Imagine sitting in a cafe in New York, drinking a cup of expensive coffee. You look out of the window and sigh.
How you wished you could have a cup of good Kopi, but you’re miles away from home, Singapore.
Then you realised…
Ah, life’s good.
Lion City Coffee
Started by brother-sister duo Chuin and Yeen Tham, 35 and 38, Lion City Coffee operates as a pop-up store in New York.
It was founded in August last year.
They also regularly participate in food festivals and provides catering services, so if you’re in New York and craving some good old fashioned Kaya toast, keep a look out for them.
The siblings are Singaporean, but they moved to New York 30 years ago.
You would think that by then, they would have long forgotten the taste of Singapore food, but you’re wrong. The siblings often come back to Singapore for a holiday to visit and eat the local food.
Which is a whole mood, because Singapore food is that good.
Growing up, they were blessed with a household where they ate home-cooked food that had Singapore cuisine elements such as chicken rice, laksa and chai tow kueh.
They also found themselves wanting to sit in an open air kopitiam, sipping on a cup of tea and coffee (typical people who’ve lived in other countries who think the weather here is good lah HAHA).
So, What’s on the menu?
Their menu has 4 essential local classics. Coffee, Kaya Toast, Nasi Lemak (There are two options: Ayam Goreng or Curry chicken with potatoes.) and Roti Prata.
I don’t know about you, but just from the sound and look of those words, I’m hungry already.
Look at that butter… This is home, truly.
Their classic Nasi Lemak, you can never go wrong with this.
If you’re currently visiting New York or staying there for a while, you can check out their Instagram page for their pop-up booth timings and venues.
Besides being an avenue for them to spread the Singapore culture, starting this franchise was also a tribute to their father.
Their Father Was Their Inspiration
Their father passed away in 2016, after a long battle with cancer.
Yeen recalls that their father was always very interested in culinary adventures, and was curious about how to make certain things.
He would also clip out articles on how to make certain Asian dishes and Singapore dishes that he had come to miss.
When they moved to New York, their father worked as a dish washer and eventually worked his way up to a chef at Imperial Szechuan in Connecticut.
The siblings look back sentimentally at the memories they made with their father while in Singapore.
They have memories with their father at coffee shops, wet markets and hawker centres.
Yeen also said that his favourite pastime as a child was to go to a coffeeshop with his father.
His father would bring them to the coffeeshop located at the bottom of their flat, and they could order whatever food they wanted.
Ironically, their father also worked as the health inspectors for coffeeshops back in the day, which is also another reason why they visited so many coffeeshops.
Chuin recalls those days, and says, “So he knew everyone at the coffee shops, and whenever he stopped by, people recognised his face right away.”
True though, imagine your health inspector coming to the coffeeshop that you’re working at with his children. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Sounds scary to me already.
To Be The Giant
Chuin is an accountant while Yeen is a lawyer. Despite their day jobs, the siblings are determined to pursue their career in the food industry with Lion City Coffee.
Chuin says, “We want to do to kopi what industry giants did to drip coffee.” They wish to be “brand ambassadors” for Singapore’s culinary scene, hoping to introduce a cultural experience and allow people to get a taste of our local cuisine.
Singaporeans who are often sent overseas to study come back with degrees in engineering, law, business, medicine. The siblings are different.
“They are definitely not going to other parts of the world just to promote Singaporean food,” said Chuin.
Asian parents, in general, often push their children to get higher education so that they can get a good, well-paying desk job. Working in the food industry is not good enough for the ever changing world.
While we know that parents know best, Yeen feels that the culinary experience is still untapped, especially Singaporean food culture.
The siblings are motivated by the fact that they are spreading awareness of their father’s culture, and want to continue to do this for him and their family.
Who knows, maybe one day, we’ll see Peter Parker having kaya toast on a roof of a building.
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