If You’ll Indulge Me: Junior Lim, Barista Owner of Rookie’s Coffee Shop
Baristas have always possessed a sort of devil-may-care mystique to me. “How cool would it be to be a barista?” I sometimes mused to myself while observing the maestros at work behind the counter. Now, I have Junior Lim in front of me living the dream, not only becoming a barista but also setting up his own Rookie’s Coffee Shop earlier this year. Read the full review here.
The man before me was clad in a fatigued Carhatt top while rocking a bucket hat that looks like an extension of his hair — lengthy bohemian locks that flowed straight down, nonchalantly dangling at chest level.
We went into discourse over what his experiences as a barista have taught him, what his tastes as a coffee lover have revealed to him, and why playing obscure math rock during the opening hours helps perk up these small quarters hidden deep within the quiet Queensway.
Compared to the many stalwarts of the coffee industry, Junior is rather young and can only boast of a little over 3 years of experience to his name. But he’s worked at some of the biggest names in the specialty coffee scene ranging from Kurasu to Community Coffee, and even clinched the title of Singapore Aeropress Champion.
For him, Rookie’s Coffee Shop is just the start of his journey in coffee but what does the man think of his voyage up till now and what does he make of his future? We’ve got dear Junior Lim here to spill his heart, his tea, and his dreams to us.
1: Hello Junior, can you introduce yourself?
Junior Lim: My name is Junior Lim, I’m turning 28 this year and I’m owner and manager of Rookie’s Coffee Shop, a new cafe at 124 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-144, Singapore 150124.
2. What made you want to open your own cafe and why here in a far-flung Queensway HDB estate?
Junior Lim: There is nothing to hate about the relaxed and chilled-out vibes in the Southwest of Singapore, which is actually an area I’m already quite familiar with.
But hey, that’s a story that’s better heard straight from the horse’s mouth when you pop by.
3. Was opening a cafe always in your plans? As a self-described “rookie”, what are your biggest fears?
Junior Lim: This has always been part of my master plan. I’d always wanted my own place where I could build up a comfortable workplace culture of my own and brew coffee on my own terms and to my own vision.
It’s an unfettered setting where I don’t have to do things by the book, as compared to employee life. Food & beverage as an industry is just such a good avenue for you if you’re looking to express yourself and that’s what I’m trying to do.
An obvious fear of this venture is not being able to make money or even break even from this venture (editor’s note: thankfully they are doing quite well) but the even bigger concern is that of burning out and crashing from running this cafe and eventually losing the passion I hold for coffee.
4. Do you think “atas” specialty coffee is an acquired taste Requiring refined tastebuds or is it a matter of exposure beyond sipping on Starbucks Frappes?
Junior Lim: I would say Starbucks Frappes are merely a gateway to specialty coffee for most people and my hope is that in the long run, this style of coffee would be considered a lot more accessible.
If so many of us grew to appreciate craft beer, wine, and even fine dining, then I believe specialty coffee can one day grow into the mainstream as a niche. Hopefully, it’s eventually propagated to the masses and not perceived as a niche that comes with have high barriers to entry.
As a barista and cafe owner, I hope that everyone would be able to appreciate specialty coffee and I believe it’s merely a matter of exposure and education to attune them to the right mindset.
5. Rookie’s Coffee is one of the rare places brewing with Aeropress instead of V60, explain to us why Aeropress is better, with no filter? (editor’s note: heh get it?)
Junior Lim: Aeropress is better in one regard —but of course, there’s an argument to be had— in that there’s the added element of hand pressure to the pure percolation of V60. V60 brews inherently come with a myriad of inconsistencies due to the inescapable laws of physics and various brewing factors like kettle types, pouring speed, and distribution methods that can differ wildly from person to person.
My theory is that by pushing down the Aeropress with a consistent hand pressure that we’ve calibrated to 30 seconds, we can mitigate the human error or reduce it to a more manageable margin of error.
Of course, it’s not guaranteed the 30-second presses are fool-proof and mechanically precise but it’s my theory that it’s a style that’s easier to be replicated.
Basically, these are my beliefs after picking up a lot of Aeropress skills from Aslam from Community Coffee back when I was working there and it opened my eyes to a lot of the intricacies and details of using Aeropress to brew coffee.
(Editor’s note: We specifically asked for no filter but he did not understand the assignment. As mentioned, Junior was the 2019 Singapore Aeropress Champion and knows every nook and cranny of the apparatus.)
6. What is a trend in the coffee scene that you hate/have hot takes on?
Junior Lim: It’s not necessarily something I have strong opinions towards but rather I tend to shy away from certain types of unconventional processing methods that have become rather popular, especially in the filter coffee circle. To me, unnecessary or excessive reliance on outlandish processing methods can overshadow a lot of the coffee beans’ origin characteristics.
Some experimental processing methods can help amplify certain of these origin characteristics but I feel like there could be too much of a premium and preconceived notion of prestige placed on the novelty value of these.
I personally had a first-hand experience working with fermentation using microbes from the beans’ soil and working with it on espresso wasn’t smooth sailing because it posed a bit of a challenge to pull out some of the distinct characteristics you want from certain origins. Plus the stench… I will never forget the few weeks of working in a place that smelled like a durian shop.
7. Many new cafes spend a lot of effort on Making the spaces IG-worthy, why is Rookie’s interior so stripped down?
Junior Lim: Even though I personally didn’t go all out, I feel that a cafe’s interior is a very important part of the experience as well. Like it or not, the principle of running a cafe is about turning a profit and a nice space helps set cafes apart from one another, creating a place that draws people in to experience it for themselves — that’s actually a powerful mission worth saluting.
While it’s not part of my philosophy to set up a cafe, I respect the places that spend the time and money to make their space “IG-worthy” even if some would argue that they just hopped on the bandwagon.
But it’s especially worthy of praise when a cafe manages to spruce up its place with a sense of its own identity like some of my favourite cafes, e.g. Double Up Coffee.
8. Describe yourself in coffee tasting notes
Junior Lim: If I was a cup of coffee… starting from the body and mouthfeel, I think I would have a medium body with a smooth syrup-like texture.
Overall, my overall profile would lean towards being a bright and sweet brew with a nice lemon zest acidity and peach tea sweetness.
9. If you knew you were dying tomorrow and had to pick 3 places in Singapore Worthy Of your last meals, which would be your top picks?
Junior Lim: Bari-Uma Ramen — This is simply an underrated ramen spot. They have the best Shoyu Tonkotsu Broth in Singapore to me. (Editor’s note: highly agree, it’s also my favourite ramen spot.)
ASAP & Co — I’ll want a bite of the A5 Wagyu Hanger for my last meal. It’s that good, don’t sleep on it.
Green Dot — Bento with sesame rice for sure. No special reason, in particular, but it’s just something I really like and the Green Dot aunty is really nice.
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