NËš1 JUN - AUG 2015 what it takes to be a barista / build your own cafe empire music for your caffeine adventures / no frills coffee bites we got the best of coffee and more
S$8.90 food&gang ft. specialty coffee and local cafe culture this was made in singapore
editor: darrylin lee darrylin@slicemag.com.sg creative director: sera goh sera@slicemag.com.sg writers: nurdiana zainuddin diana@slicemag.com.sg keerthigar perumal kitti@slicemag.com.sg marketing director darrylin lee photography keerthigar perumal, nurdiana zainuddin, sera goh illustrator sera goh
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YES! WE’RE LIVE! Our debut issue is a whole lot of caffeine packed into one hundred pages. Local coffee culture has just started flourishing and we’re expecting an even bigger wave now that we’re in 2015. So we spoke to some people and tried some places. Only the best made it in, duh. Indra from The Assembly Ground gave us the insights on what it takes to be a barista. A whole lot of passion and patience, that’s for sure. We took a trip down to Nylon Coffee Roasters to take a look at what they served and we were definitely impressed. Through this issue, I guess most of us at SLICE make decent coffee connoisseurs. Apart from understanding the craft of our theme, SLICE is really all about looking for new things and rediscovering the things we already know. With each new issue, we’ll slice things thoroughly, speaking to unique personalities and experiencing new gastronomania. We learn even as we age and that’s just the way life is, that’s just what SLICE wants to be. We want to be part of your lifelong journey and we want you to be a part of our journey as we redefine food journalism. Thank you for giving us the chance and we hope you’ll stick around for a long, long time.
Darrylin Chief Editor SL / C E 09
cont ent
coffee couture
before the brew
Page 18 - 21 With a few odds and ends and a little bit of time, the possibilities are endless!
shots 101 Page 23 What’s the difference between a latte and a mocha? Decoding the coffee mystery.
know your brews Page 25 - 27 Aero Press, French Press and Chemex. More ways than one to get your caffeine fix.
the taste maker
Page 46 - 51 Looking to join in on the café action? Here are some insider tips.
street expeditions Page 56 - 71 Countless cafés all over our island home, we give you three places that are a must to visit!
the playlist Page 78 - 79 The best tunes to go with your cuppa.
seasonal grind
Page 30 - 31 What makes a great cup of coffee? 4 things to look out for!
over the counter Page 36 - 41 A day in the life of a Barista.
bean bites Page 45 Detailed pictorials accompanied with interesting tidbits that you won’t resist showing off to your friends! SL/CE 10
Page 80 - 81 Time now to sit back, relax and watch a couple of movies featuring this drink!
chef-it-up Page 87 - 93 Why just drink it when you can also eat it? Stretch your coffee stash and make some delectable treats!
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things
t hi ngs Give your candles a new dimension
COFFEE CANDLES Ever wanted to buy scented candles but found them a little too pricy? Why not make some yourself? These coffee candles could also be given as gifts to your friends. And if you like, you could jazz these up by wrapping it in coloured paper like we did, or adding on some detailing like a bow or stickers. Let your creativity flow! But just remember to only use unscented candles!
coffee couture by keerthigar perumal & nurdiana zainuddin
What you’ll need: Old and used candles Ground coffee Pot Empty container Teaspoon Instructions: 1. In the pot, pour water until it is half-full and bring it just under the boil. 2. Place your old candles (Remember to save the wicks!) into the empty container and add it into the pot of water to melt the candles. Make sure to keep stirring so that the wax completely melts. 3. Once the wax is completely melted, add ground coffee into the liquid and stir until it’s completely melted. 4. Remove the container from the pot of water and add wicks to the liquid. Leave it to solidify before use. TIPS: Add coffee granules to the top of the candle as it is drying to (dress it up) make it look more presentable. You may also use a separate container for your candle instead of the one used for melting the wax.
