Blue Bottle Coffee enters SEA via Singapore

Source: Blue Bottle Coffee. The gift shop.

Blue Bottle Coffee has debuted in Southeast Asia at the LUMINE Singapore global flagship store in Raffles City Shopping Center with a gift shop and exhibition that will lead in to a broader Blue Bottle Coffee experience in future.

The gift shop will spotlight Blue Bottle’s instant craft coffee and premium matcha offerings, including the craft instant espresso (S$24), the New Orleans-style craft instant coffee blend (S$24), and ceremonial-grade craft matcha ($51) from Uji, Japan. A variety of drinkware and accessories for enjoying Blue Bottle’s instant coffee and matcha will also be available for purchase, including an exclusive Singapore tote bag (S$39).

The gift shop will feature an exhibition that chronicles Blue Bottle Coffee’s journey over the past 20 years, showing how the brand has been shaped by its California roots and Japanese influences as well as its commitment to innovation.

The exhibition features three unique brewing tools — Oji, Syphon and the Nel Drip. The Oji water dripper, originating from Tokyo, produces a heavy body and layered, complex cup, often compared to an alcoholic spirit, through a slow, meticulously-timed drip. 

The Syphon, crafted by HARIO, requires precision and heat manipulation to deliver a rounded cup with an intricate flavour profile. The Nel Drip also by HARIO, is closely associated to traditional Japanese kissaten (喫茶店, a tea-room which also serves coffee) culture, offering a rich cup profile through its slow-drip method and high coffee-to-water ratio. 

In the coming months, visitors can look forward to holiday merchandise, as well as workshops and educational coffee sessions within the Blue Bottle Coffee space.

Starbucks Indonesia introduces Starbucks Mobile App

Source: Starbucks. Use the mobile app to pay at Starbucks.

Starbucks Indonesia has rolled out the Starbucks Mobile App in Indonesia, providing a fast and convenient way for customers to pay for in-store purchases at the more than 260 stores across the market.

Building on the cashless payment system Starbucks Indonesia introduced in 2013 with the Starbucks Card, the Starbucks Indonesia Mobile App for iPhone and Android enables customers to quickly pay for in-store purchases by scanning the barcode linked to a registered Starbucks Card.

Customers can register multiple Starbucks Cards onto their account, all of which are seamlessly linked to the Starbucks mobile app. In addition to mobile payment, the Starbucks Indonesia Mobile App puts the latest information on Starbucks products at customers’ fingertips with beverage, food and merchandise-related information, as well as a store locator.

Said Roger van Tongeren, VP, Marketing and Operations, Starbucks Indonesia: “This is the latest Starbucks innovation which aims to provide an enhanced experience and meet customers’ needs in the digital space, while continuing to provide an exceptional experience in our stores.”

Pay by-the-hour for workspace at Clarke Quay, Suntec

Coffeemin revolutionises the idea of the café with a co-working space that charges by the hour. Visitors may work, read, or play games in the space. Wi-Fi, snacks and beverages are included in the price.

A photo ID is required for entry, after which a receipt with the time of admission is provided. The receipt is used to calculate how much time has been spent when the visitor leaves. If you are planning to work alone or have a discussion for an hour or two it could well work out to the same price as going to Starbucks or a similar cafe for the same purpose. The crossover happens if you want to stay longer - it may then be cheaper to go to a traditional cafe. 

Spaces designed for working.

PCs for those who didn't bring their own.  

Books and board games for guest use.

Games on the Xbox.

Snacks are included in the admission price.

Coffeemin is co-located with LockDown.sg, a reality first-person adventure gaming organiser. The games, also known as 'escape' games, require players to use critical thinking in order to solve the challenges and riddles to get to the end of the game. LockDown has created particularly elaborate game scenarios that require teamwork. Heavy use of technology makes things more challenging. 

Interested?

Coffeemin has two outlets, in Clarke Quay Central and at Suntec City (near the Alive Museum). It costs S$6 per hour on weekdays and S$8 per hour on weekends. There is a daily cost of S$30 to use the space for the day, from 11am to 10pm, and frequent users can buy a membership instead.

LockDown, at the same outlets, charges S$19 per person for off-peak times, and S$22 per person for peak periods. Each game takes about an hour.

Check before visiting, however: the space can be rented for private events and may be closed on some days.

posted from Bloggeroid

Strangers' Reunion cafe updates menu

Source: Strangers' Reunion. Ocean Trout on Hash.

Looking for a new lunch venue? Consider Strangers’ Reunion, a cafe in Kampong Bahru, Singapore, which recently tweaked its menu. World Gourmet Summit-certified chef Daniel Chin has designed dishes with at least five different elements to pique appetites. 

The cafe is famous for its coffee, which is sourced and curated by three-time Singapore Barista Champion and Co-founder Ryan Tan. The most popular coffee, Magic (S$5.50), is a double ristretto with milk. Known as the shot for purist baristas, a ristretto is the first 20 seconds/20 milliliters of an

espresso shot. It has a lot more aroma and sweetness than the rest of the shot, cutting away the caffeine and bitterness that comes towards the end.

Starters include the Wild Mushroom Veloute (S$9.90), topped with shimeiji mushrooms and togarashi croutons and a drizzle of truffle oil, and the Tuna Tataki Niçoise Salad (S$15.90), tossed with fresh cherry tomatoes, pickled white onions, pea sprouts, wasabi dressing made in-house, and a poached egg.

Strangers’ Reunion also offers All-Day breakfasts, including the new Ocean Trout on Hash (S$21.90) with petit salad and a poached egg. The potato hash and trout is complemented with savoury bagna cauda, a traditional Italian sauce made from anchovies, garlic and cream. 

The recently-introduced Breakfast Steak (S$23.90) offers a steak accompanied by braised chick peas, apple fritters, petit salad and a sunny-side up. 

Beetroot Corn Fritters (S$17.90) is another recent addition, bringing a blend of arugula, beetroot, corn, tomato relish, za’atar spiced poached pear, and a poached egg to the breakfast experience. 

Chin crafted the hazelnut béarnaise for the House Smoked Salmon Benedict (S$18.90), which includes feta cheese, walnut crumble, petit salad and sultana bread. 

Source: Strangers' Reunion. House Smoked Salmon Benedict.

Source: Strangers' Reunion. Banana Brûlée Buttermilk Waffles with Walnut Crunch from the affiliated Waffle Slayer waffles and coffee bar.

Another house special is the Strangers’ Reunion Buttermilk Waffles (S$12.90), which is just crisp enough on the outside. These are topped with fresh fruits and the diner's choice of vanilla bean ice cream or Greek yogurt. 

What's new though are the Berry Ricotta Hotcake (S$18.90), featuring a fluffy hotcake with fresh berries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and vanilla bean ice cream, and the Chocolate Panna Cotta (S$16.90), drizzled with homemade berry compote, walnut-infused gold dust, salted caramel and the perfect touch of dark chocolate sables.

For more options, visit Waffle Slayer, Strangers’ Reunion’s sister cafe. The dedicated waffle and specialty coffee bar offers both sweet and savoury waffles including one made with squid ink. The Banana Brûlée Buttermilk Waffle with Walnut Crunch comes recommended.

Strangers at Work in the CBD area is another sister cafe.