Rafee's Corner: Teh Tariking

Teh Tarik can be a real emotive issue judging from the 79 heated responses from my last Teh Tarik post on Mr Tea. I wonder if there are more Teh drinkers than Kopi drinkers out there? Afterall, Tea is the most widely consumed beverage after water even though Coffee is the most widely traded commodity after petroleum. But I am sure if we did a poll, we would find more Coffee drinkers. So are you a coffee or tea person?

Anyway now that Mr Tea has raised the bar on Teh Tarik in Singapore, it is going to be hard to find one that is going to be able to beat it, at least in my books anyway. Those people who complained about Mr Tea said that they were too sweet and also some suspect that they added a little cardamom to the tea during the brewing process. Whatever it is, the tea does taste a little different from what we are used to in Singapore and that might be the cause of polarization amongst our readers.



If you are after Teh Tarik with a more local flavour, than this popular Mamak stall might be what you are looking for. They are popular for their Teh Halia Tarik, but on the day we tried it, the Teh Halia did not really hit the mark for me. However the Teh Tarik was very good. The tea was smooth and creamy and the tea flavour was robust without being to "waxy" 4.25/5

Conclusion

Very popular stall for Teh Tarik and I am sure there are lots of supporters amongst our readers.

Rafee's Corner
Amoy Street Food Centre
#02-85
7 Maxwell Road S(069111)
Mon-Fri 6.30am to 6pm
Sat-Sun 6.30am -2pm
62214978
90275153

Mr Tea: Invasion of the Foreign Hawkers!

Teh Tarik 80 cents, Ginger Masala Tea $1.20 Tall Cup

You know what I see in my crystal ball?

I see food courts becoming more international with more homegrown franchises selling international cuisine. The day will come when you will walk into a hawker centre and not be able to find your Chicken Rice. Instead, you will see cuisines from all round the world. Just look at the number of "upmarket" stalls which have already set up in hawker centres/food courts selling stuff like Belgian Waffles, Muffins and lately even French Crepes. It looks like one day our hawker centres will no longer be a showcase of local cuisine but a global gastronomic playground.

Not only will we be eating foreign cuisines made by locals, we will be seeing foreign franchises in our local hawker centres and food courts selling international cuisine. It is already happening now and the invasion is inevitable. Just last week, liverpool and I were sampling hamburgers from a chain originating from the Philippines called Hotshots burgers. These guys are not simply coming to set up one stall but a whole chain of stalls! J-Co, a donut chain from Indonesia has also set up shop here recently, competing with local brands for a bite of the doughnut ring. The interesting trend is not that foreign companies are setting up shop here, but that they are not selling products indigenous to their own countries anymore. It may not be surprising if one day, an Indonesian Chilli Crab chain arrives in Singapore to compete with Singaporeans at our own game. Hey, we are doing it ourselves by selling Delifrance products to the French!

Consider Mr Tea for instance. When liverpool and I took our first sip of the Tea, I could see the apprehension in his eyes. Now, you all know that liverpool owns a cafe and makes hundreds of cups of Teh C everyday. To see his reaction at the first sip of the Teh Tarik was a sight to behold. The Teh Tarik was one notch better than anything we have tasted locally plus it was cheap! At 80 cents for a large cup (at least twice the volume of Killiney Teh C), this Teh Tarik delivers the highest Ommmph per dollar of any Teh Tarik in Singapore!

Given that we are living in a free market economy, that simply means that we are going to see more Mr Tea joints opening up and more local Kopi and Teh joints closing down. In a way, it is good. At least it will wake the local giants like Killiney and Ya Kun up from their complacent slumber. Yes, you guys might be able to thumb down the local competition and push up your prices, but you are not going to be able to match a competitor like Mr Tea who is delivering a tastier cup of tea and selling to Singaporeans twice the amount of tea at almost half the price! If a foreign company can charge half the price for a cup of tea, it simply means that our local guys charging us too much.

Drinking Mr Tea was a holy grail experience. The Teh Tarik is perfectly balanced, smooth, fragrant with a more than adequate tea taste without leaving that waxy tannin aftertaste. We tried the ginger masala tea and it was just as unforgettable. The way the tastey zing of the ginger cuts through the creaminess of the tea felt like suddenly being able hear stereo sound in a mono recording. It was a sensation I have yet to experience in any of our local Sarabat Stalls. 4.75/5
The only real downside I can say is that they all come in the paper cup. It would be almost perfect in a proper cup!

