Borderless Coffee

Not sure if this is turning into an upcoming trend but it does seem that 2025 is starting off as a year where many specialty coffee joints are joining up forces with cocktail bars to operate the same space during the day. Borderless Coffee Co. may not be the first of such establishments, though it is still one of such establishments that had started operations for the year — this folks are located at 65A Tanjong Pagar Road, which is a short walk away from both Tanjong Pagar MRT Station and Maxwell MRT Station within a shophouse unit on the second floor of the shophouse. Borderless Coffee Co. share its space with A PLACE TO; Borderless Coffee Co. having its operations in the day between 10am to 5pm on weekdays, and between 10am to 4pm on weekends, while A PLACE TO operates from 6pm onwards. Considering how the space is primarily used as a bar, the decor of Borderless Coffee Co. / A PLACE TO is decked in a manner that is more suited for its evening operations; the shophouse unit that it occupies is one that features a narrow breadth and a long length — the bar counter can be found towards the left of the entrance with some bar counter seating, though most of its fine-in seating can be found at the right of the space. One can find a high communal table with high chairs in this space, as well as a mix of high stools matched with cushioned seating featuring geometrical elements — the space being decked in a mix of black and white elements with white cloth draping from the walls that adds a sense of mystic to the space. The menu at Borderless Coffee Co. is relatively simple; apart from featuring a small selection of bakes that are displayed at the front of the counter, Borderless Coffee Co. also does carry a Tiramisu on their menu. During its daytime operations, the list of beverages that Borderless Coffee Co. offers will include espresso-based specialty coffee, non-coffee, Japanese Tea and Artisanal Tea.

Borderless Coffee Co. does not describe the elements that are being featured in their various dessert offerings; that being said, the Sticky Date Pudding is does feature a toffee sauce drizzled over the sticky date pudding itself while it also comes topped with clusters of caramelised nuts as well. The Sticky Date Pudding also comes in a form similar to that of a small Bundt cake that is served in a metallic cup — quite the aesthetic for us at least. Slicing down the Sticky Date Pudding, we did find the sticky date pudding to be sufficiently dense without being overly so; a cake-like texture that was a little bit sticky whilst also featuring nibs of fibres from dates that provided a good contrast of textures and also further enhanced the flavours with a different dimension of sweetness. Though the toffee sauce that is drizzled onto the Sticky Date Pudding wasn’t too rich nor dense, we did find that it did carry a decent level of sweetness to the Sticky Date Pudding without causing it to be overly saccharine; also liked how it added a bit of moisture to the sticky date pudding made it really easy to have. The addition of the clusters of caramelised nuts add an additional crunch for a variance of textures to the dessert, whilst those nutty and sweet flavours complimented the sticky date pudding quite well. During the same visit to Borderless Coffee Co., we had also went for one of the three (3) financiers which they have to offer. We found ourselves having end up with the Chocolate Financier that turned out to be a little bit like a soft, cake-like brownie that isn’t too dense and still moist. The Chocolate Financier also comes with studs of chocolate chip turns all gooey much like how chocolate ganache would be when these financiers are being served heated up — overall, a pretty indulgent treat that should do well with chocolate lovers.

We also had the White Coffee during the same visit to Borderless Coffee Co.; Borderless Coffee Co. states on its menu that its espresso-based specialty coffee beverages are brewed using beans sourced from Curate Coffee Roasters — a coffee roastery based in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Using a single origin roast that comprises of beans from Brazil, the beans are described to come with tasting notes of orange, chocolate and marzipan. Here, the White Coffee is well-pulled, with the cuppa being mostly creamy whilst carrying a medium body that comes with an earthy flavour profile with fruity undertones; quite a decent cuppa overall. The whole concept of a cafe-cum-cocktail bar concept where there is a segregation between its daytime and nighttime concept isn’t unheard of; it is something that had been done in the past, though not one that is particularly common nonetheless. With that being said, Borderless Coffee Co. does add on to the diverse scene of dining options (and even specialty coffee establishments) that is located within the Tanjong Pagar neighbourhood with its own unique vibe and style. We do hope to see Borderless Coffee Co. offering a slightly wider selection of bakes to offer a little something that may cater to a larger audience in time to come as they smoothen out their operations — that being said, Borderless Coffee Co. is likely a spot that would be appearing more on social media in time to come considering its unique interior that would capture the attention of those looking to fill up their Instagram feeds with.