Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee

Written by Min Wong | October 02, 2024

Image: Mark Winn

Address

Amoy Street Food Centre, 7 Maxwell Rd, #02-95, Singapore 069111

Phone

+65 9710 2907

Opening hours

05:30 – 15:00 (Daily)

Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee takes pride as one of the local coffee stalls featured on the Michelin Guide. Only for that, this decades-old kopi-and-toast favorite is certainly worth checking out.

Highlights:

Old school kaya toast: Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee is one of the few remaining coffee shops in Singapore that uses the traditional way of toasting bread on charcoal. This gives the toast enough crispiness and a hint of smoked flavor.
More than 50 years of history: Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee was started by Ah Seng’s father at Lau Pa Sat in 1964. Ah Seng was his father’s little helper until he took over after ten years. The shop then relocated to Amoy Street Food Centre in 1997 and has been operating there ever since. Ah Seng still runs the stall with his wife and son.
Charcoal-toasted French Toast: This could be unusual for Westerners who are used to pan-toasted French Toast. Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee’s French Toast is a simple recipe of bread dipped in egg, toasted over charcoal, and served with kaya and butter. Yum!

THE KAYA: Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee’s serves homemade kaya that has an eggy, pandan fragrance. Loyal customers love it because it is not too sweet and not too greasy.

THE COFFEE: Ah Seng (Hai Nam) Coffee uses aromatic Robusta coffee beans that are ground in-house. Some might find the Hainanese coffee a little bit on the bitter side. If you want a milder coffee, try the Kopi C. which is the same coffee brew with added unsweetened condensed milk. The coffee is served in quirky brown coffee cups that are more than 30 years old!

PRICES: