Each day we've learned new aspects of the Singaporean culture. Since what people do the most here is eat, we've started with learning food terminology. The first lesson took place at our favorite breakfast spot, Toast Box.
They specialize in Kaya Toast which are 2 pieces of toasted bread with Kaya spread (mix of eggs, sugar, coconut milk and pandan) and a slab of butter. You can also eat Mee Rubus which are Malaysian curry noodles. Their coffee and tea are the best we've tasted so far. Coffee is a Singaporean institution and there are various coffee shops or "kopitiams" around the country. You'll also find "coffeeshops" which are not what you think. They're casual restaurants where you can buy cheap beer. Alcohol is expensive here. We were shocked to see a 6-pack of Stella for 20 SGD. Anyway, here's a breakdown of the types of kopi (coffee) and teh (tea) you can order:
Kopi / Teh: coffee/tea with condensed milk, no sugar
Kopi-O / Teh-O: coffee/tea with sugar
Kopi-O Kosong / Teh-O Kosong: coffee/tea without sugar ("kosong" is Malay for nothing)
Kopi-C / Teh-C: coffee/tea with evaporated milk and sugar ("C" is for Carnation a brand of evaporated milk)
Kopi-C Kosong / Teh-C Kosong: coffee/tea with evaporated milk without sugar
Kopi peng / Teh peng: iced coffee with condensed milk
Kopi gao: double espresso
Kopi poh: light coffee
To continue our search for the perfect neighborhood to live in, we decided to check out Siglap. A friend of mine told me it's the "Holland Village" of the east side. There was no MRT stop close to the area so we took the bus instead. Travel was easy and we were dropped off in the center of the area. There was an array of restaurants and shopping just like Holland Village. However, this area felt more like a locals' neighborhood. The only chain was McDonald's but that's to be expected. We ate lunch at a crowded food court where the "Auntie" or "Uncle" manned the drink station. Close to Siglap is an area called Kembangan which had a similar vibe. It had its own MRT stop which pleased us. The apartments were pricier (3500 SGD and up), but the neighborhood is still in the running for Tony and Trisha's new home.
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| This time we had Mee Rubus and Kaya Rolls |
Kopi / Teh: coffee/tea with condensed milk, no sugar
Kopi-O / Teh-O: coffee/tea with sugar
Kopi-O Kosong / Teh-O Kosong: coffee/tea without sugar ("kosong" is Malay for nothing)
Kopi-C / Teh-C: coffee/tea with evaporated milk and sugar ("C" is for Carnation a brand of evaporated milk)
Kopi-C Kosong / Teh-C Kosong: coffee/tea with evaporated milk without sugar
Kopi peng / Teh peng: iced coffee with condensed milk
Kopi gao: double espresso
Kopi poh: light coffee
To continue our search for the perfect neighborhood to live in, we decided to check out Siglap. A friend of mine told me it's the "Holland Village" of the east side. There was no MRT stop close to the area so we took the bus instead. Travel was easy and we were dropped off in the center of the area. There was an array of restaurants and shopping just like Holland Village. However, this area felt more like a locals' neighborhood. The only chain was McDonald's but that's to be expected. We ate lunch at a crowded food court where the "Auntie" or "Uncle" manned the drink station. Close to Siglap is an area called Kembangan which had a similar vibe. It had its own MRT stop which pleased us. The apartments were pricier (3500 SGD and up), but the neighborhood is still in the running for Tony and Trisha's new home.
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