The 10 types of coffee you'll find at kopitiams

Ho Kow Hainam has always been well-loved by locals, but since its Jalan Balai Polis opening (the nostalgia-evoking old school décor helps, certainly), it has become something of a food destination in Chinatown. Be warned: a 30-minute wait is not uncommon. Today, the kopitiam is in the very capable hands of Ho Kow’s daughter, Ho Sook Chan and her children, though Ho Kow himself is still a regular sighting at the shop. For kopi, everything from cham to kopi c is available. Order a kaya and butter toast or bun to pair, then load up on nasi lemak ayam goreng.

While you certainly can eat breakfast, lunch or dinner at Hock Kee Kopitiam, it’s really a place you go to satisfy those itchy, in-between meal cravings; you know, the 11am kaya and butter toast with kopi before lunch, or mee siam and nyonya cendol at 4pm. On the menu, signatures include nasi lemak banjir with chicken curry and sotong, lontong, laksa, and charcoal polo bun with coffee butter, plus 3-layer tea and hor ka sai. If you prefer “Western” food, the extensive, ever-updated menu also has cappuccino, croissants, chicken chop and the like.

Word of advice: bring friends. At Luck Bros Kopi, formerly known as Luckin Kopi, the most sensational items are the most ordered: the ‘5 States Kopi’ is five cups of kopi in the styles of Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ipoh, Melaka and Johor. (Well, if we’re going to be sticklers about it, Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh are technically capitals, not states, but hey.) The Milo tower kaw kaw and the cheesy mie sedaap, served on a hot skillet atop a mini stove, would be fun for the ’gram, though our go-to order is a cup of white coffee and a plate of nasi lemak with ayam goreng berempah. That, or the salted egg chicken chop with rice. 

If there’s still room for dessert, try the teh tarik ais kacang or the Milo Volcano ais kacang with chocoluck and kek lapis. 

If you only order one drink, make it a cup of strong Oriental Kopi — or try the Kopi Butter, which is exactly as it sounds: a slab of melt-in-your-mouth butter is added to a cup of Oriental Kopi, resulting in creamy, silky sips. To pair: the egg tart, acclaimed as the “thickest” and “most sold” in the country: all 128 layers making up a 6mm crust with a caramelised golden egg filling.

Guan’s is at the forefront of a new wave of kopitiams boasting classic charm and contemporary tastes. Kopi and coffee, toast and croissant, Guan’s has something for everyone. Here, you’ll find kopitiam staples such as cham, kopi, kaya (double-boiled over low flame for eight hours) and butter toast, Guan’s Chicken Chop served with coleslaw and potato wedges, and meehoon siam with sambal sotong. But that’s not all; the ‘modern’ section of the menu has specialty coffee by its sister roastery Brew & Bread (plus the option to upgrade to oat milk), coney sausage and fries, pasta (sambal fettuccine served with fried chicken, anyone?), and more. There are a number of croissants and traditional toasts to choose from, dunked into chicken curry or half-boiled eggs, stuffed with egg, ham and cheese, or topped with chocolate and peanut butter.

Sin Tong Hong was founded in Sitiawan, Perak, back in ’99. A few years back, the second-generation family-run kopitiam set up shop in the Klang Valley. Famed for pulled kopi and springy noodles made from scratch, must-tries are: a comforting cup of hot kopi or teh, noodles with slow-cooked chicken curry, and nasi lemak served alongside ayam goreng berempah, all made from family recipes. In addition to the tried-and-true kopitiam staple kaya and butter toast with half-boiled eggs, other bite-sized offerings include cucur udang, pai tee, and popiah.

First opened in ’13 by three friends, Ali, Muthu & Ah Hock has since become a household name with locations all across the Klang Valley. The modern kopitiam is inspired by all things Malaysian and muhibbah, if a touch nostalgic for the founders’ school-going days: from interiors featuring marble top tables and stools and vintage windows to comfort food like amah used to make. On the menu, nasi lemak served with deep-fried chicken has been popular since the beginning, alongside kuey teow goreng (not basah or ‘wet’, we prefer our kuey teow dry and with char) and chicken curry paired with roti bakar or roti jala. Of course, a kopi, teh tarik or cham is a must.

For a taste of old Kuala Lumpur, go to Capital Café. Opened since ’56, the family-run kopitiam on Jalan TAR feeds both the hungry and the nostalgic; the antique cameras, black-and-white photos adorning the walls, and marbletop tables aren’t simply décor, but a time capsule of days past. Its tenants have also stayed the same for nearly seventy years: the Lin siblings make beverages such as kopi peng, and kopitiam favourites roti bakar and half-boiled eggs; Uncle Teng, or Ah Pek as he’s known to friends, fries up mee hailam; the second-generation nasi padang stall is one of the best in the city, and there is also satay, rojak, and mee rebus.