The last This or That post I made was two months shy of a full year! With the recent goings-on at my side of the fence, including the death of a parent – I haven’t had the time to work on new things. The spread of the Delta variant, or the B16172 strain, made things more complicated. Even though Manila was downgraded to the less stringent modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) and I got my first AstraZeneca vaccine dose, I’m still wary as the Delta variant can infect people within seconds!
Nevertheless, permit me to introduce the fifth edition of the This or That series. For this edition, I’ll be comparing two brands of 3-in-1 coffee I tried out. While I appreciate Philippine 3-in-1 coffee, I find some of the homegrown variants too sweet. The 3-in-1 coffees from Singapore tend to be more toned down when it comes to sweetness, yet still retain their signature taste.
Gold Kili Instant 3-in-1 Coffee Mix Less Sugar:
Minimalist branding with minimal sweetness
I first discovered this coffee brand in 2019, as it was the complimentary coffee at the Singapore hostel me and my younger brother stayed in. Dad bought a large pack of it from a membership shopping outlet here in the Philippines, and it has become a mainstay in our house ever since.
True to its name, the Gold Kili Instant 3-in-1 Coffee Mix Less Sugar had the characteristic siew dai (less sweet) taste. It retained the familiar coffee and rich milk flavor even though it was advertised as having minimal sugar. It was also easily adjustable, in the sense that you could add coffee for a brisker brew and you could add milk to make it creamier.
Owl Kopitiam Roast 3-in-1
Singapore Latte Kopi-C:
Traditional Straits-style brew in a stick
Compared to the previous, this one was a recent discovery. I purchased this one during a trip just to try something different. Good think I managed to document this 3-in-1 coffee brand before the two boxes I bought ran out.
The Owl Kopitiam Roast 3-in-1 Singapore Latte Kopi-C tasted just like a standard cup of 3-in-1 coffee – with the right balance of coffee, milk, and sugar. There were times that I found it rather sweet, but I simply added milk with only a minimal change in taste. I usually ended meals with a mug of this coffee as it had the right amount of sweetness to close everything off.
So, will it be this one from Gold Kili or that one from Owl?
This time around, my vote goes to the Owl Kopitiam Roast 3-in-1 Singapore Latte Kopi-C! Its balance of strong coffee, creamy milk and rounded sweetness brings me to the Lion City with every sip. Much as the Gold Kili instant coffee brings me back to 2019 Singapore, the Owl instant cofee is always a good option when ending heavy meals!
And that ends the fifth edition of the This or That series here at The Monching’s Guide.
Until the next post, bon appetit and stay safe!
The Monching's Guide 
Wondering if you have Malaysian brands there? If ever, I’d like your take on Ah Huat White Coffee or anything from Old Town, and how different they are from Singaporean 3-in-1 haha.
Hmm…last I checked, there were some Old Town variants at the supermarket I visited. And Chek Hup too!
I’ll go see if I can purchase once the restrictions loosen here in the PH.
Cool! Not sure if you’ve tried white coffee before — it’s an Ipoh specialty and it uses margarine (no sugar and wheat) in the roasting, so it has a unique flavour. We usually add condensed milk to it so it’s quite sweet, but has a strong coffee taste. The 3-in-1 versions here emulate the taste of the kopitiam ones pretty well. Hope you get to try it!
Seeing that Gold Kili coffee brings back good pre-pandemic memories in Singapore! And now I’d like to try the Owl coffee… sounds like a nice partner to my morning bread. 😀
Coffee is an important part of my morning routine. 🍃☕️
Indeed! But on days that you don’t have the time to brew a nice cup, instant coffee does the trick! ☕
I try to keep a cold brew in the refrigerator exactly for that reason. 🧊☕️
This is the first time I’ve seen these brands… apart from Pinoy brands, Korean lang and Japanese products yung medyo visible sa Saudi Arabia.
I remember when I used to work in a hospital… there are times that I’d settle for a 3-in-1 coffee, desperate times 😀 😀 😀 I had no choice because Nescafe brands are the only ones available, of different flavors though (I don’t like fancy flavors naman), then Ali Cafe came to picture and I liked it better than the good old Nescafe… have you tried Ali Cafe?
Yeah, I did try that sometime ago. 🙂 Pero di ko nagustuhan ang lasa 😦
Haha. Not my first choice either. Keep safe 🙂
I love coffee, especially with cream over milk, so both these instant coffees sound delicious and quick to make! In your photo, the color is how I like it too. I lean more toward the Gold Kili as I do not like too much sugar, but the Owl delivers as well!
Thanks for sharing. ❤
You’re welcome! Methinks both are also available in the US, so it’s best to check an Asian grocer near you if they have these in stock. ☕
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