A new Japanese-style coffee bar in Singapore morphs into a craft beer joint every evening, offering dual personalities under one roof.
Singapore’s dining scene has no shortage of spaces that shift identities from day to night, but a newcomer at The Concourse is making the transition especially smooth. Tokyo Brew Lab operates as a pour-over coffee bar by day, serving hand-drip speciality brews and Japanese city pop vibes, before dimming the lights at 5 p.m. to become Hanoi Story Bar, a craft beer and cocktail destination with Vietnamese-inspired bites. Located on the first floor of The Concourse opposite Nicoll Highway MRT, the venue offers a cozy, instantly welcoming atmosphere with chairs, sofas, and a bar counter backed by a red feature wall lined with vinyl records.
Coffee Craftsmanship Takes Center Stage
While espresso-based drinks start at $5, the real draw is the hand-drip speciality coffee, priced from $9 and served from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. The bean selection rotates every few weeks based on harvest seasons; current offerings include Sherry Oak, Hanaichigo, Mori Mori Medium, and Slow Beans Medium. Two Vietnamese drip coffee options are also available: a classic café au lait ($4.90) and an iced salted foam latte ($5.50), both made from a 50-50 blend of Robusta and Arabica beans.
Coffee enthusiasts should grab a seat at the bar counter to watch the pour-over process. Baristas pour hot coffee into chilled tulip-shaped stemmed glasses, instantly cooling the drink and releasing its aromatic notes. For those who prefer a hands-on experience, a DIY brew kit ($10) is available for one hour, including a pour kit, grinder, thermometer, and burner kit.
The daytime food menu is compact but effective, with five sandos and two sourdough breakfast plates starting at $9. The viral banana cake ($8) deserves special mention: it features a slightly crisp exterior lined with thin banana slices, a warm fluffy center, and banana ice cream on the side. The egg mayo sando ($7) comes with a generous, seasoned filling and a jammy Hanjuku egg, though the bread could be fluffier. Other options include Spam with scrambled eggs and hashbrown ($9), otah with hashbrown ($8), and nothing exceeds $15.
Evening Transformation Brings Asian Craft Beer Focus
At 5 p.m., the lights dim and Hanoi Story Bar takes over. Owners Bobby Yeoh and Flin Lee favor sours and hop-driven IPAs, so the rotating tap list reflects those preferences. Monthly rotation ensures visitors encounter new breweries across Asia with each visit.
At launch, the duo is featuring Chinese craft beers from Wild West Brewing in Chengdu and Ye Brewing in Shijiazhuang, Hebei. IPA lovers can choose single, double, or triple versions from Wild West (from $19 for 500ml). Fruity sour fans should try Ye Brewing’s smoothie sour ales, made with high fruit purée concentrations in flavors like kiwi, Piña Colada, Sweet Guava Heart, and Tart-Tastic—a berry blend.
The Vietnamese influence extends to cocktails, spirits, and food. Five craft cocktails (from $18) feature spirits from Vietnam, and a range of sake from Mua (from $12), a Vietnamese sake distillery, includes passionfruit and yuzu dragonfruit flavors.
Bar bites are designed for punchy beer pairing, emphasizing bold flavors and crispy textures. Snacks include anchovy crackers ($9) and river prawn fritters ($6) with Vietnamese chili sauces, while fried pork belly ($18) incorporates fish sauce in its marinade. The big market spicy fried chicken ($23) resembles la zi ji but with larger, meatier chunks. Sandos also return at night, featuring wagyu patties and pork katsu (from $19), served with fries.
The Verdict
Time Out rates the venue 4 out of 5, praising its unique day-to-night concept and picture-worthy aesthetics. The main drawback is the two-hour gap on weekdays between the last coffee service at 3 p.m. and bar opening at 5 p.m., making it difficult to settle in for afternoon work despite the quieter midday crowd. Still, both concepts remain relatively under the radar despite their central location.
Tokyo Brew Lab and Hanoi Story Bar are located at 302 Beach Rd, The Concourse, #01-03, Singapore 199600. Tokyo Brew Lab operates Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Hanoi Story Bar runs Monday to Friday 5 p.m.–11:30 p.m., Saturday 5 p.m.–11 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
For more new cafés in Singapore, check out Time Out’s recent picks.