Curio Coffee Roaster

Curio sits at the top of a spiral staircase above Jalan Ipoh, a compact micro roastery that Chris Leow and Yong Jook Yie opened in 2020 after falling for the small Japanese cafes with roasters they had visited before the pandemic. The room is about 600 square feet, with just four tables, mosaic floors, natural light, kokedama plants and a little balcony garden, and the roaster takes up a quarter of the floor so the roasting is part of the atmosphere.

The pair roast by hand rather than by software, convinced that two people working the same bean on the same machine will bring out different cups. Curiosity is the theme, so beyond single origins and blends there are coffee omakase tastings, roast your own bean workshops and sampling packs that let you compare roasts at home, all in the spirit of helping drinkers find new ways to enjoy coffee.