This Joo Chiat Cafe is brewing coffee like a science experiment – and it’s changing how we drink it

Meet the new generation of women in F&B turning bold ideas into success stories, from Parisian banh mi and molecular coffee to Singapore’s most coveted butter buns. In the second instalment of this three-part series, we speak to Daphne Phee of Big Short Coffee.

Terms like “enzymatic extraction” may be common in science labs or Noma-esque fine-dining restaurants, but at a cosy cafe in Joo Chiat, they’re part of the everyday coffee-making vocabulary.

At Big Short Coffee, it’s a familiar sight to see crowds lingering outside, coffee in hand. A year since its launch, the buzz around its molecular approach to coffee shows no signs of cooling. The cafe offers a curated, seasonal menu of seven drinks that changes every three months – designed to appeal to everyone from casual coffee drinkers to serious aficionados.

Take the Mango Sticky Rice, for instance. The coffee uses the same base but is sous-vided with mango and pandan. For the cream, glutinous rice is roasted, cooked with coconut milk, then blended and mixed in.

“You can taste the roasted rice in the cream – it adds a warm nuttiness, almost like toasted cereal,” says founder Daphne Phee, who oversees operations and menu creation.

“My partner and I came up with this after our first trip to Bangkok. We ate a lot of mango sticky rice and thought, ‘Why not recreate this as a drink?’ It quickly became one of our most popular items this season – creamy but not too heavy, kind of like bubble tea.”

Other popular concoctions include Tickled Pink – a floral blend of pink guava, ruby chocolate and camellia oolong with Colombian coffee jelly – and Mont Blanc, made with Brazilian cold brew coffee, nutmeg, orange zest, and topped with vanilla bean French cream. The price per cup ranges from $8 to $12.

Daphne began 18 years ago as a part-timer at Awfully Chocolate and, over the next 15 years, worked her way up to operations manager, overseeing all outlets islandwide, before joining Common Man Coffee Roasters. While her roles focused largely on logistics and business operations, she’s always had a deep interest in cooking.

“During Covid, I travelled solo for six months, backpacking across Europe,” she shares. “I did volunteer work cooking for different people in their homes.”

This adventurous spirit is evident in her creations. Daphne experiments with techniques like enzymatic extraction, which she explains takes place during the brewing process: “We brew the coffee like a cold brew overnight to break down the molecules and bring out hidden flavours.

“We import the enzymes, which come from plants, and do a lot of research with the powders – it’s almost like fermentation.”

One of Big Short Coffee’s most distinctive drinks, JC Confidential – made with Colombian coffee, lemon leaf, yellow cherry plum, white peony tea, and yuzu – stands out not only for its taste, but also for its presentation.

“The colour of the cup is different because the coffee itself is unlike regular coffee – it’s both sour and sweet,” says Daphne. “The enzyme extraction helps break down the coffee’s molecules to draw out its natural sweetness and fruitiness. No one else in the coffee industry is doing this yet.”

She’s now experimenting with gingerbread, using enzymes and bacteria to blend with other ingredients, and develop new forms of extraction.

Everything is made from scratch, and Daphne focuses on creating a holistic, sensory experience for her customers. Much like a bartender presenting a cocktail, Big Short Coffee’s baristas guide customers through each drink – what they feel, taste and see.

“For example, our current menu features a drink called the Tepache Club. It’s a tea-based drink inspired by Mexico. We ferment pineapple with cinnamon, ginger and cloves for a few days, then strain it and clarify it. We mix it with bergamot oil and oolong tea – that’s one of our signatures this season,” she says.

Although the cafe is usually packed, customers rarely have to wait long for their drinks. Daphne explains that while everything is made fresh, the preparation process is designed for efficiency.

“Assembling each drink is actually faster than making a regular coffee, since everything’s prepped and portioned ahead,” she says.

Still, you might spot more than a few tourists among the crowd, many drawn to Big Short Coffee through social media.

“Whenever someone posts about us, we see a surge of visitors,” says Daphne. “It also helps bridge the gap for people who don’t usually drink coffee. They can start with something lighter and more approachable. It’s like how I started with Moscato, then moved on to white wine, and eventually red – you learn to appreciate the profiles gradually.”

Now, Daphne has her sights set on growth. Working closely with her core team, she’s focused on expanding Big Short Coffee’s presence in Singapore.

“We’ve been here a little over a year since last July, and I’m hoping to open a second outlet soon,” she says. “In the long term, I’d love to take Big Short Coffee international – starting with Asia – because I really love travelling, and I believe there’s so much potential for the brand.”

PHOTOGRAPHY Athirah Annissa
ART DIRECTION Ray Ticsay
COORDINATION Chelsia Tan