Gimme mai coffeh! Meow!
- Pic from Internet
- wong chee tat :)
Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts
Monday, April 24, 2017
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Gimme Mai Coffee!
Gimme Mai Coffee!
Yep, I need my daily dose of coffee.
- Pic from Internet
- wong chee tat :)
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Random Thoughts
I can't sleep well these few nights. No, it is not because of the world cup fever.
It could be the warm nights during this June .... But there are lots of stuff that are running in my mind such as:
- increasing expenses (especially bills)
- cpf (especially for housing and retirement)
- new planned hardware to get but not enough money!!!! =(
What to do?
I guess I have to tackle them one by one... And I need my sleep otherwise I will look like a zombie the next day!
- wong chee tat :)
It could be the warm nights during this June .... But there are lots of stuff that are running in my mind such as:
- increasing expenses (especially bills)
- cpf (especially for housing and retirement)
- new planned hardware to get but not enough money!!!! =(
What to do?
I guess I have to tackle them one by one... And I need my sleep otherwise I will look like a zombie the next day!
- wong chee tat :)
Friday, March 7, 2014
Marine Terrace coffeeshop goes up in flames
Marine Terrace coffeeshop goes up in flames
BY JUNE YANG AND ALVIN CHONG
PUBLISHED: MARCH 7, 11:31 AM UPDATED: MARCH 7, 1:00 PM(PAGE 1 OF 1)
SINGAPORE — A fire swept through a coffeeshop at Blk 59 Marine Terrace this morning (March 7), gutting it and causing residents in the flats above to be temporarily evacuated.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a call about the fire at 9.02am, and dispatched two fire bikes, two Red Rhinos, a fire engine and an ambulance to the scene.
When the SCDF arrived about ten minutes later the fire had spread to the sixth stall, and was subsequently extinguished with two water jets. SCDF and the police evacuated about 10 residents from the two floors above the coffeeshop.
Residents were later allowed to return to their flats after the fire had been extinguished. No casualties or injuries were reported, said the SCDF.
The fire had started at the fish noodle stall when someone had been frying fish, said stall worker Yin Sin Lin, 34.
Mr Yin, who works at the Rong Kee Roasted Delights food stall, said that the fire spread through the whole coffeshop within minutes.
Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who is also Member of Parliament for the Marine Parade GRC, arrived at the site after the fire had been extinguished. He inspected the damage and spoke to some residents.
There was no damage to the flats above the coffeeshop, Mr Goh said.
A resident, who did not wish to be identified, recounted the events of the fire to Mr Goh. “I could see the fire, it was huge,” he said.
The resident, who claimed to have worked as a fire warden at his previous place of employment, told Mr Goh that between 8.50 and 9.15 am, there was only one fireman onsite, and the water hoses only started running at 9.30 am.
He also said that the coffeeshop did not have a fire extinguisher.
Ms Chu, who lives on the second floor and works as a helper at the Rong Kee food stall, said she was asleep when the fire broke out.
A colleague had called her to tell her something had happened downstairs.
“I didn’t smell anything. The windows in my bedroom were closed and the air-conditioning was on,” she said. “I knew the electricity was cut — when I was asleep I discovered that — but I thought it was just a black out, which happens often.
“When I came down there already was smoke in the living room. My house wasn’t really affected.”
Mr Chan, the owner of the 132 Mee Pok stall, said he did not know how long the coffeshop or his stall would be closed. “The coffeeshop should be insured ... but I’m not sure,” he said.
“Now everything is uncertain.”
Speaking to the media at the site, Mr Goh said that while it was a good thing no lives were lost, the concern now was for the stall holders. “I think the damage is fairly extensive, but more importantly it’s the loss of earnings for the stall holders.”
Although the property damage might be covered by insurance, Mr Goh said, the stall holders’ loss of earnings might not be. “That’s the part we are looking into, how we can help them, if they need help to find an alternative place to do some business for the family.”
Mr Goh added a reminder not to speculate on the causes of the fire, saying that a full investigation needed to be carried out by the fire department.
“They also have to investigate how did the fire spread so quickly so as to draw lessons for other establishments,” he said.
