Typically, kopitiam is an openaired, dining affair. Nowadays however, the revived kopitiam is fitted with air-conditioning for more comfortable experience, as well as wi-fi. Pandering perhaps to the new smartphone and tablettoting generation who fashion their coffee and connectivity experience to Starbucks and the like. Thankfully, the kopitiam menu remains authentic. The prized possession of any kopitiam is undoubtedly the coffee.
Thick, strong and deftly strained through thick muslin sock cloth, each kopitiam would have its own specialty brew. At Killiney Kopitiam, established in the region in 1919, Columbian Arabica and Indonesian Robusta are blended and roasted Hainanese style for brew that is thick and aromatic. Killiney’s coffee goes well with its impressive line-up of Katong Laksa and Mee Siam.
At Auntie Kopitiam in Kuala Selangor, the essential pairing of kaya toast with coffee served in thick porcelain cups is heavenly.
The beans, like in other kopitiam, are proudly handroasted. For an extra ‘kick’ ask for beans roasted in butter. The resulting cup is dark brew with subtle salty flavour.
Nostalgia comes naturally at Uncle Lim kopitiam that takes the heritage of old coffeeshops and blends it with modern cafe, Stil, some traditions are retained. Their charcoal toasted bread, long lost dish, has been revived. While tedious and time consuming in its preparation, the final result is an overall quality and trip ‘back in time’ that is all well worth the wait.
Bite into its crunchy outer crust before the eggy flavours of the kaya and butter ooze out.
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Then, of course, there’s the age-old tion of: how do you take the 12g? There’s no real science to it, and it often boils down to personal preference. Many crack them in the bowl and eat it with spoon. But, keep an eye close on the older generation and you’ll see them slurping the warm goo from the saucer heartily before wiping off the remaining goodness with some roti bakar. White pepper and salty soy sauce mixed together is must.
Now that’s kopitiam experience.
Royal Brunei Arines fies Kuala Lumpur double daly.
HOW TO ORDER LIKE LOCAL Know your way around the kopitiam lingo: Kopi: Coffee with sugar and condensed milk Kopi coffee with sugar and evaporated milk. (The stands: for “Carnation’, the go-to brand for most kopitiams) Kopi kosong: Coffee with no sugar or milk song” is “Zero in Malay) Kopi Black coffee with sugar Kopi Cham: coffee and tea mixed.
with sugar and condensed milk
Peng: Add this to any of the above
for ice, ie. Kopi Peng
Kaow: Add this to any of the above for extra strong coffee, ie. Kopi Kaow.
Source: MUHIBAH, the Royal Brunei Airlines in-flight magazine, 2014 Jul-Aug, pages 60-62. Text recovered from the scanned page by OCR and lightly corrected; spelling may differ from the printed edition.
