So there I was, strolling down the backstreets of Bugis on a normal Wednesday afternoon – when I spotted an oddly familiar image. While Haji Lane is famous for their vintage stores, antiques, and various hobby shops, this weirdly-shaped creature still took a moment to place.
Staring me in the face was a Wassie – a creature with a mere 2-week lifespan that somehow managed to rent a space in humble Singapore.
Curious as to what was going on inside, I ventured into the shophouse, only slightly scared for my life.
A Wonderful World of Wassies
Heading in, I was greeted by an onslaught of the cutely-designed character, which covered what seemed like every square inch of the interior. From the giant cut out at the entrance to the walls alongside the stairs, Wassies watched me from every angle imaginable.
To my relief, there was a pair of Pepes at the top of the staircase, a welcome sight amongst a sea of Wassies. Alongside them was a rack of Crypto-themed merch, which included a T-shirt with a nod to our favorite effective altruist.
Fortunately, I wasn’t the only one held captive at the Emporium and it’s amazingly decorated walls. The café was close to maximum capacity, with a constant stream of patrons throughout my visit there.
Even more irresistible Wassie merch awaited at the back of the second floor, including socks, coasters, and Tumblers. While I didn’t purchase any of the Non-Fungible Figurines, the thought of stepping on Wassies 24/7 in Wassie socks was extremely tempting.
Great Coffee, Even Better Service
After finding a seat where I wasn’t under constant threat of a Wassie attack, I scrolled through Twitter in search of some reviews and possible recommendations. What I did not expect from an NFT Café, however, was to discover that their brewers had actually won multiple barista competitions.
While the menu featured exciting options such as a Black Lemonade and Orange Chocolate, I settled for an Iced White Coffee like the mid-curve rug pull victim I am, and was immediately amazed by how good the coffee was.
Irresponsibly sharing my themed cup of coffee with what was probably a 7-day old Wassie, I was quickly tempted to get another cup, or two, or three, if not for the fact that I was already buzzed. Instead, I settled at one of the many tables that had access to power points, took out my trusty laptop and quickly got some work in.
Despite the café not being the largest, it’s casual design, bean bags, and friendly atmosphere made it a homely place to be. Of course, there was free WiFi available for all my fellow degens to immediately sweep the Wassie floor.
As closing time came around, I sadly returned my cup to the counter, only to be handed a complementary box featuring a Wassie having the life wringed out of it on the cover. Inside was a Wassie stress ball, with eyes that satisfyingly popped out when squeezed.
Closing Thoughts
Located at 48 Haji lane, Emporium byWassies was a great experience for me, especially since it was my first time at an NFT-themed café. It didn’t feel like any crypto or Web3 culture was being forced on me, but simply an amazing, well-designed place to grab a coffee that was built around the idea of Wasssies.
I also later learned that owning a Wassie NFT, which currently has a floor of ~0.6 $ETH, or ~SGD $1300 at the time of writing, also entitles you to one free coffee a day, a nice bonus for those already invested in the NFT project.
It also highlights the potential of NFTs, using royalties to give back to members of the community and provide a common location for holders to feel at home. As part of the Wassies’ community grants, they have also started Wassie Coffee, a coffee distributor based in the United States, and The Wassie Hotel, the world’s first NFT Hotel coming to Singapore this March.
Also Read: Why Real-World Assets Are Needed For DeFi To Succeed
[Editor’s Note: This article does not represent financial advice. Please do your own research before investing.]
Featured Image Credit: Chain Debrief
