Bee Hoe Coffee: New back-alley cafe in Joo Chiat serves speciality Vietnamese egg coffee

Joo Chiat never fails to charm with its never-ending spade of quaint, new cafe openings. Everything from rustic bakeries, to artisan bagelries — you’re simply spoilt for choice.

But Bee Hoe Coffee, the district’s newest opening, is a bit more special. It’s a back-alley cafe started by a barber shop and sells, not just your usual lattes and flat whites, but also speciality Vietnamese coffee.

The concealed takeaway spot is hidden deep within Autocutt Boardroom’s shop space and is only accessible from the alleyway behind it.

You won’t miss it once you’re in the alley: There’s a sign and a huddle of chairs and potted plants right outside, marking the spot.

Inside, Bee Hoe Coffee is a cosy little space with basically only a coffee counter, sharply spruced up with green and turquoise tiles and accented with a splash of foliage.

Speciality Vietnamese coffee

Although there have been quite a few back-alley coffee spots in recent years, Bee Hoe Coffee stands out from the rest with a rather unique beverage option: Speciality Vietnamese coffee.

The coffee uses beans from co-owner Jamie’s family farm back in Vietnam, so the coffee is just as robust as what’d you find in a streetcorner stall in somewhere like Ho Chi Minh City.

There are a few options on Bee Hoe Coffee’s menu, ranging from the most classic drip coffee (S$3), to coconut coffee (S$5.50) and peanut butter coffee (S$5.50).

Out of all the intriguing options, it was the honey egg coffee (S$4.50) that caught our attention — it’s something you don’t see very often in Singapore.

Bee Hoe Coffee serves their egg coffee in a small cup instead, where the egg foam is layered over the espresso, which means it’s extra potent, but nicely contrasted by the fluffy and sweet foam.

Interestingly enough, even the Western-style coffee at Bee Hoe Coffee uses Vietnamese-sourced beans, which are usually dark roast and significantly more heavy and bitter.

A bit of sugar is added to balance out that dark-roast intensity and the result is an iced latte (S$4.50) that tastes malty and fragrant — somewhere in between a local kopi and Vietnamese ca phe sua da (coffee with condensed milk).

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A rustic taste of Penang

Bee Hoe Coffee’s pastry department is quite interesting too: There are only two items on the menu.

One is a bakkwa roti (S$4.50) and the other, an omelette muffin (S$3.20).

These are homelier pastries suited for takeaway and not quite what you’d usually expect from a cafe, but there’s quite an interesting story behind them.

The former is a creature comfort for co-owner Chris, who hails from Penang where the dish is a beloved staple, and the latter is a housemade treat by his wife.

The bakkwa roti at Bee Hoe Coffee isn’t quite the same as the Penang classic, though. It uses smaller pieces of bakkwa instead of the usual slice, but it’s paired with the same ol’ pork floss and an old-school style bun that Chris has specially sourced locally.

The bread is nice and fluffy, while the bakkwa is sweet and savoury, with a bit of fattiness to it — almost like candied bacon!

On the other hand, the omelette muffin comes loaded up with ingredients such as ham — a good option if you prefer something light but still savoury.

If you’re in the Joo Chiat area and looking for a cafe that offers up fresh ideas, we think Bee Hoe Coffee is worth swinging by, for the nice cosy vibe!

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on Old Airport Road Food Centre’s most beloved eats and cafes for brunch lovers to hit up at the new Kada at Maxwell.

Enjoy up to 50% off when you dine with GrabFood Dine Out.

You can also book a ride to Bee Hoe Coffee at Joo Chiat.