Coexist Coffee Co. (Pasir Panjang)

Coexist Coffee Co. is a pretty recognisable name in the local cafe-hopping scene by now; these folks were pretty recognised for how they had initially done up their very first location that is situated at Hillview Building, though these days they are perhaps more better known for their outlet situated within the Lifelong Learning Institute in Paya Lebar. These folks had recently found new digs — this time situated within the ground floor of the shophouse that is along Pasir Panjang Road; this would be the very same shophouse that is once occupied by a bar named 3 Monkeys. Coexist Coffee Co. had made the space look completely theirs with the entire space being decked in an almost slate grey that provides for an ultra-modern vibe — this extends all the way to the facade of the shophouse as well that sees the use of grey apart from the glass elements such as the doors and the windows. Inside, the dining area is split into two — the area situated near the counters do seem more like a spot that is meant for a quick cuppa with minimal food orders due to the smaller tables used, while the seating deeper inside within the establishment consists of proper dining chairs and tables with a metallic accent that compliments the vibes of the set-up pretty well. An area has also been set-up for the retail of some of their merchandise, which includes the blends of coffee beans which they have roasted. The menu at Coexist Coffee Co. is split across categories such as Croissant, Brunch, Pasta, Mains, Sharing, Sides and Desserts; beverages are split across sections such as Filter Coffee, Coexist’s Specials, Tasting Flights, Tea and Cold Brew Tea.

Skimming through the menu, one of the items that had caught our attention fairly early on will be the Surf & Turf CCF that is being listed in the Brunch section of the menu — this is an item in which the menu at Coexist Coffee Co. describes to come with elements such as Chee Chong Fun, Tiger Prawn, Chicken Char Siew, Laksa Sauce, Scramble Egg and Fried Shallot. The presentation of this dish does come in a form that is rather similar to that of local / Malaysian-style Chee Cheong Fun that comes with a Laksa gravy; the rice vermicelli rolls sits at the bottom of the entire bowl, whilst all of the other elements come stacked above it. Giving the entire bowl a bit of a mix before digging in, the Laksa Sauce does come across as one that is actually immensely rich — whilst the notes of the rempah spices aren’t the strongest here, there is no denying in how the Laksa Sauce does come across as pretty Lemak and creamy with the fragrance of the coconut milk wafting throughout the entire dish. Considering how the dish does come with sweet sauce, the sweet sauce provides yet another flavour contrast to the dish that in return, also gives a bit of extra depth to the flavours of the dish in which the Laksa Sauce already provides. The sheets of rice vermicelli rolls have been rolled up just like how one would expect for a typical local-style Chee Cheong Fun dish, and while this does come with the addition of scrambled egg, the scrambled egg comes fully-cooked with a fluffy consistency — not particularly runny or creamy, whilst it only forms as an element that attempts to bind with the prawns rather than that of the rice vermicelli rolls as it would be in the style of Shanghainese rice vermicelli rolls. The prawns were fresh and delivered a good bite, carrying its own natural sweetness, though it was the Chicken Char Siew that further impressed us here since it was the sweetness of the Char Siew Sauce and how the chicken chunks were diced that gave it a vibe similar to that of Malaysian-style Char Siew that comes with a sweeter glaze than that of what one would come across for local-style Char Siew. The fried shallots in the meanwhile does give an additional factor of crispness to the dish, while the alfalfa sprouts are likely added for visual appeal.

During the same visit, we also decided to go for the Pistachio Mille Crepe that is being listed an item under the Dessert section of the menu — this is an item which we had previously tried when we made our visit to their location at Lifeong Learning Institute; the menu describes it to come with elements such as crepe, pistachio cream and crushed pistachio. This comes in a form that one would find familiar with the usual Mille Crepe that has been popularised by Lady M of New York; the Pistachio Mille Crepe here does come with a dusting of crushed pistachios that creates quite a visual impact. We did find the Pistachio Mille Crepe to be fairly decent overall; the layers of crepe here are soft and delicate while the entire cake does feel well put together without the layers shifting around as one slices the cake with the fork. The pistachio cream does add a slight whiff of pistachio fragrance alongside the cream; the pistachio cream also alternates the crepes, while the addition of crushed pistachios further adds on to those notes whilst also giving an element of crunch at the same time. We went with the Piccolo to pair with all of the food items that we had ordered. The Piccolo does come well-pulled with the cuppa coming with a medium body and a roasty and earthy flavour profile. Coexist Coffee Co. had previously made a name for itself over the creative interiors that its outlets tend to be modelled; that being said, the brand seems to have toned down the way that it presents itself in terms of the interior design of its establishments and the Pasir Panjang outlet does seem to abide to the same look that the brand adopts these days in a slightly simpler form. Deep down, Coexist Coffee Co. does seem to have found a footing in the local cafehopping scene as one that serves up a reliable and consistent cuppa, while there is a consistent effort to also serve up food offerings with local elements or flavour combinations that locals are especially familiar with; the Pasir Panjang outlet of Coexist Coffee Co. still lives up to this character of the brand pretty well. Prices of their various dishes in the Brunch, Pasta and Mains sections of the menu range from $12 to $27; the lowest-priced being the Aglio Olio while the priciest would be the Ebiko Pasta — both of which being items that are listed in the Pasta section of the menu. For those whom have been following the brand name, Coexist Coffee Co. is definitely a location to add to the list of cafes to check out.