My friends working at Ubi often lament the lack of artisanal coffee places near their workplace compared to many other areas in Singapore.
Good news to those working at Ubi, Parched by coffee roaster Parchmen & Co. has set up a permanent coffee bar at the lobby of Aspial One.
Opened by the same folks behind pet-friendly Sun Ray Cafe at Serangoon Garden, Parched offers probably one of the most affordable specialty coffee in Singapore.
Take note is that dining-in is restricted to the table and chairs at the laminated areas, not including the common space at the building lobby.
With options such as Pourover Coffee ($6) and Espresso-based drinks ($2 – $6), coffee beans used are roasted in-house.
Customers can choose between 2 options for their espresso-based drinks, a single origin Ethiopia or a 2-beans-blend from Peru and Honduras.
The Ethiopia beans is more suitable for Black ($3 for 5oz, $5 for 10oz) with a more concentrated citrus flavour and sweeter body with notes of ginger flowers, raspberry and lime.
My cup of White ($3 for 5oz, $5 for 10oz) prepared using their house blend of Peru and Honduras was smooth and medium bodied, with distinctive chocolate notes and faint hints of apple and pear.
Overall, it was overall rich and well balanced, without being overly acidic.
Non-coffee drinkers can look out for their selection of Wulong, Green and Red Tea ($5), Matcha/ Hojicha Latte ($4) and Chocolate ($5).
The Matcha Latte (Hot $4, Iced $5) was unsweetened with robust and distinctive earthy notes, but could be a tad milky.
Complimentary syrup is provided for those who prefer a sweetened cup.
For a quick bite, a small selection of Sandwiches ($5 – $6), Salad ($8 – $10), Quiche ($3 – $4) and Desserts ($6 – $7.50) are available.
One can find Matcha and Hojicha Swiss roll ($7.50 each), Sour Cream Cheese Cake ($6), Fig Pie ($6), Strawberry Shortcake ($6) and Dark Chocolate ($6) on the display shelf.
While most places serve their Swiss roll by slices, the Matcha and Hojicha Swiss roll here are served in bigger portions.
As the Swiss rolls were not completely thawed before serving, the cream turned out to be slightly icy even though the sponge cake was soft and moist.
Of the two, the Matcha Roll fared better than the Hojicha, the latter turned out to be slightly disappointing without the earthiness and aromatic flavour that I expected.
With a convenient option for some good and affordable artisanal coffee, Parched will be an ideal spot for both the office workers and cafe goers.
Parched
Aspial One, 55 Ubi Ave 3, Singapore 408864
Opening Hours: 8:30am – 6pm (Mon – Sun)
Other Related Entries
Jimmy Monkey (Paya Lebar Quarter)
Stamping Ground Coffee (Upper East Coast Road)
The Garden Slug Petite (Kovan)
The Bread Rack (Yio Chu Kang)
Cafe Bakeaholic (Springleaf)
* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
