Chai latte ($6+) & Kenya Kalita ($7+)!
Sunday cafe — chai latte $6 + Kenya Kalita pour-over $7. Spice tea + single-origin Kenyan pour-over pairing.
Sunday specialty cafe — chai latte $6+ + Kenya Kalita $7+. Spice tea + single-origin Kenyan pour-over pairing.
We ordered:
- Chai latte — $6+
- Kenya Kalita — $7+
Total: $13+ (plus service + GST = ~$15 nett).
The “Kenya Kalita” specifies both the bean origin (Kenya) and the brewing method (Kalita Wave — Japanese pour-over filter). The combination is the proper specialty third-wave coffee format that’s defined the high-end Singapore cafe scene.
Kenya coffee origin characteristics:
- Grown at high altitude (1500-2100m elevation)
- Volcanic soil (Kenya’s Great Rift Valley region)
- Distinctive flavour profile: bright acidity, blackcurrant/blackberry fruit notes, wine-like complexity
- SL28 and SL34 cultivars dominate (developed by Scott Labs in colonial era)
- AA grading represents the largest bean size with highest quality
The Kalita Wave brewing method:
- Japanese flat-bottom pour-over filter with three holes
- Wave-shaped paper filter
- Even extraction across the brewing surface
- Cleaner brew than Hario V60 (which has the conical shape and one hole)
- Slower extraction than Chemex (which has the thicker filter)
The combination of Kenyan beans + Kalita Wave produces the cleanest expression of the Kenya origin character. Bright acidity, fruit notes, balanced body — the Kenya AA + Kalita pour-over format is one of the third-wave coffee classic brewing setups.
The chai latte is the spice-tea alternative pairing. Standard chai latte format:
- Black tea (Assam or Darjeeling) brewed strong
- Whole spices steeped (cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger, black pepper)
- Steamed milk to balance the spice intensity
- Optional honey or sugar
- Sometimes star anise or nutmeg additional spices
The Singapore specialty cafe chai latte usually leans the cleaner-spicing direction. Different from the Indian street masala chai (which leans aggressive spicing + sweetened condensed milk), the cafe chai is the milder Western-influenced format.
The chai latte + Kenya Kalita combination is the proper diverse drink pairing. Coffee versus tea, single-origin pour-over versus spice-infused milk drink — distinctly different drinks that work together for the cafe sharing format.
The $6-7+ specialty cafe pricing tier represents the upper-end Singapore cafe range. Different from the chain cafe (Starbucks, Coffee Bean — $5-7 similar drinks) or the budget cafe ($3-5 simpler drinks), the specialty cafe tier reflects the proper sourcing + execution + ambiance investment.
The Sunday specialty cafe destination visit is the proper weekend cafe-hopping experience. Different from the convenience-stop coffee or the work-cafe routine, the destination cafe visit is the deliberate-experience-focused outing.
Overall: 4.7 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Excellent specialty cafe Kenya Kalita pour-over + chai latte. Would re-visit.