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COFFEE AIR FRESHENER Every house needs some air fresheners. So why not have coffee scented ones? It literally is a one step process to freshen up your room and have the aroma of coffee wafting about. We used socks but you could also use stockings if you have them lying around your house. What you’ll need: Socks Ground coffee Instructions: 1. Add the amount of ground coffee into the sock and tie it up. TIPS: Use string to tie it up in your home! Pamper yourself with things you find around the house
COFFEE FACE MASK If you’re looking for a simple organic face mask, then try this. You could also add in ingredients that will work for your skin, like honey. The coffees works as an exfoliator and if you want extra exfoliation, apply this paste in circular motions. Pamper yourself without breaking your wallet! What you’ll need: Bowl 1 cup of unsweetened whole milk 1/2 cup of ground coffee 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tablespoon of lemon juice Instructions: 1. In the bowl, mix the ground coffee with the cocoa powder. 2. Add in the milk and stir to create a thick paste. 3. Add in the lemon juice to the mixture. Instructions to use: Place the mixture on face and leave it on for 20 minutes (or until it dries) before washing off. Aromatize your house with coffee
Refer to page 23 for shots 101 espresso guide! SL/CE 20
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know your brews by keerthigar perumal & nurdiana zainuddin
Syphon Whether you know it as siphon, syphon, vacuum pot or vacpot you cannot deny that this machine looks fascinating. Invented in the 1830s by Loeff, it uses the expansion and contraction of water vapour to function. There are four main parts: two containers, a syphon tube and a filter. How to use: Add water into the lower container and coffee grounds in the upper. Heat the water and as it reaches the grounds, stir to ensure it is wet. Once brewed, remove the heat source to serve.
V60 Uniquely constructed with a spiraled opening, the V60 brews quickly to provide a balanced cuppa. Technique is especially critical when using the apparatus. It’s a swift process especially when you could just directly make coffee into your cup by placing the apparatus on it. How to use: Place filter paper on V60 and rinse by pouring hot water. Pour grounded coffee into the filter and then pour just enough hot water to saturate the beans for around 45 seconds. Once saturated, continuously pour hot water to create coffee. SL / C E 25
How to use: Plunge hot water to preheat the French press. Once preheated, add coffee grounds into the beaker and saturate the beans with hot water for a minute before stirring. Pour remaining water and give the apparatus around 3 minutes before plunging and serving.
Chemex Invented in 1941 by Dr. Peter Schlumbohm PhD, the Chemex is a manual coffeemaker that’s easy to use. The pour-over apparatus first began as an hourglass shaped carafe with a leather tie and wooden collar. Now it comes in various designs that ensures pure flavor. How to use: Place a filter into the Chemex, rinse then drain. This also helps to preheat the Chemex. Pour coffee grounds and hot water over and leave it to “bloom”. Then add desired amount of hot water to finish.
Aero Press Said to produce the “World’s smoothest, richest brew”, the aero press, cleans itself as it is in use. Invented by Alan Adler, it resembles a plastic syringe and prepares your brew in a minute. As such, the final product is less acidic and less bitter. How to use: Place a filter into the cap and insert it into the plastic tube. Add coffee grounds and pour hot water. Stir for 10 seconds before inserting plunger and pressing down. Remember not to over steep to avoid making the coffee more acidic and bitter.
Clever Dripper If a fuss free method is what you seek a clever dripper is all you need! It comes with a lid to keep the heat in and a coaster for it to rest on. That’s because the bottom of the dripper has a clever contraption that drips the coffee when placed on a cup. How to use: Fold the edges of the filter paper, place it into the dripper and rinse. Drain the water, add the coffee grounds and quickly add in the water. After steeping, place the dripper onto a cup and it’ll release the coffee. SL/CE 26
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French Press Also known as the Press Pot, the apparatus uses medium or coarser coffee grounds. First patented by Attilio Calimani in 1929, it has gone through a series of design changes. It now consists of a beaker with a metal or plastic lid and plunger with a nylon or wire mesh filter.
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the taste maker by darrylin lee
Aroma This somewhat is a sneak peek to coffee flavours. Of course, what you smell may not necessarily be what you will eventually taste. They can have fruity or plant-like qualities or nuances of nuts, cocoa and even wood. Body The simplest way to figure out the body of your cuppa – does it taste like water? A coffee’s body is the intensity through feeling texture and weight. Take a sip and let the coffee sit on your tongue for a bit. A good body is strong and pleasant, it feels full as opposed to being thin. Acidity Don’t worry, this has nothing to do with the pH levels of your coffee. As odd as this may sound, acidity is a desirable quality to have in coffee tasting as it adds to the liveliness of the flavour by giving a tangy-like punch to tasting. Without acidity, the coffee would be flat and dull. Of course, acidity can be unpleasant too. Flavour & aftertaste The taste of coffee varies just like wine. The environment the beans were harvested in plays an important part of giving them subtle flavours you can pick out – maybe a hint of cocoa, a fruity taste or even something nutty or earthy. A common guideline for a balanced cuppa means it shouldn’t be too sour, too dry or too bitter.
Taste is something of 100% subjectivity, I am thinking you are thinking the same thing. If we’re talking about coffee, you’re thinking: Surely there’s no perfect cup for everyone since we all have different taste buds. You’re right. But not entirely. You see, there are industry guidelines (objectively speaking) to what contributes to a good cup of coffee. In the words of UK’s Colonna and Small’s co-owner, Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, “There is an accumulation of ideas and standards that are relative to that product, a framework for judgement (for good coffee).” Before I get to what makes a good cup of coffee, I learnt from a barista friend that it is much easier to tell what’s in a bad cup. For example, you walk into a café and order a cup of espresso. If you do not hear the grinding machine booming by the bar, maybe you could consider cancelling your order. Ground coffee loses most of its flavour after 20 minutes of grinding, so if your beans were not ground on the spot, you’re probably paying for bad coffee. Water also has qualitative and quantitative factors that could affect the taste of your coffee. So how do we differentiate good coffee from bad?
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here’s what some of your top coffee-producing countries have! Brazil You know your Brazilian coffee is of quality when your shot is nutty, less acidic, with delightful bittersweet chocolate taste. Ethopia Depending on the process, beans from Ethopia range from fruity, berry-like to a floral character. Kenya Kenyan beans are usually higher in acidity with a medium body. They’re best known for their complex tones of fruit and berry.
people
by keerthigar perumal
- indra azriely
Any regular latte just won’t cut it for today’s coffee drinkers with café culture and café hopping becoming a trend in recent days. No doubt fuelled by the recent spurt of cafés all around our lion city, today’s coffee drinkers are more well-informed about what goes on in their cups - especially the youth of today. An increasing number of them are showing an interest in becoming baristas. What with Singapore Polytechnic running a course on Business and Science of Coffee, it is safe to say the art of extracting, pulling and everything coffee is ‘in’ right now. Though, it’s no surprise that not everyone in the field started with a fiery passion for coffee. Like Indra Azriely, from humble beginnings at a McCafé eight years ago, he’s now the assistant manager at The Assembly Ground. He says, “It wasn’t an interest at first. It’s just something… it grew into me.” Indra’s career advancement to being assistant manager is pretty impressive, but how did he hone his skills as a barista? Indra mentions that it all boils down to proper training. When we asked him how different The Assembly Ground is from other cafés, he feels that the main factor that distinguishes their identity would be the commercialisation approach most places adopt – “Over here, we emphasize on the taste of the coffee. I’m just glad to say that I’m blessed with good baristas.” The Assembly Ground, located next to its retail counterpart Benjamin Barker, features a wide range of food and drinks and provides customers with a good place to relax with friends. It is also relatively new to the market. We had a little chat with Indra to find out more about what’s it like to start as a barista from ground zero. He tells us what it takes to go far. SL / C E 37
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over the counter
“you can never ever make a good cup of coffee without emotions because how you steam the milk or how you pull the shots all depends on how you feel it.”
