Best tea & cafe lattes in town
The right cup of coffee can make or break your day - according to my hubby that is. I myself can’t stand the taste. I wish I could, as I often envy his low-fat latte for dessert while I tuck into a calorie-laden piece of chocolate cake. Thankfully tea lattes are on the increase, so my wish to look sophisticated while I sip on a bit of froth and save a few calories has an increasing chance of being granted. Unfortunately tea lattes typically come with lashings of syrup or powders, but Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf will use No Sugar Added powder upon request - cutting down on your calorie intake. Spinelli does a nice Honey Ginger Tea Latte and Starbucks has also started to make tea lattes. You can forgo the syrup on request, but I’d also recommend you ask they remove the tea bag before pouring in the hot milk, otherwise half your foam disappears with it! Maybe just ask for a cup of tea with hot milk on the side next time and save yourself $2 or so…
At home we have a coffee machine, which I’ve never been able to fully appreciate. But I found a great Rooibos tea (caffeine-free) which has been ground into a concentrated form and can be used to make delicious rooibos lattes, click here for more info. As rooibos has a natural vanilla flavour there’s no need for added sugar, syrups or powders - the only problem is red espresso doesn’t ship to Singapore. So I ordered my tea online to a US address and then had a girlfriend bring it back with her after a holiday. Hopefully someone in Singpaore will soon cach on and start importing it by the bushel load - Coffee Bean, can you hear me?
But if coffee is more your thing you’re spoiled for choice. Granted Singapore isn’t the coffeelovers’ paradise of Melbourne or Italy, but a good caffeine hit shouldn’t be too hard to find - or is it? Here are the top four places I’ve been told serve "the best coffee in town":
- Dimbulah Coffee - harvested from their own plantation in Queensland, Australia.
- Boomarang - now with a cafe so you can buy your coffee on the run.
- Oriole Cafe - known to be home of the best baristas in town.
- Highlander Coffee - hosts workshops where you can learn to make the perfect at-home cup of coffee, or train to be a professional barista.
What do you think? Got a recommendation of your own? Comment and share…
Photography: Highlander Coffee
I personally think Cafe Beviamo (Paragon & Tanglin Mall) and the Bratwurst Sausage shop in Plaza Singapura (who get their beans from Melbourne) are the 2 best places for a decent coffee. I can’t abide those fake, syrupy, sweet American concoctions at all
Thanks Alison, will ask my tester to give those a go and add to the list. Often the one-man-bands are better than the multi-chains, more attention to detail and less “formula” - in every way. I’d be interested to hear how you feel your faves rate alongside Dimbulah if you come across them…