Ton Coffee

There wasn’t as generous enough ingredients inside the banh mi. It tasted alright.

Yes as expected of Vietnamese coffee- it’s strong and am glad I ordered less sweet. It’s a Good Morning! cuppa that I needed to start my day with!

This egg coffee is already better than many of the ones I’ve had in vietnam. Love the cream but still prefer their salt coffee

New viet bistro / stand at square 2…with professional looking coffee drip cannisters and banh mi. Salt coffee is trending madly in vietnam and I’m surprised by how good this was!

Heard all about the new TON Coffee that had recently opened its doors at the basement of Square2 — it does seem that the trend for Vietnamese Banh Mi and Vietnamese coffee is still going on strong behind the scenes in the local F&B environment these days. TON Coffee takes over the former premises vacated by the now-defunct Cavemen Food which used to serve up dishes that are based off what one would do for paleo diets; the food kiosk being situated relatively close to that of the outlet of Coffee Hive at Square2 right after exiting Novena MRT Station, and is neighbours with an upcoming outlet of Ishiro that is slated to open beside some time soon. While most establishments in Singapore serving up Vietnamese Banh Mi and Vietnamese coffee are indie establishments for the most part, it does seem that TON Coffee is a brand that is brought into Singapore from Vietnam itself; the logo of the brand name itself differs slightly from the original in Vietnam, though social media posts does suggest that there may be some relation between the two. For those whom are unaware, TON Coffee operates a full-scale cafe in Hue, Vietnam. Whilst operating from a space that is more tuned towards being a takeaway kiosk, the space does have a small dine-in space dedicated to patrons who wish to sit down and enjoy their Banh Mi on the spot; said dine-in space consists of counter-top seating featuring four (4) seats. The food menu at TON Coffee is kept lean; only features six Banh Mi dishes and beverages that are spread across categories such as Coffee, Tea and Soda.

We had been going for items in the likes of the Baguette with Ham when giving places like TON Coffee a visit for a while now; that being said, it has also been a while that we have last visited an establishment that has a focus on full-sized Banh Mi. We had noticed that the Baguette with Roasted Pork Belly was the item which is being recommended on their menu; TON Coffee also offers their Banh Mi as ala-carte item or as a set with the patron’s choice of coffee to be paired along with it. All Banh Mi orders are prepared upon order; it is also interesting to note that despite TON Coffee being much of a location that is meant for takeaways, they do actually serve their Banh Mi on plates if one specifies that they are dining in at their premises. TON Coffee does provide a simple description of the Baguette with Roasted Pork Belly, mentioning on the menu on the self-service POS machine that the item comes with Roast Pork Belly — we also observed that there are pickled radish and carrots, coriander and chili that have been all included in the Baguette with Roasted Pork Belly.

Despite being prepared freshly upon order, the baguette itself did not feel warm enough for our liking — this also meant that the baguette does have a slightly limp texture where it does carry some crispness alongside some tension when one gives it a bite, though was a little soft for our preferences as well. There was some saltishness that came through with the entire composition here, though not one that we would associate with pate and felt more towards a combination of fish sauce and margarine based on what our tastebuds were telling us — that being said, the flavours of coriander were pretty strong here since they didn’t really hold back on the serving of coriander that accompanies the sandwich here. When it comes to the roasted pork belly, the pork belly does come a little bit on the meatier side with a saltish note coming from the spice rub used in the preparation; the meat also provided a good bite as well. Pickled radish helps to add a tangy crunch that cuts through the carbs and the meatiness to refresh the tastebuds.

Apart from the Baguette with Roasted Pork Belly, we had also given the Egg Coffee (Hot) a try during our visit; the Egg Coffee is said to comprise of “TON Coffee Signature”, traditional drip coffee with condensed milk, and Salted Egg Cheesy Foam — we believe the “TON Coffee Signature” refers to the beans used in the Egg Coffee (Hot) here. We felt that the traditional drip coffee with condensed milk does lack the chocolatey notes that one would associate with a very robust cup of Vietnamese drip coffee with condensed milk; that being said, the Salted Egg Cheesy Foam comes smooth and creamy, being sufficiently dense to provide a saltish and lightly eggy note that adds on to the rather flat Vietnamese drip coffee with condensed milk. We were recommended to have the Egg Coffee with the Salted Egg Cheesy Foam mixed in, though we preferred having it as is to have a taste of the two different layers that also carried a temperature contrast; the Salted Egg Cheesy Foam being chilled while the Vietnamese drip coffee with condensed milk being served hot. Overall, TON Coffee, despite it being seemingly having roots from an establishment in Vietnam, is one spot that we probably should have managed our expectations a little better. That being said, TON Coffee does probably work out quite well for those having a Banh Mi craving to fix and are working in its vicinity.