Cheyenne Diner

I guess it's the equivalent of the Singapore kopitiam over in the US. But even that's not an accurate description, mostly because the diner is a single entity and not made up of a variety of stalls.

A typical NYC diner has booth and counter seating, neon lights adorning the facade and interior, waitresses with a very New York accent, and short order cooks who may be immigrants but grill up mean burgers and home fries. Cheyenne diner was the prototypical old school NYC diner. I say was because like many other NYC establishments including Big Nicks Burger Joint during my time there, it has since closed in 2008, about a year after I had left.

There are much closer diners to where I lived on the Upper West Side, but Cheyenne down in Midtown was unique with its stainless steel railroad-car stylings and Native American artifacts decorating the inside. It represented one of the last diners from old Manhattan. Despite attracting many tourists who pour in from Penn Station nearby, prices remained affordable. My test for any diner is the milkshake and the ones served here were fantastic. They also had a selection of around 20 burgers, and did their bacon just the way I like it, partially chao tar (Hokkien for burnt). It's basically American comfort food in a vintage setting that's open 24/7.

That last part is key. We don't have any diners in Singapore or a late night dining culture. (No, Billy Bombers doesn't count coz it's only a restaurant styled like a diner.) And having long chats till 4 AM in a diner is one of the few things I miss about NYC.