Bad Habits Provision: A vibey, unpretentious NY-style pizza-slice shop at Fort Canning

The Fort Canning-River Valley area has become quite a hot location recently, mostly thanks to the launch of Lo & Behold’s ambitious mixed development, New Bahru.

However, that’s not the only new opening worth checking out.

Perhaps this is more under-the-radar, but there’s another hidden gem nearby that’s equally worth the attention — we’re talking about Bad Habits Provision.

Still in its soft-opening phase since mid-June, Bad Habits Provision specialises in pizzas by the slice, New York-style.

The more hedonistic of us can also indulge in our bad habits, with speciality coffee and cocktails being another focus here.

Found at the side of a building at Mohamed Sultan Road, most people wouldn’t even realise there was a restaurant there, if not for the striking red awning on its facade.

Bad Habits Provision looks like a hole-in-the-wall pizza joint from the outside, but the inside is surprisingly spacious, extending deep into the basement of the building. 

The interior is minimalist and stylish with a grungy, hip-hop-inspired edge to it — it feels like something you’d chance upon in the States or in one of Melbourne’s trendy alleys.

For the lack of a better adjective, it feels like the perfect “hipster” hangout.

Above all, the unpretentious little dwelling is a breath of fresh air for those who have already tried the wave of world-famous Italian-style pizza joints that have been going viral in recent months,

Pizzas by the slice

Besides the aesthetics, part of the appeal of Bad Habits Provision is the personnel — it’s supported by quite a dependable backbone of veterans.

It’s started by brothers Angelo and Addis, alongside Dhar who they dub their “soul brother”. 

The mastermind behind the pizzas is Addis, who used to work at the now-defunct Park Bench Deli as well as head up Love Handle as its chef-owner. We’ll round back to the other two in a bit.

Right now, Addis prefers to keep it simple. Bad Habits Provision offers four different pizza options: Margherita (S$7), triple cheese (S$8), salami (S$8) and one rotating special.

And, like NY-style pizza, you get them served to you on paper, instead of real plates.

The timeless permutations of Margherita and triple cheese are as satisfying as they come, with each slice saucy, indulgent and flavourful, but not overly greasy.

But the dough is what makes the difference here — Addis puts the dough through a 72-hour fermentation process to ensure a nice, firm crunch on the crust, while also hiding a light chew in the crumb.

However, if you’re craving something a little less heavy, the current mushroom kale (S$7) special would probably hit the spot just as well, with juicy shrooms and crunchy kale making for a wonderful mix of earthy flavours.

There are also two sides on the menu at Bad Habits Provision right now: Poutine and meatball marinara. 

For those who love fries that crackle, we recommend getting the poutine, which is served with craggy thick fries that are extra crunchy. Oh, and the cheese curds and thick gravy? Chef’s kiss.

Pick your poison

While pizza is Addis’ domain, Bad Habits Provision also has two experts running the coffee and cocktail programmes.

Coffee connoisseurs would probably recognise Angelo as one of the OG baristas behind popular Japanese coffeehouse Kurasu, whereas Dhar would be no stranger to barhoppers, having been round the bartending circuit at spots such as Junior the Pocket Bar.

The coffee at Bad Habits Provision is a marked departure from Kurasu, as Angelo aims for a return to classic, darker-roast profiles.

That means a menu full of short and strong espresso-based drinks such as Rizzie (ristretto, S$6), Shortie (short black, S$6) and Gibraltar (short white, S$6) — the last of which was nice and silky, but had that rich punch to it.

For the alcoholically inclined, Bad Habits Provision currently does the only  simplest classics such as old-fashioneds (S$23), martinis (S$23), and negronis (S$23).

Simple as they may be though, they are well-made. For example, the negroni is well balanced with a velvety texture, sporting a bit more sweetness that makes it a good pairing with the pizza.

However, the team will be tapping into Dhar’s mixological expertise soon — there may be some coffee-based cocktails in the future. 

Something to look forward to, for pizza lovers who are looking to head down for some slices in the future.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on where to get the best dim sum in Singapore and the new prawn paste chicken shop by a Michelin-starred chef.

Do explore the new GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to Bad Habits Provision at Fort Canning.