Little Rogue Coffee

There seems to be quite a fair bit happening in the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood recently considering how there are several F&B establishments that had moved out of the neighbourhood of the pre-war flats in recent times — this includes that of the outlet of Prive there, as well as that of Soi 47 Thai Food as well. Little Rogue Coffee might be a name that is more familiar to those residing in the East; these folks had been operating from a shophouse unit at Tanjong Katong Road for a while. Whilst their cafe at Tanjong Katong Road had since shuttered not too long ago, they had recently restarted operations at a brand new location at 27 Yong Siak Street, taking over the former premises of the outlet of the Soi 47 Thai Food that used to be situated there. Taking up a unit on the ground level, the space that it occupies at Tiong Bahru is smaller than that of its previous location at Tanjong Katong; there are however both indoor and outdoor spaces that one can dine at here. The indoor dining area features an interior decor style similar to that of a Balinese vibe with the use of tables with terrazzo-esque surfaces and chairs with wooden and rattan accents; there is also some use of greenery above the espresso counter as well. The menu at Little Rogue Coffee comprises of sections dedicated to All Day Breakfast & Lunch Mains, Healthy Bowls, Sides to Share and Dessert — there is also an entire section dedicated to kids as well. Beverages available at Little Rogue Coffee includes espresso-based specialty coffee, non-coffee, mocktails, and specialty tea — just to name a few.

Skimming through the menu, one of the dishes that caught our attention was the Patatas Bravas. For those whom have not heard much about the dish, Patatas Bravas is a dish of Spanish origin and features potatoes; it does seem that Little Rogue Coffee had given the dish a bit of its own twist — the menu describes the dish to come with elements such as deep fried soft egg, potato foam, potato chips, pork chorizo salsa sauce, chives and sourdough. Unlike the usual Patatas Bravas that tend to feature cut chunks of potato, it was interesting to see how they had pretty much executed this dish in the form of a foam — this is particularly worth mentioning especially such cooking methods are commonly found in fine dining establishments rather than that of a specialty coffee joint. The potato foam is actually really smooth, aptly dense and luscious; comes with a really creamy mouthfeel and lightly saltish that would work well even as a spread to the sourdough toast that comes accompanied with it. Hidden somewhere beneath is the pork chorizo salsa sauce; one that comes with a bit of a sour-ish tang from the tomatoes used, whilst also comign with a bit of meaty bite from the small nibs of chorizo that adds on another dimension to the savouriness of the dish. Meanwhile, the addition of the potato chips helped add a bit of crispness to the dish for a variance of texture — something that replicates the chunky potatoes that one would find in the standard Patatas Bravas. Other dishes that we had tried during our visit to Little Rogue Coffee at their Yong Siak Street location would include the Super Fried Chicken — described on the menu to come with elements such as Fried Boneless Chicken, Sriracha Butter Sauce, Szechuan Honey, Mixed Herbs Salad, Fried Kale, Mashed Potato. Whilst we do feel that the fried boneless chicken is well-executed with its crisp skin as well as juicy, tender flesh; all that whilst also noting how the fried chicken was brined well and does not come greasy, the use of Szechuan Honey and Sriracha Butter Sauce really stood out for us where the sauce does come with a bit of sweetness, savouriness and a slight kick of spiciness that should do well even for those whom have moderate tolerance to spiciness in general. The Fried Kale added another dimension of light crispness that further elevated the textures of the dish, while the slices of pickled cucumber comes with a slight tang to refresh the tastebuds. The No Leftovers Bread Pudding is actually great way to end the meal at Little Rogue Coffee; featuring Bread Pudding, Vanilla Sauce, Nut Crumble, Vanilla Ice Cream, the bread pudding comes soft with a consistency that is close to that of a French Toast that has entirely absorbed in the all of that eggwash; the vanilla sauce underneath does seemingly come with a hint of caramel that also adds a bit of sweetness alongside the Vanilla Ice Cream — the Nut Crumble in the meanwhile coming as bits of pistachio crumbles that add a crunch factor an a saltish nuttiness for a contrast of flavours.

Our choice of beverage here would be the Espresso Tonic; Little Rogue Coffee serves their version of the beverage where the shot of espresso is separate from the tonic water — patrons would have to add that shot of espresso into the tonic water by themselves. We do feel that the Espresso Tonic is pretty well-executed here; a refreshing drink that emphasis on the floral notes of the espresso shot used whilst also coming with a carbonated fizz — provided enough tang and a slight sweetness and bitterness that we typically like with the beverage. We recalled that we weren’t too impressed with our visit to Little Rogue Coffee when we had visited them back in the days when they had just opened their doors at Tanjong Katong Road; that being said, it does seem like things had changed quite a fair bit since then with the opening of their Yong Siak Street location. We did feel that the food that they are serving up feels more “matured” — the establishment seemingly having grown up quite a fair bit with the menu progressing with the times; all that whilst also achieving some sort of quality whilst being innovative on the elements that come along with their creations. An example of this would be the Patatas Bravas — something that we would probably expect to be served up in a more upscale restaurant that a specialty coffee joint like Little Rogue Coffee. Prices of the dishes available at Little Rogue Coffee can also be described as comparable to most other establishments of its type — the dishes listed on their All Day Breakfast & Lunch Mains section of the menu being priced from $17 to $25. With all that said, Little Rogue Coffee is perhaps a spot in the Tiong Bahru pre-war flats area that is worth visiting for those whom are looking for somewhere quieter within the area to brunch at; the vibes around the corner shophouse that is occupies does feel less busy when compared against the Seng Poh Lane / Road area where the Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre can also be found.