Another day, another ‘hidden’ new café in Singapore.
Well, not so undiscovered anymore. Coexist Coffee Co. is found on Level 8 of the industrial Hillview Building – a walk from Bukit Batok Nature Park, but has gotten some social media attention among Instagram influencers of late.
It ticked some of the right boxes at the start – some form of hidden find to Singaporeans craving for a ‘travel’ adventure, highly instagrammable factor, and promising menu with brunch, mains and pastries.
Also, finally a hipster café at this Bukit Batok area.
It took me a while to struggle out to queue before 9am at somewhere a distance away, since the space will be packed anywhere to get a good empty café shot.
”Could I have grabbed some of those chio photos from their Instagram or others?” Heck it, I wanted to experience this place for myself.
To get there, make your way to Hillview Building, take the lift to the 7th floor, and take up one flight of staircase to the 8th floor.
There was already a short queue when I arrived (late) at 9:01am; and the line was anything from 45 minutes to more than an hour’s wait for those who came later from 10am onwards. (Some people were had to wait by the stuffy stairs.)
Note that mains, all-day breakfast and sharing plates will only be ready by 10am. If you are really hungry for mains, you got to hang around longer.
Converted from a former canteen, the interior is split half into a photogenic white and burgundy-red, with the middle suspended long table being the highlight.
There are extra outdoor seats with a possible view of Little Guilin.
Pastries such as Cheese Danish ($5) and Almond Croissant ($5) are available from 9am, though I found out both were “sold out” lol when I reached the cashier. They presented alternatives such as Raisin Rolls.
Wait till 10am, and All-Day Breakfast items available include Bao Benedict ($14) of poached eggs in mantou ($14), Avocado Toast ($14), Smoked Salmon Toast ($16), Breakfast Burrito ($18), and Kaya French Toast ($16).
The kitchen is likely still ironing out operations, and so the food arrived only after 30 minutes or so.
I had the Coexist Breakfast ($22) included with a choice of eggs, smoky bacon, sausage, herbed mushrooms, and hand-cut potatoes with buttered sourdough toast.
The scrambled eggs were satisfying-creamy and rich (better than the average), matched with a juicy sausage that was steaming with heat when cut through.
Mains offered had some Asian and local elements, featuring Rendang Wagyu Beef Burger ($22), Sambal Fish & Chips ($20), Seafood Coconut Broth ($18), Chicken Waffles ($18), Steak & Eggs ($26), and Squid Ink Fried Rice ($26).
There are also sharing plates of Burrata ($10), Corn Ribs ($10), Smoked Duck Bao ($12), Chilli Crab Shakshuka ($16), Herbed Potato ($8), and Truffle Fries ($8).
While I was slightly disappointed that the Chilli Crab Shakshuka ($16) was not served in a cast iron pan (to contain the heat) and the poached egg was already broken when served, this was tasty combination of spiced chilli crab sauce with tangy tomato-pureed sauce.
The amount of lump crab meat given was considered generous, accompanied with crunchy deep-fried mantou – not the fluffy type.
While not all instagrammable cafes manage to nail down their food aspect, Coexist Coffee Co. delivers a promising menu with local flavours and good coffee, all in a creatively done-up space with friendly service.
If they can iron out their kitchen operational processes and better QC the output of their dishes, Coexist can be a favourite to many staying in this area of Singapore.
Coexist Coffee Co.
48 Hillview Ter, Hillview Building #08-00, Singapore 669269
Opening Hours: 9am – 7pm (Mon – Sun)
Other Related Entries
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Simple Cafe 簡單 (West Coast)
September (Beauty World)
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