Kopi – How to order like a pro?

What perks us all up on a day to day basis, when we’re up at crazy early hours and heading out to work? A good cup of coffee! (or kopi as we Singaporeans call it).

Most of the locals in Singapore enjoy their coffee, “Old School Style”.

Why? You may ask. Because it’s cheap, convenient & absolutely delicious. You could get a cup of kopi at just less than a dollar fifty (say what?!) and at any coffee shop located in every single neighbourhood in Singapore. Old school coffee shops are usually not air-conditioned and includes a variation of different food stores, ranging from economic mixed rice to a plate of prata!

But I prefer to enjoy my cup of kopi with the good ol’ traditional kaya toast, topped with a small slice of butter and dipped in soft boiled eggs (yum).

Many Singaporeans would boast about the strong flavors of the caffeinated brew made in the neighbourhood coffee shops that we can’t get at artisan cafés. But I guess, as the saying goes, to each his own!

Let’s be very honest with ourselves here, that as much as we love sitting down at a café and enjoying a cuppa while reading our favorite book (just like the movies), it isn’t very friendly on our wallets.

How much we wish we could spend on coffee (left) vs How much we can actually spend (right)

And of course nothing beats doing things the old school way (coffee included), when prices were less exorbitant and people appreciated the simpler things in life.

What is in a cup of Kopi?

Well let’s get down to the nitty gritty of making a cup of kopi, shall we? The making of a good cup of kopi involves coffee being strained through a straining “sock”. A straining sock is typically several inches long.

But that’s just the basic cup of kopi. Other variations of kopi includes a mix of evaporated milk, lesser sugar, lesser milk or even, no milk or sugar at all.

Ordering Kopi in Singapore is a necessary skill (if you’re going to want to survive living in the heartlands).

Here’s a Tip!

Add a slice of butter to your cup of kopi to reduce the jitters from the caffeine. As butter is a kind of healthy fat, it slows down the release of caffeine into our bodies. (*Mind….. blown*)

So here are 3 kinds of “Kopi” broken down by Chef McDonald that you’ve got to try (& if you haven’t, what have you been doing all your life?) :

 

MAKAN MAKAN FACE OFF is a new video series in which we celebrate & feature local hawker food! (or other cool food places, really)