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CNA
5 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Chin Mee Chin Confectionery in Katong celebrates 100 years with new menu items, limited edition merchandise
Chin Mee Chin Confectionery (CMC), one of Singapore's oldest coffee shops, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Since 1925, CMC has been at the same location, in the heart of Katong, serving time-honoured recipes of kaya toast and kopi including their signature kaya toast – iconic round buns generously slathered with homemade kaya and cold butter. In 2018, CMC weathered a manpower crunch that nearly forced its closure. A revival by Singapore's Ebb & Flow Group in 2021 ensured that CMC could continue serving the community with its breakfast favourites. Since then, CMC has also introduced a wider variety of contemporary flavours to complement its classic offerings. To commemorate their anniversary, CMC will be launching a series of anniversary activities from June to August, featuring limited-edition merchandise, memorabilia, blind bags, as well as new menu items. From Jun 23 to 29, between noon to 4pm, customers who spend S$25 or more in-store will get a chance to draw a limited edition CMCoin from a blind draw box. Embossed with the coffee shop's iconic kopi cup, there are 99 silver coins and just one rare gold coin available. These coins can later be redeemed for special gifts in July – a token of appreciation from CMC to its customers. Throughout the month of July, 99 lucky holders of the silver CMCoin can redeem an exclusive 100-year CMC T-shirt (worth S$38), while the one grand winner of the rare gold coin will win a two day one night stay at Artyzen Singapore (deluxe room with breakfast for two worth S$565++). The limited-edition 100-year CMC T-shirts are also available for purchase at S$38 each, while stocks last. From Aug 1 to 15, with every in-store purchase of S$25 and above, customers will get a turn at the CMClaw Machine for a guaranteed chance to take home a mystery keychain blind bag inspired by old-school calendars. Inside, its keychains are available in five designs inspired by CMC's iconic elements – the CMC Shopfront, CMC Merchandise, CMC Kaya and Toast, CMC Pastry Set, and the CMC Kopi Pour. Only one blind bag can be won per transaction, regardless of total spend. CMC will also be launching special 100-year menu items, including the Curry Pork Chop (S$8.80), Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens (S$10.80), and the Peranakan treat Pang Susi (S$2.80). Other new additions include the Kaya French Toast (S$6), Peanut Butter French Toast (S$7), or Nutella French Toast (S$8), each a playful nod to CMC's nostalgic menu. CMC has also collaborated with Artyzen Singapore hotel for The Heart of SG60, a special culinary campaign from May to October hosted at Cafe Quenino. From June to October, CMC's iconic kaya will be featured in a decadent mille-feuille and woven throughout the hotel's breakfast and high tea offerings. CMC's modern interpretation of Hainanese beef brisket will also be served alongside Cafe Quenino's creamy mashed potatoes. 'As one of the nation's oldest heritage coffee shops, this collaboration reflects our shared commitment to honouring tradition while embracing fresh, creative interpretations,' said Chin Mee Chin about the collaboration with Cafe Quenino. 'It's a celebration of where we've been, where we're going, and the enduring flavors that connect us all."
AsiaOne
5 days ago
- Business
- AsiaOne
Chin Mee Chin Confectionery celebrates 100th anniversary with new menu and exclusive merchandise, Lifestyle News
While Katong is a food haven, a name that stands out from the rest is Chin Mee Chin Confectionery, one of Singapore's original coffeeshops. The famous breakfast spot, which has been at the same location since 1925, is known for its kaya toast and traditional sock-brewed kopi. The old-school business shuttered in 2018 but has bounced back stronger than ever since, with this year marking its 100th anniversary. To celebrate the milestone, the family-run business will have a three-month-long series of anniversary activities, shared a press release on Thursday (June 5). These start in June and run up to the actual celebration in August, which coincides with SG60. Fill your belly The eatery will have a line-up of 100-year menu items, which will officially make their debut instore this August and are timeless local classics to celebrate Chin Mee Chin Confectionery's anniversary and Singapore's 60th birthday. A dish to look forward to is Curry Pork Chop ($8.80), a breaded pork cutlet paired with a generous moat of homemade curry paste and coconut cream. Another comforting dish that will remind many of home is the Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens ($10.80), which is stewed in a fragrant blend of soy sauce, cinnamon, ginger, and sesame oil. Chin Mee Chin Confectionery is also launching a new dish called Pang Susi ($2.80)—a Peranakan treat featuring sweet potato buns filled with minced pork, candied winter melon, and mixed vegetables. Other new additions include Kaya French Toast ($6), Peanut Butter French Toast ($7) and Nutella French Toast ($8). These are all made with shokupan (Japanese-style milk bread) coated with egg dip for a crisp exterior. As part of SG60, Chin Mee Chin Confectionery has also joined hands with hotel Artyzen Singapore for The Heart of SG60, a special six-month culinary campaign hosted at Cafe Quenino that will run from May to October. In June, Chin Mee Chin Confectionery's kaya takes the spotlight and will be featured in a mille-feuille (a French pastry) and woven throughout the hotel's breakfast and high tea offerings through October. There will also be a modern interpretation of Chin Mee Chin Confectionery's Hainanese beef brisket, served alongside Cafe Quenino's creamy mashed potatoes. "This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to honouring tradition while embracing fresh, creative interpretations," said Chin Mee Chin Confectionery. Collect them all Chin Mee Chin Confectionery is also launching a series of commemorative collectibles, ranging from nostalgic memorabilia to blind bags and keepsake-worthy gifts to pay homage to the brand's century-old heritage. From June 23 to June 29, it's launching 100 pieces of exclusive, limited-edition CMCoins, which will be distributed randomly in between 12pm and 