I had visited The 1950's Coffee several times ever since I got to know about this stall in Chinatown Complex from Michelin Guide 2016. And had since liked their thick traditional black coffee with less sugar (called kopi-o siew dai). Whenever I was in Chinatown, I would try to make time to have a cup of coffee at The 1950's.
A little regret I had was that I had never got the chance to try their traditional bread. It was always sold out by the time I got into the queue. Since I was planning another round of Michelin food hunt using Michelin Guide 2019, I decided to take one day annual leave, wake up early and "fly" to Chinatown Complex on a Friday morning.
During the COVID-19 period, there were ultra-few tourists and most locals and office staff were either at work or working-from-home by 9am — except for some elderlies that hung around Chinatown. There was no queue when I reached the stall. A quick glance at the menu showed that the coffee stall had not increased their prices since I was first here in 2017.
I ordered my usual kopi-o siew dai ($1) and added two half-boiled eggs ($1.20) and a set of traditional bread ($1.20). That made the breakfast set $3.40.
The black coffee had a familiar traditional coffee aroma and was thick as usual. The soft-boiled eggs were nicely done without a trace of being overcooked or with still-raw egg white. The timing was perfect!
The protagonist for this visit was the traditional bread that I woke up early for. The nicely charcoal-toasted bread was spread with kaya (coconut jam) and a thick slice of butter. The kaya was applied sparingly so the bread would not be too sweet. And it was the thick butter that made each bite so creamy and tasty.
The nostalgic taste of charcoal-grilled traditional toast was getting harder to find in Singapore these days — I usually travelled to Malacca to satisfy that craving.
Other than their traditional bread, the peanut butter thick toast with ultra-soft bread was great too. The bread was lightly-toasted to keep its softness and spread with thick peanut butter. Of all my visits, I had managed to try the peanut thick toast once as they were usually sold out fast too.
I will be back for more of their traditional breads and thick black coffee before the COVID-19 pandemic is over and the crowd returns.
Address:
Chinatown Complex, #02-048
Opening Hours:
7am ~ 5pm | Closed on Monday