Kopitiam

A kopitiam is a traditional coffee shop commonly found in Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia, Singapore, and parts of Indonesia.

The word comes from:

• "Kopi" (Malay/Indonesian for coffee, borrowed from the Dutch word koffie)
• "Tiam" (Hokkien dialect word for shop)

So literally, it means "coffee shop."

What makes a kopitiam special?

• They’re usually simple, casual eateries.
• They serve not just coffee and tea but also affordable local breakfast and snacks like kaya toast, half-boiled eggs, noodles, nasi lemak, and curry dishes.
• Drinks often come in local variations (like kopi-o = black coffee with sugar, kopi-c = coffee with evaporated milk, etc.).
• They’re popular as community gathering spots, where people of all ages meet, chat, and relax.

Kopitiam drink ordering language is one of the most fun (and useful!) things to know if you ever visit Malaysia or Singapore. It’s a shorthand system mixing Malay, Hokkien, and Cantonese words that lets you customize your coffee or tea exactly how you want.

Here’s a breakdown:

☕ Coffee (Kopi) Variants

• Kopi → Coffee with condensed milk (sweet and creamy by default).
• Kopi-O → Black coffee with sugar (the "O" comes from Hokkien "乌" = black).
• Kopi-O Kosong → Black coffee without sugar (plain bitter coffee).
• Kopi-C → Coffee with evaporated milk + sugar (less sweet than condensed milk version).
• Kopi-C Kosong → Coffee with evaporated milk, no sugar.
• Kopi Gao → Strong coffee ("gao" = thick/strong).
• Kopi Po → Weak/diluted coffee ("po" = thin).
• Kopi Peng → Iced coffee ("peng" = ice in Hokkien).

🍵 Tea (Teh) Variants

• Teh → Tea with condensed milk (standard sweet milk tea).
• Teh-O → Tea with sugar, no milk.
• Teh-O Kosong → Tea with no milk, no sugar.
• Teh-C → Tea with evaporated milk + sugar.
• Teh-C Kosong → Tea with evaporated milk, no sugar.
• Teh Tarik → Famous "pulled tea," frothy milk tea prepared by pouring between cups.
• Teh Halia → Ginger tea.
• Teh Peng → Iced milk tea.

🧊 Other Popular Drinks

• Milo → Chocolate malt drink (hot or cold).
• Yuan Yang → Mix of coffee + tea (also called "Cham").
• Horlicks → Malted milk drink.

👉 The fun part is you can stack modifiers.
For example:

• “Kopi-C Kosong Peng” = Iced coffee with evaporated milk, no sugar.
• “Teh-O Gao” = Strong black tea with sugar.