FOOD: Costa Coffee

Two weeks back, Christiana and I met up for some tea at Costa Coffee. Thank you for the invitation and lovely afternoon, Christiana! :D

Right after the big As, I was a barista for a while so it felt really good to be back in a coffee house, with the thick, aromatic scent of roasted coffee beans wafting through the air. Mmhmm...

Costa Coffee comes from London and goes all the way back to 1971. Founded by Italian brothers Sergio and Bruno Costa, the world's second largest coffee chain has 'meticulously remained true to its Italian heritage'. Every cup of Costa coffee that you hold in your hands is derived only from their special blend of coffee beans, Mocha Italia, which are slowly roasted in the Costa Roastery in London.

Making its foray into South East Asia by starting with Singapore, Costa Coffee sits in 3 bustling locations; Chevron House, Raffles City and VivoCity (Opened only last November!). Christiana and I were at the Raffles City outlet, which is located behind Robinsons and right next to the taxi stand. (:

Of course, besides coffee, Costa Coffee also has their own tasty snackables. (: I tried the Pesto Chicken & Olive Panini ($7.20) first. Pressed and toasted, the sandwich was bursting with the scent of herbs and the bread was infused with olive pieces. I really liked this and I think it could actually make a great lunch for the health conscious (Don't belittle it. It was actually quite a lot!).

Toastie Deluxe ($5.30), with its turkey ham and cheese combo, is something that is a little more familiar to the Singaporean taste buds. I thought that the bread slices were toasted a tad too much because they were slightly tough but the yummy chewy, melted cheese and delicious ham made up for it.

After the sandwiches, I had my first cup of Flat White ($6.30 for Primo). Flat white is something like a latte, except that the texture of the milk and the way the espresso shots is pulled (Ristretto shots.) are different. It was smooth and velvety. (:

Next, I had a sip of Iced Mocha ($6.50 for Primo, $7.00 for Medio and $7.50 for Massimo). This was light and not too sweet. Fellow chocolate lovers will really enjoy this!

This was followed by Cappuccino ($5.80 for Primo, $6.30 for Medio and $6.80 for Massimo.). For the uninitiated, the cappuccino is divided into two segments; steamed milk and foam. You can vary the ratio of the steamed milk to foam, depending on how dry or wet you want your cappuccino to be. And here's a little tidbit I found; the foam on the top actually acts an insulator, keeping your coffee hotter for a longer time!

For me, I don't really like strawberry by-products so the Strawberry Cream Creamy Cooler ($6.30 for Primo, $6.80 for Medio and $7.30 for Massimo.) was just alright. I like that it wasn't too sweet though, because usually these strawberry blended drinks are.

The Carrot Cake ($7.20) was filled with walnut-ty goodness and made a really delightful pairing with the Cappuccino. It wasn't too sweet and it really enhanced the flavour of the coffee. For the sweet tooth, you can pair it with the Mocha. (:

Last but not least, I ended the session with a good ol' Chocolate Muffin ($3.90). This was dotted with so many chocolate chips that when it was heated, the chocolate chips melted all over and covered the muffin like a mini lava cake!

Costa Coffee is a really nice place to chill with a good book or just while lazy days away with your buds. With good coffee and delicious food, your mood can only go up. (: I had a wonderful time with Christiana, talking about coffee and so many other things and of course, sipping and tasting some of Costa Coffee's favourites. Thanks again, Christiana! :D

COSTA COFFEE (Raffles City Outlet)
252 North Bridge Road
#01-45/45A (Beside Robinsons)
Tel.: +65 6337 9835