State of Affairs – Hole-In-The-Wall Cafe Serving Good Coffee & Bites in Upper Thomson

You can never have too many cafes in Singapore and the already-flourishing neighbourhood of Upper Thomson has a new one for your brekkie and teatime sessions. The perfect place to enjoy a quiet cup of coffee, State of Affairs is a nondescript Muslim-friendly cafe located at Longhaus on 183 Upper Thomson Road. The cafe opens as early as 6am on weekends for the early-birds looking for a cup of joe to kick-start their mornings with. 

Opened by former Penny University barista Fahmi Zailani,  State of Affairs takes real pride in their coffee that’s brewed with beans from Costa Rica, Ethiopia and Brazil. 

The interior of the cafe is kept simple with a sleek, industrial-like decor. There are about five tables and some seats overlooking the well-kept counter in which the coffee magic happens. It’s a bit of a tight squeeze but most folks who stopped in were content with grabbing a cup of coffee to go. 

Besides caffeinated beverages, chocolate ($5) and tea ($5), there are small plates and breakfast items such as Avocado Bowl ($12), Avocado Toast ($12), Grilled Cheese ($14) and an intriguing Cauliflower Steak ($14) which was unfortunately being sold out when I made my visit (it do be like that sometimes). 

Since the main star of State of Affairs is their coffee, let’s begin with the Elven Woods ($6). Brewed with beans from Costa Rica that have gone through the red honey barrel process, the resulting cuppa was a complex mix of flavours with a smooth and crisp finish. 

Seeing the words “signature drink” above the Black Honey ($6) didn’t make me doubt my next order, but seeing a can of Schweppes soda water getting whipped out had me a little confused. The bubbly caffeinated drink was definitely an interesting choice — it was aromatic and will no doubt jolt your senses awake (whether in surprise or rejuvenation, it’s up to you). 

Although my hopes were dashed when I was told the Cauliflower Steak was no longer available that day, the Smoked Potato Croquette ($13) more than made up for it. The thin crispy outer layer was hiding a combination of smooth mashed potato punctuated with little chunks of the carb. While it was already seasoned well, the parsley aioli only served to further elevate it with a bold, acidic flavour. 

The Fried Chicken ($13) sees fried chicken chunks in a soy butter glaze. Each tender, juicy morsel was thoroughly coated in the sticky savoury-sweet sauce that had a hint of tanginess.

Even though many come flocking for State of Affairs’ stellar coffee brews, their food is definitely worth a shot as well. In fact, I’d come by again (especially to get my hands on the Cauliflower Steak) even if I wasn’t in need of bean juice (aka coffee).

MissTamChiak.com made an anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.

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