Common Man Coffee Roasters seems to have been expanding their footprint all across the island recently — this year does seem to be a particularly busy year for the brand considering how they seem to have opened up quite number of outlets around; this includes their iconic outlet that is situated at Anchorpoint which pays homage to the former Archipelago Brewing Company which used to occupy the building, as well as a new location at Owen House. Adding to the number of locations which it operates, Common Man Coffee Roasters had found yet another home in the shopping district of the island — Orchard Road. Its latest outlet is being situated at ION Orchard — conveniently connected to Orchard MRT Station and is located in the shop unit next to Five Guys; one might also know how they are also neighbours with Browhaus here, another venture by the folks of the Spa Espirit group which has also brought us F&B and beauty concepts such as Tiong Bahru Bakery, NOKA, Tippling Club and STRIP amongst others. The Common Man Coffee Roasters concept at ION Orchard is positioned as an “On The Go” outlet; a first for the brand as they venture into a smaller-scale operations that is primarily targeted as a fuss-free concept as compared to their full-service outlets like the ones at East Coast and Martin Road. This also means that the seating is fairly restricted; one can either take the bench seat by the wall near the espresso machine that seats two pax comfortably, or sit around the high communal table that is pretty much the centerpiece of the store here. Considering so, Common Man Coffee Roasters On The Go offers patrons with a more limited selection of food — more substantially-sized food options available here includes that of sandwiches and salads, while lighter bites includes danishes, quiches and pies, as well as a small variety of cakes and tarts to choose from. Being a Common Man Coffee Roasters location, it is needless to say that the beverage menu has an emphasis on both espresso-based specialty coffee and filter brews, though patrons can opt for teas, juices, soda and smoothies here as well.

Common Man Coffee Roasters On The Go is one of those rare locations that serves up specialty coffee which opens till late — Google actually lists their operating hours till 10pm, which is quite uncommon considering the sort of establishment it is. We dropped by Common Man Coffee Roasters On The Go on a weekday evening and the space wasn’t packed. That being said, some of the items such as the Chicken and Bacon Sourdough a sandwich had already been sold out when we made our way there. Since the sandwich which we had eyed upon was already sold out by the time we had made our way there, we settled for an alternative — the Ham & Stracciatella Focaccia Sandwich. Common Man Coffee Roasters On The Go does not define exactly the elements which are being included in the Ham & Stracciatella Focaccia Sandwich; that being said, our initial impressions on the sandwich was how it was supposed to come with a distinct note of cream cheese since “Stracciatella” is being mentioned in its namesake.

Turns out, the Ham & Stracciatella Focaccia Sandwich was quite a flavoursome sandwich that carried an unexpected contrast of flavours pretty impressive for a pre-made sandwich ready to be popped into the oven upon order. For one, the note of the tomato-based sauce was strong; that tang worked well with a slight zing that carried flavours almost similar to that of a pesto sauce they made it oh-so-good on its one already. As though that is not enough, details have been placed to the degree that different types of ham (including salami) had been included for varying levels of savouriness, while the greens (we believe to be kale and rocket) carried a lightly bitter undertone that cuts through everything just right. We also tried other items like the Chocolate Tart — this one is definitely one for those whom love decadent desserts for how this features a chocolate ganache in a chocolate shell atop a chocolate-infused tart base; very rich with ganache being actually dense. Meanwhile, the White does carry a good balance of milk and caffeine; carried a fruity flavour profile with a medium body that serves a good perk-me-up. Prices are still considered steep here; it is Common Man Coffee Roasters after all — still a great addition for specialty coffee around Orchard since most other places in the ‘hood does not operate till late anyway.