Warmth Inside the Igloo

I made an incredible discovery on Monday.  I was by the University of Tokyo patiently awaiting a Jane Goodall lecture and craving some coffee time.  I wandered and wandered, so I can't easily tell you where this discovery is located, but it's somewhere near the Keio Inokashira Line near the university.  I made my way down a small avenue and gloriously stumbled upon a diner meets coffee shop.  You know, I can't really tell you the name either, but I'm pretty sure it's Igloo (イーグル).  This great find was cozy and the coffee was surprisingly good for such a quaint little place.  Unfortunately, the menu isn't in English, but if you know any Katakana, you'll survive just fine.

 

Igloo was clearly a man's coffee shop. Being the only female patron, I noticed pretty much everyone else was an old man smoking a cigarette and having a cup o' Joe. In my mind, this is pretty rare. When it comes to coffee shops, we think of the Caribous and Tully's of our days - full of mostly young people and predominantly female. So I can appreciate places like Igloo, with men being men in an ambience similar to Cheers. It was the perfect after work third place, and it was clear there were some regulars.  This shop was perfectly rejuvinating, and I left refreshed and ready to continue a busy day. If you, by some freak chance, happen to be in the area and stumble upon it like I did (Hey! Maybe it's Narnia!), I recommend the cafe au lait.  In a comfortable atmosphere like Igloo, it's the perfect complementary drink.  Cheers.  :)

Meet TCC

Singapore Coffee Shop #1 on our list is the first one I visited. I got there all of 20 minutes after making my way through Singapore customs. When a girl needs her a coffee, she needs her coffee.  And thank the good Lord this coffee shop was awaiting me in the terminal.

 

I would like to introduce you to The Connoisseur Concerto, affectionately known as TCC.

 

One of the discontentments we've grown since living abroad is the lack of good hearty food in American coffee shops.  There are days when I want to camp out in a coffee shop for hours on end, and a meal is in order.  Thinking back to the coffee hubs I know and love in the States, I would have pastries number 1, 2, and 3 to choose from.  We coffee drinkers gotta eat!  While exploring various coffee shops abroad, I've been able to see the possibilities of vibrant plates that fill my belly and fill it well, and TCC was no different. 

 

The menu was full of meals of all sizes - soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas, appetizers, desserts - but it was breakfast time, so I chose their fruit pancakes.  They were fresh and perfect, with a slightly crispy outer layer and carmelized bananas with fresh strawberries and raspberries on top.  After the amount of time I had been on a plane?  I was a little drooly.  This breakfast was perfectly comforting. 

 

Their coffee menu was an extensive list of specialty coffee and espresso drinks, and I had their TCC's special blend.  In honor of kopi, it was thick and rich, and left me wanting nothing more.  The taste was bold and full enough to wake me up instantly.  Boy, was I paying attention.

 

TCC is one of those chains that don't forget quality in their success.  If you're ever in Singapore - and trust me, you should be in Singapore - visit TCC for an idea of a really fantastic and professional specialty coffee shop looks like.

Kopi Love.

Goodness gracious, life is so good.  We have another "basket of beans" to show you, and that wonderful basket is Singapore. 

 

Traditionally, Singaporean coffee is called kopi and their coffeeshops are referred to as kopitiam.  I have to be honest - I have no idea where these beans come from or how exactly the kopi is prepared.  But what I can offer you is my own experience, and what my first tastes of kopi were like. 

 

Kopi is intense.  It's a little thick, and definitely rich.  It's somewhat overwhelming, but it grows on you.  After a long flight that spits you out into a Singapore morning, kopi is comforting and filling.  I may be well-suited to love kopi since I drink my coffee black every day, but I'm convinced that though most Americans would think it too strong and too thick, many would come around after a few tastes. 

 

Kopitiam is such a culture in Singapore that it has its own speech.  Unfortunately, I forgot everything I'd researched when looking up at a board with "kopi o" (sweetened hot coffee), "kopi o kosong" (black hot coffee), "kopi c" (hot coffee sweetened with evaporated milk), and a dozen others, but I think we survived our struggle.  Stay tuned, folks.  We visited many a kopitiam in Singapore (really, what else would you expect?), and we've got much to tell you.