peopl e The Assembly Brunch, S$19.50
SLICE: So, Indra! What attracted you to a start-up like The Assembly Ground instead of other established cafés, like say Common Man Coffee Roasters, for example? Indra: I’ve been into many organizations where they’re already established and a part I wanted the most was to be growing with somebody. That was the reason why I came into The Assembly Ground. I wanted to be part of a growth and I wanted to go through that to grow together as well. Well, the main difference between, let’s say, Starbucks and The Assembly Ground or Common Man Coffee Roasters would be that they’re commercialized and we’re more specialized. Our beans are of higher grade compared to Starbucks beans so I would say there’s a vast difference there. SLICE: What’s a typical day at work like for you? Indra: The day starts with some coffee tasting. We call it calibration of our tongue and then we go along, testing out our machines, warming up the stuff and then we start off normal service. And I cannot tell you... (Pauses) Every day is a different experience. That’s the wonderful thing about F&B. SLICE: Having worked your way up to being assistant manager, you must have had your fair share of challenges. What are some of them? Indra: From a manager’s point of view, it will be the declining economy. Everything, everywhere seems to be going down. So that would be my main worry. We’re also in a location where there are a balance of tourists and locals at the same time so with this decline in economy it can be a factor to our sales. SLICE: Among these and other challenges like competitive coffee making what is it that keeps you going? Indra: I guess it’s the art (of coffee), ultimately. Indra Azriely, assistant manager at The Assembly Ground
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SLICE: What do you think of the future of baristas here? Indra: We are looking at a slow but very steady growth. SLICE: What are your tips for people looking to join this profession? Indra: I think anyone can do it. Anyone with the desire can do it but at the end of the day, they must do it with an open heart. You cannot do it half-heartedly because it’s not something where you accomplish within 24-hours. So just don’t give up, just put your heart into it and do your best. The thing about coffee is that you cannot master it immediately. It takes time to calibrate your palettes, to have your muscle memory. All these factors come into play and they’re a few factors that made people stop believing in themselves. I think that’s one of the main problems that we have right now. People keep thinking that they are failing so fast and they cannot do it but it’s actually a factor where for example, calibrating your palettes. It takes a while. You need to taste a lot of coffee to calibrate your palette or maybe even doing latte art. You need muscle memory to do that. It’s all a process, so don’t give up.
Each cup is freshly brewed daily
SLICE: And to wrap things up, what makes a good cup of coffee? Indra: I would say ultimately would be love. It may sound cliché actually but through experience, you can never ever make a good cup of coffee without emotions because how you steam the milk or how you pull the shots all depends on how you feel it. Refer to page 45 for some coffee fun facts!
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before the brew by nurdiana zainuddin
It is no longer the age of just getting your caffeine fix through kopitiams or instant coffee. Specialty coffee has piqued the interest of many in recent years and it’s no surprise that cafés are appearing throughout the country. It goes beyond simply getting that dose of caffeine and pivots instead on the taste and sometimes the look of the brew itself. Although it may seem that opening a café would be rather simple considering the blossoming number of shops you could find, it proves to be much harder than it seems with many cafés failing to sustain themselves. It requires a certain amount of determination and patience before success is foreseeable in the increasingly competitive sector. So what exactly does it take to run a café? How do you transform that idea into a reality and how do you sustain it? Shaun Chua, café manager of Just Want Coffee, kindly agreed to bring us through his journey with the café. SLICE: Congratulations on your second birthday! How do you feel about Just Want Coffee being 2 years old? SHAUN: Thank you very much. We are all quite excited for JWC turning 2, firstly being very grateful for the continued support from our patrons, coming from all walks of life! It is also a significant milestone because we launched our own roast on our birthday, something which took months and big investment to realize. Looking back, it has been a wonderful and fun journey, and I think we are spurred more than ever to improve from strength to strength. SL / C E 47
SHAUN: The most unexpected happenings at random moments always strike hardest. One deep impression was having a young, trendy student, wearing a cool hat and fashion, bring in his elderly grandmother for coffee! It was a very adorable and heart-warming scene, they communicating in dialect and afterwards the student talking to us in English, ordering two very different-styled coffees. As I thought about it on hindsight, it was a positive sign that our concept of transcending generations and taste preferences was succeeding. More common situations that keep us going is of course the co-dependence and making friends with regulars, as well as the joy of working with amazing colleagues! SLICE: New cafés are popping up everywhere, how are you dealing with the competition? Just Want Coffee’s very own coffee roasting machine
SLICE: What inspired the setting up of Just Want Coffee?
SHAUN: Many new cafes still do not directly compete with our concept because specialty coffee requires a huge investment in terms of time and experience, thus being also a significant risk in such a young coffee culture/society such as ours. Thus we do not worry too much about competing, but again we always strive to improve, and it is also good that some cafes are able to produce high quality coffee that drives us to get even better. We definitely keep our eyes and ears peeled for happenings in the industry and of course try to learn more and never lag behind. Since bulk of our clientele are regulars and word-of-mouth introductions, we hardly embark on marketing projects such as signing up with apps or heavy social media marketing, which is a common practice for trying to stand out amongst competition.
