Kopi ≈ Coffee

Coffee to go in Singapore, that's “take away” in British, gets a nifty carrying sling. No awkward cardboard cartons to balance. This is not, however, a Singapore Sling.

Singaporeans like coffee. All the malls are saturated with coffee shops in the same way that London and New York merchants compete for those who crave a jolt of black liquid. But the mall outlets are mostly Asian or Australian versions of mega coffeetailers like Starbucks or Café Nero. Here, the favored local variety falls outside of the array of Italian and Italian-inspired beverages. The national way to ingest caffeine is called Kopi, a strong, thick brew served out of long spouted chrome pitchers that look a little like watering cans.

The most popular variety is Kopi Si, dark roast coffee mixed with a healthy dose of sweetened condensed milk. It can also be had as Kopi O – without the milk but still plenty of sugar. These recipes arose out of the drink's working-class origins. The sweet additives could cover up the faults of cheaper beans or inconsistent roasting processes. However, Kopi Koso roughly translates from Malay as “empty coffee” and it has no such sweetners. Currently, I am drinking Kopi Gao, a double-thick iteration of Kopi Si. Mine has a splash of sweet milk, and I am not sure I can contemplate the potency of undiluted Gao. This cup alternately makes my eyes squint and spin. Never pay more than S$1.50 (about 1.00 USD) for a cup.

British newspaper update: The Sunday Times has named Singapore a serious food destination.