Hideout Coffee Bar

One of the recent openings that had gotten quite a fair bit of attention on social media would be that of Hideout Coffee Bar — these folks have finally made their return to the local cafe scene ever since they had to shut their operations at Geylang having only operated there for a number of months. These folks are located at a brand new space within a shophouse at 122 Mackenzie Road; a spot that is within walking distance from Little India MRT Station and not too far away from the outlet of Warm Up Cafe that is there. Hideout Coffee Bar’s space at Mackenzie Road follows much of what they used to look like at Geylang, with the space also being much larger as well — these shop features an entirely wooden shop facade with an outdoor seating area with the use of camping chairs at its front porch; something that replicates the alley-side vibes that their previous location at Geylang used to have. The counter to order is actually via a small cut-out in the window that forms part of the shop facade that faces out to Mackenzie Road. Inside, the space features maroon walls and concrete floors; all matched with furniture and fittings with wooden and metallic accents; a very hippie look with bench seating located across one side of the space, whilst counter seating is also available facing towards the espresso bar and the food preparation. There is also a communal table that exists in the middle of the space that is made from a wooden table top above plastic crates — the addition of plants in the middle on top of a stack of books help gives the space an element of life. Just like how things used to be at their Geylang location, it does seem that Hideout Coffee Bar has pretty much stuck with what they are most comfortable with serving up — the selection of hot food available at Hideout Coffee Bar would be their line-up of sandwiches, though those looking for a light bite to go along with their coffee can opt for cookies and cakes as well. Beverages that are being served up at Hideout Coffee Bar would include the usual selection of espresso-based specialty coffee, as well as non-coffee options like Matcha, Genmaicha, and a Jamu Soda — just to name a few.

Hideout Coffee Bar does not describe on the elements that comes with their offerings on the menu — there were already quite a number of sandwiches that were already sold out by the time we made our visit to Hideout Coffee Bar during its opening weekend at lunch hours, so we found ourselves going for the more conventional Meatball Sandwich that they have to offer. All sandwiches offered at Hideout Coffee Bar are served freshly made-upon-order, so do expect a waiting time of around 10 to 15 minutes for the sandwiches to be made even during non-peak hours. Patrons would be called out to collect their order at the counter once their order is ready, with the staff requesting for patrons to leave their name with them upon order. As one fan observe from our order of the Meatball Sandwich, the Meatball Sandwich does look like one that comes with a slightly Italian influence; apart from the hand-formed meat balls, it also does come with a herb-infused tomato sauce, cheese, and olives – caution should be exercised whilst consuming the Meatball Sandwich here considering the slight messiness involved with the runny tomato-based sauce it features that tends to drip out of the food wrapper where the sandwich sits within. Sinking our teeth into the Meatball Sandwich, the bread does come with a crusty exterior whilst coming with a firm, chewy bite with a tension to pull apart – there is a bit of likeness between the bread here and that of the Vietnamese-style Banh Mi. herb-infused tomato sauce does provide a slightly tangy and zingy note, while the infusion of herbs help to uplift the flavours of the entire sandwich. The meatballs do come with a reasonably firm bite; there is a slightly gamey note, though this was pretty light and seemingly intentional — to provide that sense of meatiness within the sandwich, though it does seem to be a little bit on the saltier side as well. The cheese does provide a slight hint of saltishness, while the olives cut through the heaviness of the bread, cheese and meats.

During the same visit to Hideout Coffee Bar, we also had given their Biscoff Cookie a try — the Biscoff Cookie is one out of two cookies that Hideout Coffee Bar has to offer; the other being the Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie. Their cookies are warmed up before being served up — the Biscoff Cookie is one that we found to be pretty manageable in terms of sweetness; this especially so considering how some Biscoff Cookie served by other establishments around the island tend to be on the sweeter side of things which is quite easily the case for Biscoff-flavoured items in general. The warm cookie crumbles neatly without falling messily apart; yet still crusty enough on the surface to hold everything together. It is worth noting that the Biscoff Cookies at Hideout Coffee Bar is a cookie that does not come with any fillings within, in case there is anyone whom might be expecting it to be filled with Biscoff / cookie sauce in between. It is worth noting that Hideout Coffee Bar does serve up their beverages in disposable cups; going for the White (Hot), it is also interesting to note how they serve their cuppas without latte art — perhaps a move that would seem to be more practical for them since the cuppas are served in disposable cups with cup lids. The White comes with a medium body; all that with a fruity and citrus-y flavour profile that can be considered as rather harsh for some tastebuds.

Hideout Coffee Bar is perhaps one of the cafes within the local cafe scene that exudes loads of character — there is definitely something very indie and hippie with the way that they are being setup — one that is especially playful yet passionate with what they do. The closure of their former space at Geylang may be a great setback, but the opening of their new space at Mackenzie Road is not just a new beginning, but also a revival of the spirit behind the brand and what it is set out to be. These folks are still churning out the same sandwiches and bakes as they had used to do; all that while the space retains the vibes that they had initially created it to be at their Geylang location — all that whilst being a bigger space that would also cater well to their regulars whom have gotten to know them through their short stint at Geylang. Prices of their sandwiches range from $9 to $18; the lowest-priced being the Kimchi Focaccia, while the highest-priced behind the Salt Beef Sandwich. With how they have pretty much stuck to what they are all about and also being an establishment with a unique vibe, Hideout Coffee Bar’s new location at Mackenzie Road would probably be a spot in the list of places to check out especially for those whom have yet to visit their Geylang location prior to its closure — also one that those residing nearby it would likely appreciate having in their ‘hood.