- wong chee tat :)
BY JUNE YANG AND ALVIN CHONG
PUBLISHED: MARCH 7, 11:31 AM UPDATED: MARCH 7, 1:00 PM(PAGE 1 OF 1)
SINGAPORE — A fire swept through a coffeeshop at Blk 59 Marine Terrace this morning (March 7), gutting it and causing residents in the flats above to be temporarily evacuated.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a call about the fire at 9.02am, and dispatched two fire bikes, two Red Rhinos, a fire engine and an ambulance to the scene.
When the SCDF arrived about ten minutes later the fire had spread to the sixth stall, and was subsequently extinguished with two water jets. SCDF and the police evacuated about 10 residents from the two floors above the coffeeshop.
Residents were later allowed to return to their flats after the fire had been extinguished. No casualties or injuries were reported, said the SCDF.
The fire had started at the fish noodle stall when someone had been frying fish, said stall worker Yin Sin Lin, 34.
Mr Yin, who works at the Rong Kee Roasted Delights food stall, said that the fire spread through the whole coffeshop within minutes.
Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who is also Member of Parliament for the Marine Parade GRC, arrived at the site after the fire had been extinguished. He inspected the damage and spoke to some residents.
There was no damage to the flats above the coffeeshop, Mr Goh said.
A resident, who did not wish to be identified, recounted the events of the fire to Mr Goh. “I could see the fire, it was huge,” he said.
The resident, who claimed to have worked as a fire warden at his previous place of employment, told Mr Goh that between 8.50 and 9.15 am, there was only one fireman onsite, and the water hoses only started running at 9.30 am.
He also said that the coffeeshop did not have a fire extinguisher.
Ms Chu, who lives on the second floor and works as a helper at the Rong Kee food stall, said she was asleep when the fire broke out.
A colleague had called her to tell her something had happened downstairs.
“I didn’t smell anything. The windows in my bedroom were closed and the air-conditioning was on,” she said. “I knew the electricity was cut — when I was asleep I discovered that — but I thought it was just a black out, which happens often.
“When I came down there already was smoke in the living room. My house wasn’t really affected.”
Mr Chan, the owner of the 132 Mee Pok stall, said he did not know how long the coffeshop or his stall would be closed. “The coffeeshop should be insured ... but I’m not sure,” he said.
“Now everything is uncertain.”
Speaking to the media at the site, Mr Goh said that while it was a good thing no lives were lost, the concern now was for the stall holders. “I think the damage is fairly extensive, but more importantly it’s the loss of earnings for the stall holders.”
Although the property damage might be covered by insurance, Mr Goh said, the stall holders’ loss of earnings might not be. “That’s the part we are looking into, how we can help them, if they need help to find an alternative place to do some business for the family.”
Mr Goh added a reminder not to speculate on the causes of the fire, saying that a full investigation needed to be carried out by the fire department.
“They also have to investigate how did the fire spread so quickly so as to draw lessons for other establishments,” he said.
- wong chee tat :)
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Coffeeshops facing tough times amid rising costs
Coffeeshops facing tough times amid rising costs
By Khoo Fang Xuan
POSTED: 07 Aug 2013 11:37 PM
Business appears to be getting tougher for coffeeshops in Singapore. An association representing the shops said rising operation and labour costs are to blame.
SINGAPORE: Business appears to be getting tougher for coffeeshops in Singapore. An association representing the shops said rising operation and labour costs are to blame.
Thomas Foo, chairman of Kheng Keow Coffee Merchants Restaurant and Bar Owners Association, said: "Prices of sugar, coffee powder have been increasing. As for labour cost, it is the increase in levies.
"It is rather difficult to ask operators not to raise prices. A few big coffee joints are already doing so, and the smaller coffeeshops are watching."
In June, coffeeshop chain S11 increased its drink prices by 10 cents across all its 15 outlets.
Ya Kun also recently announced that it would increase prices by 10 to 20 cents.
Mr Foo said some coffeeshops are already calling it quits.
He said: "The operators under our association are asking me, 'Chairman, can you help us look for people to take over our shops?' There are many such voices out there."
- CNA/xq
- wong chee tat :)
By Khoo Fang Xuan
POSTED: 07 Aug 2013 11:37 PM
Business appears to be getting tougher for coffeeshops in Singapore. An association representing the shops said rising operation and labour costs are to blame.
