Since its inauguration in 2012, The Coffee Academics has been setting the standards in coffee quality and exceptional coffee experiences. Taking specialty coffee culture to new heights in the region, they have expanded to 4 stores in Singapore, with other stores in Thailand, China, Macau, Philippines, Japan and Qatar. The Coffee Academïcs brews its unique brand of local experiences with global impact.

According to Frost and Sullivan, The Coffee Academïcs ranked 1st in specialty coffee in 2017, Hong Kong, establishing itself as the leading specialty coffee player in the city. 

There was a queue to enter the cafe on a Saturday afternoon, so while waiting we browsed their home blend roasted coffee beans on display. You can choose being ground or whole beans. Each pack retails at $20- $25. Their coffee beans are sourced globally and roasted locally, along with barista training and equipment, this demonstrates the commitment to serve only outstanding coffee. 

I ordered the Impossible Burger ($29.90), which comes with Impossible meat topped with portobello mushroom, jalapeno, gherkins, tomato, lettuce and a sunny side-up egg. The brioche bun was fluffy and sweet potato fries had a nice crisp. Instead of the usual French fries, it feels like a healthier version of eating the sweet potato fries. The impossible meat patty really tastes like real meat and I enjoyed the burger overall.

As for my friend, he had the Miso Salmon Pasta ($27.80). It is spaghetti tossed with miso cream sauce and baby spinach served with grilled salmon and cherry tomatoes. The sauce was not too overbearing, but the miso taste was not strong enough. The dish was delicious too and the salmon was grilled without being overcooked. Having the cherry tomatoes added a burst of flavour with each mouthful.

Currently, the Entertainer app offers 1-for-1 main courses at The Coffee Academics. We did not order their signature coffee brews as we adjourned to another place for drinks/ dessert. With the friendly crew and professional baristas, this place offers a bang for your buck. It also has higher quality roast as compared to Starbucks which is too cliche. Do consider coming here for your cuppa coffee next time. The only peeve that I had was the table given was us was very near to the entrance where many people were queueing, so it feels like we were under the constant watchful eyes of the people. It would have been nicer to have a table further inside, so that we can have some privacy.

Update: April 2021

A last minute decision to have a proper lunch at Coffee Academics instead of Starbucks. The Manuka coffee ($6.40) is one of their signature coffees, which is basically a latte drizzled with natural organic honey from New Zealand. The aroma of the manuka honey was a bonus to the latte and also added fragrant notes to the overall taste.

This is the Salted egg bacon carbonara ($23.50). The linguine pasta is tossed with bacon, creamy salted egg sauce and topped with a sunny side up. The crispy bits of bacon provided a crunch, while the carbona sauce was not too thick. Even for someone who doesn’t really like cream sauce, this pasta dish hit the right points.

For someone who prefers a spicy dish, you can try the Prawn and lemon herb spaghetti ($23.50). Although the dish might seem wild, it is actually the bird’s eye chilli that made the pasta spicy. The light lemon herb sauce with garlic, onion, fresh basil and the topping of sauteed prawns went along so well that I slurped up this dish hastily. The prawn servings with also generous as there was 3 of them. This is one of the new items on the menu.

Lastly, to end off our meal, we ordered the affogato ice cream ($9). It is on the steep end for a scoop of ice cream, but the taste was heavenly and to top it off, there was a piece of pretzel. You can also drizzle the sauce over the ice cream. It was so delicious that I scooped it up to the last drop.