SIGIR 08 – Singapore traveller

While in SG you should take yourself to a local coffee shop. A drink stall in a hawker stand will also do.

While the rest of the visitors may be having their cafe latte at Starbucks, you can be local and enjoy a fine cup of coffee “kopi” or tea “teh”, along with a local snack. Kopi comes in three standard flavors – plain “kopi” that comes with evaporated milk and sugar, “kopi C” that comes with condensed milk and sugar or “kopi kosong” which is black coffee. The same three options exist for tea “teh” too. I prefer a “teh C” myself. Tea and coffee are often brewed identically alongside each other in large kettles that feature a sock-like filter. At certain Indian or Malay restaurants or drink stalls you can also order “teh tarik” (pulled tea) which is mixed by pouring the tea between pots, or “teh halia” (ginger tea), great when your feeling a bit under the weather.

Milo and to a lesser extent Ovaltine (both cocoa drink powders) are also staples in drinks in SG and the nearby region. You can try having an iced Milo or a Dinosaur, the latter which is the Iced Milo with extra powder on the top for making Milo sugar bombs in your drink.

Need a snack to go with that drink? How about a local snack: soft boiled eggs with a side of kaya toast. Actually perhaps it is the toast with a side of eggs; I never did figure it out. Kaya is a greenish spread that an infused flavor of pandan leaves, which adds a bit of tang to the flavor. Many enjoy the eggs with a dash of soy sauce.

Posted on April 20th, 2008 by knmnyn
Filed under: food, singapore