Coexist Coffee Is Reopening At Hillview With Otah You Tiao, Satay Quesadilla And More

Coexist Coffee is reopening at Hillview with new menu items

Westies, Coexist Coffee is coming back to you! The popular rooftop cafe at Hillview Building is reopening tomorrow, 29 June 2023, at their old location, which they shuttered three months ago when their lease ended. The good news is that they managed to extend their lease, so they’re back with a revamped look and space, plus new menu items!

If you’ve never been to their Hillview outlet, Coexist Coffee can be found on the eighth floor of the building, which you’ll access via elevator to the seventh floor. You’ll then have to take the stairs up a level, and turn down a corridor to find the entrance.

Where the indoor seating area used to be an IG-worthy, yin-yang concept of stark white and red, the entire space is now an industrial-chic minimalist grey.

If you prefer to sit outdoors, with a view of the surrounding estates and nature reserve, there are low camping seats and tables outside on the rooftop too.

The focus of the revamped menu is meant to be modern Singaporean in slant, with highlights such as Herbal Chicken “Rice” ($22++) and Assam Barramundi ($28++)—the first sees an entire half chicken, brined for 12 hours and marinated in a dry, house-made rub of six ground herbs, then roasted low and slow for a whole hour.

Instead of rice, this dish comes with couscous, steamed to fluffy ends, and studded with goji berries for sweetness. Have it with the savoury, herbaceous gravy for extra flavour!

 

Opt for Assam Barramundi for something tangy and appetising; this new dish stars locally farmed barramundi, pan-seared and laid on a bed of orzo cooked in their house-made assaam broth.

Also known as risoni, orzo is a rice-shaped pasta that here soaks up every bit of broth. This is topped with alfafa sprouts and thin slices of house-pickled chilli too.

One of Coexist Coffee’s signature dishes is Squid Ink Fried Rice ($28++), which you’ll still find on the menu at Hillview. For those of you who’ve not had this, it comes in a claypot of squid ink-blackened, garlic fried rice, topped with house-made garlic aioli, crispy baby squid and prawn, and a generous lashing of ikura.

Give it a good mix with a squeeze of burnt lime for added zing.

For smaller bites, check out You Tiao ($14++), which we absolutely enjoyed for its lightly spicy otah centre, and crisp, airy you tiao. Though not house-made, these have been customised for Coexist Coffee.

What made this snack stand out was the Thai yellow curry that the pieces of you tiao sit in—the lemak house-made gravy added a piquant edge to the dough fritters and otah.

Another snack that’s new on the menu is Satay Quesadilla ($18++), filled with melty, oozy mozzarella and a house-made satay pulled pork. I found the house-made peanut sauce a little heavy on the spices, but my colleague enjoyed it.

On the sweet front, definitely don’t miss Goreng Pisang ($12++). This dessert starts with a slice of banana cake, baked at 170ºC to retain its moistness, topped with a scoop of Thai coconut ice cream. It’s drizzled with a house-made caramel sauce, spiked with light soya sauce for a savoury note, and finished with freshly fried little balls of goreng pisang.

You can’t visit Coexist Coffee without having some of their drinks—try the new Coconut Brew ($7++) for coffee cold-brewed in coconut water for 12 hours, or go for Hojicha ($5.50+).

For more cafes, check out Anna’s Sourdough in Punggol for sourdough pasta, pizza and even drinks! Alternatively, Birds of Paradise has opened their first dine-in cafe in Mandai.

Address: 48 Hillview Terrace, #08-00, Singapore 669269
Opening hours: Daily 8am to 6pm
Website
Coexist Coffee is not a halal-certified eatery

Photos taken by Lynette Goh.
This was a media tasting at Coexist Coffee.