Conclusion

Best cup of Teh Tarik I have tasted. Our local Teh Terik players had better pull up their socks because I won't be the first one to switch over to the other side!

Disclaimer:
This post is just an off-the-cuff commentary based on some personal observation of what is happening in the local food scene. It is not meant to be a well researched, scholarly dissertation and should not be regarded as such.

Mr Tea
146 Market Street,
#01-14/15
7am to 8pm daily
Other outlets at: International Plaza and SMU

Hilmi Sarabat Stall: Ah The President's Teh Tarik... At last!

Do you still remember my last post on our President's Teh Tarik? Well, I thought I would never have a chance to drink of the Presidential Brew since the "Michael Bolton" and I both share the same working shifts.

But yesterday was my lucky day! I happened to be down at Marine Parade Food Centre and lo and behold, the President's Teh Tarik Man was on duty! It so happened that the other Teh Tarik man had returned to Indonesia for the Hari Raya Holidays, so he was working an extended shift.

The "Michael Bolton" was telling us that since the last post, he has had many new customers coming by asking for the President's Teh Tarik as well as questions like whether the President really came by in his shorts, T shirt and flip-flops on Sunday mornings to buy his Teh Tarik. Alamak, those readers who really asked this question, please own up. I already told you that that would have been a breach of Presidential protocol! Once you become a President, you must never be seen in flip-flops.

Anyway, I was just over the moon that "Michael" (I still don't know his real name) was on duty that day. This time round, I did not need to haggle, all I needed to do was to order the President's Teh Halia Tarik and it was delivered to my table.

Maybe its just psychological, but the brew was indeed befitting of royalty. Full bodied and fragrant with an excellent post-gustatory ginger punch. It really put the tiger in the tank. So good, I had to order a second cup. 4.6/5

Conclusion

Our President really knows his Teh Tarik!

Hilmi Sarabat Stall
Marine Parade Food Centre
#01-146
5.30am to 11pm
Presidential Teh Tarik only available up till 12.30pm normally, but this month up to 3pm

Tong Ya Coffee: Super Crispy Kaya Toast!

With iwatch_ueat and liverpool


I never really got used to Lattes and Cappuccinos even though I spent seven years in Australia. We even have one of those expresso machines at home at one stage and went crazy over frothing the milk. But at the end of the day, when the dust settles, out comes the trusty old coffee-stained coffee sock. I like my Kopi thick, fragrant, creamy and sweet. Call me a coffee pariah but I guess its the coffee I grew up with.

I reckon when you pay $5 for a cup of cappuccino, you are actually paying $4 to sit in a nice cafe environment, 50 cents to satisfy your caffeine craving and 50 cents to arouse your sense of smell and taste. In Australia, you can get a cappuccino for as little as $2, so I often wonder why it has be so much more expensive in Singapore?

Anyway, since we are still in the National Day spirit. May I just take the opportunity to extol our very own Kopi culture. While overseas the one thing I miss most aside from Roti Prata is a cup of Kopi or Teh C with Kaya Toast. And it is not just the taste of it. Ordering a cup of Kopi C Siew Dai (Coffee with evaporated milk and less sugar) just makes you feel very Singaporean. How many of us take pride in bringing our foreign guests for a cup of local Kopi and teaching them how to order Kopi? I find the most interesting one is trying to explain the meaning of Kopi 'O' Tid Loh (Extra strong black with sugar).



Let's not forget also the Teh 'C' which has been my favoured drink since I have been trying to cut down on Caffeine. A hot cup of Teh 'C' with Kaya Toast is the best $2 you'd ever spend on afternoon tea. The Teh 'C' was fragrant but the next time I would have to order Teh 'C' Kou (Extra strong) as it seemed to lack ooomph that day. 4/5

The Kopi is pretty good. They have a long history and used to roast their own beans. But nowadays they don't roast their own anymore but they still retain their secret blend of coffee beans which are sourced from different suppliers to protect the secret. This Kopi is fragrant with little acidity but with a good bitter bite to it. Its good for those who like their Kopi on the bitter side. 4/5

Drinking your Kopi or Teh from the saucer is not a sight we often see nowadays. I think it disappeared when we started using the glass cups with no saucers but was never revived when Kopitiams started reintroducing the traditional kopi cups. Then again it may be that as we get more developed, this practice may seem to be a little undignified?