SHAUN: JWC was started to create and usher in a culture in coffee and cafés that spans and caters to a multi-generation and diverse taste preferences of a society. In Singapore’s case, there is/was a huge gap between the local heartland coffee shops and western-influenced cafés; for leisure and hanging out at such joints you would see the older generations at the former, and the younger generations in the air-conditioned, more expensive latter. Besides ambience and cost, a big difference was also the taste profiles of coffee! One would observe up till today that the bitter, dark roasted would more likely please the pioneer generation consumers, while vice versa for the youths, who are more attracted to European or American styles of coffee with much more milk to coffee ratio. There is so much more to coffee, from brewing methods, to bean and variety profiles, to roast profiles and blends, even milk ratios and texture, that drove the founders to fill this gap; to create spaces where varied and unique coffees could be found, catering to people from all walks of life, even non-coffee drinkers! SLICE: There must have been many challenges in the process of establishing Just Want Coffee. What was one of the challenges you faced in the beginning? SHAUN: A big challenge that plagues all specialty coffee concepts throughout their lifetime is definitely the training of a barista. High grades of coffee require a lot of special care to keep consistent, in other words, very easy to mess up. It is difficult and a huge investment to train a barista because it requires experience that cannot be taught. For example, knowing how to adjust the grinder at different times of day depends on a lot of factors, such as rate of usage, time from degassing and even weather change. Learning how to taste the nuances in coffee also takes a relative [amount of ] time for one to understand. Passion is a critical factor in learning not only quickly, but also well enough, which, given our relatively young coffee culture in Singapore, not many people have. SL/CE 48
Selection of desserts offered at Just Want Coffee
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SLICE: So what keeps you going?
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SLICE: So what do you personally consider makes JWC different? SHAUN: JWC definitely has a unique coffee concept, which many patrons comment on. There are only a handful of cafes with a showcase handcrafted coffee bar, and even fewer showcasing as many origins simultaneously. I think we also seek to constantly improve and change many aspects of the café, from ambience to products, to keep our concept fresh and inviting. SLICE: You previously mentioned that you roast your own coffee too. What’s the rationale behind this? SHAUN: Roasting coffee on our own is foremost an effort to improve the quality, consistency and variety of our coffee. It may be a difficult task, but it makes a huge difference in being one step closer to the source, and accelerates our learning about coffee. It is akin to cooks growing their own herbs; we are able to adjust the other factors to suit our preferences best, with a direct connection and understanding to the outcome in the cup. Controlling the roast not only lets us tweak the profiles in any way we desire, it also gives us the leeway to experiment and experience many other types of beans and blends, thus again differentiating ourselves more from conventional cafés.
About Just Want Coffee Launched in Singapore on the 3rd December 2012, Just One Coffee first started out in Permas Jaya, Johor Bahru. Promising a cosy atmosphere, the café offers a wide range of mains, desserts, teas and coffee.
Location 1 Everton Park #01-27 Singapore 081001 Contact +65 6225 8115 everton@justwant.com.sg
Opening hours Mon-Thurs: 8.30am to 6.30pm Fri & Sat: 9am to 8.30pm Sundays & PH: 10am to 6pm
SLICE: So, in your opinion, where’s the best place to have coffee? Apart from Just Want Coffee, of course. SHAUN: Coffee preferences are widely subjective and infinitely debatable. While I cannot speak for local, traditional kopi at kopitiams, my personal preferences will include Nylon Coffee Roasters as one of the best, for sure. Their concept, which includes directly sourcing (and even hands-on farming) at the farm, really translates into one of the best coffees not only in Singapore or the region, but on the globe. However I must stress that even though they may have the most passion or understanding about specialty coffee, their coffee is also relative to their own translation and may not please everybody. SLICE: For those who are interested in owning their own café or coffee business, what do you think are three golden rules they should stick by? SHAUN: One, constantly gather and react upon sincere feedback. Two, respect and empower your staff. Three, never stop learning. SLICE: Lastly, what are Just Want Coffee’s plans for 2015? SHAUN: JWC plans to expand into the region with either similar or improved concepts with better food. We also look forward to expanding our repertoire and inventing/improvising new methods of brewing coffee!
