Rookie's Coffee Shop - 124 Bukit Merah Lane 1

Rookie literally means "new recruit". Now guess what happens if you make a cafe your first business and recruit yourself into the Barista profession - you get The "Rookie's Coffee Shop". A small unpretentious cafe it is made up of just man, machine and beans. The interiors are white, bare... more icecream parlor than coffee and leave you with a sense of "this can't be it, there is more to come". You can try to escape it by sitting outside on the conveniently provided camping stools (!) as they gently extend the Rookie vibe of "I am trying, experimenting, refining". What we missed was some relaxed seating that would have been a perfect accompaniment to the friendly banter of the Rookie and make you want to spend more time. We came for a sit-down coffee but ended up getting a take-away. However the one thing that doesn't seem to be "trying or learning" is the flair with which the Rookie gets about making coffee... that's the one place the word "Rookie is a mismatch". Our man has an air of calm confidence, movements that are mastered, and a pace that has an unhurried effectiveness that you would expect from a master-chef. Just that our Rookie wraps it up in a chill, youthful panache that can only come from an owner. Coming to the coffee, its full bodied with a strong, heavy flavour that seemed like tending-to-dark roast as all the fullcream cold Meiji milk in the iced latte didnt impact the robustness. The flavour notes were consistent with no variations or after-notes from the beginning of the sip to the swallow. It's coffee that's strong with no surprises, much like a startup business that's focussed on the core and not the extensions. Our Rookie composed the iced latte in a plastic takeaway as ice > milk > expresso shot and while that's advised to avoid hot coffee from getting in touch with plastic, it ends up making the coffee watery on the top especially in a no stir takeaway glass. I find takeaway iced-lattes should ditch the photogenic layering and mix it as ice > some milk > expresso shot > rest of the milk as it allows the three to diffuse together more naturally. All in all, do drop by if you would like to help our Rookie as he chases his dream and don't mind a free add-on of "youthful startup zing" with robust coffee.

Lovely and quirky gourmet and single origin coffee (from Little Big), with my favorite baristas. Calm and tucked away in a quiet side alley next to a bird shop.

Flavourtown and good vibes!! 11/10 must kena banana. The coffee is on a seasonal rotation, but well curated. Owner is a cool cat ;)

Beautiful space with a cosy neighbourhood vibe that anyone will be sure to love. Coffees served were delicious and had a great chat with the friendliest baristas :D

Wow.... One of the best place to have my cuppa. This roast is great for me with a nice sweet aftertaste as what the Teochews would say "甘甘“. Open less than a month and I am glad I come across this cafe!

Found the coffee to be a little above average. The default for the white is a single shot. Uses Meiji milk. This double shot 5 oz white (Honduras El Matazano roasted by Little Big Coffee Roasters) had chocolate, slight raisin notes. The shop is near Alexandra Village Food Centre.

Hidden in a quaint neighbourhood near Alexandra food centre is Rookies Coffee! Friendly, knowledgeable barista and cosy ambience. I had an espresso and a white. The espresso is balanced and easy on the palette. The white is creamy and has hints of almond ? the perfect spot to start the weekend or a pit stop to rest before shopping at the IKEA / Queensway shopping centre.

Cosy coffee place at Alexandra Village. Quite accessible with nearby bishops. Barista was helpful with the questions I had about coffee beans. Coffee was above average. Coffee was a little light for the hot but it was robust for the iced white. Nice chill vibes place to hangout if you’re around the area or doing the Rail Corridor.