Ought Cafe (Peace Centre)

Lowercase might have since been closed not too long ago, but it does seem that the Prodigal brand still lives on strong for now — the folks, whom also run Ought Coffee that was previously located at YMCA has brought the Ought Coffee into its new digs at Peace Centre. For those whom are aware though, Peace Centre had been sold off through an en bloc sale that happened some time back in December 2021 — with the upcoming redevelopment of Peace Centre, it also new be that this is pretty much a temporary move for the folks at Ought Coffee / Prodigal Roasters. Ought Coffee occupies the space previously tenanted to LiHo Tea, which had subsequently been taken over by a burger shop at the ground floor of Peace Centre facing Selegie Road; much of the space still remains rather recognisable from how it was being laid out during its days as LiHo Tea, with the espresso bar and counter space being exactly where the ordering counter used to be when it was still LiHo Tea. There is actually a dedicated dine-in area within Ought Coffee, much like how things used to be when the space was still LiHo Tea as well — think a mix of different types bench seatings alongside coffee tables. Since Ought Coffee is an establishment which primarily focuses on their specialty coffee offerings and also does not have a fully-equipped kitchen, Ought Coffee only serves up a couple of bakes such as brownie and slices of loaf cakes for its food offerings. As for its beverages menu, expect espresso-based specialty coffee, as well as drinking chocolate, Houjicha and Matcha-based beverages.

Since there were pretty much only just three types of bakes that were available during our trip to Ought Coffee over the weekend, we ended up going for the Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake to be paired with our order of the White here. The Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake is something simple and comforting; pretty much a sliced loaf cake that isn’t too dense — comes with the right degree of crumbliness, and is fluffy enough with a browned crust over the top. The browned crust has been drizzled with the right proportion of lemon glaze that gives it a zippy note and a slight tang amidst the sweetness of the sugary glaze. Coffee has been a major part of what Prodigal Roasters / Prodigal Cafe had been all about all these while — glad to say that Ought Coffee’s White was especially on point and one of the more impressive ones which we have had of the late; creamy, smooth and with a good proportion of milk to coffee, we really liked how complex the flavours of the cuppa was with its almost tea-like notes and fruity finish that makes it especially different for a cuppa that contains milk. It is a little sad knowing how Lowercase had since closed for good, and yet Ought Coffee itself is a temporary establishment that is due for closure in just a couple of months. That being said, I guess it is also pretty much all about treasuring Ought Coffee for what it is now, before we will say hello to the folks of Prodigal Roasters / Cafe in yet another form hopefully not too long after Ought Coffee’s slated closure …