The crispy Kaya Toast here is one of the best around but you will have to know what to order. If you simply order the Kaya Toast, you will get the thick sliced toast only. They have several grades of Kaya Toast here and you have to make sure that you order the Grade A Kaya Toast. This is the one that has been toasted and re-toasted several times over to achieve a super crispy and brittle bread. It is excellent with the cold butter and homemade Kaya. The homemade Kaya here has got that nice Pandan fragrance and is the pale green and lumpy type. I prefer this version to the smooth, brown version. Ah! Kaya Toast is one of those simple things that really makes me feel so Singaporean. 4.5/5

Conclusion

This is one of the best thin sliced, crispy Kaya Toast in town! The Kopi is good but a little on the bitter side for my liking. For less than $2, you can just sit here at this landmark building, sipping Kopi and eating Kaya Toast and imagine what Singapore was like before independence!

Tong Ya Coffeeshop
36 Keong Saik Road
Mon-Fri 11am to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 10.30pm
Sat & Sun 11am to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 11pm
Alt Wed off 62235083

Hilmi Sarabat Stall: Presidential Teh Tarik

Want to drink the Presidential Teh Tarik? Hop down to Marine Parade Food Centre and look for this Sarabat store and you too can feel like the President.....at least for 10 minutes. Of course the President does not come down to the stall himself to drink the Teh Tarik. That would mean a lot of work for the Security Guards who will need to get the Presidential Body Guards and also arrange for the neighbourhood police to partition off a section of the carpark for the presidential entourage. So much red tape for a cup of Teh Tarik. Instead the President's driver comes by to Ta Pau the Teh Tarik back to the Presidential Mansion.



Although this stall is opened throughout the day, the President's Teh is only available during the mornings up till 12.30pm. That is because it has to be made by a particular man who is code named "Michael Bolton" to protect his real identity. (Actually I think it is because of his hairstyle). Anyway, the "Michael Bolton" only works the morning shift, so the Presidential Teh Tarik was not available when I got there at 2.30pm in the afternoon.

Ah, but you astutely observe that I managed to take pictures of him and are wondering why he cannot make a Teh Tarik for me since he is still around. I wondered too. I pleaded with the "Michael Bolton" for at least 15 minutes to no avail. The man just would not make me a cup of Teh Tarik. Frustrated, I unleashed my secret weapon.......iwatch_ueat.

Now, if iwatch_ueat can't get him to make a cup of Teh Tarik, no one can. Trust me, this lady can even get a loan shark to give her money when she needs to.

Anyway, after 15 minutes of negotiations, she came back empty handed. Well not really, I did not get my Presidential Teh Tarik, but I got a good explaination why not. You see, they prepare the tea beforehand and because his shift was in the morning, the batch of tea that is already prepared was not done by him. So it would taste different even if he were the one adding the milk and tariking it. It so simple, why didn't he tell me earlier?

Anyway I had the Teh Halia Tarik made by the partner and it was very very good! There was enough punch from the Ginger, the Tea was strong and it was creamy and smooth. Sip, gulp....Aaaahhhhh! 4.5/5

Conclusion

If the one made by the partner was already so good, I wonder what the one made by the "Michael Bolton" would taste like? Looks like I have to visit this place on a Sunday morning in order to get a taste of the authentic Presidential Teh Tarik!

Hilmi Sarabat Stall
Marine Parade Food Centre
#01-146
5.30am to 11pm
Presidential Teh Tarik only available up till 12.30pm

Teh Tarik: The Teh Tarik Experiment

With Tag, iwatch_ueat, liverpool and introducing camemberu


Remember in my last Teh Tarik post I asked whether "Tariking" the Teh actually made a difference to the taste of the Teh? Well, I decided to put the question to the test. So in true quasi-scientific fashion, I put the question through a totally unrigorous randomised uncontrolled trial. The type of trial that can never be published in any respectable journal.



Here then is the experiment:

The Hypothesis:

"Tariking" the Teh actually affects the taste of the Teh, making it more delectable to the palate.

The Subjects:

Camemberu, Liverpool, Tag, iwatch_ueat and ieat. Two females and three males who are totally unbiased, unsuspecting and most importantly, have nothing to gain from lying about whether Tarik or No Tarik is better. Except maybe for Liverpool who as you know owns a cafe and he does only Teh C but no Tarik. He has promised to be totally unbiased..... yeah right.

The Design:

Two cups of tea are prepared using a common container so that the amount of condensed milk, tea and water are the same. One cup is then decanted into a mug without "Tariking". The other one undergoes three Tariks at a distance of a man's arm. The tea is than decanted into another absolutely identical mug.

