Opened by a part-time lawyer, Mad Roaster is a specialty-coffee shop with a good cause.
They help refugees who are seeking asylum in Thailand by commissioning tiny works of art, which can be found in the design of each of their customised logos on their cups and products.
So keep a look-out for the stickers on the cups, as every single piece is hand-coloured. The artists get paid for every sticker they colour.
Mad Roaster first opened at Amoy Street Food Centre, and has subsequently expanded to a few places.
These include a shared space within Kipos Gourmet at Joo Chiat, and a weekend-only pop-up at Moonstone.
Even though there is a temporary closure of Amoy Street Food Centre till 10 Jan 2022 due to renovation works, Mad Roaster fans can still find them at a permanent cafe located at Depot Road (near Bukit Merah).
Their new space is equipped with 2 long benches on the sides, each accommodating 3 mini coffee tables.
The coffee here features a signature blend featuring Ethopian Sidamo Arabica, with options of Espresso ($3), Americano ($3), Flat White ($4) and Latte ($5).
Add a dollar for Oat Milk or extra Espresso Shot and $0.50 for iced version.
Specials include Honey Butter Latte ($5), Matcha Latte ($5), and Cold Brews with Black ($4.50), White ($5) and Cereal Milk ($5.50).
Having tried their Americano ($3) and Flat White ($4) at Amoy and Joo Chiat, I decided to go with their 2 specials Honey Butter Latte ($5) and Matcha Latte ($5) this time round.
The Honey Butter Latte ($5) leaned towards a sweeter side, medium bodied with an aromatic buttery fragrance similar to our local Kopi Gu You (coffee with butter).
Using the first flush tencha from Nishio, Japan, the sweetened Matcha Latte ($5) is also robust with distinctive vegetal notes.
New on the menu are the savoury options, namely Brioche Grilled Cheese ($7) and Avocado Brioche Toast ($7) using laminated brioche baked in-house.
I enjoyed the Brioche Grilled Cheese ($7) which was toasted before serving to give it a crispy and flaky texture.
The sweet, buttery taste of the pastry is well balanced by the savoury notes of the cheddar cheese and the herbs infused within the brioche.
Fans of Mad Roaster can still get their favourite Cinnamon Brioche ($2.80) and Chocolate Babka ($3) here, which can get sold out pretty quickly.
Serving good coffee with a heart, I am happy that Mad Roaster continues to expand to help more refugees add colours to their lives.
Mad Roaster
108 Depot Rd, #01-14, Singapore 100108
Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm (Tues – Sun), Closed Mon
Other Related Entries
Alchemist at The Mill (Jalan Kilang)
Nylon Coffee Roasters (Everton Park)
Coffee Plus (Queen’s Road)
PYROAST (Henderson Road)
Round Boy Roasters (Jalan Bukit Merah)
* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
