Star Coffee (Bukit Merah Central)

There has been quite a bit of a shift even in terms of the local Nanyang-style Kopi and Teh stalls these days – with the masses being seemingly accustomed to espresso-based specialty coffee in recent years, some hawkerpreneurs have also incorporated the Australian coffee culture into the local Nanyang-style Kopi that we have grown up being very familiar with over the years. There has especially been an uprising of such establishments like Kopi More at Golden Mile Food Centre, Lim’s Kopi at Chinatown Food Centre, as well as Generation Coffee from Tekka Market, which has since expanded with a second outlet at Blk 216 Bedok Food Centre — all of which are known for serving Nanyang-style Kopi through the espresso machine. Star Coffee, which is located at Bukit Merah Central Food Centre for quite a while, belongs to one of such establishments as well — the food centre has reopened on 2 April 2023 after renovation works had been carried out since March 2023. Apart from serving up Nanyang-style Kopi and Teh, Star Coffee does also retail canned drinks — they also do serve up a variety of toasts for those looking for something to munch on while having their Kopi.

We had visited Star Coffee previously when they had first opened their doors way before the most recent round of renovations were being completed — we recalled not quite liking their Kopi too much considering how strong it was. Watching how the coffee is being prepared this time round, the beans are first being ground in their grinder into a portafilter. Before the extraction of the coffee from the espresso machine, evaporated milk is being added into the coffee cup before placing the coffee cup directly under the portafilter to catch the coffee extracted. A final splash of evaporated milk is added to the cup of coffee before serving it to the patron. Interestingly, the Signature Coffee comes with quite a thick layer of cream over the top just like what one would expect out of an espresso served at a specialty coffee joint. It is absolutely necessary for one to give the Signature Coffee a good stir before drinking — this is especially so considering how thick and strong the coffee from Star Coffee is when had as-is. Giving all a good elements within the cup a good stir, the cuppa still comes with quite a caffeinated punch but is otherwise all a good balance of creamy and slightly sweetened — a very smooth cuppa to down and somewhat reminding us of a stronger rendition of our favourite Kopi from Generation Coffee in that we used to have pretty regularly at Tekka Centre previously. Perhaps it is timely for us to make another visit to Star Coffee soon; the next time round perhaps going for their Signature Mocha and their other toasts items a go for the full Star Coffee experience!

Comes with option Garlic or Kaya Toast.
The coffee was normal, the garlic toast is good. Crispy crust with soft Center bread, with the right amount of garlic butter.
💰$3.2
📍Star Coffee.
02-22 Bukit Merah Central Food Centre,
163 Bukit Merah Central

#shootoniphone

Was going around Bukit Merah Central as spotted this new coffee stall named Star Coffee — turns out, this is one of the few coffee stalls at a hawker centre that is dedicates themselves to serving up the traditional Nanyang Kopi with a modern twist.

I was actually pretty intrigued by the stall since I have spotted an espresso machine in the stall — pretty much reminds me of stalls such as Kopi More at Golden Mile Food Centre, Lim’s Cafe at Chinatown Complex Market and Generation Coffee at Tekka Centre. Ordering my cuppa, I noticed how the owner-cum-barista here first uses an electric coffee bean grinder to prepare the coffee grounds to be used for the cuppa, before pulling the shot via the espresso machine just like how one would expect for a cup of espresso-based coffee at a specialty coffee joint serving gourmet coffee. The result is this cuppa that has a particularly thick crema; almost akin to the likes of the Kopi served at Kopi More — something that may be more common these days given the number of stalls taking this approach on serving up Nanyang-style Kopi, but still pretty much something one would not expect to get in the traditional brewing methods of local coffee.

Frankly speaking, even opting for the “normal” level of sweetness (patrons can also opt for either “more sweet” or “less sweet”), the Signature Coffee here has a rather harsh body that felt a little too bitter — rather off- balance even when compared to the likes of coffee served by other stalls adopting a similar approach in brewing their cuppa, even despite the addition of condensed milk at the normal level of sweetness. While I do appreciate the effort and thought behind the modern take, this is a cuppa which I would say that doesn’t quite work for everyone. Perhaps they can look more into the technicalities of coffee brewing to refine their cuppa further to achieve that balance of flavours that would make it an easier drink to have overall.

For those looking to give them a try, they are running a promotion till 15 October 2021 where they are serving their Signature Coffee at $1 — a rather decent opportunity to decide if their cuppa is one that suits the tastebuds.