Starbucks launched a line of Singaporean drinks and treats. I'm a local, and I put the menu to the test.

• Starbucks has converted a traditional shophouse into a coffee shop in Singapore.
• When I heard the location was launching a limited-time-only menu of local dishes, I had to put it to the test.
• As a local, I can say the food is pricey, but it passes the test — and customers I spoke to agreed.

Earlier this week, I got to live out my dream of turning to the Starbucks barista and saying, "Everything on the menu, please."

Well, not exactly everything. I bought nine Singapore-exclusive food and drink items at Starbucks' new store in Chinatown, which opened on Monday.

The coffee giant has been in the city-state since 1996 and has about 150 outlets across the island. I've been to several of them, and this one stands out.

This location was converted from a traditional three-story shophouse. It has kept elements of the old architecture and brightened them up with colorful murals by Singaporean artists like Tiffany Lovage.

A traditional-looking sign hanging above the entrance to the store spelled out "Starbucks" in Mandarin.

When I visited the store on Tuesday near lunchtime, it was packed with people. A wooden staircase led me to a second-floor seating area. The area was bathed in bright sunlight from the arched windows, and the walls were covered with murals.

The space was filled with rounded booths, long tables, and individual work desks.

A customer named Hana told me her favorite part of the store was the seating arrangement on the second floor: "I could see myself coming here to crochet on my off days."

That's probably music to Starbucks' CEO Brian Niccol's ears, who has been working to increase foot traffic and bring cozy vibes back to the brand's stores.

Testing Starbucks' take on Singaporean treats

And now, the real reason for my visit: The food.

Singapore has an extremely strong food culture. So when I heard Starbucks was launching a limited-time-only menu of local dishes at its new outlet, I had to put it to the test.

I got the two special drinks on the menu — the Black Sesame Oatmilk Coffee Frappuccino with Soy Pudding and the Yuan Yang (Coffee & Tea) Coffee Frappuccino, both for 9.90 Singaporean dollars, or about $7.30.

The black sesame drink hit the spot. It had an earthy and nutty taste and jelly-like chunks of soy pudding.

The Yuan Yang drink is a coffee-tea hybrid popular in Singapore. The tea tasted local, like a Teh Tarik, but I couldn't really taste the coffee.

I also ordered seven food items — I was there on a taste-testing mission, after all. The items, created in collaboration with the local confectionary maker Old Seng Choong, included sweet and savory items and ranged in price from SG$3.90 to SG$8.20.

As a local, I can tell you that some of the prices — while in range with Starbucks pricing — are much higher than the market: You can get items like bolo buns and char siew puffs for a fraction of the price at local bakeries.

I loved Starbucks' Lycee Swiss Roll, even though that, too, was pricey at SG$7.20. It struck the right balance of cake, icing, and real fruit.

Natasha, a barista at the outlet, said the Coffee Bolo Buns and Chicken Char Siew Puff were the most popular items in the store, selling out by 3 p.m. on opening day.

Country-specific flavors are often a hit

Starbucks has previously launched limited-time-only, country-exclusive items. Some of its international hits include a Sakura flower-inspired drink in Japan in 2022 to celebrate the cherry blossom season and the Lychee Strawberry Cream Shiok-ah-ccino in Singapore in 2024.

Guy Llewellyn, an assistant professor at EHL Hospitality Business School in Singapore, said country-specific drink and food items are often a successful business strategy.

"While localized products start off to capture media headlines and attract guests who want to be one of the first to try the localized menu offerings, they also build a cultural connection, build long-term outlet loyalty, and help to differentiate the outlet in the competitive coffeehouse market," Llewellyn said.

But the strategy can carry risk.

Alexandra Leung, the founder of Monogic, a food and beverage marketing agency in Singapore and Hong Kong, said brands need to do their research carefully if they're going to try to incorporate local elements into their menus.

"In Vietnam, Starbucks struggled by using Arabica beans rather than the locally preferred Robusta and failing to adapt to traditional Vietnamese coffee preparations, ultimately leading to market challenges," she said.

As a local, I was satisfied with the food offerings in the new Starbucks outlet. While they were pricier than other local bakeries, they tasted fresh and pretty authentic.

During my store visit, I struck up a conversation with a woman eating a bolo bun. She told me her name was Rina Teo, and that she liked the bun's crispy and creamy texture.

Teo, a stay-at-home mom of two, said she'd come to the Starbucks outlet to get a brief respite from diaper changes. She also mentioned she had been a Starbucks regular since she was in school.

"I've always associated Starbucks with the West, with modern designs and croissants," she said. "This store, with its traditional Chinese designs, feels like a nice change."