Episode 20 of the World’s Best Kopi search takes Geowin to Tiong Bahru Bakery, one of Singapore’s most recognisable bakery names.

And she begins the episode with genuine excitement.

“We have T.B.B. on the list today,” she says while heading down toward the outlet. “I’m quite excited. Let’s see how they perform.”

That optimism sets up the episode rather well.

Because once the coffee arrives, the excitement disappears almost immediately.

An Iced Latte for S$7.63

Geowin orders an iced latte for S$7.63, putting it on the more expensive side compared with several other drinks featured in the series so far.

The ordering process itself appears straightforward enough, and the cafe is busy in the way Tiong Bahru Bakery locations often are, with pastries, coffee and customers moving through a polished bakery setting.

Then comes a tiny Geowin moment.

She notices something on the cup and appears to think it is a sticker.

It is not a sticker.

It is printed onto the cup.

A minor detail, but exactly the sort of thing that has become part of the personality of the World’s Best Kopi series.

Then comes another moment.

The cafe provides a paper straw, which Geowin acknowledges before announcing “ASMR” and proceeding to shove it rather aggressively through the lid.

Subtle.

Relaxing.

Absolutely textbook ASMR.

Then, finally, it is time for the part that matters.

Taste Test Round One

Geowin takes her first sip.

Her expression changes.

She pauses.

Then she takes another sip.

And another.

Rather than immediately dismissing the drink, she clearly tries to work out what she is tasting. The repeated sips suggest that she is searching for something more in the cup.

Eventually, she gives up.

“Why is it so bland!?”

That line sums up the first half of the episode.

The Drink Journal has seen this problem repeatedly throughout the series: a cafe can have a strong reputation, an attractive concept and a well-presented drink, but none of that matters much if the coffee itself does not deliver enough flavour.

Geowin is quite clear about what she thinks.

“It’s really bland. I don’t know if I like this.”

Her initial excitement is gone.

A Disappointing 4 Out of 10

Geowin gives the original iced latte just 4 out of 10.

She also calls it “pretty disappointing.”

That is a particularly rough result considering how enthusiastic she seemed when entering the episode.

The problem appears to be simple rather than complicated. She does not complain about bitterness, sourness or some obvious unpleasant flavour. Instead, the coffee simply lacks enough presence.

For an iced latte costing S$7.63, that is difficult to overlook.

The repeated sips before reaching a conclusion arguably make the score more telling. This was not an immediate overreaction. She gave the drink several chances.

The conclusion remained the same.

Bland.

For more coffee stories and cafe features beyond the tier list, explore The Drink Journal and its wider coverage of Singapore’s drinks scene.

Time to Make It Fun

With the latte sitting at 4/10, Geowin reaches for the familiar white bottle.

“Let’s make it fun.”

In comes Kopi-O.

At this point in the series, the experiment has become increasingly revealing because the effect varies so much from cafe to cafe. In some drinks, the addition barely makes a difference. In others, it adds exactly the missing intensity or sweetness.

The Drink Journal has previously explored what sets Kopi-O apart in a crowded world of coffee liqueurs, and Tiong Bahru Bakery provides another clear example of how that extra coffee character can affect an otherwise restrained drink.

A Little Kick, A Little Sweeter, A Little Better

The change is immediately noticeable.

Geowin says the Kopi-O gives the latte “a little bit of kick.”

Then:

“A bit sweeter.”

Followed by:

“A bit nicer.”

And finally:

“A bit more fun.”

None of those descriptions suggest a miraculous transformation, but together they show that the added flavour solves at least part of the original problem.

The latte becomes more interesting.

That is important because Geowin’s main complaint was never that the original drink tasted bad. It was that there simply was not enough happening.

Kopi-O gives it more personality.

Readers interested in that side of the experiment can also read why Kopi-O is emerging as Singapore’s defining coffee liqueur.

From 4/10 to 6/10

After tasting the modified latte, Geowin raises the final score to 6 out of 10.

That is a meaningful two-point recovery.

It is not enough to turn Tiong Bahru Bakery into one of the stronger performers of the series, but it does rescue the drink from what had initially been a particularly disappointing showing.

The result also creates a fairly clear picture of the episode.

Without Kopi-O: too bland.

With Kopi-O: sweeter, more lively and noticeably more enjoyable.

The original iced latte fails to meet Geowin’s expectations, but the modified version becomes acceptable enough to survive.

Tiong Bahru Bakery Lands in the B-Tier

With its final 6/10 score, Tiong Bahru Bakery enters the B-tier of the World’s Best Kopi Tier List.

That result is probably lower than Geowin expected when the episode began.

She entered visibly excited to see how TBB would perform. By the time the first round of tasting was over, that excitement had been replaced by confusion and disappointment.

The coffee was not disastrous.

It was simply too bland to justify the expectation surrounding it.

Kopi-O provided some much-needed character and lifted the drink two full points, but the original latte still left the strongest impression of the episode.

For a wider look at the recurring bottle behind these experiments, read The Drink Journal’s editorial look at Kopi-O.

Twenty Coffees Down

Episode 20 marks a milestone.

Twenty coffees have now entered the World’s Best Kopi experiment.

Tiong Bahru Bakery joins the B-tier with a final score of 6/10, saved in part by a little extra sweetness, a little kick and, in Geowin’s words, a little more fun.

Explore more stories from Singapore’s coffee scene through The Drink Journal, or see another direction coffee liqueur can take in Kopi-O and Frangelico.

Twenty down.

Eighty to go.