TCC (Changi Airport T3 Arrival Hall)

(editted: 4th June 08)

With it being the oh-so-wonderful study season for us students, I recently chanced upon this relatively new TCC oulet at the airport! The day I sat in this place, I told myself I am going to frequent here from now on!

For starters, I really love the interior design of this place. It is pretty spacious and just looks really comfortable! As it's mostly real quiet and peaceful at T3, you can expect to get a comfortable couch seat (even if you're alone) which accommodates four people most of the time! I really like how they play with the colours of the furniture and wall, flooring and lightings as it makes it all very comfortable to be in.

Service wise, I find the waiters there very pleasant and polite. They seem to be very happy being where they are, thus making the place feel less "dead". Lively is good! But either that they are having too much fun among themselves or that the place is really too big, sometimes it does take awhile to catch the eye of one of them to make your orders.

Finally, TCC is not called the coffee connoisseur for no reason. From being a non-coffee person to a Starbucks/ Coffee Bean person (because they have less strong or bitter coffee - yes I don't quite know how to appreciate the coffee taste!) and now, I'm really into TCC! Even though I'm not a coffee connoisseur, I must say that the coffee beans/ powder (whichever) they use is of better quality than famous Coffee Bean/ Starbucks. It is more aromatic and the taste is definitely stronger and more whole.

Kudos to TCC for their large variety of coffee and creativity! You can get anything from the more traditional kind of, say, Blue Mountain Coffee to ice-blended stuff and even Coffee with liqour! (The last one leaves me wondering, though, whether this drink should be keeping me awake or knocking me out.) For non-coffee people, don't worry! TCC has an equally wide variety of drinks like tea, shakes and fruit juices to cater to your likes. If you're out for a little "adventure", so to speak, you can also find something exotic/ interesting from here.

Some drinks I've tried: Kaffee-tini, $11 : vodka-spiked espresso with a tinge of mint (supposedly). I didn't quite taste the mint though. Mint Choc Frappe, $7.50: Superb! I thought the whipped cream was wonderful with the chocolate and mint syrup drizzled on it. Oreo-mocha Frappe, $7.50: I didn't quite like the what-seemed-like-Oreo-dust in the drink. It spoilt the texture of the drink, making it feel very "dirty" to drink =x Apart from the oreo, this drink is actually pretty much the same as all the other frappes. Iced Minty Mocha: The triple-layered drink served in a tall glass looks too beautiful to drink. But, as though it was quite a bad mix of flavours, the drink turns out to taste a little salty or something. Somehow, as weird as it may seem, I actually feel that the drink tastes abit like some home-made clear soup. (Guess what, the pictures of the drinks you see in their menu is exactly what they serve you! I'm rather impressed actually!)

This place is basically a coffee place, there are main courses but don't expect much from the menu. It's pretty limited and rather expensive. I had Macaroni Gratin at $10.80. Was a really small serving but tasted pretty good with mini macaroni, tasty mushroom slices and chicken bits, topped with a layer of mozzeralla cheese. Their cakes are not bad, with my personal favourite being the Marble Cheesecake ($5.50) (:

In addition, you could check out their monthly special concoction. They would have a different drink off the menu available each month, at a slightly lower-than-usual price. In the month of June, it's Strawberry Soy-tisfying. Basically strawberry flavoured soya bean. To me, it tastes a little weird actually.

I pretty much like the place, though a pity that TCC is rather over-priced =x It's like paying for the "brand". Nonetheless, it's a great place to chill and hang around with friends, or just to have a moment to yourself (: I give it 4 stars, because it's too expensive to frequent!

Oh and if you're looking for this exact oulet, it's the arrival hall, near Mac's, not the one upstairs! (Yes there's 2 at T3!)