Tucked away in the heartlands of Bedok, in the far east of our little island, is Percolate Coffee. Along the ground-level units of Block 136, its unassuming storefront speaks little of what one can expect inside — a café-oasis offering respite, chill vibes and a quality cup of joe.

Tasting Flight Set

Coffee

Percolate doesn’t roast their own beans, instead they get it from various roasters, both local and international. On my recent visit, they were offering 2 espresso options: one from Homeground Coffee Roasters and the other from Nylon Coffee Roasters. On filter were another 2 options; from Colonna Coffee and The Coffee Collective (both of which are roasted and imported from overseas).

Filter

While there, I tried their filters. The brews were well-balanced, and thoroughly enjoyable. On another visit, I tried their Tasting Flight Set, which comprises of a shot of espresso and a 5oz white. The espresso was well-calibrated and marked the start of a very lovely afternoon.

Aesthetic

Percolate has a mostly wood furnished interior, making the place look stylish and modern, and the distinctive, diagonal, tri-coloured wooden panelling in the café immediately highlights the uniqueness of the space. Through the green indoor plants and turquoise stools, the hanging artwork and muraled walls, Percolate incorporates a splash of colour, life and vibrance into their café experience.

The café’s premises occupies 2 units and is divided by a wall along the middle of the space. What is most interesting is how they have very creatively utilised this wall. They could have opted to tear the wall down and open up the space. Instead, a window-like hole was cut into the wall and a long, rectangle table was laid in the middle. I was impressed by their unusual solution as it really added an additional touch of personality to the café.

Seating

As cafés go, Percolate is on the smaller end of the scale, size-wise. At max capacity they can seat about 30 people, but it would be quite a squeeze at that point. On weekends, it gets very crowded and it can be difficult to get seats. The weekday crowd is much tamer, making it a pretty ideal place for anyone looking to get some work done.

Most of the tables are small, but the long table in the middle of the café can seat up to 10 people. There are also a few tables outside the café for those who like to dine al fresco.

Price

At $4.50 for a white and $6 for a filter coffee, I would say it is really affordable for such good coffee. Percolate has an all-day food menu which offers dishes priced at $7 - $14.50. They also offer pastries and desserts which are priced at $4 - $13. There is no GST or service charge, and the friendly baristas ensure you have a wonderful dining experience.

“Chicken rice” Couscous

Food

From “Chicken rice” Couscous to Unagi Soba, Percolate’s all-day food menu provides a very interesting spread of choices. As I found out, unconventional but delicious, nonetheless.

Unagi Soba

Black Pepper Beef Couscous

Prawn Curry Mash

Percolate offers some very exciting coffee desserts as well. With options like the Oreo Matcha-gato and the Sea Salt Caramel Affogato, coffee-lovers with a sweet tooth are in for a treat!

A unique coffeehouse with personality, Percolate Coffee definitely leaves an impression on you, and a great one at that. Coffee-lovers who live in the vicinity, I am just so envious! If you’ve yet to visit or have not heard of Percolate, I definitely recommend checking them out. There are few reasons that would make me take a trip to the far-east, but it seems I have found another one.