Coocaça, pronounced as coo-ka-sah, made its first appearance as a pop-up booth at the iLight Marina Festival 2016, serving up Acai bowls and smoothies. Acai, contrary to what many of you pronounce as ah-cai, is actually pronounced ah-sah-hee.
If you were a fan of the Acai bowls at the iLight festival 2016, you’ll be happy to know that Coocaça now has a physical stall right smack in the middle of Orchard Road.
Earlier this 2017 in March, Coocaça opened its doors to the public on Grange Road, ride beside the big H&M outlet outside 313 Somerset. It’s a hole-in-the-wall kind of shop, with only outdoor seats.
Smoothie bowls are priced at $11.90 while Acai smoothie bowls go for $12.90. You can also choose to add additional standard toppings ($0.50) such as Goji berries, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds and almonds.
If you’re feeling fancy, premium toppings ($1) like cacao nibs, almond butter, bee pollen, honey and Greek yogurt can also be added to your smoothie bowls.
Founder of Coocaça Alexys Tjhia aims to provide heart-healthy food that tastes good at the same time for everyone, not just for Yogis or health enthusiasts.
Her passion to provide quality food is reflected in how good and refreshing her smoothie bowls are.
We first tried an Acai smoothie, Chulo ($9.60). Perfect for those who have just finished a gym session, this smoothie consisting of Acai, pineapples, blueberries, protein powder, Greek yogurt and coconut water will provide you with a burst of energy and protein.
The Greek yogurt flavour was very prominent, so if you are not a Greek yogurt lover, you might want to try the Rio ($9.60) that has soy milk instead.
Next, we had Coocaça’s signature, Pura Vida ($12.90). This bowl consists of Acai, strawberries, blueberries, bananas and coconut water. Toppings include granola and almond butter with more strawberries and blueberries.
We also added chia seeds ($0.50) to our bowl for an extra crunch.
This bowl was very refreshing with bursts of berry flavours. The crunchy homemade granola added extra texture and the homemade almond butter added a level of savouriness to the bowl.
I don’t usually like almonds, but I think the almond butter here made me a convert.
Next, we tried the Singa ($11.90). This bowl was equally gorgeous looking but tasted even better. Being someone who loves tropical fruits, the blend of mangoes, pineapples, bananas and coconut water was right up my alley.
This bowl was topped with the same fruits as the Pura Vida we had before, but I wished it was topped with more mangoes or pineapples to match the flavour of the smoothie better.
Nonetheless, I still enjoyed every bite of the smoothie bowl. It definitely helped combat the sweltering 34-degree heat that day, and the bright colours of the blended fruits make for very Instagram-worthy pictures.
The smoothie bowls here are made without any artificial sweeteners or preservatives and are made fresh every day. The bowls are also priced competitively and are one of the more inexpensive ones in Singapore.
Head on down to Coocaça to try the refreshing smoothies and bowls and hit your daily Vitamin C quota for the day!
Expected damage: $9 – $13 per person
