I think it’s safe to say that gone are the days when healthy food equals compromised taste. Interval Coffee Bar, a relatively new concept from the ever-busy duo of Joshua and Caleb Ng of Twins Kitchen, is somewhere between a café and a bar, with minimalistic, Scandinavian-inspired decor (think marble tables and gold walls). If you choose to purely focus on the drinks, sit at the bar (open from 12pm) and enjoy a limited wine selection hand-picked by Joshua. Alternatively, you can always enjoy a good cuppa and indulge in the spot’s newly introduced Californian-Nordic lunch menu (available Monday–Saturday and on public holidays from 11am–5pm), which includes delicious, low-calorie and vegetarian-friendly dishes with a modern twist.
We were first introduced to Moonlight Tea, a newly launched artisanal tea company based in Hong Kong, available exclusively at Interval (for now). Co-founded by tea sommelier Alky Ma and the twins, the brand’s attitude towards natural wellness echoes the café’s approach to healthy wholesomeness, and we sampled their selection of seasonal teas including imperial Earl Grey and first-flush Darjeeling ($35/bottle). The time-consuming cold-brew process did well to gently extract authentic flavours from the leaves, which we enjoyed immensely on the scorching day.
We started our meal on a high with one dish to rule them all: pumpkin and crabmeat with homemade yoghurt ($78). I think the ultimate chef’s test is in his or her ability to create a balanced dish by highlighting the natural flavours of the ingredients – keep it simple and let the ingredients speak for themselves. This dish delivered. The milk-curd cracker was a bit superfluous in my opinion, but it did not stop me from licking the bowl clean.
The cauliflower and charred kale with rice puff and egg ($88) provided a potpourri of textures. The crunchy rice puff contrasted nicely with the soft cauliflower bits, and slathered with the creaminess of the egg yolk, it was a party in my mouth.
The sweetcorn and freeze-dried vegetables with sous-vide egg and sourdough ($78) is not the grandest dish on the menu, but it did not disappoint taste-wise. Using freeze-drying techniques, the vegetables gave a textural zing to the plate. To eat, begin with a great foundation: the sourdough. Then layer on top with a big spoonful of sweetcorn and veggies and, finally, a drizzle of egg yolk. Delicious.
Real talk: a major pet peeve of mine is when avo toast comes unseasoned. While I love me some creamy avocado on its own, I always take a few more seconds to season it with a bit of salt, pepper and chilli flakes to amp up my power brekkie. This avocado toast with mint and chilli ($108) was simple, but with a great twist of added mint and homemade crème fraîche. It’s worth noting that the generous portion was more than enough to feed two ladies with giant appetites.
Verdict
With its fresh ingredients and creative techniques that create complementary flavours and varying textures, Interval Coffee Bar does not follow the same tried-and-true methods as other cafés. Sure, you’ll see avo toast on the menu, but trust Interval to be one step ahead by always keeping things interesting. And while I can define my appetite as voracious, this meal left my colleague and I satisfied to the brim. Be prepared to share (or not!) if you dine here.
UG/F, 33 Wellington Street, Central, 2570 7568
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