The Wikipedia entry on ‘kopitiam‘ states:
“A kopitiam or kopi tiam is a traditional breakfast and coffee shop found in Malaysia and Singapore in Southeast Asia. The word is a portmanteau of the Malay word for coffee (as borrowed and altered from the Portuguese) and the Hokkien dialect word for shop (店; POJ: tiàm). Menus typically feature simple offerings: a variety of foods based on egg, toast, and kaya, plus coffee, tea, and Milo, a malted chocolate drink which is extremely popular in Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore and Malaysia.“
Traditionally, the term ‘kopitiam‘ refers specifically to Chinese coffee shops. Yet recently, a new breed of ‘kopitiam‘ has emerged: a shinier, cleaner and more commercial breed of kopitiams, no longer traditionally housed in street corners but in shopping malls.
One must surely notice the rise of these kopitiams lately. Every self-respecting shopping mall must have at least one such enterprise, the Midvalleys and One Utamas boasting several in their vicinity. Old Town White Coffee, Kluang Station, Uncle Lim’s, Kai Fen Dien, Kemaman Coffee… the list goes on and on.
The ‘mushrooming’ of these kopitiams is due to their popularity. Malaysians simply cannot get enough of them. It is my personal observation that these kopitiams are usually the most packed amongst all food outlets in any given shopping mall, especially so during breakfast and tea time.
With the advent of the so-called ‘coffee culture’ worldwide and the arrival of Starbucks, it was only a matter of time until a localized version of these ‘coffeeshops’ emerged. And whilst these kopitiams guised themselves as preserving the spirit of the ‘original’ kopitiams, in truth, these kopitiams are actually cheaper, localized versions of your Starbucks and Coffee Beans.
The operative word here, apart from ‘local’, is ‘cheaper’. Yes, commercial kopitiams are cheaper alternatives to Starbucks and its ilk. Coffee in a commercial kopitiam would set you back around RM3-4, whilst the cheapest caffeine drink in Starbucks would cost you around RM10.
These kopitiams also reflect the rise of a group of Malaysians: the young executives. They are typically in their 20s and 30s, having a degree and earning a salary in the region of RM2,000 to RM4,000 a month. They want to drink coffee at a place that reflects their perceived ’status’ in society, yet frequent visits to Starbucks not be very healthy for their wallets. Commercial kopitiams fill this void; they are more respectable than your typical mamak nasi kandar yet much cheaper than Starbucks.
Of course, when it’s all said and done, nothing beats a proper diabetes-inducing teh tarik at your local mamak.
