Louisa Coffee a prominent coffee chain from Taiwan, recently marked a significant milestone in its expansion by opening an outlet in Singapore at Bugis.
Situated at the newly opened Guoco Midtown, a mere 5-minute walk from Bugis MRT station, the spacious venue boasts 70 indoor and outdoor seats.
We have seen a few overseas coffee brands land in Singapore, such as Fore Coffee, Tim Hortons, Compose Coffee, Kenangan Coffee and Luckin Coffee. More to come.
Some background: Known as the largest specialty coffee chain in Taiwan with over 500 outlets, Louisa Coffee first opened its Taipei Minsheng store in 2006.
The brand quickly gained popularity due to its quality coffee and inviting atmosphere.
Following the opening of four outlets in Thailand, Singapore marks their second international expansion.
The interior, adorned with floor-to-ceiling glass windows and wooden, earthy tones, includes a retail section featuring their specialty coffee beans, barista pitchers, coffee mugs, and tumblers.
Customers have the option to order at the counter, through self-service iPads, or via the brand’s membership website on their phones.
The menu features both signature and Singapore-exclusive items.
Highlights include Estate Coffee ($4 – $6.60), Espresso drinks ($4.50 – $6.30), Beyond Single Origin ($8.80 – $11.60), Specialty Coffee ($6.90), Iceccino ($6.90), English and Taiwanese Tea ($3.60 – $4.60), Sandwiches ($5.40 – $6.50), Boston Cream Pie ($6.50), and Tarts ($4 – $4.50).
In addition to classic espresso-based drinks, Louisa Coffee also offers unique beverages like Orange Peel Latte ($6.30), Brown Sugar Latte ($6.30), Taiwan Geisha ($11.60), Coffee Mojito ($6.90), and Black Coffee Latte ($6.90).
The Black Coffee Latte ($6.90) uniquely combines an espresso shot with fresh milk and is topped with ground black sesame seeds for added aroma.
The Iceccino range ($6.90) includes flavours like Coffee Latte, Mochaccino, Coconut Milk, Chocolate, and Matcha Latte Iceccino, all available with an optional dollop of cream.
The Matcha Latte Iceccino ($6.90) I tried was sweetened, featuring distinct matcha tea notes and topped with cream and matcha powder.
The Boston Cream Pie ($6.50) is available in Original, Matcha, Black Sesame, Taro, and Chocolate flavors.
The Taro Pie ($6.50) was my personal favourite, sliced from a uniquely shaped Boston Cream Pie, resembling an elliptical orbit or a rugby ball.
It had a soft, chiffon-like texture, with layers of taro mochi, taro purée, and Chantilly cream in the middle, topped with taro cream and icing sugar.
The surprise element was the taro mochi in the middle, freshly made with a soft and chewy texture, contrasting with the small chunks of taro purée and the fluffy cake.
Despite the icing sugar, the taro was not overly sweet, making the Taro Pie light and palatable.
As for the Matcha Pie ($6.50), it was a delightful combination of matcha cake and cream with crushed nuts, topped with Chantilly cream and ground matcha powder.
Unlike typical matcha pairings, the use of crushed nuts added a crunchy texture without overwhelming the matcha flavor.
The Matcha Pie offered a unique earthy and nutty touch, lightly sweetened with subtle tea notes.
Other highlights include the Egg Pudding Tart ($4.50) and Cheese Tart ($4.50), displayed prominently on the shelves.
The Egg Pudding Tart ($4.50) featured a deep-pan shortcrust that is denser and crunchier than its flaky counterpart, filled with smooth and wobbly egg pudding, lightly sweetened with a faint egg aroma.
Opening at 8am on weekdays, Louisa Coffee is a breakfast option for the many nearby offices.
Louisa Coffee’s Singaporean debut is part of its broader strategy to establish a presence in the international market, and so we will probably see more of it to come.
Louisa Coffee Singapore
Guoco Midtown #01-13 & 14, 128 Beach Road, Singapore 189773
Opening Hours: 8am – 6pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 7pm (Sat), Closed Sun
Other Related Entries
Fore Coffee Singapore (Bugis Junction)
Tim Hortons (VivoCity)
Kenangan Coffee (Raffles City)
Luckin Coffee (Ngee Ann City)
Compose Coffee Singapore (Suntec City)
* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
