"Ristr8to" - Coffee by a World Latteart Champion
- J Chou
- Dec 8, 2018
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 24, 2018
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Circle-line dwellers can now rejoice at the opening of Ristr8to by a world latteart champion from Chiang Mai. Unlike most cafes which have their own premises, Ristr8to occupies one of the units within a new foodcourt in Tai Seng called "Chef Avenue". The upside of this is that one may sit at either the tabletop of the stall, or at any of the seats within the foodcourt. The downside is that on a crowded day, one would be hard-pressed to "chill" within the tranquil sanctuaries of a cafe which has its own premises.
In Italian coffee lingo, ristretto lies one rung above espresso in terms of coffee strength. Ristr8to does a clever play on the word ristretto by replacing the "et" with the lucky number "8" whilst keeping the pronunciation intact. While one can certainly order a ristretto at Ristre8to, it would be a travesty, for Ristr8to's speciality lies in its knockout latteart. Forget about your run-of-the-mill hearts and rosettas - Ristr8to does up a mean swan with "feathers" so elaborate that the swan almost comes alive.
Offerings here include the usual cappuccino, flat white, and latte. But I say, ditch those in favour of the cafe's macabre-sounding specialties such as "Satan Latte" and "Shakerato from Hell". What I relish about the menu is that it provides a detailed description and illustration of each coffee, along with the coffee strength - this certainly helps reduce the cognitive workload on customers contemplating their choice of coffee.
If you are very particular about latteart like I am, the "Satan Latte" (S$5) will not leave you disappointed. The huge 8oz cup allows the full flair of the barista's skills to be displayed. At some cafes, the latteart that you get is a far cry from the misrepresented one on their instagram page, but at Ristr8to the swan that I'd requested for turned out to be every bit as lovely as advertised. Taste-wise though, it's pretty much standard latte as the large milk-to-coffee ratio whittles its strength down to "2/8".
If a perk-me-up at the start of the day is what you are after, opt for the "Fircardie" (S$4.50). WIth a strength of "5/8", the Fircardie is markedly stronger than the "Satan Latte", though what really gave me goosebumps (besides the skull cup in which it was served) was the excellent taste profile of the coffee which only two other SG coffee joints have been stellar enough to elicit - Nylon Coffee Roasters and Homeground Coffee Roasters.
Higher up from "Ficardie" along the spectrum of coffee strength lies "Cigar8to" (S$4.50), with a strength of "6/8". The volume and taste profile of "Cigar8to" is almost identical to that of "Ficardie" - except that "Cigar8to" is served in a more normal-looking cup.
Up next was "Godmother Mocha" (S$5). The irony about this drink is that despite being served in a menacing skull cap, the taste was cloyingly sweet. The syrup completely overshadowed the coffee and did no justice to the coffee. If you aren't a coffee snob but the kind who goes to Starbucks to order a sweet coffee-based concoction, this drink might just be right up your alley.
The next drink - "Dopper" (S$4.80), is intended to give one a dopper-mine rush (pun intended). I requested for a spoon to mix the coffee and the milk but the barista advised that it be drunk without mixing. His advice was spot-on – drinking it in this fashion allowed the hot ristretto and the cold milk to be savoured distinctly and yet in perfect harmony, paradoxical as it may sound.
The final drink is definitely one for the 'gram. Reminisce your secondary school days in the Chem lab with "Shakerato from Hell" (S$6). Some coffee drinks attempt to be creative but are gimmicky and ridiculously-priced (read: “Sweet Little Rain"), but this one with its wooden test tube holder lends an elegant and tasteful touch to what is essentially cold latte served in 4 test tubes.
Verdict: Ristr8to, with its good mix of solid coffee for coffeesnobs and creative coffees for instagrammers, has what it takes to rise above the competition in SG's saturated cafe scene. Despite not serving any food, the range of coffees alone is enough to keep restless customers coming back for repeat visits, as Yours Truly did.
Ristr8to
26 Tai Seng Street, Chef Avenue Food Court, S(534057)
Operating Hours: Daily 9am - 9pm
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