From a chocolate milkshake to WASA Coffee.
In 2017, I walked into a specialty coffee shop in Bali with a friend who worked in the coffee industry. He ordered an iced black coffee. I ordered a chocolate milkshake with sprinkles. He shook his head. I laughed. I simply did not like coffee.
Kopi O Kosong, then a Panama Geisha.
A year later, I joined Singapore Airlines as cabin crew. Long training days meant I needed something to keep me going, so I started drinking Kopi O Kosong out of necessity. Slowly the bitterness became familiar, and my curiosity grew. I mentioned this to my coffee friend, and he brewed me a Panama Geisha on an AeroPress. That single cup changed everything. It was bright, complex, nothing like the bitter coffee I thought I knew.
When COVID grounded flights in 2020, I finally had the time to chase that curiosity. I bought better brewing equipment, worked through bag after bag of beans, and eventually started roasting at home. What began as a way to pass the time became an obsession with the craft. Over five years as cabin crew, I had learned what genuine service and attention to detail looked like. Coffee gave me a place to pour all of that energy into something of my own. By the end of 2023, I made the decision to leave SIA and build WASA Coffee full time.
Warm and authentic in service. Sustainable and artistic in craft.
I want every interaction with WASA Coffee to feel personal, whether that is a message, an order, or the first sip. Specialty coffee can feel intimidating, and I never want it to be. I built this brand to be approachable and honest, the same way my friend introduced coffee to me, with patience and zero pretension.
Sustainability is not a slogan here. It is built into how I operate. I minimise plastic across all my packaging, and I do not throw away beans that fall short of my top standards. Instead, they become Second Chance Roasts, offered at a lower price so nothing goes to waste while keeping quality transparent.
The artistry sideDesigned, roasted, and trained, end to end.
I design everything you see at WASA Coffee, from the packaging to the brand visuals. And behind each release is a roast profile crafted specifically for that green coffee, developed to highlight what makes it unique. Roasting is part science, part intuition, and getting it right for each origin is the creative challenge I never get tired of.
I have also invested in deepening my knowledge through the Specialty Coffee Association, earning certifications in Brewing, Barista Skills, Roasting, and Cupping. Not for the paper, but because understanding coffee at every stage makes me a better roaster.
Specialty Coffee Association
I have invested in formal SCA training across sensory, roasting, and green coffee. The practice matters. The letters on the wall are a byproduct.
SCA Brewing
Certified
SCA Barista Skills
Certified
SCA Roasting
Certified
SCA Sensory
Certified
What WASA Coffee stands for
Warm and authentic
Specialty coffee should never feel intimidating. Every interaction with WASA Coffee is built to be approachable and honest. The same way my friend introduced coffee to me: with patience and zero pretension.
Sustainable by design
Sustainability is built into how I operate, not added on. Minimal plastic across all packaging. Beans that fall short of my top standard become Second Chance Roasts at a lower price, so nothing goes to waste and quality stays transparent.
Each origin on its own terms
Every roast profile is developed specifically for that green coffee. I design the packaging, the brand, and the roast curve. Getting the most out of each origin is the creative challenge I never get tired of.
Why I started WASA Coffee.
My mission is simple. Make specialty coffee more approachable without compromising on craft. Every roast is my attempt to do justice to the work farmers put into growing exceptional coffee, and to share that with people who might not have discovered it yet. If you are here because you are curious about specialty coffee, you are exactly where I was a few years ago. And if you are a brand or creator interested in working together, I would love to hear from you. Reach out anytime.