Start the day with a cup of Singapore's traditional kopi at Nanyang Old Coffee (南洋老咖啡), a cafe at one end of Smith Street in Chinatown — near to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum. The cafe is a popular spot for locals and travellers when visiting Chinatown.
The red-colour-theme cafe occupies two storeys of the pre-war building with the food & beverage section mainly on the ground level and outdoor. Seats are also available on the second floor, which co-exists with a mini-museum on traditional coffee brewing.
The mini-museum is named "Singapore Traditional Coffee Museum" and has decorations that mimic old-days coffee shop ambience with wooden furniture. In one corner are some displays of traditional coffee ware in antiquated furnishings of the 50s. Nanyang Old Coffee sure has a nostalgic ambience for having traditional kopi in the 50s.
Going for the aromatic Singapore-taste black kopi-O with traditional toasts and soft-boiled eggs is a must-try. The charcoal-grilled thick toasts are lightly toasted and retained most of its softness and the soft-boiled eggs are nicely-done.
Apart from the traditional breakfast set, the cafe serves well-known local delicacies as well — such as wanton noodle, bak kut teh, sambal prawn pasta, curry fish rice, etc.
The Special Recipe Chicken Rendang with Rice (特别秘方鸡肉仁当干咖喱) has crispy peanuts with fried anchovies and some crackers in addition to rendang chicken. The tender chicken with rendang sauce flavours the rice dish and is not spicy.
Having a meal at Nanyang Old Coffee offers a chance to go for nice coffee with local delicacies and to visit its traditional coffee mini-museum. If you like the aromatic coffee, you can buy them at the cafe to take home.
Website:
Address:
268 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058817
Opening Hours:
7am to 6:30pm | Daily
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