What can you do with a dollar these days? At this traditional Nanyang kopi shack, you can get a stimulating cup of kopi o (black coffee) to kickstart your day. Open since the 1970s, this pair of dad and lad has been feeding the community with a tried and true Singaporean breakfast. Today, it remains in the same spot. For a velvety rich cup, go with the kopi gu you, which is an insider order of hot black coffee with a stick of cold butter. The toasts here are grilled over charcoal so you know it comes with a nice ribbon of smoke.

Traditional coffee freshly brewed in claypots is quite the sight to behold today. But to fuel the working class in the CBD, one man doesn’t mind the extra elbow grease. Brewing in claypots—a practice dating back over 200 years old—induces slower heat dispersion and acts as a vessel that retains heat well after the brew. This results in a much more even brew where the coffee tastes smoother and richer. Using beans imported from Malaysia, the coffee tastes balanced yet not lacking in strength, and even sports a frothy head. If you are into teas, teh is also prepared the same way here.

With an almost 60-year-old history, this hawker kopi spot found a new home at Amoy Street Food Centre since it made the move out of Lau Pa Sat in 1997. Today, the Hainanese coffee shop is helmed by the son and spouse of the former owner who still uses the same brown-rimmed cups for this mighty affordable cup. The brewing process is a history class in session as vintage kettles and seasoned cotton cloth socks are proudly brandished alongside a live charcoal grill. As potent as jet fuel, the Hainanese-style coffee drinks strong with a subtly bitter finish. Ask for a set of French toasts, where charcoal-kissed slices of bread are first slathered in egg and then with toothsome homemade kaya.

A former petroleum trader turned coffee brewer has got kopi fans in a frenzy over a cup of black gold. Adopting a third-wave coffee approach, the owner works with importers and roasters closely to curate a custom blend, made of arabica and robusta beans. It then goes through the traditional dark roast but without butter, as the mix will be extracted via quite an unconventional method: an espresso machine. Harnessing the bean’s intensity and nuttiness, each cup bears a distinct crema—think a shot of espresso—luscious texture, and full of flavour alluding to chocolates and nuts. For tea lovers, teh is brewed using Ceylon black tea which promises the same intensity but with a tannic finish.

In Hougang Village lies a cup of kopi that is the stuff of legends. Dropping out of secondary school to learn the art of brewing from his father, Tay now has over 50 years of brewing experience under his belt. And it is no wonder why folks travel across the island for a sip of his hand-brewed coffee. His insistence on using brass kettles—known to conduct heat faster—is almost a lost art form in its own right, since many have switched to using hardier stainless-stain kettles. A cup usually comes aromatic and creamy to taste with a subtle bitter finish. Complete the set with the pillowy kaya toast, which comes steamed instead of grilled over charcoal.

Besides whipping up good ole tzi char dishes, this storied eating house brews up an old-school cup of Nanyang coffee too. Subtle, smooth yet packed with enough caffeine to jumpstart your heart rate, each cup pairs perfectly with proper stacks of kaya toasts. And there are four options to sandwich the housemade kaya, which ranges from the fluffier old-school toasts and crispy thin toasts to the classic cream crackers or the indulgent French toasts. Grilled by the coffee stand facing the street, the combined aromas often fill the streets in the early morning, attracting throngs of hungry breakfast-goers searching for something to fuel the day.

Old school brews with sprawling park views—a combination no one asked for yet is very much appreciated. The sanctuary-like coffee shop finds a home in the heartlands of Yishun and puts forth unpretentious cups of Nanyang roasts that are just as good as the stalwarts. There’s also a tea selection and a masala chai to tickle the buds for some proper sourdough bakes. But if you’re one to keep to the theme of tradition, opt for the kaya toast that comes with a thick smear of kaya—handmade using freshly squeezed coconut milk. Even the soft-boiled eggs, using fresh barn-laid eggs, make for slurp-worthy accompaniments so don’t skimp on that.