Although there are speciality cafes aplenty in Somerset, this is one opening you won’t want to miss.
Longtime fans of the popular cafe would know this by now, but Equate Coffee in Orchard Central is a seriously stunning new spot to get your caffeine fix in town.
The popular cafe, which first opened at Tanjong Pagar in March 2021, is best known for its sleek minimalist aesthetics, house blend coffee, and artisanal bakes.
In true Equate Coffee fashion, the aesthetics are off the charts.
The interior of this second outlet is strikingly different from that of the first; despite being nestled along of the busiest shopping stretches in Somerset, it stands out from the typical run-of-the-mill mall cafes.
Raw, exposed concrete is juxtaposed with natural, earthy elements, while two uprooted upside down trees serve as the centerpiece of the space, making for some seriously photo-worthy moments.
At the time of writing, the cafe is still in its soft launch phase, but you can look forward to an even more extensive selection of pastries prepared in-house and a hot food menu exclusive to Orchard Central.
The ordering process is simple — just scan the QR code on your table and wait for your food and coffee to be served.
Although you can find espresso-based options like the Black Coffee (S$5) and Mocha (S$5.50), or even Filter Coffee (S$14), we went for the White Coffee (S$5), which showcases Equate Coffee’s signature house blend consisting of beans from Brazil and Sumatra.
The cuppa was medium-bodied, with pleasant chocolatey and nutty notes, but I did find it a touch too acidic for my palate.
I definitely preferred the rich and bittersweet Chocolate (S$5), a dark, decadent chocolate lover’s dream come true.
Moving on to the food, Japanese-inspired sandos, with a choice of either Tonkatsu (S$15.80) or Spam Truffle Egg Mayo (S$13.80), are available from 11am onwards.
We went for the latter, comprising creamy truffle egg mayo (very aromatic) and thick slices of pork spam on toasted milk bread (shokupan), which made for a moreish, though slightly messy, meal.
You can also order sides like Shoestring Fries (S$7.80), Truffle Fries (S$11.80), and Onion Rings (S$8.80) with homemade sauces.
As for the pastries, we opted for the Hazelnut Chocolatine (S$7.80), a cube-shaped croissant filled with homemade chocolate hazelnut praline that tasted like a cross between a Kinder Bueno and Ferrero Rocher.
One random observation is that the plates used here are not the most user-friendly (the plate with the croissant kept spinning around as we attempted to cut the cube into pieces).
I can’t wait for the full menu to be launched, but till then, I’ll still pop by every now and then for a sando or two.
Equate Coffee Orchard Central
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????181 Orchard Road, #01-17A, Orchard Central, Singapore 238896
???? 9.30am–8.30pm (Daily)
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