‘Kopi is king’: Scotsman raves about old-school S’pore coffee shop, eats kaya toast & eggs like pro

Scotsman in Singapore visits old school coffee shop, says ‘Kopi is king’

A Scotsman, Scott Harrison, has charmed viewers online after he shared his rave review of Heap Seng Leong, a famous old-school coffee shop in Singapore.

The TikTok video, posted on his account @scott_in_sg, starts with him declaring that the reason he does not drink espresso is because “kopi is king”.

He then explains that he’s visiting Heap Seng Leong after receiving multiple suggestions from viewers to try its offerings.

Harrison, who gained popularity for sharing his love for Singapore’s iconic breakfast meal — kaya toast, half-boiled eggs, and kopi — at various coffee shops, said: “I’m so happy to finally have found it, and I’m quite excited about what’s going to be put on the table.”

The video has since gone viral, racking up more than 6,700 likes and 120,000 views.

Man enthuses about ‘amazing’ kopi at Heap Seng Leong

Mr Harrison began by showing the charcoal grill used to toast the bread, which he described as “the proper OG” and “the real deal”.

Source: @scott_in_sg on TikTok

Viewers were then treated to his thoughts on the kaya butter toast. “Nice, thick bread, a lovely, big, juicy slab of butter on there,” he said.

He also found it “strange” as he never expected the kaya to be orange in colour.

@scott_in_sg on TikTok

This is because the eatery uses Hainanese kaya, which typically has an orange hue due to the caramelisation of sugar in the jam.

“Oh my days, that is absolutely absolutely beautiful,” he exclaimed after taking a bite. “Absolutely out of this world, I could eat that all day long.”

@scott_in_sg on TikTok

Next, he tried the kopi gu you (coffee with butter), which he ordered for the first time.

“Kopi with butter is something else,” he enthused, highlighting the coffee’s “flavoursome” and “smooth” qualities, with the butter giving him a “tingle”.

@scott_in_sg on TikTok

Moving on to the eggs, which he described as “massive”, he added dark soy sauce, gave it a stir, and dipped his toast into the eggs — like a true Singaporean.

His verdict after tasting: “If there’s a heaven, this has got to be it.”

He then enjoyed another beverage — his favourite kopi c kosong gao beng (iced strong coffee with evaporated milk, no sugar).

Even with ice, he described it as “earthy” and “robust”.

He concluded by saying: “Heap Seng Leong is an absolute 20 out of 10.”

@scott_in_sg on TikTok

What inspired him to post videos of local cuisines

Speaking to MS News, Mr Harrison, who’s from Dumbarton, Scotland, shared that he has been living in Singapore for 15 years and is a Permanent Resident currently applying for citizenship.

While working in Scotland, he was recruiting for Singapore and interacted with many Singaporean clients. “Speaking to them, getting to know them and learning more about Singapore, I just became infatuated with what seemed like a dream place,” he said.

This fascination led him to seek job opportunities in Singapore, where he eventually moved.

Initially, he frequented expat cafes, but after trying hawker food in Bedok for lunch one day, he was “immediately addicted”.

“This tiny little stall with an Ah Ma cooked 10 times more delicious, aromatic food and for a fraction of the price,” said the 48-year-old.

“Plus they smiled and chatted to me (cafes don’t). My love for local food grew and evolved from there.”

The self-professed “kopi fanatic” began documenting his love for Singaporean food on his TikTok account in November 2024.

He said he always had the desire to show the world “just how amazing Singapore cuisine is, especially breakfast”.

Source: Kimly group

Favourite local dishes include nasi lemak and wonton mee

Mr Harrison, who’s an emotional intelligence practitioner and negotiations and communication coach, said his favourite local dishes include cai fan (economy rice), salted fish fried rice, wonton mee, and nasi lemak.

He also loves Old Chang Kee curry puffs, coin and egg prata, pineapple tarts, and bandung.

“I never, ever go anywhere atas, gentrified or even just westernised for food,” he said.

Netizens reminisce about nostalgic memories

Netizens were thrilled by Mr Harrison’s review, with some pointing out that his Scottish accent is particularly charming.

“Your accent made it 10000 times so much more amazing,” said one user.

Others mentioned that his video brought back memories of how breakfasts used to be in the olden days.

Source: @Scott_in_sg on TikTok

Source: @Scott_in_sg on TikTok

Many also praised him, saying he looked just like a local and could fit right in.

“I just love your enthusiasm for local food!” one user commented.

Source: @Scott_in_sg on TikTok

Source: @Scott_in_sg on TikTok

Also read: Tourist couple bemoans ‘expensive’ & bad tasting food in S’pore, claims they’ll never return