Chye Seng Huat Hardware - Honest Coffee
You know how Coke tastes different around the world? Same goes for coffee. Traditional Singapore coffee aside, so far the best coffee I've tasted is roasted by Papa Palheta in Singapore and while I was there this time, I spent a lot of time at the latest addition to the Singapore coffee scene, Chye Seng Huat Hardware.
iPhone picture. Sorry!
Chye Seng Huat Hardware obviously isn't a hardware store, rather a cool little cafe so named as a hat tip to the industrial area in which it is housed. CSHH, to which it's affectionately referred, was somewhere I spent a majority of my time while home where I enjoyed great cups of coffee to keep jet lag at bay.
CSHH is the third brainchild of Leon Foo who runs Papa Palheta (more about PPP here) and staffed by a more-than-knowledgeable team of people that is dedicated to the craft of coffee and that works hard everyday (except Monday, they're closed) to serve you consistently good coffee drinks.
The interior is modern and industrial yet warm and inviting. The coffee bar anchors the main room, giving customers and the staff on the inside a 360 view of everything going on. On the long wall, a retail rack features home brew equipment and coffee accessories. CSHH also has a full kitchen (closes at 5pm) and a resident pastry chef serving up tea cakes, tarts and other lovely baked goods that are available all day. They also serve beer, brewed by Jungle Beer, a local brewery in Singapore.
This is a great place for the self-acclaimed coffee lover or a coffee newbie. To keep things simple, their menu lists their beverages as Espresso, Espresso with Water (Long black), Espresso + Milk (Cappucino, Latte) and they also have cold brews (my favorite) and a regular brew of the day. No, there are no iced drinks (exept the cold brew), frappucinos or mochas - there are plenty of other places that serve those things, you can always go there. At CSHH, coffee is the star and there's just no reason to overwhelm that with artificial flavoring.
Not there for coffee? They also serve tea, hot chocolate and (something I wish was more accessible here in the US) fresh fruit juice. My other go-to is their lemonade which has fresh mint and ginger and a bit of lime in it - probably the most delicious lemonade I've ever had. I encourage you to try everything on the menu to really find a favorite but seriously, don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for recommendations.
Off to the side of the main room is The Annex, a private room in which CSHH holds coffee appreciation sessions. The Husband and I signed up for one session and it has made us appreciate drinking coffee even more. I'll have another post up about The Annex soon!
You can read more about CSHH at these Singapore blogs here and here. If you are fortunate enough to be living in Singapore, do go in. Do know that it's packed on weekends but they've recently added more tables and chairs so have a friend find a table while you stand in line to place your order. They also do to-go orders if you can't stay but if you do, be sure to order a tea cake or their lemon meringue tart if they have any.
As for me, I'm just going to have to enjoy a taste of Papa Palheta and CSHH from a distance for now. Hopefully the coffee I brought back will tide me over till the next time! But, holy cow, I can't wait to go back.
Chye Seng Huat Hardware | 150 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore 207563 | Tuesday - Thursday 9a - 7p, Saturday & Sunday 9a - 10p
