SOE Coffee

Coffee stands serving up espresso-based specialty coffee might be aplenty in the Central Business District but it does seem that this does not deter new concepts serving up such fare to open up within the area. New to the coffee scene in Singapore and also in the Central Business District around the Raffles Place area would be SOE Espresso — these folks had just taken over the former premises of the now-defunct location of Jollibean within the Raffles Xchange shopping arcade at Raffles Place MRT Station. Taking up a space that is more suited for takeaway operations, SOE Coffee is being setup as a coffee stand for grab-and-go operations; there is no dining area within the space that it occupies. With its bright lighting and clean, metallic aesthetic, SOE Coffee definitely does grab one’s attention with its industrial and ultra-modern flair. With the entire counter dedicated as its coffee bar, it is noted that the operations at SOE Coffee is very much similar to that of 2050 Coffee where coffee is dispensed through taps installed onto the counter. SOE Coffee’s menu is pretty fuss-free even for a coffee stand of its type; the list of beverages available being only the Americano and the Latte that is served both in hot or iced formats.

Not much is disclosed to the patrons about the origin of the Arabica beans that SOE Espresso uses for its espresso-based specialty coffee offerings, nor the information on the roaster of the beans that they used to brew the cuppas are mentioned. Going for the Americano (Cold), it is noted that patrons would be handed over a paper cup (for hot orders) or a plastic cup (for iced orders) and would be instructed to place the cup under the respective tap that dispenses their order. Patrons will then be required to tap on the touchscreen on the respective taps to start the brewing process — for the Americano (Cold), ice cubes were first scooped into the plastic cup before it was handed to us; activating the tap would see the tap dispensing water before steeping of the shot of espresso into the cup. The tap automatically stops dispensing once it has completed the process and patrons can then grab their order to go. Taking a sip into the Americano (Cold), the Americano (Cold) does come with a medium body and a fruity and floral flavour profile. Considering the price point of the cuppa where the Americano (Cold) is priced at $1.99 a cup, SOE Coffee does seem to be a steal for espresso-based specialty coffee — this is especially so considering how some stalls in the Central Business District does serve up Nanyang-style Kopi O at a much higher price as well!