Kopitiam
coffee shop
Kopitiam can describe the general type of coffee shop or refer to a business using the name; context tells you which.
Just Tell Me
A kopitiam is a local coffee shop where drink and food stalls share a casual dining space serving a neighbourhood or nearby workers.
Also called: coffee shop, coffeeshop
Explain Like I’m Five
A kopitiam is a casual neighbourhood eating place built around local coffee-shop culture. It normally has a drinks counter and several food stalls, with tables shared by their customers.
Where You’ll Run Into It
You may find one below an HDB block, beside a market or near offices. People go there for kopi, breakfast, lunch, dinner or a chat without treating it like a formal restaurant visit.
Compare a hawker centre for another shared-stall dining setting. If halal-certification terminology is unfamiliar, MUIS explains the council’s role.
Example
“I’m downstairs at the kopitiam having kopi.”
The person is at the local coffee shop, probably seated in its shared dining area.
The Part People Get Wrong
Kopitiam does not mean a shop that sells only coffee. Many also contain stalls serving full meals throughout the day.
Sources
Related
- foodHawker centreUpdated
A hawker centre is a shared Singapore dining space where many independent stalls sell a wide range of prepared food and drinks.
- housingHDBUpdated
HDB is Singapore’s Housing & Development Board, the public agency that plans towns, builds flats and supports public housing.
- moneyMUIS (Islamic Religious Council of Singapore)Updated
MUIS is Singapore’s statutory Islamic religious council, supporting the Muslim community through mosque administration, Islamic education, halal certification and other religious functions.
- foodOrder kopiUpdated
This guide explains how Singapore kopi terms combine coffee, milk, sugar, strength and temperature into a compact drink order.
- foodCai pngUpdated
Cai png, also called economy rice, is rice served with a customer’s choice of prepared dishes displayed at a food stall.