Humble Origins Coffee Roasters

@humbleorigins.coffee 's take on a Singaporean breakfast staple elevates all the primary ingredients of the original. The onsen eggs are perfectly soft-boiled and soak in the flavour of the dashi beautifully, whilst the Yorkshire puddings in-lieu of white toast are textbook light and airy. I did wish there was more of the eggy, pandan-forward XO kaya to go along with it though.
-
Taste: 3.5/5

Taking over the space formerly occupied by Homeground Coffee Roasters, @humbleorigins.coffee brings something new to the saturated cafe scene in the area, with ethically sourced beans from Myanmar and a Burmese-inflected food menu.
-
I’ll come right out and say I think their Dirty Tiger is one of the best iced whites I’ve tried. The gula melaka-infused white coffee is silky smooth, with notes of brown sugar and caramel shining through nutty overtones.
-
Taste: 4/5

East Coast has never had a lack of cafes serving up specialty coffee — whilst Homeground Coffee Roasters have since moved out of this neighbourhood and into its new digs at Teo Hong Road at Outram Park, a new Humble Origins Coffee Roasters (not to be confused with the now-defunct Humble Origins Cafe previously at NUS Kent Ridge Drive, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) had since sprouted up in the same spot where Homeground Coffee Roasters used to be (i.e. the unit directly beside Nimbus; formerly known as C Cafe). For those whom have visited Homeground Coffee Roasters in its former premises just before their move to Teo Hong Road, one would find the vibe and layout of Humble Origins Coffee Roasters to be very similar to that of how Homeground Coffee Roasters was in the past; the space does seem to bear a refreshed look with some change in furniture that makes the space seem less claustrophobic than before — this also meant that there is less seating capacity for dine-in patrons than before. Visiting them whilst still in their soft launch phase, Humble Origins Coffee Roasters serves up a rather limited menu of hot food; the only four items available would be the Dashi Onsen Eggs with XO Kaya Yorkshire Pudding, Shan Origin Tofu Fries, Roast Beef Ribeye French Butter Croissant with Arugula Salad and Burnt Sugar Orange Cake with Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream. Being a cafe that focuses in specialty coffee, Humble Origins Coffee Roasters uses their own roasts which they dub as “Stories” — the beans being sourced from Shan Hills in Myanmar. Apart from serving espresso-based coffee, they also do serve up filter coffee, as well as a Dirty Tiger in their Sensory Lab section of the menu which is a concoction of White Coffee with Gula Melaka infusion. Those who prefer not to have coffee can opt for the Vitablast — their very own cold-pressed juice blend of carrot, apple, lemon & ginger.

Considering how Humble Origins Coffee Roasters does have an emphasis on serving up coffee that is brewed using beans sourced from Myanmar, we thought that the Shan Origin Tofu Fries was also a dish not to be missed. The menu describes the Shan Origin Tofu Fries as “traditional burmese favourite snack” that features “fried chickpea tofu, shaved parmesan with tamarind chilli dip”.; we were also being told by the friendly staff behind the counter that the tofu fries is a snack that is well-received by expats in Myanmar as well. The menu also labels the item as gluten-free; something to note for those who needs to know. Munching on these fried sticks of tofu, it is noted how crisp these are on the outside; these were in no way greasy, while the golden brown exterior was so light yet crisp — these felt like pretty much a tempura that is done especially well and were very easy to eat. Inside, the tofu retains that smooth texture and moisture that it usually carries; nothing too firm nor dense, and it did not feel “old” or dried up either — very well executed. The shaved parmesan is likely a touch that is added by the folks of Humble Origins Coffee Roasters instead of being an element that is in the traditional dish; gives it a more modern aesthetic almost akin to that of truffle fries. Being a more neutral tasting item, the accompanying tamarind chili dip provides all that flavour; it’s zippy, tangy and mildly spicy with a slight herb-y note — think of the same chili dip that usually comes with Grilled Thai Pork Neck / Pork Jowl (i.e. Kor Moo Yang). Overall, an item which we found that had exceeded our expectations considering how difficult it is to get fried tofu with the right textures; something which we would not expect out of a cafe.

East-siders might have been mourning the loss of a quality spot for coffee ever since Homeground Coffee Roasters have shifted out of the neighbourhood; that being said, Humble Origins Coffee Roasters is a rather deserving replacement — we really found it unique how Humble Origins Coffee Roasters has this interesting focus on serving coffee brewed using beans from Myanmar, whilst also offering some form of Burmese fare on the soft launch food menu. We do hope that Humble Origins Coffee Roasters would further be able to expand on its Burmese offerings in their menu — perhaps with dishes that may be more readily accepted by locals; this way, it would be able to perhaps bring Burmese cuisine to a wider audience and the general public keen enough to try such forms of cuisine. We were actually really impressed with what they have to offer — the Dashi Onsen Eggs with XO Kaya Yorkshire Pudding is an interesting mix of Japanese, English and local elements that went surprisingly well; the flavour profile of the various elements surpassing what we would expect out of a cafe, while the Dirty Tiger was a good balance of coffee with a chocolate-y flavour profile and earthy Gula Melaka that isn’t overly sweet. Whilst they are still in their early stages, Humble Origins Coffee Roasters does seem to be off a very good start — the food menu might be limited, but they do not seem to compromise on quality here; definitely a spot to keep an eye out on and add to the list of places to visit!