A guide to ordering at a Singaporean Kopitiam (Coffee shop)
When you go to your nearest Kopitiam, it’s easy to find yourself being overwhelmed by the unique ordering system. “What does Kopi O Kosong even mean?” is a question asked by hundreds of tourists as they try and get a taste of what Kopitiams are like. They are often met with Koptiam uncle yelling “Ah boy what do you want?!” in response. Here’s the THIMUN Thread’s guide to ordering coffee in Singapore, and how to order exactly like a local!
For starters, here our standard orders for coffee or tea.
Kopi (Co-Pee)- Meaning Coffee, standard Kopi comes with condensed milk and sugar
Teh– Meaning black tea, similar to Kopi, comes with condensed milk and sugar
Now for adjusting the order to your preference, simply mix and match the words and letters below to achieve your ideal coffee or tea to power through the mornings.
O– No Milk
Gao– Higher concentration of Coffee/Tea
Siew Dai (See-u dai)- Less sugar
Peng– Adds ice
C– Substitutes condensed milk with evaporated milk, which is less sweet.
Po- Lower concentration of Coffee/ Tea
Ga Dai– More sugar
Ka Koi Nrng (Kah- Kore- eng)- Adds an egg
Di Lo (Dee low)– Extremely thick coffee
Kosong– No sugar
Gu You (Goo you)- Adds butter
Just mix and match these letters and phrases. For example, the Singaporean equivalent to an Americano is Kopi O Kosong, though it can taste quite bitter at times. The equivalent to a cappuccino is Kopi C Kosong.
For the adventurous ones, there is Ka Koi Nrng, which means “add an egg to the coffee”, or “Gu You (Goo You)” to add a stick of butter. The perfect start to the morning always comes with a coffee, lovely runny soft-boiled eggs and a slice of Creamy Kaya Toast
We hope this guide will provide you with the knowledge to order at a Kopitiam like a Singaporean, and we hope you enjoy a lovely Kopi just as much as we do!
