Today I revisited Chye Seng Huat Hardware. It was 2013 when I last was there. Back then it was all the rage, with every other person who was talking about coffee also talking about CSHH. But who could blame them. Home to Papa Palheta, one of the best coffee roasters on the island, this place is not only serious about coffee but also about the entire art of sourcing, roasting and teasing out the fine nuances of coffee in its various forms.
Cool, hip and happening
Three years later and it is still cool and happening, with their well trained, black apron clad baristas, the oval shaped center “stage” where you can watch your coffee being made, friendly staff and of course the totally instagrammable interior, exterior, food and coffee. The courtyard outside is a lovely place to sit and chill with your choice of beverage, you can see all the roasting machinery in the building behind and, if you’re lucky, a class of coffee fanatics learning, training, sipping and talking about coffee. (Yes, they do hold classes here for any interested party. Plus they also have the C-Platform on level two which is completely dedicated to this learning process.)
Today they had delicate little banana and Nutella friands in their cake display. Usually I hate bananas (unless it’s banana bread) but being with my little one, I needed something he would like. And seeing as it’s really hard to find good friands, I decided to give it a go with my latte and little one’s babycino. The little friands were lovely and moist – 5 for $5! So of course we ate them all up. They were soft with that slight bite that a good friand should have. On the top, a ring of banana – thankfully not enough to turn me off. And crowning that, a smear of Nutella. Yum!
How do you find this place?
Chye Seng Huat Hardware is tucked away down an unsuspecting alley in the Lavender area. You would never know it’s there if you were just driving by. I mean, who would really think “coffee” when going past their shopfront (that looks closed). And a name like Chye Seng Huat Hardware! If you weren’t told about it, you would never know. The entry through a metal gate with big tow away sign opens up to a concrete area where the kids can run around if they want to (and if you want to bring them). It is no longer a secret, though. Patrons include regulars, tourists and people like me who drop in and out every 3 years or so. Though I think I will come more often now that I have rediscovered it.
Address: 150 Tyrwhitt Road
Telephone: +65 6396 0609
hello@cshhcoffee.com
This article was originally published on ordinarypeople.ink and may have been edited for this platform.