Nana and Friends Cafe: New “blind box” bingsu concept at Suntec City with sweets, savouries and fluffin’ adorable plushies

Blind boxes have been taking the world by storm lately, and we’re all for it. 

They’re sealed boxes of happiness — open them up, and they contain a mystery (or an uber-rare secret) collectible that we’re more than willing to spend our hard-earned pennies on. 

If you enjoy the thrill and anticipation of collecting blind boxes, there’s a new “blind box” bingsu spot at Suntec City that allows you to do just that: Nana and Friends Cafe, which just opened yesterday! 

It’s founded by the team behind Evo Amusement — a supplier of vending and arcade machines for gaming events — and marks its first foray into the food scene. The inspiration for this concept was to create a fun, hybrid space that brings those with a love for blind boxes and bingsu together.

An element of surprise

The highlight of the menu here is its eye-catching bingsu desserts. 

Crowned with an assortment of sprinkles, crumbles and toppings, the bingsu desserts come in six different flavours (S$18 each): Jiuxian (adorned with taro and yam balls, aiyu jelly and red bean paste), matcha, mango, pineapple, chocolate caramel and strawberry.

After you’ve chosen your preferred flavour, wait for your order number to be called. Then, head over to the vending machine (it has a “pick me up” sign on it) to collect your dessert and press its heart-shaped button. 

Now, here’s where the surprise comes in! The vending machine spins to reveal your chosen bingsu, as well as a fluffin’ adorable mystery plushie!

Just like a “blind box”, each plushie is randomly given out.

While we were hoping to rip open an actual blind box, the vending machine mechanism works just as well.

At the moment, there are only five mystery plushies: Nana (the brand’s pink-haired mascot), Fluff (the chicken — our favourite character amongst them all), Moogie (the cow), Bunbun (the rabbit) and Grumbo (the frog). 

More plushie variants are in the pipeline, so diners can ideally get a different mystery plushie with each bingsu order.

At present, there’s also no “secret” plushie that you can get, but our fingers are crossed that the team at Nana and Friends Cafe will add one soon!

The menu at Nana and Friends Cafe

Each bingsu dessert comes with a surprise element of its own, too. It’s a soft and jiggly pudding, modelled after Nana’s range of character plushies — you won’t know what design you’ve gotten until the treat arrives at your table! 

Our order of mango bingsu came as a charming Moogie-shaped pudding that was creamy and delicious. Adding to the indulgence of the dessert was a layer of cheese foam, a tart mango compote, fresh mango cubes, as well as nata de coco and pink boba pearls.

While the mango bingsu was refreshing and light, the matcha and chocolate caramel flavours were on the richer end. Especially for the chocolate caramel: It was laden with brownie cubes and crunchy chocolate crumbles, then drizzled with chocolate syrup, so we find it’s better shared among friends.

Nana and Friends Cafe’s menu also carries mini tarts (S$5 each), which come in an array of 12 different flavours. Among the zestier options are the pineapple and passion fruit, while bolder, indulgent alternatives include the chocolate caramel banana and coffee peanut. 

If you’re craving heartier snacks to nibble on, there are also savoury quiches (S$13) to whet your appetite. There are chicken, salmon and mushroom options and these come in bite-sized portions that are great as a teatime treat.

Mochi waffles (S$4 each) — chock-full of chewy mochi and a cream spread — as well as coffee and soda drinks, are also available on Nana and Friends Cafe’s menu. 

Although there are no dishes filling enough for a full-fledged meal, Nana and Friends Cafe is meant as a pitstop after a long day of shopping. Order a refreshing, ice-cold dessert to refuel and recharge and snag a surprise plushie for the road!

This was an invited tasting. 

For the latest eats, read about ceramic pottery date spot Clayful Art Cafe at Orchard, and home-baker Wheathead’s new bakery at One-North. Alternatively, check out the newest openings in Singapore here. 

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to Nana and Friends Cafe to check out its “blind box” bingsu desserts.