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Just Want Coffee’s bestseller, Rose Cafe Latte, S$5
places
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pacamara boutique coffee roasters by keerthigar perumal
Along Upper Thomson Road sits new kid on the block who’s already a winner with the hipsters and residents nearby. The now-defunct Oz Specialty Coffee is back in a lovely union with their Thai partners, bringing us Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters. They have worked towards achieving a minimalist take on things and place emphasis on the essence of coffee and work towards “pushing the specialty coffee movement”. Clean walls, marbled counter tops, wooden tables – they scream an aesthetic of a typical SLICE hangout. It felt like I walked into a coffee lab. A shelf running along the wall on the right holds an array of products such as filters, drippers and beans for anyone to brew their own cuppa at home. The long rectangular tables and counter seats can accommodate approximately 40 people. I had a 7oz Mocha (S$6) and also tried their 7oz Flat White (S$5.50). Both came with impressive latte art from the usual Rosetta or basically, a heart-inception. A Mocha composes of espresso, hot milk and chocolate. The chocolate could either be cocoa powder or syrup and it can be served both hot and cold. True to its name, the Mocha arrived carrying with it a strong chocolatey aroma. However, I felt that the espresso in this drink did not come through enough. Save for that, this sweet drink was very aromatic and left a more chocolaty after taste as opposed to the balance between coffee and chocolate. What I did realise was that because both drinks were single espresso shots, the aroma and flavour of the espresso weren’t as outstanding in a bigger cup. So for a stronger caffeine kick, get the 5oz or an extra shot in your 7oz! SL / C E 57
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Apart from their coffee, definitely try their best-selling Truffle Benedict (S$18). The combination of the aroma of the truffle hollandaise, free range eggs poached with perfect runny yolks, spinach and crispy broiche got me wanting more and more. I savoured each bite till the last drop of truffle hollandaise. Another hot favourite with the crowds is the Red Velvet Pancakes (S$16). Fresh berries, mascarpone and granola complemented the moist red velvet pancakes. It might be too much for one person in a sitting, so this would be perfect as a sharing dessert with your girlfriends. Or boyfriends. With sunlight pouring in through the huge glass windows, Pacamara Boutique Coffee Roasters has a comfortable atmosphere and with friendly staff serves as a pleasant cafĂŠ. Serving up a great tasting menu as well, this cafĂŠ is a wonderful brunch stop with friends.
Red Velvet Pancakes, S$16
Dining at Pacamara
Iced Chocolate, S$5.50
Flat White, S$5.50
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Location 185 Upper Thomson Road Singapore 574333 Opening hours Tue - Sun: 9.00am to 11.00pm
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nylon coffee roasters by keerthigar perumal Singapore’s coffee community is steadily evolving and the café industry is booming. For this issue, we’ve tried some of the best coffees in town but no one seems to do it quite like Nylon Coffee Roasters. Their coffee is everything you look for in aroma, body, flavour and even value. Whether you are as serious about coffee as they are, or even if you’re just a caffeine novice, dropping by Nylon Coffee Roasters has to be on your cuppa-list! Established in 2012, Nylon Coffee Roasters is essentially a micro-roaster as well as a café. Their aim is simple – to source, roast & brew amazing coffees from around the world, to the best we think they should taste and share them with you. Despite the expansion into wholesale (they supply their beans to some of the most well-known cafés including The Assembly Ground), this heavy-weight roasting company sticks by their beliefs that a good cup of coffee should be affordable. If you have ever felt overwhelmed when ordering a coffee because of the generally extensive menu everywhere else, you won’t face that problem at Nylon. They only serve Black, White or Iced coffee by ounces. It’s a very simple menu and makes for better immersion. I had a 5oz White (S$4) and to say it was balanced would sum it up perfectly. The aroma was wholesome but not overpowering. It tasted fruity and the aftertaste it left was subtle. The rich original flavour of the coffee really shone