EON Shenton has been seeing a bit of a switch-up in the tenants that are operating within the retail shop units at the ground level of the building recently. One of the newly-opened establishments in the said building would be that of Kahve; Kahve is a hole-in-the-wall coffee nook that is located along the same stretch of shops as other notable cafes there such as Double Shot Coffee and abseil. Kahve is an establishment that seems to carry a bit of an indie flair; the cafe’s interior being decked out in a way that some would find it familiar to that of a Japanese-style Kissaten or even some smaller and cosier Taiwanese cafes as well. Despite the small space that it occupies, one can feel the warmth of the space with how it is being decked out; the mint green walls matches with the wooden furniture and fittings of the entire space; the space being decked out with some Japanese posters whilst also featuring somewhat of a quaint vibe with vintage elements that tastefully spruces up the interior without being haphazard at all. Considering the size of its space, Kahve’s menu is one that is fairly limited — something that is also probably intentional to keep the space in the same spirit as how it is being decked out to be; the food menu is only limited to a very small variety of bakes that are freshly-prepared in-house which includes Focaccia and tea cakes. All these can be paired along with their range of beverages which includes espresso-based specialty coffee and hand-brewed coffee, as well as drinking chocolate, matcha latte and a range of teas — just to name a few.

Noting that the only savoury food option that is available at Kahve would be their Tomato Focaccia, we went straight for it — these come in squares and does seem to come with bits of olive and sun-dried tomatoes coming atop. It does seem that Focaccia is pretty much all these rage in recent times, with many dining establishments also baking their very own Focaccia from scratch. The Tomato Focaccia at Kahve was one that we found to be especially well-made; one that carried enough heft whilst at it, the Focaccia does come suitably dense to achieve that somewhat pillowy and spongey texture — the bread even retaining its shape when one sinks their teeth into it. There is a slight hint of herbs that can be detected within the Focaccia, while the Focaccia also carried a light saltishness that tickles the tastebuds for more flavour; the olives providing its own unique aroma as one chews onto them, while the sun-dried tomatoes gave an element of zing to finish things off. We also managed to try the Banana Cake during our visit to Kahve; this is served in a manner that resembles that of a small cake which is larger than the size of some Financiers served up at other establishments. The cake is somewhat similar to that of a pound cake in terms of its consistency where it is suitably dense and moist; all that whilst carrying a note of sweetness within.

We went for the Piccolo to pair up with the bakes that we had decided to go for during our visit to Kahve; it is noted that the folks at Kahve uses coffee beans roasted by Guerilla Coffee (which also runs their own flagship space at Kallang Riverside Condominium, as well as other outlets such as that of the one at Suntec City and IOI Central Boulevard Towers) — blend that Kahve used during our visit being the Guerilla No. 2 blend that features beans from three (3) different origins — Laos, Congo and Brazil. The tasting notes of the blend is described to be of Dark Chocolate and nuts. The Piccolo at Kahve is very well-pulled with a smooth cream over the top, whilst the cuppa also came with a right proportion of milk; this would be a medium-bodied cuppa with bold nutty and earthy notes that would be a hit for those whom are looking for a morning perk-me-up. Kahve is an establishment that belongs to a rare breed of cafes in Singapore; while cafes around the island have either opted for a more “under-one-roof” approach serving up full-sized meals or just operate simply as a coffee stand, Kahve seems to be embodiment of simplicity within peace — yet without being stone-cold at the same time. There seems to be an undisturbed sense of warmth within the establishment that is undoubtedly alluring — a spot to calm oneself down amidst the bustling Central Business District; something that most cafes around the island seem to lack these days. For those looking for a special spot in the Singapore cafe scene to check out, Kahve is one that is not to be missed.