July 2018 - Scoot In-flight Magazine
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FEATURE STORY<br />
“My father first<br />
opened this coffee<br />
shop in a different<br />
location more<br />
than 70 years<br />
ago,” he recounts.<br />
“I have three<br />
brothers, and we<br />
all started<br />
helping out WITH<br />
the business<br />
at an early age.”<br />
Keng Wah<br />
Sung’s roti<br />
kaya and kopi<br />
are the main<br />
ingredients<br />
for a leisurely<br />
afternoon<br />
break.<br />
when he calls it a day. “My<br />
brother comes back from his<br />
job and keeps the kopi tiam<br />
open until 1 a.m.,” Uncle Ong<br />
continues. “After he closes, he<br />
counts the money, cleans up<br />
the place and gets everything<br />
ready for the next day. This<br />
happens six days a week from<br />
Monday to Saturday. It’s not<br />
easy to own a kopi tiam!”<br />
I marvel at this family’s<br />
devotion to the business, but<br />
can’t help wondering why Keng<br />
Wah Sung seems to be run by<br />
the old folks. “Our children<br />
aren’t interested in this. They<br />
have their own jobs and are<br />
happy to pursue their<br />
interests,” Uncle Ong answers<br />
matter-of-factly. “This isn’t like<br />
the old days when options<br />
were limited, and we had no<br />
choice but to work in the family<br />
business. I’ve accepted with an<br />
open heart that this kopi tiam<br />
will probably end with our<br />
generation.”<br />
After our conversation, the<br />
kopi uncle heads back to his<br />
corner and brews for me his<br />
signature drink. “This one’s on<br />
me,” he offers. I sip the dark,<br />
syrupy-sweet liquid and<br />
ponder the lifetime of stories<br />
contained in each of these<br />
coffee cups. Keng Wah Sung<br />
may not be classy like an<br />
Orchard Road espresso bar,<br />
and Uncle Ong may not have<br />
the worldly sheen of a hipster<br />
barista. But the values that he<br />
and his kopi tiam represent –<br />
hard work, passion, simplicity,<br />
and respect for customers –<br />
these will never go out of style.<br />
ON THE<br />
MENU<br />
Traditional Singapore<br />
kopi tiam typically host a<br />
handful of hawkers<br />
specialising in tasty local<br />
fare. Keng Wah Sung<br />
boasts classic delicacies<br />
but is really famous for<br />
two things: strong, dark<br />
local coffee and kaya<br />
toast. The former is<br />
roasted using a recipe<br />
perfected by Uncle Ong’s<br />
father, a Hainanese native<br />
who made his name from<br />
the coffee trade. On the<br />
other hand, the latter is a<br />
slice of bread slathered<br />
with butter and kaya jam.<br />
If you eat only two things<br />
at this kopi tiam, make it<br />
these two!<br />
Keng Wah Sung<br />
Kopitiam<br />
783 Geylang Rd,<br />
Singapore 389672<br />
32 SCOOT
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