through. Within their coffee abode, you can get a glimpse of their cupping room behind their work station. However, you wouldn’t be able to consider Nylon Coffee Roasters as one of your regular cafés because there are only four seats in there save for a long table where you can stand around. The rest of the space is left for patrons to chit chat while standing which is why the place is seemingly more of a take-away concept. The décor is simple but makes for a cosy atmosphere. With a few choice paintings adorning the walls, there is also a shelf where they sell drippers, filters and their blends as well. It is all about quality coffee here in Nylon Coffee Roasters. No fuss, no frills, just a steaming cup of great tasting coffee. SL/CE 62
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Brew your own Nylon coffee Come experience the cosy and quaint Nylon
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the plain by keerthigar perumal
Location 4 Everton Park #01-40 Singapore 080004 Opening hours Weekdays: 8.30am to 5.30pm Weekends: 9am to 6pm Closed on Tuesdays
Contact (+65) 6220 2330 hello@nyloncoffee.sg
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“life is too short for bad coffee.” - the plain
Classy table setting at The Plain
At The Plain, my coffee experience was just like its name. Simple. But never undermine the simplicity of this Melbourne-style café. This cosy space along Craig Road sits about 30 and although we went in the late afternoon, they were still decently packed. The rain made it an even better reason to stay in for coffee. The interior was minimal but it still had a homely vibe. We had a go at their Flat White (S$4.50), something we felt one could never go wrong with. It was balanced but a pity there was too much milk, leaving an overpowering creamy aftertaste. The Affogato (S$5.50) came with two scoops of vanilla ice cream but if you plan on recreating this dessert at home you can certainly experiment with other flavours as well. They use Genovese coffee beans for their brews with the coffee bean bags lining the shelves. The brand aims to provide a true Italian espresso coffee experience. On its own, the espresso was rather bitter and had a heavy body. When mixed with the ice cream the richness balanced out well. It left a sweet aftertaste, almost chocolaty, that lingered after each sip. A casual tea time experience with friendly staff that is sure to keep people coming back for more. Well, for me at least.
Flat White, S$4.50 SL/CE 68
Location 50 Craig Road, #01-01 Singapore 089688
The Plain’s shop front
Affogato, S$5.50
Opening hours Weekdays: 7.30am to 5.30pm Closed on Mondays
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The ambience of a place is important in setting the mood. It’s almost just as important as the cuppa itself. This is a compilation of some tracks to just sip your coffee to as you enjoy that rich, bitter taste:
THE CAFÉ MIX
the playlist by nurdiana zainuddin
1. The Paper Kites, Bloom 2. The Narrative, Eyes Closed 3. Gabrielle Aplin, Home 4. Keane, Somewhere Only We Know 5. The Native Sibling, Carry You 6. Ben Howard, Promise 7. Birdy, 1901 8. Augustana, Boston 9. Andrew Belle, My Oldest Friend 10. Radical Face, Welcome Home
If you’re in the mood for some pop songs but just want to take it slow and relax to them instead, this is a compilation of some popular songs sung in acoustics that you could easily sip your cuppa to:
THE ACOUSTIC SESSION
1. Ed Sheeran, Thinking Out Loud (x Acoustic Session) 2. Echosmith, Cool Kids (Acoustic) 3. Imagine Dragons, Radioactive (Live London Session) 4. The 1975, Chocolate (Today FM Acoustic) 5. Bastille, Flaws (Acoustic) 6. Zedd ft Foxes, Clarity (Acoustic Session) 7. Sia, Chandelier (Acoustic) 8. Passenger, Let Her Go (Your Take Sessions) 9. Fun ft Janelle Monae, We Are Young (Acoustic) 10. MAGIC!, Rude (98.1 CHFI Toronto Acoustic)
Check out these playlists as well other mixes at slicemag.com/playlist
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special feature
by nurdiana zainuddin
FIGHT CLUB COFFEE AND CIGARETTES Duration: 95 minutes Director: Jim Jarmusch Date of Release: 14 May 2014 Genre: Drama, Comedy, Musical Language: English, French
While sipping coffee and smoking cigarettes, the characters of Coffees and Cigarettes discuss things as diverse as caffeine popsicles, Paris in the twenties and the use of nicotine as an insecticide. The comic series of short vignettes delves into the normal pace of our world from an extraordinary angle and shows just how absorbing life can be.
