It does seem like word has been going around about the opening of There Was No Coffee 本来不该有 at Orchard Gateway recently — moving into one of the units at the ground level of Orchard Gateway, the shop unit which There Was No Coffee had taken up is one that has a dual frontage; the same stretch as that of where Coffeesmith is located at — one end of the shop unit is being dedicated to the ordering counter, while patrons will move on into the shop unit to the other end to pick up their order whilst also dine-in with the seating space that is made available. Being one of those Chinese establishments decked out in a futuristic design, the design language of There Was No Coffee can be said to comprise with many metallic and acrylic elements — mostly featuring metallic elements from the tables to the store fittings, while the transparent acrylic used are typically in a blue colour scheme that gives it a rather astronomy-related appearance especially with the decor also featuring astronaut figurines in certain spots of the space; this is not forgetting the KAWS toys that can be found within the shop; another easy find in establishments like these. Seemingly intended to be a takeaway kiosk with a dine-in area, There Was No Coffee serves up a decent range of special concoctions of coffee; mostly fruit-infused latte containing coffee — this would be the items off the “Originals” section of the menu, while the “Special Cofffee” section comprises of Oil Orange American and Coconut American (we suppose that they meant “Americano”). For the less adventurous, one can also go for the items off the “Espresso” section which mainly features familiar espresso-based coffee such as the Latte and Flat White.

It was pretty difficult to make a decision amongst the various “Originals” items to go for, considering they do have quite a wide variety of pretty intriguing fruit-infused lattes such as that of the Banana Latte, Mango Latte, Durian Latte and Watermelon Latte — just to name a few. We found ourselves eventually going for the Grape Latte — the latte consisting of a layer of coffee, milk and grape purée at the bottom. It is also pretty interesting to note that all of the fruit-infused latte from the “Originals” section of the menu at There Was No Coffee does not come sweetened by default apart from the fruits added to the latte. Consistent with what most others have commented on the fruit-infused lattes here, the Grape Latte is also one of those drinks at There Was No Coffee that seems to taste better as one goes through the entire beverage — at the start, the coffee and the grape purée seems to be playing out at their own frequencies, but we really liked how everything went as it starts to mix together; the coffee seemingly strong enough with a medium body and an earthy flavour profile that sort of works together with that sweetness from the grape at the bottom, all that whilst the pulpy grape purée adds on by providing a good chew that gives the latte a contrast of texture. Overall, a drink that seemingly exceeded our initial expectations, and a surprisingly well-made concoction even though it does sound like a creation that is created just for the ‘gram.

On first look, There Was No Coffee does seem to be remind us somewhat of a hybrid of Chef China 华厨 along Beach Road and the outpost of Smile Desserts at Funan — the ultra-modern look that speaks astronomy along with the usage of KAWS toys does evoke a vibe that feels a little close to the two. With an eye-catching name like that, along with its interior design language and items listed on the menu, it is easy to dismiss There Was No Coffee as one of those establishments that is form over substance — almost classifying themselves as one of this establishments that is more for the ‘gram rather than one that serves up sound coffee / latte-based offerings in the heart of town. That being said, having tried the Grape Latte, it is interesting how there seems to be some underlying thought process that made them arrive at this conclusion of fruit-infused lattes that do bear the coffee element; ends up being a unique product that gives the establishment its own character without being “just another pretty creation”. It does seem that things are slowly picking up for them, considering the attention given to them on social media of the late — we would most probably give their Watermelon Latte and Durian Latte a go when we are in Somerset some day!