TEA TIME IN SINGAPORE

A new generation of curators is infusing fresh life into Singapore's tea culture, finds Shamilee Vellu

- Shamilee Vellu

Something's brewing in Singaporeit's fresh, young and full of flavour. While traditional tea houses continue to serve those who enjoy their tea as an act of leisure, the island nation is now also home to a new breed of curators, teaware makers and unstuffy, modern tea ateliers that welcome both sophisticated sippers and neophytes alike.

"When I first started in 2014, the tea scene [in Singapore] was stagnant and hadn't changed much since the 1990s." says Kenny Leong who curates a range of tea experiences and runs the website teatle-tattle.com. In the seven years since he has seen the emergence of new tea establishments, many run by people in their 30s or younger. This has given him hope that tea might take off just like third-wave coffee did. "We could have bars and shops offering really high-quality, artisanal, hand-brewed teas, and maybe even micro-batches of tea roasted by the brand's in-house experts. That would truly be exciting." says Leong. 

There is definitely change afoot and here's how to savour the best of this emerging culture on your next trip to the Little Red Dot.

TEA TASTING

Run by a pair of millennials, SILK Tea Bar is a hidden, minimal space in a Chinatown shophouse that offers "contemporary tea experiences" without the stiff formality of traditional tea brewing rituals. Its streamlined menu focuses on single-origin Chinese varietals and progressive brews (where the flavour of tea evolves with consecutive steeps). A recent "tasting night" offered guests a chance to go beyond Tieguanyin, the most sought-after variety from China's Anxi County and explore seven other oolong teas from this region.