DF Coffee Bar

Dropped by the new DF Coffee Bar that is situated along North Canal Road – DF Coffee Bar is dubbed a “secret coffee shop + cafe” located within the same premises of Dead Fall by Barbary Coast (i.e. the lower level of the shophouse), a drinking hole that surrounds itself around the theme of bars that “thrived in San Francisco during the mid 1800’s” whereas the upper floor of the shophouse is segmented out as The Barbary Coast Ballroom; a sister concept to Dead Fall. Dead Fall’s interior features a maritime theme; one that sees a lot of wooden elements in its furniture and fittings as well as metallic elements that could also be said as industrial, though carries a really raw look as well. Occupying a space just by the side of the shophouse around the corner, DF Coffee Bar does have a small counter area that is primarily meant for takeaway coffee and operates as somewhat of a kiosk — only open from Mondays to Fridays between 9am to 4pm; that being said, Dead Fall had also recently released a breakfast / lunch menu to compliment the offerings of DF Coffee Bar — patrons who are looking to have the brunch / lunch offerings would also be able to sit within the premises of Dead Fall. The brunch / lunch menu comprises of sections dedicated to Eggs, Hearty Salads, Sandwiches, Pastas and Sweets — whilst most of the brunch / lunch menu is curated exclusively to the morning operations of Dead Fall as DF Coffee Bar, it is noted that a small number of items are carried over from Dead Fall’s menu; this includes items like the Milk & Cookies from the Sweets section.

Being one whom is especially drawn towards burgers featuring a chorizo patty, our sandwich of choice when we visited DF Coffee Bar on a weekday lunch service was the the DF Breakfast Chorizo Burger. The item is being described on the menu to come with elements such as “5Oz House Chorizo Burger, Chimichurri, Scrambled Eggs and House Potato Buns”. The DF Breakfast Chorizo Burger also comes accompanied with diced roasted potatoes on the side — all drenched with a romesco sauce. The DF Breakfast Chorizo Burger was all what we would expect to find in a breakfast burger — the portions are pretty hearty but it is definitely on-point; slicing the burger down, the house potato bun was nothing short of being light and fluffy. This also meant that the house potato bun was not too carb-heavy as well; balancing well against the other heavier components. Right beneath the the house potato bun, the silky scrambled eggs were fluffy and creamy, while the chorizo patty sitting beneath it was also spread with just a very thin layer of Chimichurri. The chorizo patty is well-packed together; provided quite a firm, meaty bite that carried that sort of savouriness which one would expect out of a chorizo sausage — one that carried that flavour of cured meat without carrying any gamey notes whilst also having a note of herbs running at the back of the tongue. The addition of the Chimichurri cuts through the meatiness of the chorizo patty — provides a refreshing zing that quite balances against the house potato bun and the chorizo patty. Meanwhile, the cubes of potatoes on the side came with crisp edges and a somewhat soft interior — we actually preferred the inclusion of these instead of having fries to go along as one would usually expect, considering how these felt lighter and easy to have. Coupled with the Romesco sauce, the Romesco sauce provided a curry-like hint of flavours that somewhat reminds us of curry potatoes ina slightly different form — pretty delicious even if had on its own. The only qualm we have had with the burger was with the bottom bun; a little bit soaked in too much liquid from the scrambled eggs and the Romesco sauce accompanying the potatoes — not particularly bothersome since the bun wasn’t too soggy from it, though definitely could do well being less wet in general.

DF Coffee Bar surprisingly does serve up quite a wide range of dishes despite being a brunch / lunch operation that only runs from 9am to 4pm on weekdays — having only tried the DF Breakfast Chorizo Burger during our visit, we would say that our experience would not be quite as extensive as one whom might have tried a wider variety of items in a single seating. That being said, we were impressed by the DF Breakfast Chorizo Burger; there is something about the DF Breakfast Chorizo Burger that is particularly comforting being all wholesome as a breakfast dish — one that is albeit on the heavier side for bigger palates, but also one that comprises of all the right elements and checks off the right boxes. It also does well as a lunch-time treat as a heavier meal; one that is substantially meaty and was a burger with a chorizo patty done well — an item that we don’t regularly come across considering how much we had enjoyed burgers featuring chorizo-style patties in the now-defunct location of Necessary Provisions at Eng Kong Terrace, and the now-defunct RAF at Funan. Prices are fairly reasonable for the items listed on the Eggs section and the Sandwiches section of the menu; the former being priced between $9 (for the Scrambled on Toast) to $25 (for the Full Throttle Big Brekky; the item being their rendition of the big breakfast platter), while the sandwiches are in the brunch / lunch menu are priced at $15 each. Service was also stellar, with the barista constantly being on a lookout if patrons have received their food order, as well as engaging in small talk to gather feedback on their meal and ensuring everyone is having a good time. It is without a doubt that our experience at DF Coffee Bar was a great one; we would most definitely keep it in our mind to make a return visit so as to check their other brunch / lunch offerings (maybe the 1920’s Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger and the Raviole De Royans) out!