SINGAPORE: Business appears to be getting tougher for coffeeshops in Singapore. An association representing the shops said rising operation and labour costs are to blame.
Thomas Foo, chairman of Kheng Keow Coffee Merchants Restaurant and Bar Owners Association, said: "Prices of sugar, coffee powder have been increasing. As for labour cost, it is the increase in levies.
"It is rather difficult to ask operators not to raise prices. A few big coffee joints are already doing so, and the smaller coffeeshops are watching."
In June, coffeeshop chain S11 increased its drink prices by 10 cents across all its 15 outlets.
Ya Kun also recently announced that it would increase prices by 10 to 20 cents.
Mr Foo said some coffeeshops are already calling it quits.
He said: "The operators under our association are asking me, 'Chairman, can you help us look for people to take over our shops?' There are many such voices out there."
- CNA/xq
- wong chee tat :)
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Higher rentals push up prices at some coffee joints
Higher rentals push up prices at some coffee joints
POSTED: 06 Aug 2013 6:08 AM
At least three coffee joints here have recently raised prices, citing rising operational costs, especially rentals.
SINGAPORE: At least three coffee joints here have recently raised prices, citing rising operational costs, especially rentals.
The move comes as the chain operator of S11 coffeeshops increased its drink prices by 10 cents across all 15 outlets at the start of June.
Ya Kun raised prices by 10 to 20 cents starting July 27, citing escalating operating costs leading to a "juncture whereby a price revision is inevitable", said a notice posted at storefronts dated June 26.
A cup of coffee at Ya Kun now costs S$1.60 instead of S$1.50.
The coffee chain's rising operational costs came from "a bit of everything", said Mr Adrin Loi, Executive Chairman of Ya Kun. Rental accounts for the bulk of costs at the chain's 44 Ya Kun outlets, followed by raw material and manpower.
Mr Loi said labour costs have gone up as workers working more than 44 hours a week are paid an overtime rate of 1.5 times their hourly rate, and the Foreign Worker Levy has also increased.
The chain also had to pay its staff higher salaries to remain competitive in a tight labour market. It had previously said it plans to hire more retirees and housewives to fuel its expansion to 100 outlets by 2015.
"Sometimes, we bear the costs … we control the price. But at the end of the day, the worker will be affected. We cannot give them better rewards, and we want to reward our staff who perform well," Mr Loi said.
Old Town White Coffee, which has eight outlets here, is in the middle of a revamp involving renovations and menu changes. TODAY understands that this will translate to an increase in prices, of not more than 50 cents, at four outlets - City Square Mall, JCube, Orchard Cineleisure and Square 2 - that have been upgraded in recent months.
The upgrading for a "fresher and more contemporary ambience" is part of the company's strategy to retain customers and, hence, manage rising costs, said Ms Dawn Liew, General Manager of Kopitiam Asia Pacific, which manages the Old Town outlets in Singapore.
"Rising costs are part and parcel of doing business and this spreads across an array of items. In saying that, rentals are becoming a lot steeper," she said.
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf also raised its prices,by 10 or 20 cents, two months ago, but only for food items.
Prices at Starbucks, Wang Cafe, Spinelli Coffee Company and Toast Box remain the same.
-TODAY
- wong chee tat :)
POSTED: 06 Aug 2013 6:08 AM
At least three coffee joints here have recently raised prices, citing rising operational costs, especially rentals.
SINGAPORE: At least three coffee joints here have recently raised prices, citing rising operational costs, especially rentals.
The move comes as the chain operator of S11 coffeeshops increased its drink prices by 10 cents across all 15 outlets at the start of June.
Ya Kun raised prices by 10 to 20 cents starting July 27, citing escalating operating costs leading to a "juncture whereby a price revision is inevitable", said a notice posted at storefronts dated June 26.
A cup of coffee at Ya Kun now costs S$1.60 instead of S$1.50.
The coffee chain's rising operational costs came from "a bit of everything", said Mr Adrin Loi, Executive Chairman of Ya Kun. Rental accounts for the bulk of costs at the chain's 44 Ya Kun outlets, followed by raw material and manpower.
Mr Loi said labour costs have gone up as workers working more than 44 hours a week are paid an overtime rate of 1.5 times their hourly rate, and the Foreign Worker Levy has also increased.
