Humble Origins Coffee Roasters

Ethan Chia
Oct 3, 2022
5 min read

Written by Crystal

It’s not every day you come across a coffee shop that offers drinks made with Myanmar coffee beans. Humble Origins Coffee is designed minimalistically to serve coffee that originated from the Shan Hills, Myanmar, juices, and food. We had the chance to ask the owners about the background and aims of Humble Origins Coffee. Several background details regarding Humble Origins CoffeeSome small background information about Humble Origins Coffee

Origin:

Living in Myanmar for the last 10 years, co-founders Javier and Melissa, worked closely with smallholder coffee producers of myriad villages and communities across the Shan hills to elevate quality, raise awareness of the potential of their products, and purvey specialty grade coffee to the international arena. In addition to financing some communities to develop the necessary harvest infrastructure, Javier, as a CQI Certified Q Grader and perennial judge of the annual harvest cupping competition, partners with the producing communities to:

a. Recognize their quality and share global best practices to improve their incomes and standards of living,

b. Organize Coffee Tours for Singapore and International Roasters to meet the producers and cup coffees, facilitating the relationship development and

procurement process.

"The modus operandi of our roastery and cafes in Myanmar is to reverse the status quo, where 'good' coffee leaves producing countries for developed countries, while 'bad' coffee stays behind. We achieve this by procuring quality coffee to serve the local market, thereby instilling a sense of national pride amongst local consumers and providing a domestic anchor for our producers. An unexpected outcome of our efforts is the accolades in international and local publications we received, as well as inspiring a new wave of cafes that have taken the local scene to the next level.

The next stage of our journey is to introduce these valued, partnered producer coffees to Singapore, our home"

Menu:

HOcr's Signature items with price

- Specialty Coffee Microlots from the Shan hills of Myanmar. Ready-to-drink beverages (Espresso-based and Filter Brews) and roasted beans for homebrewers - range from $4-$25

- Dirty Tiger (Gula-Melaka infused Iced White Coffee) - $7.5

- Dashi Onsen Eggs with Kaya Yorkshire Pudding - $9

- Shan Origin Tofu Fries with Traditional Tamarind Chili Dip (uniquely Shan regions' favorite snack) - $10

-Burnt Sugar Orange Cake with Madagascan Vanilla Ice Cream - $15

Prices are all-inclusive.

In the future:

We soft-launched on 9th Sept'22, and are working towards introducing more Myanmar and travel-inspired food, snacks & sweets to our currently-small-but-growing menu. The curated offerings are handcrafted to appeal to the palates of local and ex-pat communities, including our version of Smokey Roast Beef and Sunday Roast.

Humble Origin’s U.S.P s

Serving specialty coffee micro-lots originating from the Shan Hills in Myanmar, which we believe is under-represented in Singapore. We aim to bridge the gap between consumers and producers, so that consumers know more about the producers (through our conversations, write-ups, portraits, organized symposiums, and proposed coffee tours) who crafted the coffee they consume, and not simply see coffee as just a faceless product, hence our ubiquitous hashtag #FromTheirHandsToYours and #RelationshipCoffee. Our ideology revolves around quality and relationships, as we truly treasure all the friends we have made in our coffee journey and hope to bring the best that we can offer to our fellow Singaporeans.

The fragrance of coffee embracing you as you enter the area is undoubtedly a mood booster. I was immediately welcomed by the owners.

What I ordered:

- Dirty Tiger (Gula-Melaka infused Iced White Coffee) - $7.5

I asked the owner for a coffee recommendation and mentioned that I wanted to try something different and cold. They suggested I try their white coffee with gula melaka infusion. Although it wasn't particularly sweet, it was undoubtedly fragrant. Those who appreciate coffee would most likely like it. Before drinking the coffee, take a whiff of it. Coffee has a lovely aroma that you can taste and smell. It tastes nutty and sweet.

- Shan Origin Tofu Fries with Traditional Tamarind Chili Dip ($10)

The Shan Origin Tofu Fries were delicious. Have you ever had a craving for fried snacks while on a diet? Here is a dish for you. It consists of chickpea tofu, pared with Mymmar's traditional chili dip. This can be my substitute for fries already. I especially liked how the tofu's soft, creamy texture contrasted with its crunchy skin. It has enough taste on its own without dipping it in the sauce too. What's wonderful is you can enjoy it guilt-free.

An interesting fact about this dish that the owner mentioned was that people in Shan Hills like to enjoy a hot fried snack due to the cold weather in that area. As a result, the locals frequently prepare this meal and serve it with a spicy chili dip to warm themselves up when the temperature drops. The owners wanted to bring something they love and enjoy there to Singapore to share.

- Dashi Onsen Eggs with Kaya Yorkshire Pudding ($9)

Although it goes well with just kaya, I highly recommend dipping the Yorkshire pudding into the Onsen egg. It creates many layers of taste and texture. It's like taking your tastebuds along for a ride. The sweetness of the kaya were the first flavors to stand out, followed by the saltiness of the onsen egg. You could simultaneously feel the creaminess of the egg and the crunchy top of the pudding.

The Yorkshire pudding was freshly baked every morning. It was hand-kneaded to incorporate air and achieve the hollow texture and fluffy appearance after baking.

Honest opinion: 4.5/5

Quote: Get to know Mymmar via coffee

Although their food option was limited because they were still expanding it, it was nonetheless tasty and unique. Portions were just right too. I do look forward to seeing a wider variety of foods on their menu in the near future.

It’s a good location to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee. The owners were very informative and welcoming. The tofu fries were the most memorable dish. The chilli sauce used contains some spices, so it's definitely not your typical McDonald's sauce. The tofu inside gave the fries an incredibly creamy inside and crunchy outside.As a person who personally dislikes tofu, I never imagined I'd eat tofu fries, but they were so delicious that I almost wanted to get a second order.

The café was empty given the early hour, soothing music playing in the background, and the friendly smiles from the owners was definitely a great way to start the morning. The atmosphere throughout the café was really warm and tranquil. The aroma of the coffee beans was amazing and lovely.

You can visit them at 475 Joo Chiat Road, Singapore 427682

Opening Hours: 8.30 am – 5.30 pm

Close on Tuesday

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