Our nation of avid café hoppers will not be unfamiliar with Coexist Coffee Co.—the vibrant brick-red and ivory-white colour scheme called to us all when they first opened. Now, the popular café has made another colour its own at its new outlet in Keong Saik Road.
Their new outlet boasts neutral, smooth curves against deep Pacific blue hues and pops of scintillating gold accents. This new concept features a transitional day-to-night menu, where visitors can expect their perennial brunch food and drinks for a chill afternoon, or switch things up with cocktails and dinner bites if they stop by at night.
What I tried
I always save my favourite menu item for the last, but I got so excited while editing my photos for Coexist Coffee Co. that I absolutely had to write this first. Behold, the love of my life, the Hummus Toast (S$10)—a thick slice of crispy toast underneath a glorious layer of mashed chickpeas. This beauty is then topped with piquant sundried tomatoes, fragrant homemade pesto, and studded with dukkah. I worried at first that the flavours might all drown each other out, but the first bite (and then every one after that) proved me 100% wrong.
If you’re in the mood for something that’s more substantial, yet won’t ruin your dinner, Coexist Coffee Co. also has a Steak Toast (S$12). Just like the Hummus Toast, relish in the crunch of bread toasted to perfection. The steak is chopped into bite-sized cubes for convenience, topped with fresh greens, and a sprinkle of feta. It goes without saying that I shouldn’t have expected melt-in-your-mouth tender steak on a sandwich that costs a mere S$12, so make sure to manage your expectations before you go.
Coexist Coffee Co. also has healthy Grain Bowls (S$13), which is essentially an elevated, healthier version of the comforting cai png at your favourite neighbourhood coffeeshop. Every bowl comes with a base, one protein, two greens, a topping, and sauce to seal the deal.
They’ve got a sizeable variety of ingredients that’ll surely leave you spoilt for choice—it’s also a good opportunity to try multiple things if you’re indecisive. Just a pro tip from myself: the baked salmon is a dream come true, and so is the maple pumpkin, which is also available as Maple Pumpkin Toast (S$10) if you’re impressed enough to revisit.
Coexist Coffee Co. features a totally different menu if you plan to pay a visit after work for cocktails. Their drinks menu is separated into two—Greenhouse and Roasted—where the former boasts of lighter, mellow flavours, and the former will combine alcohol and coffee in the same sip.
I like my cocktails on the lighter side, and Pearl (S$20), ticked every box with its herbaceous and slightly acidic combination of thyme, fino sherry, and saffron bitters. It’s bubbly and cheery; quite the ideal drink to be enjoyed in the springtime whilst basking in the afternoon sun.
Another pretty solid option is the Harvest (S$20), a pleasantly refreshing elixir of sencha, vermouth, and Mediterranean tonic. The cherry tomato tops it off with an exciting burst of extra flavour, making this a great drink for your long-awaited girls night out.
That visit to Coexist Coffee Co. marked my first-time trying coffee in a cocktail, and until now, I’m still pretty undecided about it. The Coexist (S$18) is a head-turning combination of herb wine, espresso, and black olives. Its richness will hit you in a second, though the enjoyment of this cocktail is an acquired taste.
The Silk (S$18) comes next and deserves an honourable mention in my review only because of the alliteration—a cocktail with cold brew and coconut. Jokes aside, this one had an aromatic flavour of refined silkiness, though the coconut makes it go down easier. It’s not what you’d expect in a cocktail, though if you’re feeling courageous, this is a great way to go.
Of course, no drinks session would be complete without something savoury. Coexist Coffee Co.’s night menu includes a Baked Bone Marrow (S$24) served buried underneath a fragrant pile of chimichurri and bread to mop up all the leftover juices. It felt overly fatty and slick—Coexist Coffee Co. has some tweaking to do to this recipe, and until then, I’d hold off from future revisits.
Along the same lines of savoury goodness, the Smoked Mash Potatoes (S$18) isn’t to be missed. I’d recommend sharing this with someone because this creamy combination of potatoes, parmesan, and mozzarella is guaranteed to fill you up. I, personally, found it pretty one-dimensional—there was nothing that truly made me change my mind that it wasn’t quite worth the calorie denseness.
No matter how much I eat, there’ll always be space for dessert—specifically a serving of Tofu Semifreddo (S$14) from Coexist Coffee Co. It’s a plate of half-frozen tofu ice cream, refreshingly mild, and served atop a bed of lime caramel and lime crumble. I’m a staunch supporter of dairy in ice cream despite my lactose intolerance, but this one is a commendable alternative, especially if you’re stuffed from a filling meal.
Final thoughts
As a proud Gen Z café hopper, it’s undeniable that Coexist Coffee Co.’s day menu offerings impressed me further. If you’re in the mood for a good cocktail, it’s unlikely that you’ll find something particularly mind-blowing at a café instead of a bar, and that’s my main gripe about the drinks at Coexist Coffee Co. With that said, I have to give credit where it’s due; they’ve gotten the brunch part right, that’s for sure.
Expected damage: S$10 – S$32 per pax
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Price: $
Our Rating: 3 / 5
Coexist Coffee CO.
1 Keong Saik Road, #01-02, Singapore 089109
Coexist Coffee CO.
1 Keong Saik Road, #01-02, Singapore 089109
