Ahh.. Don’t you just love walking past the window display of a local deli.
When in Sydney, D. took me around to the little streets filled with unique antique shops, boutiques, cafes and my favourite.. delis.
Short for delicatessen, deli is somewhat a cross between a fast-food restaurant and a grocery store, offering a wide range of food stuff, such as GOOD coffee, cheese, sweets, sandwiches, platters, and a variety of not-so-commercial grocery items, such as dipping sauce, jams, dressings, chutneys… etc (I could go on forever…)
Interestingly enough, we popped in to a Sydney popular deli named Jones The Grocer for a quick bite and shop, and their friendly staff informed us that they have just opened up a franchise in Singapore! (Low & Behold!!!)
Tucked away in Dempsey Hill, Jones The Grocer Singapore is about three times the size of its Sydney store, with a much bigger dining area. The part that still gives me the thrill is that they have a cheese room too!
D. and I popped in a couple of weekends ago, and we were amazed at how packed it was (felt like Okka Central for a while!), and I was very pleased to see that Singaporeans were getting into this deli culture.
Deli culture is predominantly a Western one, but the success of Jones the Grocer will definitely raise the bar on the standards that we are about to expect from a decent deli. Though it will take a longer time that I expect, I hope deli culture will become an a new Singapore way of life (mainstream, that is).
Kitchenery 