Big Short Coffee isn’t your standard coffee bar. It feels more like a tiny experimental lab tucked into Joo Chiat.
With just a few counter stools and a handful of wooden seats by the window, the space fills up quickly, especially when a new seasonal menu drops.
Seasonal Drinks
They change their menu every season and each lineup comes with a new set of playful, intricately crafted drinks.
Past menus have included summer creations like Mango Sticky Rice and King of Chendol.
Their spring lineup saw Duck Shit Miso and Crema al Matcha.
Viral Balloon Drink
This autumn, they went viral for Up and Away.
It uses rachia yirgacheffe coffee beans prepared as a nitro cold brew, mixed with passionfruit, orange, jasmine scented green tea and roasted French oak. On top of all that, the drink comes with a helium-filled sugar balloon tied to the cup.
People usually bite the balloon and inhale the helium, giving them a high-pitched voice. If you are not fast enough, the balloon pops on its own, adding to the fun and chaos.
Another standout in their current rotation is the Pisang Kikkoman, one of their most unusual flavour experiments so far.
The drink layers espresso with pisang raja skin oleo-saccharum, Earl Grey tea, clarified malted barley milk and Kikkoman soy sauce. Yes, the same one used in cooking.
The pisang raja skin oleo-saccharum is a syrup made by coating banana skins in sugar until the natural oils are drawn out, creating a deeper and more aromatic banana flavour.
The Experience
Despite the experimental drinks, the staff are known to be friendly and patient. They explain the steps and flavours as they serve, and that mix of whimsy and technique gives the place its charm.
Joo Chiat isn’t exactly a hidden neighbourhood, but Big Short Coffee still feels like a spot you only understand once you step inside.
Their drinks are beautifully complex and not for everyone. But if you want something that goes far beyond the usual latte or flat white, Big Short Coffee is absolutely worth the trip.
Big Short Coffee
Address: 2 Fowlie Rd, #01-01, Singapore 428505
Opening Hours: Daily, 8am-5pm
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