It is of no coincidence that three coffee places with minimalist-industrial vibes have opened within two weeks from one another – Lucid, Brother Bird Coffeehouse, and Double Up Coffee.
And they are not considered too far in terms of distance, all located in the Bugis-Lavender stretch.
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(Photo credit: @stormscape)
You may just walk past Double Up Coffee at Jalan Klapa, considered quite a hole-in-the-wall. It is located right opposite Kumoya known for its character cafes. Both cafes are the opposite ends in styles anyway – one known for cutesy cartoon-themed food; the other coffee focused.
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There are two halves of Double Up Coffee. Outside, you would spot three chairs of solid colours of red, yellow and blue, along with a table repurposed from a skateboard. It suggests funkiness and young vibes.
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Walking in, the mood changes with light grey cement coffee counter, light wooden chairs, but most customers were sitting back facing the wall on a row of concrete seats.
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It almost feels there is no little between barista and customer. Maybe that is what they are trying to achieve.
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The menu is lean, divided into “business” (coffee drinks), “pleasure” (non-coffee drinks), and “chow” (rotational pastry).
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You sense that element of playfulness when coffee drinks are not named the conventional latte or flat white, but Spro with Milk ($5) and Double Up ($7).
“Spro” is actually a slang term for an “espresso”. (You can use it like, ”Bro, let’s grab a Spro”); while a Double Up is a piccolo with espresso.
Beans are sourced from Bearded Bella which they call the “Kuku Bududa” with milk-chocolaty notes.
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(Photo credit: @juicyfingers)
The bake here is rotational, and what is offered had included Peach & Pear Crust ($5.00) or Blueberry Crust ($5.50).
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What you get is a crusty pie-like pastry with softer layered texture in the middle, topped with caramelised fruits.
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I think what people would like about Double Up Coffee is that it is unpretentious and doesn’t need to try too hard.
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Double Up Coffee
7 Jalan Klapa, Singapore 199319
Opening Hours: 9am – 5:30pm (Mon, Wed – Sun), Closed Tues
Lucid (Hamilton Road)
Brother Bird Coffeehouse (Bali Lane)
Bearded Bella (Craig Road)
Narrative Coffee Stand (Bras Basah Complex)
Starter Lab (Havelock Road)
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