Are you a coffee fiend and need a big cuppa every morning to start your day? I do. And I usually wish for a strong dose, none of those watered-down versions or mixture bags. My daily morning cup is a usual black. At the arrival of weekends, I like to indulge in a aromatic cappuccino. And with the very cliché but true "Recent proliferation of cafés", its easy to explore different cafes but definite hits and misses in accordance with individual preferences of their caffeine fix.
Last weekend, we went in search of a early café breakfast and arrived at OZ Specialty Coffee, opened since November 13. It's at Thomson V Two, a condo in a part of Sin Ming that's a stone throw away from the Upper Thomson foodie stretch. Opened daily from 9am, me and hub were there at 910am Sunday and through our 2-hour stay, there were about 4 other groups of people so it was a lovely quiet morning. The café is the usual small setup, with a row of bar seats inside and pretty white tables outside. We sat outside, watching the little traffic on the roads. While it is quiet, it's not a place we could really stay to enjoy a cup and a read due to the presence of mosies. Good for a lazy morning of available seats and good food, before you start the weekend ahead.
Food wise, OZ serves a small but very well-done range of breakfast items and coffee from Pacarama, Thailand, which is described to be rich and nutty. I'm really not an expert in deciphering coffee blends and their nuances so all descriptions are based on my personal preferences.
The coffees arrived amidst our 10 minute wait for the food. It's pretty in it's white cups and milk swirls, however both hub and I felt that the ratio of milk was a tad high, overpowering the coffee. It also makes for a light cup by my standards and not sufficiently strong for me, a self-professed coffee addict. I'm sure it appeals to many others though, as could be read from the many fantastic reviews on their coffee!
We love the waffles, which was crisp on the outside and doughy on the inside. We wonder if it's yeasted; it is seemingly so when we looked at the slightly holey structure of the interior crumb. Slightly sweet, it was a good accompaniment to the scrambled eggs. I would return just for the waffles! We also had the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on a toasted brioche with arugula. It was great as well, with a generous dose of salmon. I just wish the brioche was thicker or perhaps it was just weighed down by the filling. The portions are kind of small but at a very reasonable price, 2 coffees and 2 breakfast items only totaled $26. It was also sufficiently filling which means we did not over-eat as it sometimes happens with the larger portions that come with higher price tags anyway, at other places.
Thumbs up for the great breakfast but I would look elsewhere for my much-needed caffeine fix, which we did rectify rightaway by going to
Yahava KoffeeWorks
It was on my to-go list for the longest time but it's kind of hard to reach without a car as it's nestled deep within upper Thomson, at Jalan Gelenggang. We were super glad to have made the trip there, which was actually just another 5 minutes drive from where we were in Sin Ming. This is a huge place by the usual café standards, and is 1 serious coffee-brewer. You have to visit, to check out their full range of coffee beans, their vast array of equipment, both big and small and you could really take your pick. They have 1 corner for coffee-tasting and appreciation classes and their baristas are very friendly and willing to share their knowledge and tips with us.
We ordered 2 mid-sized cups, which is only $5.50 each and huge and so pretty when they arrived. I love these colorful mugs, and love their coffees as well. It has a strong aroma and slides very smoothly down the throat. They have a small selection of toasted sandwiches and pies as well as cakes, not a big bunch of food but the focus is on coffee. It's also generally pretty quiet and we spent a good 2 hours there with our coffee and books. It's probably going to be our frequently-visit list from now on!
OZ Specialty Coffee
11 Sin Ming road
#01-13 Thomson V Two
Weekdays 12noon to 12midnight
Weekends 9am to 12midnight
Yahava KoffeeWorks
4 Jalan Gelenggang
Opened daily 9am to 6pm
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