalang have sourced handmade soy candles from P.F Candle that evoke warm, fuzzy feelings when burned, and surfer-dude gear from Katin Faherty. There are even custom-made Deus Ex Machina surf boards and hipflasks from Gentleman’s Hardware.

For joes and dough, Ramos and Sangalang use artisanal roasts such as Four Barrel Coffee, and have invested in a PourSteady machine for pour-overs. They also spent two months hunting for the perfect sourdough bread in Singapore. Pick a spread of Nutella, avocado or cinnamon sprinkle to go with your bread or choose from a selection of gourmet sandwiches from Park Bench Deli.

Monument Lifestyle is at 75 Duxton Rd, www.facebook.com/monumentlifestyle/

Knots Café and Living

With terrariums and vases full of lush roses, colourful orchids and cheery-looking sunflowers, this cafe-cum-interiors-store has been packing in the crowds since opening last June.

The fact that it is housed in an industrial area in Paya Lebar does not deter visitors, since it is so bedecked in greenery. No wonder, since its owner, Soh Yee How, also owns florist chain Xpressflower.com.

Inspired by garden-themed cafes such as Aoyama Flower Market Tea House in Japan, Soh has set up a relaxing and calm environment where people can enjoy looking at the flora, while chowing down on a sandwich or pizza, and enjoying a cuppa. Other items on the menu include onion and borscht soup and matcha waffles. Soh’s ready supply of flowers means the plants in the 2,600 sq ft space get replaced every two days, but no plants are for sale at Knots.

What’s for sale is furniture from those such as Triboa Bay Living, a Filipino brand from the Subic Bay. You can buy a display cabinet, console and even the chair you sat on.

Knots Café & Living is at Orion@Paya Lebar (#01-07, 160 Paya Lebar Rd, tel: 6817 0383, www.facebook.com/knotscafeandliving)