Kopitiam

A kopitiam or kopi tiam is a type of coffee shop found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Southern Thailand, patronised for meals and drinks, and traditionally operated by the Chinese communities of these countries.

The word kopi is the Indonesian and Malay term for 'coffee', while tiam derives from the Hokkien term for 'shop' .[1]

Malaysia

In Malaysia, as in Singapore, kopitiams are found almost everywhere. However, there are a few differences. In Malaysia:

Recently a new breed of "modern" kopitiams has sprung up. The popularity of the old-fashioned outlets along with society's obsession with nostalgia and increasing affluence has led to the revival of these pseudo-kopitiams. The new kopitiams are fast-food outlets that are reminiscent of the old kopitiams in terms of decor but are usually built in a more modern, hygienic setting such as a shopping mall rather than in the traditional shophouse, catering mainly for young adults.

To tap into the sizeable Muslim market, these kopitiams usually serve food that is prepared to conform to Islamic dietary laws, unlike the traditional shophouse kopitiams.

Today, more than 100 modern kopitiam brands operate across various parts of Malaysia.

Kopitiams in Ipoh's Oldtown district serve Ipoh white coffee. The coffee beans are roasted with palm-oil margarine and with less sugar, resulting in a brew that is lighter in colour than normal coffee beans that use sugar – hence the name 'white coffee'.

• the term kopitiam in Malaysia is usually referred specifically to Malaysian Chinese coffee shops;
• food courts and hawker centres are usually not referred to as kopitiams.

Singapore

Kopitiams in Singapore are commonly found in almost all residential areas as well as some industrial and business districts in the country, numbering about 2,000 in total.[2] Although most are an aggregate of small stalls or shops, some may be more reminiscent of food courts, although each stall has a similar appearance and the same style of signage. Usually, in a typical kopitiam, the owner will either manage the tze char stall, which usually sells simple stir-fry dishes made to order, or the drinks stall which sells coffee, tea, soft drinks, and other beverages as well as breakfast items like kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, and snacks.

In Singapore, the coffee in kopitiams is made from Robusta beans. Kopi (coffee) was introduced to the island in the mid-19th century. Robusta beans, brought in from Indonesia via Arab traders, were preferred by the majority of the local population, compared to the more expensive Arabica beans favoured by the European population working in Singapore.[3]

Most kopitiams in Singapore consist of the drinks stall and food stalls leased by independent stallholders who mainly focus on a variety of food dishes that are commonly found in Singaporean cuisine. Traditional dishes from different ethnicities are usually available at kopitiams to encourage people from different ethnic backgrounds with different dietary habits to dine in a common place or even at a common table.

"Coffee shop talk"

"Coffee shop talk" is a phrase used to describe gossip because it is often a familiar sight at kopitiams where a group of workers or senior citizens would linger over cups of coffee and exchange news and comments on various topics including national politics, office politics, TV dramas, sports, and food.[6] Former Too Phat member Malique has a song called "Cerita Kedai Kopi", satirizing the stereotype.

See also

• Punjabi dhaba
• Indonesian cuisine
• Kopi
• Malaysian cuisine
• Singaporean cuisine
• Hawker centre
• Pasar malam (night market)
• Mamak stall
• Warung
• Coffeeshop
• Cha chaan teng
• Carinderia

Further reading