Trung Nguyen Coffee Company – 177 River Valley Road #02-34/36, Liang Court Mall
Colonisation was a period in many Asian countries' history that most try to forget. However there are a few things that indicate it was not all bad; industrialization, modernization and French-influenced Vietnamese drip coffee. Trung-Nguyen has taken traditional “ca phe sua da” out of the coffee shops of Ho Chi Minh and into chic outlets at malls in Japan, Thailand, China and now Singapore; a-la Starbucks.
The Creation #4 ($5.90 with condensed milk or $4.90 without) is a clear indication that quality has not been compromised. From the elegant metal drip apparatus to the 10-minute wait I had to endure for the coffee to filter through, there were no cut corners in this cuppa.
The thick, condensed milk-sweetened elixir had an intoxicating aroma that was rich and comforting with buttery notes of toffee and caramel. The dangerously high caffeine content hits the bloodstream from the first sip; filling your veins like rapidly combusting rocket fuel. I was quite surprised I did not go shooting right out of my chair.
Lovely hot, it was absolutely divine splashed over ice. The stuff was so potent and concentrated that the invariably melting ice did not even put a dent in its strength. While those with iffy tickers should think twice (it could probably chuck you into cardiac arrest and give you a stroke simultaneously); it is highly, HIGHLY recommended for everyone else!
