MANILA -- Nanyang is bringing the Singaporean kopi tiam experience to Manila.

“Kopi tiam” is Hokkien for coffee shop. However, the kopi tiam in Singapore isn’t the common branded coffee shop seen in every urban street corner. There are no espressos or lattes in a kopi tiam. Rather, kopi and teh tarik are the drinks of the shop.

A handy chart beside the counter in Nanyang educates guests how to order drinks Singaporean style.

Tarik means “to pull.” This involves the staff mixing the drink in long spouted pitcher and slowly “pulling” it to another container. When done right, it can be spectacular to watch. Nanyang has trained its staff well as they can “tarik” drinks consistently.

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An ingredient which makes the kopi tiam drinks stand out is the use of “melaka,” or as we call it “arnibal.” This adds caramel-like sweetness to their drinks that make it stand out from those with white or processed sugar. This is the same ingredient behind the premium brown sugar milk and brown sugar milk tea craze that’s been going around.

Nanyang has kopi and teh tarik just like what would be found in the hawker centers of Singapore. Besides that, these are available in different mixes using evaporated or condensed milk depending on one’s sweet tooth.

Another recommended drink is the Yuan Yang – a mix of coffee, tea, evaporated milk, and sugar.

Besides kopi and teh, Nanyang also serves Horlicks (malted drinks), Milk Tea with Kopi Jelly, and the Milo Dinosaur to round out its menu of drinks.

HAWKER CENTER MENU

Nanyang also has a selection of food right out of a hawker center’s menu. An ideal companion to kopi tiam drinks is kaya toast. Kaya is a delicious spread made out of eggs, caramel and coconut. This are made into sandwiches with a poached egg on the side.

Nanyang has several flavors of kaya – Original, Sea Salt Caramel, Calamansi Citrus, and Vanilla Pandan. They’ve conveniently put these in jars under the KayaMila label and sell these at the branches for guests who’d want to make kaya toast at home.

A Singaporean restaurant won’t be complete without Hainanese chicken cooked in broth with rice cooked in chicken fat, and thick soy sauce, chili, and minced ginger on the side.

Nanyang has a variation where the chicken is fried instead of boiled. It’s recommended for guests who want something more familiar.

One of the more unique dishes is the Chicken Chop Noodle, a plate of fried noodles with bok choy and slices of breaded chicken breast with cheese sauce.

Another dish to go to Nanyang for is the Prawn Laksa. Admittedly, this laksa isn’t as spicy as the ones served in Singapore. The heat has been toned down for the Filipino palate, though diners can request for something spicier upon ordering. The laksa soup base is also available with fish balls instead of prawns.

Clearly, Nanyang isn’t the typical run-of-the-mill coffee shop. It’s a distinctly Asian take on tea and coffee.

Nanyang branches are located at Greenbelt 5, SM Aura, Bonifacio High Street, SM Megamall, SM Pampanga and SM Legazpi.