TAG Espresso (Club Street)

Tag Espresso might be an establishment that is fairly familiar to the folks whom have been following the local cafe-hopping scene fairly closely. These folks are probably better known for their freeze crystallised coffee capsules, which they dub as “Peel and Pour Coffee” — whilst they do have quite an online presence when it comes to the retail of their products, Tag Espresso also does operate brick-and-mortar stores — their very first being one that is located in the basement of Raffles City Shopping Centre where they do not only retail their freeze crystallised coffee capsules, but also serve up espresso-based specialty coffee as well, they also do have another outlet situated at Ngee Ann City which took over the former premises of the now-defunct Grand Jete Cafe & Bar that is a full-service cafe. Tag Espresso’s newest outlet is located at the new Mecure ICON Singapore City Centre situated along Club Street — other dining establishments that one can find at this location would include L'antica Pizzeria Da Michele, La Table d’Emma and KLARA Cafe & Bar. Tag Espresso’s outlet at Club Street follows the design language of their other locations; there is an emphasis on using white tiles as a constant theme throughout the entire space from the walls to the platform benches — all that coupled with metallic dining furniture that provides a futuristic look. There are some splashes of dark blue thrown into the fittings of the space as well; the colour of which Tag Espresso adopts as a theme colour, which helps to add a visual contrast. Unlike their full-service cafe at Ngee Ann City, Tag Espresso’s new location at Club Street doesn’t serve up an extensive selection of food items — hot food is pretty much restricted to a line-up of bagel sandwiches, while beverages available at this location includes espresso-based specialty coffee. There are also a few unique concoctions listed under the “Specials” section of the menu, while non-coffee beverages available includes drinking chocolate and Matcha / Houjicha Latte.

Making our visit to Tag Espresso during weekday lunch hours, we were pretty much in to give their all-day bagel offerings a go — of the various bagel sandwiches which Tag Espresso serves up at their Club Street location, the Sunny Cajun Chicken was one that stood out to us considering how it does come with a meat element and does sound pretty hearty. Tag Espresso describes their Sunny Cajun Chicken bagel sandwich to come with elements such as Cajun chicken, Sunny side up, and Greens. It is noted that while Tag Espresso does have dine-in seating that allows patrons to enjoy their food and coffee within their premises, Tag Espresso is pretty much an operation of a takeaway store at their Club Street location — all orders are being served in disposable ware here irregardless of whether one dines in or have made an order to-go. We liked how Tag Espresso serves up their bagels freshly prepared only upon order; a rather welcomed move since some establishments would have chosen to use ready-made ones only to be heated up upon order; this is especially so since Tag Espresso is a name that is more known for their specialty coffee instead. Sinking our teeth into the bagel sandwich, we liked how the bagel carried a soft, fluffy texture that is just about dense enough but yet carried a good bite. Considering how the Sunny Cajun Chicken bagel sandwich features a sunny side-up, it is obvious that the egg yolk from the sunny side-up had been smashed — the egg yolk having all been absorbed by the bagel itself that provided a decent level of moisture and flavour to the bagel itself.

The Cajun chicken itself was nothing much to shout about though understandable considering the lack of a proper kitchen space in its premises — it could have been a little better if it could be grilled longer for a slightly smokier and savoury note with a stronger punch from the cajun spices. We also felt that the slab of chicken was a little too thin to give the entire bagel sandwich a meaty bite, though we do reckon that it is also likely that there is some balance that they are trying to achieve with the texture of the bagel here as well. The inclusion of leafy greens does help to provide a slightly more wholesome feel for the bagel sandwich, while there seems to be some mayonnaise in between that felt like an attempt to making all of the elements come together. During our visit, we had also went for the Spanish Latte — it is interesting to note that Tag Espresso offers their hot espresso-based specialty coffee in two (2) different sizes here; the 8 Oz and the 12 Oz. We opted for the former for our order of the Spanish Latte. We were a little disappointed with the cuppa here considering how Tag Espresso is an establishment that focuses a lot on their specialty coffee; the cuppa felt like one where the milk has been frothed for too long — not as silky smooth as one would expect. We also felt that the cuppa was a little bit on the acidic side, with the brew temperature being a wee bit too hot — perhaps a wiser choice to opt for the cold one instead. Tag Espresso hasn’t really impressed us much with its offerings — whilst we had not been to their outlet at Ngee Ann City prior, the food offerings at their Club Street location does feel decent without much to shout about; should do just about fine for those who aren’t too picky about their food. A spot that perhaps those whom love the brand would like to check out. .