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The Coffee Academics (Raffles City)
in preparation for an upcoming trip to Hong Kong, we decided to visit a Hong Kong inspired cafe to get into the mood. The Coffee Academics which started out at Causeway Bay, is somewhat of an institution for the coffee drinking experience. We were hence pretty excited when it ventured beyond Hong Kong to set up in Singapore in 2015. Interestingly, we didn't quite get to visit it when the cafe first opened at Scotts Square, until now that is, when it opened its second Singapore outlet at Raffles City Singapore.
located at basement 1 just under the void, The Coffee Academics has taken up the space vacated by a previously bigger Tiong Bahru Bakery and Aerin's Cafe. even though it was past lunch time, the crowds were still streaming into the outlet at regular intervals underlining the cafe's popularity as a place where people would visit to rest their feet, have a cuppa and probably a meal or a dessert. similar to the stores in Hong Kong, this place emphasizes on being the purveyor and roaster of coffee. 
the food served as supposed to be inspired from places with a rich coffee culture, hence alot of the dishes will have influences from Mexico, The Mediterranean, Indonesia amongst others. we tried the Le Smoke Salmon, which is a beetroot potato rosti dish topped with smoked salmon, fish roe, mango tzatziki and poached egg. it's a very colourful dish with the savoury beetroot rosti (it's literally red rosti) and salmon blending pretty interestingly with the sweetness and tangy taste of the mango and ikura. there are a few other unique all-day-breakfast options to choose from and we're already thinking of trying the others on the next visit. 
for the more conventional choices, there is a selection of fusion pastas served here as well. we went for a Prawn Arrabiata that was topped with chopped tomatoes and ground chilli. there was a very generous serving of prawns and the dish brought out the spicy kick needed from all Arrabiatas. Other signature dishes that are popular here would include the crispy fish fillet tacos and the Umami Pasta. 
but of course, everyone comes here to experience their award-winning blends of coffee. from their signature expresso based coffees to their specialty regional brews, The Coffee Academics endeavours to bring out the most experiential flavours. we tried a hot Jawa latte macchiato that has a rich Asian taste, sweetened by Gula-Melaka and served with warm, well frothed milk. the latte has a very unique taste that we don't get at the usual coffee joints. for the hot tropical climate, another specialty is the cold brews that are handcrafted, bottled and steeped for 8 hours before serving, extremely refreshing. in all, The Coffee Academics brings about a very different coffee experience, the meals a somewhat pricey - a common trait in Singapore for concepts that are imported from overseas to have a price mark-up. but judging from the crowds, many are prepared to pay abit more for quality coffee. 
The Coffee Academics (Raffles City) 252 North Bridge Road Raffles City Shopping Centre, #B1-12 Singapore 179103 Opening Hours Mondays to Thursdays: 8 am to 9 pm Fridays: 8 am to 9.30 pm Saturdays: 9 am to 9.30 pm Sundays: 9 am to 8.30 pm Purveyor and roaster of specialty coffee in Hong Kong since 2012.. Labels: #brunchcafe, #coldbrew, #rafflescitysingapore, #specialtycoffee, #thecoffeeacademicssg Cafe Melba (Mediapolis)
when people discuss Cafe Melba that originated from the Goodman Arts Centre, the main hallmall of this place stems from its spacious, family-friendly environment. there are yards of open spaces for kids and pets to run around outside, and even play features to keep the children busy over meals. The new store at Mediapolis follows the same vein, with emphasis on space, ample car-parking and colours. the bouncing inflatable castle outside is enough motivation to get your kids to quickly finish up their food..
one interesting note however, is that you'd find more mentions of Cafe Melba in parenting blogs than on food reviews, haha, go figure.. having said that, the menu spread at this eatery offers really good variety, from all-day breakfast, to sandwiches & burgers, to pastas and pizzas together with meat-based mains. the chef behind the Mediapolis outlet came under the tutelage of celebrity chefs and have worked in some famous kitchens before. perhaps that carried a little too much expectation coming in here for the food. 
their pan pizzas come in various sizes from 9 inches to 16 inches, we ordered a Chilli crab pizza (9 inch) which came out rather light in flavour without much evidence of it going through a wood-fired stove. we believe this interpretation of the dish is probably done healthier, with less of the original chilli crab spices, in order to cater to the children. nonetheless, i wouldn't call pizzas this restaurant's specialty. 
the duck confit came on the back of many online reviews and is one of this place's signature dishes. served with braised lentils and roasted baby potatoes, this dish is highly Instagrammable and popular amongst the visitors here. another dish to look out for was the Mozzarella stuffed potato Rosti served with poached eggs, French cream, salmon or pork sausages. the rosti was fried to perfection and the cheese spread evenly when you cut the rosti up, very crispy and flavourful. 
in all, the visit to Cafe Melba was a dining experience. we had a good spread of food, great conversations in a very open and colourful environment. A visit here can be somewhat pricey though, proving that parents these days are willing to splurge on family gatherings and their little ones. 
Cafe Melba (Mediapolis) 1 Stars Avenue, #03-01 Singapore, 138507 Opening Hours Daily: 8 am to 10 pm an oasis away from hectic city life.. Labels: #breakfast, #brunchcafe, #cafemelba, #familyfriendly #onenorth, #mediapolis, #sgbrunchfood |
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