Tanamera Coffee, and not Tanah Merah (well, there is also a condo in Singapore called The Tanamera).
This new café which originated from Indonesia is not located in the East though, but at the ground floor of the revamped Change Alley Mall (Remember Chervon House?)
How many coffee shops do the Raffles Place workers need? Many, many apparently.
Within a few steps from one another, there are already 6oz Expresso Bar, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Starbucks (opposite), with Kopi Ong, Local Coffee People, Alchemist Coffee, the Morning Grind, and MORE all opening soon.
A caffeinated mall, not counting the bubble tea shops.
Tanamera Singapore is the chain’s 20th outlet and 1st international outpost.
In the Bahasa Indonesian language, “tanah merah” means “red earth” or “red land”, and this represents the rich soil of the Indonesian mountainsides which is the source of coffee beans.
However, in terms of third wave coffee, we are generally exposed with coffee beans from other countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Guatemala. With that said, Indonesia IS considered one of the top coffee producers such as Robusta beans.
The décor, coffee packs, to the packaging are all designed with bold black and red (not black pink), different from the usual white minimalist, woody or industrial look. (At another part of the CBD is a flashy yellow and bold pink Flash Coffee at Oxley Tower which also originated from Indonesia.)
On the menu are Espresso ($4), Americano ($4, $5 for iced), Flat White ($5), Café Latte ($5, $5.50 for iced), Cappuccino ($5, $5.50 for iced), and Mocha ($6.50 for both hot and iced). So the price increment of the cold drinks varies across the board depending on the drinks.
I had the Cold Brew White ($6.50) which had mild acidity and a pleasant finish, though the one thing that stood out was that it wasn’t as intense, rich, or full-bodied as some of the other coffees in the CBD. (@stormscape remarked his was “very acidic” though.)
My general impression is that the Raffles Place coffee drinkers generally prefer a stronger brews with richer flavour.
It is a cup of coffee I won’t mind having, but I am curious how it will stay ahead of the competition with many other familiar brands in the vicinity.
In time to come, there will be a specialty menu of Indonesian food such as Tahu Telur, Bakwan Jagung, Nasi Goreng, Bubur Ayam Jakarta, and Rendang.
I had a Lemon Drizzle Pound Cake, highly recommended by the barista for its sourness. While I found it generally an agreeable and moist cake, the tanginess and zesty-flavours did not surface as much as what I would have expected.
(There is 1-for-1 coffee though the staff wasn’t sure when it would last till. I have written to them, and shall wait for their reply to update.)
Tanamera Coffee & Roastery Singapore
30 Raffles Place, Change Alley #01-12/13, Singapore 048622
Opening Hours: 8am – 8pm (Mon – Fri), 9am – 3pm (Sat), Closed Sun
Other Related Entries
Flash Coffee (Oxley Tower)
LUNA Patisserie (Amoy Street)
Kurasu (Waterloo)
Parallel Coffee Roasters (Duxton Hill)
Cupping Room Coffee Roasters Singapore (Takashimaya)
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