COFFEE TOWN
Duration: 88 minutes Director: Brad Copeland Date of Release: 9 July 2013 Genre: Comedy Language: English
Will (Glenn Howerton), a 30-something website manager, uses a local café named Coffee Town as his office until the owners of the shop discuss plans to convert it into a bar one day. To save his freeloading existence, Will, along with his two best friends, Chad (Steve Little) and Gino (Ben Schwartz) stage a robbery to create the illusion of an unsafe neighbourhood to deter the plans of the coffee shop owners. On top of that, Sam (Josh Groban), a disgruntled barista with delusions of grandeur and a desire to be a rockstar and Will’s unrequited love for Becca (Adrianne Palicki) stand in the way of the plan. SL/CE 80
Although Fight Club does not feature coffee prominently, it’s famously known that David Fincher, director of the film, included a cup of Starbucks in every single scene of the movie. Make sure to watch out for those cuppas! Duration: 139 minutes Director: David Fincher Date of Release: 15 October 1999 Genre: Comedy, Drama Language: English An insomniac young man (Edward Norton) is depressed and finds no reward from his office job. One day, on a business flight, he meets a soap maker, Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), who challenges him to a fight. Realizing that bare-knuckle bawling makes him more alive than he has felt in years, he forms an underground fight club with Tyler that becomes a sensation despite being a closely guarded secret amongst its participants. However, things soon becomes complicated when the protagonist and Tyler gets involved with Marla (Helena Bonham Carter).
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l ei s ure
seasonal grind
chef it up by keerthigar perumal & nurdiana zainuddin
l ei s ure
l ei s ure Pancakes are a morning-must for us at SL/CE! While making these, the scent that wafted up from the pan alone was enough to get us excited. The best part? It only takes 15 minutes to get some delicious light and fluffy pancakes.
coffee pancakes Essentials:
Instructions:
1 cup wheat flour 2 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda Âź teaspoon salt 2 cup low-fat buttermilk 1 large egg 2 tablespoon coffee granules 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. 2. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg,coffee granules and melted butter. 3. Mix the ingredients together until the batter is smooth. 4. Preheat nonstick pan over medium heat. once hot, pour desired amount of batter onto pan. Once bubbles form on top layer of batter, flip the pancake and cook until brown. 5. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Coffee pancakes SL / C E 89
l ei s ure After a long day, what would be better than iced coffee? It’s certainly a great way to boost your energy regardless of what time of the day it is. But instead of adding ice cubes into your coffee, why not have iced cubes of coffee instead? I had my doubts on it too when I first tried it out. After all, there was nothing wrong with serving my coffee the way I normally would. Coffee iced cubes turned out to be absolutely amazing though. I loved it so much that I couldn’t help but to share it with the team and it’s no surprise that everybody’s a little addicted to it now. It’s definitely a SL/CE recommended drink.
espresso cubes with milk Essentials:
Instructions:
4 tablespoon of coffee 200ml hot water A glass of milk
1. Mix 200ml of hot water with 4 tablespoons of coffee. Make sure coffee granules are completely dissolved. 2. Pour mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze it. 3. Once completely frozen, add ice cubes into a glass of milk and serve.
Tip: If you prefer something sweeter, add sugar into the mixture before freezing it or serve it with syrup on the side.
Espresso cubes with milk
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l ei s ure Sweet, decadent chocolatey goodness. It’s everything you’d need for a perfect dessert (at least for me anyway). But wouldn’t it be even better if it gave you a little of that caffeine fix we all need? Well, I tried adding a little coffee granules to it and it turned out great! It’s still as chocolatey and fudgey as ever but with a hint of coffee that lingers.
mocha brownies Essentials:
Instructions:
3/4 cup unsalted butter 2/3 cup unsweetened chocolate 2 cups sugar 1 tablespoon coffee granules 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 large eggs 1 cup all-purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Wrap a 15 by 10 inch baking pan with foil with 2 inches of foil overhanging. Grease foil in pan. 2. Melt butter and unsweetened chocolate until mixture is smooth. 3. Whisk in sugar, espresso powder, vanilla and salt into mixture. Add eggs one at a time until batter is smooth. 4. Add flour and chocolate chips to mixture and stir until combined. 5. Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake until top is firm.
Tip: You could always replace chocolate chips with nuts or fruits and if you prefer a stronger taste of coffee, you could always add more coffee granules to your brownie!
Enjoy some brownies, dip it in espresso cubes with milk
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s ubs cr i pt i on
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