Page 84 - #85 en
P. 84

The Little
      C  Story / Maximillian Wee Photo / Doggaebi                                                                                                         Singapore




                                                                                                                                                          Red Dot








        A little red dot just south of the Malay
        Peninsula, Singapore is the second
        smallest country in Asia, well-recog-
        nized for its diverse culture and
        abundance of local gastronomy.

                                                                                                                                                           Day and night drinking need not be mutually exclusive



                                                                                                                                                               In  Singapore,  coffee  has  evolved  rapidly  over  the  years,
                                                                                                                                                           with  specialty  coffee  shops  embracing  light  roasts,  pulling
                                                                                                                                                           focus on terroir and acidity. The small land space constitutes
                                                                                                                                                           a  saturated  coffee  scene  with  coffee  shops  popping  up  just  a
                                                                                                                                                           stone’s  throw  apart.  With  a  large  majority  of  cafes  situated
                                                                                                                                                           along  the  central  district,  it  forms  its  very  own  coffee  belt,
                                                                                                                                                           where everything is within walking distance.
                                                                                                                                                               Cafe hopping is a popular weekend activity for locals, and
                                                                                                                                                           it is not uncommon to bump into a familiar face at every cor-
                                                                                                                                                           ner. The tropical island is known for its sweltering hot weath-
                                                                                                                                                           er,  and  when  it  is  not,  it’s  probably  raining  cats  and  dogs.  It
                                                                                                                                                           would do one well to always have an umbrella on hand.
                                                                                                                                                               As part of an initiative to build a cohesive coffee scene,
                                                                                                                                                           the Singapore Coffee Collective (Instagram @coffeeinsg) was
                                                                                                                                                           founded.  A  project  that  hopes  to  engage  active  participation
                                                                                                                                                           to  foster  a  tight-knit  and  all-inclusive  coffee  community,  all
                                                                                                                                                           about showcasing the local coffee industry to the world – not
                                                                                                                                                           just the coffee, but everyone in it.
                                                                                                                                                               For a lot of us, coffee is a beverage best enjoyed while the
                                                                                                                                                           sun shines as we’re afraid of the caffeine buzz keeping us up
                                                                                                                                                           late  into  the  night.  Singapore  has  a  bustling  nightlife,  espe-
                                                                                                                                                           cially  as  we  approach  the  weekends.  While  some  are  looking
        Singapore has a rich history for coffee
                                                                                                                                                           to  stimulate  their  dopamine,  others  view  alcohol  as  a  wind
        dating back to the 18th century.
                                                                                                                                                           down social activity. Although there aren’t many, we do have
        Immigrants flooded the shores of
        Singapore, the intermingling and                                                                                                                   a small handful of cafes that rock both a strong coffee program
        cross-cultural exchange gave birth to                                                                                                              and booze after hours.
        a myriad of local delicacies and                                                                                                                       Let’s step into these cafes, where day and night converge.
        traditional Nanyang coffee, better
        known by its Malay moniker “Kopi”,
        a popular beverage served in several
        Southeast Asian nations.






                                                                                                                                                          Singapore

      84                                                                                                                                                                                                          85
   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89