After missing out last year, I finally got the chance to attend HoYofest Singapore 2022 at Flipper’s, located in the heart of the city at Bugis Junction, on its September 28 opening day.
From the subway, I walked up to the first floor. Even before I saw the café, I spotted a real life Teleport Waypoint with a Zhongli standee in front. They definitely knew how to catch my eye.
Turning right, I found Flipper’s tucked in a brightly lit corner of the shopping mall. Once seated, it took me a while to take in everything. The entire café was beautifully decorated with Genshin Impact paraphernalia: everything from the tables, to the outer cabinets, to the wooden frames above us, to the windows that peek into the kitchen, to the glass doors of the mall.
While I admit I had spent many minutes staring at Zhongli in the large archon poster in front of our table, perhaps the most memorable thing about Hoyofest Singapore 2022 was the atmosphere. Left and right, Genshin Impact players were so happy to be here, ordering the unique food dishes on offer, pulling on the new 3.1 banners, and just having a great time with their friends.
- Go full circle with this sweet Sayu cosplay by Genshin voice actor LilyPichu
- Domino’s Mentaiko pizza will restore your HP, just like in Genshin Impact
Is HoYofest Singapore 2022 worth going?
HoYofest Singapore 2022 food review
I’m Singaporean so the first thing on my mind besides Zhongli is the food — four dishes, three from Mondstadt and one from Inazuma. We tried all of them together with the menu’s three unique drinks.
The most iconic Genshin Impact dish has to be Adventurer’s Breakfast Sandwich. Every player would recognize it. In-game, its recipe is available from Hertha once you hit reputation level four in Mondstadt. While it will not increase your attack stat in real life, I guarantee it will satisfy your palette.
Described as a “nutritious egg dish”, the poached eggs were cooked to perfection, which pairs well with hollandaise sauce and chicken honey ham. It is not only one of the Adventurers’ Guild’s top-rated breakfasts, but it’s also ours.
Flipper’s is known for their signature fluffy pancakes, so their Tea Break Pancake did not disappoint. The most surprising ingredient was the maple butternut, which replaces your usual butter spread. The only thing it lacked was more syrup.
The breaded chicken in the Kastsu Sandwich was very tasty. Sometimes deep fried katsu you find in Japanese restaurants can be a bit too salty, but these were just nice, packed with slices of fresh avocado.
The most unique Genshin Impact dish that’s not your typical café food is the Crispy Potato Shrimp Platter, which to me is a must-try simply because you won’t find any variations of it elsewhere. Asian dishes do not put shrimp and mashed potato together, what more on a potato chip, so I didn’t know what to expect when I first tasted it.
Tucked in between the layers, the sweetness that came from the apricot and corn was a pleasant surprise, which complements the mild flavor of the prawn. They truly were the secret ingredient that made this dish pop.
Each drink — the Berry and Mint Burst, Wolfhook Juice, and Apple Cider — had its own unique flavor. The safest option is the cider, which was also the most fruity, but if you’re feeling adventurous, the Wolfhook Juice gets better with every sip, while the Berry and Mint Burst will make you feel refreshed.
Thank you cryo slimes for keeping them cold.
Freebies, merchandise, and more
In addition to the food, there was also a staff member who went around giving out freebies. All we had to do was follow Genshin Impact on Facebook which earned us a scratch card. I received a version 3.1 postcard featuring Scaramouche, but if you’re lucky enough, you can even win an acrylic standee. The meal also came with another free postcard featuring our lovely archons as well as HoYofest stickers.
The best part of the experience was seeing fellow Genshin Impact players in real life. I play the game daily every single night, in the comfort of my room. Sure, it’s a fun single-player game but also non-interactive, so it was delightful to overhear conversations from adjacent tables about which Genshin dish they wanted to try, which merchandise they were eyeing, or who was spending the most money. It really felt like we were dining al fresco outside Cat’s Tail in Mondstadt.
One table even pulled out their mobile phones and iPads to roll on the version 3.1 banners, and lifted up their devices to pose for photographs after, with what I assume was successes on their screens and not Qiqi.
For those who would like to purchase official Genshin Impact merchandise, do note that there’s a daily limit. Once a certain quantity, regardless of design, is sold out for that day, it won’t restock until the next. Only registered diners who order a meal will be given a stamp to enter.
Check out our full guide on how to attend HoYoFEST 2022 here.
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READ MORE: The 5 best Genshin Impact demos that shook up Teyvat
