Coexist Coffee Co: Sleek Industrial Paya Lebar Cafe with Carrot Cake Fries
Of the newer players in the cafe scene in Singapore, I’d say Coexist Coffee Co is one of the brands that has been consistently exciting, and growing at a promising rate.
They first burst on to the scene with their rooftop Korean-like vibes at Bukit Batok, the industrial estate location and hidden quality of it all blew up on Tiktok, and soon, the striking maroon and white interior was all over social media.
Many of my friends would then lament that it was too hard to get to, and just inconvenient if you don’t live in the area or drive.
Several months later, their second outlet was right smack on the corner of Keong Saik Road, a happening street of bars and other restaurants downtown.
Whilst I liked that they had a day and night concept, the food menu (for lunch) here was a lot lighter than the first outlet, and the muted shades of blue in the interior were pretty, but nowhere near as striking as the Hillview Terrace outpost.
Their third outlet at Lifelong Learning Institute though, may just be the compromise we all needed.
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With the prime location, accessibility is beyond easy, and the all-round glass surroundings make for a beautifully lit place.
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They have a decent amount of real estate here too, with a mix of bar seats by the open counter, little tables and a mezzanine floor where you can get a birds eye view of the ground floor— you can tell they really set out to impress.
And impress they did, with a relatively large menu selection.
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Brunch plates, bowls and salads are on the menu from opening till 4pm, while mains and pastas are available from 12pm to closing. Sharing sides and sandwiches however, are available all day.
I make a point to try other things on the menu if I revisit cafes or visit new outlets, so this time, we started with the Carrot Cake Fries (S$14), which a peruse of their menu at the first two outlets online tells me this dish is only available here for now.
Carrot cake fries are stacked on top of each other in thick strips, and drizzled with sambal mayo and pickled radish. I enjoyed this fresh take on fries, and the flavours are what many of us will find familiar in local cuisine, so it was an innovative fusion of both worlds in my opinion.
My only gripe was that the sauce would only reach the top of the fries, so towards the bottom, there would be almost no sauce left, which made it a bit dry.
Moving on to the Pasta Genovese (S$20), this came with rigatoni pasta served with slow cooked minced beef, and garnished with carrots, onions and herbs.
I thoroughly enjoyed this dish, which was deeply flavourful, albeit a little on the oilier side of things. The beef was also quite tender.
The Mushroom Rigatoni (S$20) is served with a medley of, well, mushrooms, garlic and white wine, which made for a fragrant and similarly tasty dish.
Over on the drinks menu, you’ll find the usual suspects, and I stuck with the Iced Hojicha Latte (S$6) which I’ve had at their first two outlets.
Overall, it’s not hard to see why Coexist Coffee has done so well amongst the local crowd. Singaporeans are often looking for new experiences, so the mix of classic brunch plates and fusion flavours for those looking for something different is the perfect mix. Combine that with drool-worthy interiors, and you have yourself a winning combination.
I’d highly recommend making reservations in advance, especially since this outlet in particular is the talk of the town right now. It was nigh on impossible to get tables at regular dining hours on the weekends, so heading down on a weekday might be the best choice for now.
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WHERE | 11 EUNOS ROAD 8, LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE, #01-02, S089109