The chain also had to pay its staff higher salaries to remain competitive in a tight labour market. It had previously said it plans to hire more retirees and housewives to fuel its expansion to 100 outlets by 2015.
"Sometimes, we bear the costs … we control the price. But at the end of the day, the worker will be affected. We cannot give them better rewards, and we want to reward our staff who perform well," Mr Loi said.
Old Town White Coffee, which has eight outlets here, is in the middle of a revamp involving renovations and menu changes. TODAY understands that this will translate to an increase in prices, of not more than 50 cents, at four outlets - City Square Mall, JCube, Orchard Cineleisure and Square 2 - that have been upgraded in recent months.
The upgrading for a "fresher and more contemporary ambience" is part of the company's strategy to retain customers and, hence, manage rising costs, said Ms Dawn Liew, General Manager of Kopitiam Asia Pacific, which manages the Old Town outlets in Singapore.
"Rising costs are part and parcel of doing business and this spreads across an array of items. In saying that, rentals are becoming a lot steeper," she said.
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf also raised its prices,by 10 or 20 cents, two months ago, but only for food items.
Prices at Starbucks, Wang Cafe, Spinelli Coffee Company and Toast Box remain the same.
-TODAY
- wong chee tat :)
Friday, May 3, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Saturday, March 16, 2013
S'poreans drinking more coffee
S'poreans drinking more coffee
By Yvonne Chan | Posted: 15 March 2013 2343 hrs
SINGAPORE: Singaporeans are drinking more coffee -- brewing demand has raised coffee bean imports to S$1.4 billion in 2011, up from S$1.1 billion in 2008.
The overall coffee consumption is also set to increase by 2.5 to three per cent per annum, with growth led by indie or small entrepreneur owned cafes at a rate of four per cent per annum.
At Southeast Asia's first and largest gathering of tea and coffee industries, Cafe Asia 2013 and the International Coffee & Tea Industry Expo, 95 exhibitors from 22 countries have come to hawk their wares and tap into Asia's huge coffee drinking potential.
According to the ASEAN Coffee Federation and Singapore Coffee Association, local coffee (for example, those consumed in kopitiams) still forms the main base of coffee drinkers in Singapore, with 10,000 to 12,000 tonnes consumed yearly.
This is followed by instant coffee at 2,000 tonnes per annum, and then retail coffee chains and indie cafes (including specialty coffee) at 1000 to 1500 tonnes yearly.
Costing between S$3 to S$6 a cup, indie cafes typically specialise in roasting their own coffees, with machines that do not come cheap.
Rainer Van Der Beek, vice president of sales and marketing at Probat, said: "The smallest shop roaster, a tabletop machine with a one kilogram batch size, is around 11,000 euros. And it goes further up to around 26,000 euros for a 12kg batch size.
"We see the demand for some industry equipment here in Singapore but I expect the biggest increase in numbers with regards to specialty roasters, small roasters. I wouldn't wonder that we sell within the next year, about 10 to 15 units here in Singapore."
With Asia's rising affluence, coffee experts said the demand for specialty coffee in Singapore is set to rise even further. But local coffee players aren't to be outdone, with many innovating to cater to more sophisticated palates.
Victor Mah, president of the ASEAN Coffee Federation and Singapore Coffee Association, said: "You have people like Toastbox for instance, they actually do train their staff on how to brew coffee and they've made attempts to use better grade coffee and improve hygiene standards. Price-wise, it's a far cheaper brew than going to one of the more specialised cafes.
"A lot of them are looking overseas. You know, Boncafe has been around for 50 years. And they've moved into a lot of other markets -- Malaysia, Middle East, Thailand. The indie shops have also created niche markets overseas."
Some market players feel there is still room to grow in this somewhat saturated market, by gaining sole distributorship of certain coffee beans.
Evangeline Wong, director of JBM Coffee Asia, said: "Singaporeans these days are very cosmopolitan, very well-travelled, they're looking for finer things in life. Customers will keep coming back if we provide the right service and right attitude and of course, a good cup of coffee."
Still, the perennial problem of high rental costs and labour shortages continue to confront coffee purveyors here -- not quite their cup of tea.
