Revolution Coffee is one of the new wave of Coffee Shops that have opened over recent years in Singapore. Located in Infinite Studios on Media Circle it is not far from the charming Wessex Estate (a stunning collection of old black and white houses which were home to the British armed Forces in the 1960’s) as well as Holland Village and Buona Vista. A large portion of the inside space is taken up by a sharing table made from reclaimed wood from stadiums all around Singapore, including the National Stadium. Its different coloured woods give it a warm, patchwork like effect and it is a stunning centrepiece to the warehouse like interior of the café.
When I visited, the table was put to full use with various bloggers and writers in attendance as we listened to owner Ajie Permana and Chef Shen Tan (formerly of the Wok and Barrel) explain their vision and the thought process behind Revolution Coffee as well as enjoying some outstanding coffee and delicious food! Ajie travelled around Sydney and Melbourne learning all about coffee and café culture prior to the opening and in doing so has put together a great coffee shop that would fit right into the much admired and mimicked Australian café scene.
Their house blend is Revolution Road from Single Origin Roasters, Sydney, Australia and is a light and approachable blend perfect on its own or with milk to bring out the fruity, caramel undertones. In addition to the house blend, they have a rotating guest blend which at the time of writing is Smitten Coffees “Black Gold” blend which has a much richer, deeper flavour and made an absolutely perfect espresso.
The menu is well thought out and sensibly priced with items from $3.50 to $11.90. I tried A LOT! The Banana Bread ($4.50) is freshly baked in house (as are all of their baked goods, and indeed all of their food) and was beautifully moist and flavourful and it was a struggle not to have more! I also tried a small piece of a fluffy, light and crumbly scone before moving onto the large selection of lunchtime items that had been prepared for us to sample.
Chicken Satay Salad ($8) had lightly marinated slices of chicken, grilled and served with mixed leaves, ketupat, cherry tomatoes and cucumber with a sweet and crunchy satay sauce to accompany it – I can see this being a real hit with the nearby office workers who must be counting their blessings to have Revolution nearby (far more appetising than the Subway next door that’s for sure!) Next up a selection of sandwiches were bought over, a BLT, a Grilled Aubergine and Vegetable Stack on Ciabatta and Roast Beef with Caramelised Onions (all of which are listed on the menu from $8-$11.90) but I passed on these in favour of trying some of the Amatriciana Pasta ($9.50) Perfectly al dente spaghetti with a tangy tomato and bacon sauce this is comfort food at its finest!
They will open for weekend brunch from this weekend onwards and we were able to get a sneak peak of some of their breakfast dishes, most of which were a play on scrambled eggs (served either with lashings of streaky bacon, a nice collection of sautéed wild mushrooms or various sausages) I don’t usually eat Scrambled Eggs anywhere other than home as they are such a simple dish to do, yet many restaurants fall short of the mark. Not here, the eggs were soft and creamy and something I would happily go back for.
We finished with some of Shen Tans famous Pancakes with Gulu Melaka and a Classic Sticky Date Pudding both of which were real show stoppers and I am sure their brunches will be a huge success. Revolution Coffee is a fair way for me to travel to (from Little India!) but the food and coffee make it worth the journey and I would really recommend you check it out should you be based over in that area of town. Thank you to the team for their efforts (and of course the kind invitation!) and I wish them every success!
As mentioned this was an invited tasting and I did not pay for anything although I would happily have done so 🙂
A British Girl Abroad 