Baristi everywhere are crafting awesome espresso and coffee drinks and educating local consumers about specialty coffee. In the Asia-Pacific region, Australia and New Zealand are among the innovators and leaders in specialty coffee.
Not to be outdone, baristi in other parts of the Asia-Pacific region are opening cafés and espresso bars, travelling the world in search of great coffees, experimenting with new methods and and refining established ones, and training and practicing their craft.
With the growth of specialty coffee in Asia-Pacific, we have witnessed increased participation in local, regional and global coffee competitions. The 2010 World Barista Championship, held in London, included representatives from the Asian nations of China, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand.
We have established wonderful relationships with professional baristi in several of these countries. We are particularly proud of our association with Keith Loh, John Ting and Suhaimie Sukiman, who placed first, second and third in the 2010 Singapore National Barista Championship. Singapore, located 85 miles north of the equator at the tip of the Malay peninsula, and with a population of 5 million one of the smallest countries in Asia (and one of the wealthiest in the world), is home to several excellent cafés, among them Keith’s and John’s Oriole Café & Bar and Suhaimie’s Cuppa Choice Café.
Shout out to all three for their truly inspiring performances (Keith Loh represented Singapore at the 2010 World Barista Championship, John Ting had done so in 2009). Please visit our barista page for additional information about the Singapore barista championship and other regional, national and world barista championships.

Keith Loh starting his performance`at the Singapore Barista Championship

Keith Loh also competed at the 2010 Asian Barista Championship (placed 4th)

John Ting is a veteran of barista championships, having won in 2008 and 2009, and placing 2nd in 2010

Top 3 – Keith Loh (center), John Ting (right), Suhaimie Sukiman (left) all used Terra Keramik cups

Suhaimie Sukiman loading up the portafilter
Serving the sensory judges coffee as a palate cleanser
Suhaimie explains the espresso blend to the judges
Crème Brulee inspired signature drink

Elegant table setup with red motif

Pouring the latte art with total concentration

Cappuccino with nice latte definition against crema

Red Terra Keramik cappuccino cup

Suhaimie’s setup on wooden trays