-CNA/ac
- wong chee tat :)
By Yvonne Chan | Posted: 15 March 2013 2343 hrs
SINGAPORE: Singaporeans are drinking more coffee -- brewing demand has raised coffee bean imports to S$1.4 billion in 2011, up from S$1.1 billion in 2008.
The overall coffee consumption is also set to increase by 2.5 to three per cent per annum, with growth led by indie or small entrepreneur owned cafes at a rate of four per cent per annum.
At Southeast Asia's first and largest gathering of tea and coffee industries, Cafe Asia 2013 and the International Coffee & Tea Industry Expo, 95 exhibitors from 22 countries have come to hawk their wares and tap into Asia's huge coffee drinking potential.
According to the ASEAN Coffee Federation and Singapore Coffee Association, local coffee (for example, those consumed in kopitiams) still forms the main base of coffee drinkers in Singapore, with 10,000 to 12,000 tonnes consumed yearly.
This is followed by instant coffee at 2,000 tonnes per annum, and then retail coffee chains and indie cafes (including specialty coffee) at 1000 to 1500 tonnes yearly.
Costing between S$3 to S$6 a cup, indie cafes typically specialise in roasting their own coffees, with machines that do not come cheap.
Rainer Van Der Beek, vice president of sales and marketing at Probat, said: "The smallest shop roaster, a tabletop machine with a one kilogram batch size, is around 11,000 euros. And it goes further up to around 26,000 euros for a 12kg batch size.
"We see the demand for some industry equipment here in Singapore but I expect the biggest increase in numbers with regards to specialty roasters, small roasters. I wouldn't wonder that we sell within the next year, about 10 to 15 units here in Singapore."
With Asia's rising affluence, coffee experts said the demand for specialty coffee in Singapore is set to rise even further. But local coffee players aren't to be outdone, with many innovating to cater to more sophisticated palates.
Victor Mah, president of the ASEAN Coffee Federation and Singapore Coffee Association, said: "You have people like Toastbox for instance, they actually do train their staff on how to brew coffee and they've made attempts to use better grade coffee and improve hygiene standards. Price-wise, it's a far cheaper brew than going to one of the more specialised cafes.
"A lot of them are looking overseas. You know, Boncafe has been around for 50 years. And they've moved into a lot of other markets -- Malaysia, Middle East, Thailand. The indie shops have also created niche markets overseas."
Some market players feel there is still room to grow in this somewhat saturated market, by gaining sole distributorship of certain coffee beans.
Evangeline Wong, director of JBM Coffee Asia, said: "Singaporeans these days are very cosmopolitan, very well-travelled, they're looking for finer things in life. Customers will keep coming back if we provide the right service and right attitude and of course, a good cup of coffee."
Still, the perennial problem of high rental costs and labour shortages continue to confront coffee purveyors here -- not quite their cup of tea.
-CNA/ac
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Coffee Reduces Breast Cancer Risk, Study Suggests
Coffee Reduces Breast Cancer Risk, Study Suggests
ScienceDaily (May 10, 2011) — Recently published research shows that coffee drinkers enjoy not only the taste of their coffee but also a reduced risk of cancer with their cuppa. More detailed research published May 10 in BioMed Central's open access journal Breast Cancer Research shows that drinking coffee specifically reduces the risk of antiestrogen-resistant estrogen-receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer.
Researchers from Sweden compared lifestyle factors and coffee consumption between women with breast cancer and age-matched women without. They found that coffee drinkers had a lower incidence of breast cancer than women who rarely drank coffee. However they also found that several lifestyle factors affected breast cancer rates, such as age at menopause, exercise, weight, education, and a family history of breast cancer. Once they had adjusted their data to account for these other factors they found that the protective effect of coffee on breast cancer was only measurable for ER-negative breast cancer.
The group from Karolinska Institutet explained that, "There is often conflicting information about the beneficial effects of coffee -- when we compared our results to that of a German study we discovered that their data showed the same trend, but the relationship was much weaker. We suggest that this may have something to do with the way the coffee was prepared, or the type of bean preferred. It is unlikely that the protective effect is due to phytoestrogens present in coffee since there was no reduction in the incidence of ER-positive cancer in this study."
So while it is evident that coffee may have beneficial effects in protecting women from ER negative breast cancer the exact mechanism and compounds involved are not yet clear and not all types of coffee are the same.
- wong chee tat :)
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