4pm. These are embossed with the brand's iconic kopi cup and comprises 99 silver coins and one rare gold piece. With every in-store purchase of $25 and above on food and drinks, diners will get the chance to draw one of these coins instantly from a blind draw box at the cash register. Each receipt entitles customers to a maximum of one coin per day, regardless of total spend. From July 1 to 31, those holding the 99 silver CMCoins will get to redeem a 100-year CMC T-shirt worth $38. The lucky one holding the elusive gold coin will win a 2D1N stay in a deluxe room at Artyzen Singapore worth $565++ which comes with breakfast for two. If you didn't manage to score a silver coin, you can still purchase the limited-edition 100-year CMC T-shirts. These are available in black, white, beige and dark green, in sizes S, M,L, XL and XXL. From Aug 1 to Aug 15, there will be a series of blind bag keychains that feature miniature renditions of the iconic elements that make Chin Mee Chin what it is. There are five designs to collect — CMC Iconic Shopfront, CMC Merchandise, CMC Kaya and Toast, CMC Pastry Set, and CMC Kopi Pour. To redeem one, diners need to spend $25 or more in a single transaction on food and drinks to enjoy a turn at the CMClaw Machine. Only one blind bag can be won per transaction, regardless of total spend. Address: 204 E Coast Rd, Singapore 428903 Opening hours: Daily, 8am to 4pm [[nid:544151]] melissateo@
New Paper
04-05-2025
- Business
- New Paper
Singaporean reintroduces toddy to local market with HighDrate
Nestled in the chilled fruit juices section at selected Sheng Siong supermarkets in Singapore is a South Indian alcoholic drink staging a quiet comeback after decades in obscurity. That drink is toddy, a type of coconut palm wine which, at Sheng Siong, is marketed under the name HighDrate - a combination of "high" and "hydrate" to signify the drink's alcoholic and hydrating properties. Naturally fizzy from fermentation, toddy has a mildly sweet and tangy flavour. The man behind the revival of toddy is Mr Sharaveen Prasath, 32, who used to run a home-based satti soru or Indian clay pot rice business during the covid pandemic. In Malaysia, where he has relatives, satti soru is typically served with toddy, and he wanted to do the same in Singapore as he knew there was a demand here. So he and his long-time girlfriend, Ms Hemapriya, 32, started HighDrate. Toddy, or kallu in Tamil, usually has a shelf life of around 45 days but the company has developed a unique processing technique that extends it to a year, making the drink viable for retail. HighDrate's version of toddy has a 2.2 percent alcohol content and was launched on April 13 this year with an initial batch of 250 bottles distributed across 20 Sheng Siong supermarkets. Among them are the outlets at Junction Nine shopping mall in Yishun and at Block 506 in Tampines Central. Each 500ml bottle of HighDrate at Sheng Siong retails for $12.40 - a marked difference from the modest price once paid when toddy was sold exclusively at government-run shops in Singapore until 1979. Until then, toddy was harvested here by a government-licensed contractor but it ended in 1979 when he ceased operations due to rising labour costs. Toddy was still available in Singapore after that but in limited supply. In 2022, Mr Sharaveen received his permit from the Singapore Food Agency to import toddy. HighDrate sources its toddy from two coconut plantations in Melaka. The first shipment in early 2022 consisted of about 200 bottles of toddy with each 1.2 litre bottle priced at $35. These bottles are sold wholesale or through the company's online store and differ from the newer retail version that is available at Sheng Siong. HighDrate has since cut costs through economies of scale and expanded its operations team. It now stocks between 4,000 and 6,000 bottles each month with weekly shipments, bringing the price per bottle down to $21. The company has also expanded its client base. "We started with Indian minimarts, then Indian restaurants and now some hotels carry our product," Mr Sharaveen said. It is also available in upscale bars like those in lifestyle hotel Artyzen Singapore, which incorporate HighDrate's toddy into cocktails. Mr Sharaveen's path to becoming a toddy entrepreneur was far from conventional. He studied sports management at the Institute of Technical Education, pursued a diploma in mass communications and worked as an instructor for an outdoor adventure programme company. He was not academically inclined as a child and felt directionless during his youth. "I had good friends but none of us had any foresight. We used to skip classes, hang around outside and drink." A public fallout with his boss became the turning point that pushed him to become his own boss. To do so, he realised he needed to be disciplined. "Motivation is just an illusion. You won't have it every single day but you need to have discipline every single day," Mr Sharaveen said. To cultivate discipline, he used to routinely wake up at 5am and go for a run. "The runs were not to keep fit but to force myself to do something that I didn't want to do. Once I had accomplished that, the rest of the day would feel like a breeze," he said. While Mr Sharaveen oversees the operations at HighDrate, Ms Hemapriya handles the business side - managing the company's finances, accounts and logistics at their office in Ubi Techpark. She also works at a logistics and warehousing company. The two have been together since secondary school and their personal relationship is a key factor behind HighDrate's success. It took the company almost two years to secure the permit to import and sell toddy but the couple were determined to see it through. "We did face a lot of issues along the way but our end goal is to be together and to do something that keeps us together. This is something we started together and we did not want it to end," Ms Hemapriya said. The couple plans to export their toddy overseas, experiment with flavoured toddy and broaden the company's range of coconut-based products. "The vision for HighDrate is to be the leading supplier of toddy in South-East Asia. We want to have a hub where we buy toddy, support local farmers and supply it all over the world," Mr Sharaveen said. "Every part of the coconut tree is usable. From the leaves to the husk to the spadix (flower stalk) so we would like to do more things using the coconut tree."
