Best Coffee in Singapore Chinatown Complex · Tai Hwa Coffee Stall #02-152 Red Zone 大華茶室

This kopi C kosong has a smooth, round body and robust coffee flavour balanced with evaporated milk sweetness. Feels, tastes and smells like those local (Nanyang) coffee made with espresso machines but is actually made the traditional way with a kopi sock. At $1.20 a cup, it is a bargain at today's prices (Apr 2022).

Stall name: Tai Hwa Coffee Stall 大華茶室

Address: 335 Smith Street, stall #02-152, Singapore 050335 (Chinatown Complex Food Centre)

Nearest MRT: 5 minutes walk from Chinatown station

Hours: 8:30am - 8:00pm (close at 3pm on Tues, 6pm on Weds | Thurs off)

Tai Hwa Coffee Stall #02-152 is located in the Red Zone of Chinatown Complex Food Centre. It is just beside Yuet Loy Cantonese zhi char and a few stalls from Jin Ji Teochew braised duck.

The coffee is made the old way using a long spout pot and coffee sock. No gleaming shiny espresso machine here.

Kopi boss Mr. Tan who is in his 70s now, has been brewing coffee since he was 13. Mr. Tan said the most important thing to get a good brew is good coffee beans - Tai Hwa have their own blend of coffee beans which they sell at $6.80 for 500 grams. That's good value actually.

The coffee came out piping hot, nice and thick with smooth, round body and crema. The slight coffee bitterness was balanced by beverage sweetener.

Tai Hwa Coffee Stall was named one of eight best coffee in Singapore in a contest organised by Marigold in 2013. Till today, Tai Hwa still uses Marigold Dawn Beverage Sweetener to make their coffee.

Tai Hwa Coffee Stall is my choice for kopi at Chinatown.

 

Written by Tony Boey on 16 Apr 2022