The big and small of it

So small, ok?
“No boss, never bluff you one, the cup is so small only”

Naomi and I always order double espressos when we need our coffee (except when we’re at Caffe Beviamo Tanglin Mall, because Eleen Cai makes a mean latte), and apparently, there are many Singaporeans who send their coffees back when they realise a double espresso isn’t as voluminous as they expect it to be, given the ‘double’ and the extra 50 – 80 cents you pay for an extra shot.

This is why staff at Changi Airport Terminal One’s Caffe Ritazza have been instructed to inform customers who order espressos that, “it comes in this small cup, is that ok?”

I can imagine their concern too, if there were many customers who would protest at the smallness of their $4 something coffee and demand a refund or an exchange for a jumbo long black.

“Must say, because some customers not happy”, said Rajoo the barista/cashier/manager, when we asked him if he always informed customers who order espressos. He seemed relieved that we knowingly ordered our foolish little beverages in their silly little cups.

We also almost suggested to him that he should put up a signboard to inform customers of the size of the espresso cup, but stopped ourselves because, you know, he might just have done that.

Having said that, Rajoo was a very good sport, agreeing to pose for a picture because we told him that we would help him educate the public and save him the trouble of informing every espresso orderer.

So, an espresso, double espresso, macchiato or double macchiato come in this really small cup. Is that ok?

There.

But there are reasons to be concerned about shrinking portions, as Naomi and I realised a few days ago when we dined at what used to be one of our frequent quick fix dinner places. Pictures in the menu (which I rely on a lot because my Chinese, she is the sucks) were grossly misleading as we ended up having a not so satisfying dinner and having a further two late night suppers to make up for it.

While I should know better than to blog about price hikes and how they affect my unborn children, I think it’s ok to talk about how some altruistic businesses have shouldered some of the burden by being absorbent citizens:

Absorbent nation
The Absorbent Nation

But really, the sheer shrinkage of portions is getting ridiculous:

Amazing Shrinking Dumplings!

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14 responses to “The big and small of it”

  1. marina Avatar

    The first time when I saw an espresso cup, I thought that it was a toy cup and not meant for drinking 😛

    But espresso is a great pick me up and because it doesnt take too much time in preparing, has very little caffeine which makes it great for me 🙂

    Of course, $4 for espresso is a bit much :

  2. marina Avatar

    The first time when I saw an espresso cup, I thought that it was a toy cup and not meant for drinking 😛

    But espresso is a great pick me up and because it doesnt take too much time in preparing, has very little caffeine which makes it great for me 🙂

    Of course, $4 for espresso is a bit much :\

  3. Mr Miyagi Avatar

    Um.. a single shot espresso has as much caffeine as a single shot cappucino or latte. But yeah, I agree, it doesn’t take too much time, and it’s great for you.

  4. Mr Miyagi Avatar

    Um.. a single shot espresso has as much caffeine as a single shot cappucino or latte. But yeah, I agree, it doesn’t take too much time, and it’s great for you.

  5. jonpoon Avatar

    when i came back recently to singapore, i was shocked by the shrinking of the food portions, but thought it was more due to me getting used to american portions; maybe it wasn’t only just me then!

  6. jonpoon Avatar

    when i came back recently to singapore, i was shocked by the shrinking of the food portions, but thought it was more due to me getting used to american portions; maybe it wasn’t only just me then!

  7. A-n-g-e Avatar
    A-n-g-e

    Other than the shrinking portions, I find that quite a few establishments have raised prices alongside the GST increase. And yup, a double espresso is a must for me each morning, else the engine just won’t start. 😛

  8. A-n-g-e Avatar
    A-n-g-e

    Other than the shrinking portions, I find that quite a few establishments have raised prices alongside the GST increase. And yup, a double espresso is a must for me each morning, else the engine just won’t start. 😛

  9. hao Avatar
    hao

    Yes! Eleen is good at what she she does (she better be, cos she’s our national barista champion!) Check with how her experiences was like at the recent World Barista Championship held at Tokyo, where 40+ national barista champions gather to showcase their skills and cofffee knowledge.

    check out: zacharyzachary.com

    alternatively you can also check out: http://www.highlandercoffee.com

    They have quite decent coffee too.

    = )

  10. hao Avatar
    hao

    Yes! Eleen is good at what she she does (she better be, cos she’s our national barista champion!) Check with how her experiences was like at the recent World Barista Championship held at Tokyo, where 40+ national barista champions gather to showcase their skills and cofffee knowledge.

    check out: zacharyzachary.com

    alternatively you can also check out: http://www.highlandercoffee.com

    They have quite decent coffee too.

    = )

  11. shin Avatar

    They put the xiao in the xiao long bao mah… 🙂

  12. shin Avatar

    They put the xiao in the xiao long bao mah… 🙂

  13. […] 22 08 2007 Having read a mr miyagi post, The big and small of it (See, the power of blog posts) and since I happened to be in Changi Airport’s T2 departure […]

  14. Coffee Club Avatar

    That cup of coffee is definitely small. I think I can't enjoy it.

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