Came across this AE Coffee some time back whilst walking around International Plaza looking for something to have during lunch — didn’t realise that they had since opened their doors until seeing some posts on AE Coffee going around social media. A new addition to International Plaza, AE Coffee occupies a shop space within the ground level of the shopping galleria; the stall taking over the former premises of the now-defunct outlet of Salad Co. Sg there. Given the size of the shop unit, AE Coffee operates as a takeaway kiosk targetted at office workers within the Central Business District to make a quick coffee run rather than being a sit-down cafe; there are no dine-in seating that is located within the shop space. That being said, AE Coffee does have a vibe that stands out from the other F&B establishments located within International Plaza — one that is seemingly more contemporary within the use of black and white, as well as metallic elements for a clean, minimalistic and sleek look. AE Coffee has a focus on espresso-based specialty coffee; expect the usual offerings that one can find at cafes that are part of the third-wave coffee movement here such as the White and Black — non-coffee drinkers can also find drinking chocolate here. It is noted that AE Coffee uses beans roasted by Axil Coffee Roasters to brew their cuppa — Axil Coffee Roasters being a coffee roastery based in Melbourne, Australia, with the bags of beans proudly displayed on the display rack at the side of the shop.

Skimming through the menu for the various types of espresso-based specialty coffee that they are offering, it was obvious that the Melbourne Magic was the one that stood out to us the most. The Melbourne Magic is pretty much the same as what some other establishments would call the Magic — for those whom are not familiar with the Magic, the Magic is essentially an espresso-based specialty coffee beverage that features equal parts of espresso and milk. The Melbourne Magic at AE Coffee is being pulled from the beans roasted by Axil Coffee Roasters, and is one that we found to be pretty well-pulled and executed. For one, the cuppa was smooth and creamy — there was also a good balance of milk and espresso, with the cuppa coming with a fruity flavour profile and an earthy finish with a medium body; quite a punchy cuppa that is suitable to start the day with. The cuppas at AE Coffee can be described as reasonably priced — the Hot Black starts at $4.50 here, whilst the most expensive options such as the Iced White, Iced Chocolate and Iced Coconut Latte are priced at $6.50. AE Coffee also serves up cuppas where one can opt for Oat Milk, Soy Milk, as well as an additional shot of espresso or the addition of chocolate for just $1 per extra option. Overall, AE Coffee is a pretty worthy contender to the already saturated coffee scene in the Central Business District; while there may be a lot of options when it comes to espresso-based specialty coffee in the area, it does seem that there is still space for AE Coffee considering how well-pulled and well-priced their cuppas are.