興旺咖啡水 (Golden Mile)

One thing we had noticed that have started becoming really prominent me in the local F&B scene at hawker centres of the late is the emergence of Vietnamese-run stalls serving up Kopi & Teh; such establishments have been popping up all across hawker centres in the neighbourhoods, though they usually do not look too different from the average local beverage stall that operates out of hawker centres. Golden Mile Food Centre has seen the presence of one such stall very recently; located in the lower level of the food centre, the said stall is named 興旺咖啡水 — situated across from the notable Ah Xiao Teochew Braised Duck and is also neighbours with SUPA THAI Amazing Bangkok Street Food. The stall sports a bright yellow signage, with a menu board that has a green background just beneath the signboard. While the menu offerings look no different from the typical local beverage stall that also serves up Hainanese-style breakfast which usually comprises of Kaya Butter Toast, what is more interesting would be the beverage menu that sees the inclusion of offerings like Vietnamese Drip Coffee and Vietnamese Layered Coffee apart from the usual selection of Hainanese-style Kopi and Teh, as well as familiar concoctions like the Honey Lemon, Barley Beancurd and Bandung amongst many others.

The Kaya Butter Bun at 興旺咖啡水is what some other establishments would call the UFO Bun; the type of Kaya Butter Bun that is most commonly associated with YY Kafei Dian along Beach Road if one may. Flipping the Kaya Butter Bun to have a peek at the amount of Kaya and butter spread in between, the first impressions was how there does not seem to be enough butter spread in between. Taking our first bite into the Kaya Butter Bun however, we did find that there was a good balance between the portion of Kaya and the portion of butter that comes in between; there was a harmonious combination of the sweet coconut jam hinting of slight pandan notes against the saltishness of the butter — both not overwhelming one another. The bun used here seems to be a little less dense than what we are used to having from some other locations; whilst it does come crisp from being toasted, the bun here definitely felt lighter and airier as compared to similar buns that we have had for our Kaya Butter Bun / UFO Bun orders elsewhere.

When it came to the Vietnamese Layered Coffee, it is noted that 興旺咖啡水is one of the very few beverage stalls located in a hawker centre setting that serves up Vietnamese-style coffee complete with the coffee filter; the other establishment which we are aware of doing so would be Life Coffee at Amoy Street Food Centre. It does seem that the folks at 興旺咖啡水 had taken into consideration how locals would usually prefer to have their Kopi less with condensed milk as opposed to the usual amount of condensed milk that Vietnamese add to their coffee; it is noted that there seems to be a little bit of control exercised in the condensed milk served in the Vietnamese Layered Coffee as a result. Despite so, the Vietnamese Layered Coffee (Hot) that we had opted for still carries a chocolate-y note that is characteristic of Vietnamese-style coffee, though also probably coming with quite a robust kick given how they have went easy on the condensed milk here. If anything, the prices at 興旺咖啡水be it the toasts or its Vietnamese-style coffee are especially wallet-friendly and comparable to that of other typical beverage stalls at hawker centres; ala-carte toasts are priced below $2 with the exception of the French Loaf and Garlic Bread which costs $2.80 — the toasts sets are all priced at max. $4.50. Meanwhile, the Vietnamese-style coffee is priced max. $1.60 for hot options, while the maximum price for the cold options is at $2.50; perhaps even more affordable than some local coffee joints especially in the Central Business District. The unique selling point at 興旺咖啡水 is definitely their Vietnamese-style coffee; something which we would be thinking of having when we make our next trip to Golden Mile Food Centre!