The subjects where first asked to taste both teas with their eyes opened. Next, the subjects were blindfolded (ok we just asked them to closed their eyes and hope they don't cheat) and asked to taste test the 2 cups of tea and then to tell the rest if they perceive a difference in the taste. A bottle of mineral water was provided to cleanse the palate in between tastings.

The Results:

Tag was given 2 sips of the Non-Tariked Tea. He claimed that the first one tasted better then the 2nd.

iwatch_ueat was given the Tariked one first and the Non-Tariked one 2nd. She claimed the first was the Non-Tariked and the 2nd one the Tariked

Camemberu was similarly given the Tariked one first and non-Tariked one next. She got it right the first time, but could not repeat her feat the second time.

Liverpool was given 2 sips from the Non-Tariked tea. He said the first was Tariked and the 2nd the non-Tariked.

I was honest enough to just say I could not tell the difference.

The Trial Conclusion:

There is no doubt that we have proven the hypothesis to be false.

"Tariking" the tea may lower the temperature a bit and make lots of foam and maybe trap a few flying insects and dust particles in the process, but it does not significantly alter the taste of the Teh such that ordinary makankakis can discern the difference.



Back to the Teh Tarik itself.

This non-descript "Hole in the Wall" little stall in Kampung Glam is a favourite amongst Taxi Drivers because of the convenient parking and the cheap prices. A cup of Teh Tarik here is still only 70 cents. I was told that it was only 60 cents before, so they might have increased the price recently due to the shortage of milk.

It was a good cup of tea. The tea was strong but we felt that it was not creamy enough that day. And, unless you specially ask for lots of foam, the Teh actually only goes through a "half arm" tarik once. Then again, apart from making more foam, it does not actually affect the taste that much as we have shown in our experiment. 4/5

Conclusion

Good and cheap cup of Teh Tarik. The ambiance of this unassumingly quaint little un-named shop, manned by 2 elderly men with distinguished beards really adds to the whole Teh Tarik experience.

No Name Sarabat Stall
Baghdad Street
Kampung Glam
6.30am to 12mn daily

Mr Teh Tarik: I wonder what the tarik does to the tea?

I wonder if Tariking the Teh actually makes a difference to the taste itself. Apart from cooling it down, and making the foam on top, does the extra air in the tea actually change its taste? Has anyone tried comparing a cup of tea before and after the Tarik? Do let us know.


Mr Teh Tarik demonstrating the triple tarik

This Teh Tarik certainly fulfills my criteria for a good Teh Tarik. It's smooth and creamy, the taste of the tea taste is strong enough and oooh it flows down the throat so smoothly! It's no wonder that there is a perpetual queue outside the stall. 4.5/5

Mr Teh Tarik
Far East Square near Beppu

Taj Mahal Teh Halia: Who Invented Teh Halia?

With iwatch_ueat and Big MOG


Nothing quite like a cup of hot Teh Halia to wash down all that oil after eating stuff like Nasi Lemak and Nasi Briyani. The Tannin in Tea acts as an astringent to wash down the flavours, the fat in the milk binds to capsaicin (the substance in chilli that causes that burning sensation) which eases the heat, the sugar triggers release of substances from the tongue which also eases the burning sensation and the ginger helps to relief bloatedness and aids digestion. Wow! Which brilliant fellow came up with this wonder "after your spicy dinner" drink?

We don't know who, but we certainly can say that Teh Halia ultimately has its origins in China. Huh? Kidding right? No not really, I said ultimately because the origin of Tea is from China whiles ginger is native to both China and India.

Of course, it was the British traders that smuggled the Tea plant out of China to India to start their own tea plantation. Their attempt to ease the trade deficit caused by too many Britons liking Tea and too little Chinese liking anything English is the reason that Tea became a popular drink in India. However, the word Halia though has Indonesian origins. So it could be that somehow the concept of the milk tea made its way from India to Indonesia and ultimately to Singapore. This part I am only guessing, so maybe some experts can tell us the exact origins of Teh Halia?

Anyway I digress.

What got my attention was the continuous queue of people outside this Teh Halia stall at Adam Road Food Centre. So I decided to try it.

This particular Teh Halia was surprisingly refreshing. Unlike other Teh Halias I have tasted before, this one was not overly milky and had a good balance of ginger and tea flavours. Perfect for washing down all that oil and spices! 4.25

Conclusion

Pretty good cup of Teh Halia! So starts my search for the ultimate Teh Halia in Singapore. Your recommendations please!


Taj Mahal
Adam Road Food Centre Stall 15
Open 24 hours