One of the main-stayers at Upper Thomson since 2011 (yes, that’s a full decade ago), Habitat Coffee has shifted out of their home ground and into the Jalan Besar neighbourhood.
The Jalan Besar area is now once again revived with new additions in the community.
Recent openings include Lola Faye Cafe, Once Upon A Time (opened by actress Jeanette Aw), +886 Taiwanese Bistro, Asylum Coffehouse, For The People, Sweets Craftsman, to Café Monochrome.
This new space now accommodates 3 long communal tables and 8 tables nicely spaced apart.
It is decked in a similar style as their defunct outlet at Upper Thomson with shades of white and black, cemented floorings and wooden furnitures,
Something different is their coffee counter now decked in a baby blue shade and a new Synesso S-Series S300 3 group espresso machine, instead of the La Marzocco espresso machine used at Upper Thomson.
Menu-wise, the items are mainly similar to their stint at Upper Thomson, with new upcoming additions when dining-in resumes.
All-Day Brunch is available till 8pm, with signature brunch items such as Big Ben ($18), Pulled Pork Benedict ($17), Avocado & Eggs ($17) and Stuffed Berries Hotcake ($16).
For a more substantial meal, 3 different Rice Bowls are offered on the menu: Veggie Bowl ($13), Honey Garlic Prawn ($17) and Beef Yakiniku ($13), Pasta with Mushroom Truffle ($17), Chilli Crab Linguine ($18) and Grilled Teriyaki Salmon ($14).
There is a small and concise dessert menu with Dark Molten ($11), Matcha Molten ($12) and Pick a Date ($12).
As dining in is prohibited during Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), I decided to takeaway their signature Matcha Molten ($12) with a single scoop of green tea gelato packed separately.
The home baked green tea lava cake was microwaved before serving, which gives it a smooth and flowy molten green tea lava when sliced open.
Taste-wise, there is distinctive vegetal notes and bitterness from the green tea complemented with the sweetness from the white chocolate used.
The texture of the lava cake is worth a mention, soft and moist without being cakey with cookie crumbles on top that give it an extra crunch.
The scoop of green tea gelato is a tad underwhelming, especially comparing it to the strong and robust green tea lava cake.
Using a 2-beans-blend of Brazil and Sumatra roasted in Malaysia for their espresso-based drinks, all their coffees come with double ristretto.
Sounds familiar? It’s the same espresso blend used at Equate Coffee in Tanjong Pagar supplied by Habitat Coffee themselves.
The usual selection can be found, namely Espresso Macchiato ($3.50), Long Black ($4), Piccolo ($4), Cappuccino (/ Flat White/ Latte ($5) and Flavoured Latte ($6) – Caramel, Mocha, Hazelnut, Vanilla.
My cup of Iced Mocha ($7) comes with a layer of chocolate sauced at the bottom, fresh milk in the middle, topped with an espresso shot and dusted with cocoa powder.
The darker roast and chocolatey and nutty tone in the tasting notes were more pronounced and further enhanced by the coca powder, making it more robust.
Ideal for takeaways during this period, three different cold brews namely Cold Brew Black ($6), Cold White Coffee ($6.50) and Cold Matcha Coffee ($7) are packed in 250ml bottles.
Habitat Coffee
803 King George’s Ave, #01-242/244, Singapore 200803
Opening Hours: 10am – 8:30pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon (Soft launch)
Other Related Entries
Café Monochrome (Jalan Besar)
Obsessive Chocolat Desire (OCD) Ice Cream Café (Jalan Besar)
SYIP (Owen Road)
+886 Taiwanese Bistro (Jalan Besar)
Lola Faye Café (Hamilton Road)
* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
