Kopi Tiam - The Inimitable Chinese Coffee Shop

"Coffee shop talk" is a phrase Chinese use to describe gossip, and no wonder since the neighbourhood coffee shop or kopi tiam is where news, views and grouses are exchanged over a cup of coffee or a quick meal.

In a typical kopi tiam, the drinks stall is run by the owner who also sell such breakfast items as toast and butter, half-boiled eggs and small snacks. The other food comes from stallholders, often ethnically mixed to get variety, who lease space from the owner.

In a decent kopi tiam of old, the owner roasted and ground his own beans, and some developed quite a reputation for their brew. Chinese coffee is thick and strong; roasted maize and margarine are often added, along with a dollop of syrupy thick sweetened condensed milk. So strong were these that stories circulated of how opium, once legal and easily available, was added to boost the potency of caffeine. Now most kopi tiam owners depend on coffee factories for their supplies.

In the mornings, the kopi tiam fills up with people eating breakfast, be it buttered toasted sprinkled with white sugar or spread with kaya (egg and coconut jam), or a bowl of noodles washed down with kopi o (black coffee) or coffee with condensed milk.

In the late morning, the crowd thins out but there are always a few shift workers or senior citizens who linger over a cuppa for "coffee shop talk".

Towards lunch time, children attending the afternoon session drift in for an early lunch before school, followed by those who have just finished the morning session. Part of the lunch crowd is made up of workers from nearby shops and offices. Afternoons are a little quite until evening brings back people in search for dinner, then the dinner give ways to those who want to socialize over a beer or stout.

The ebb and flow of customers depends on the kopi tiam's location and character. Some pack up by early evening, others only in the wee hours of the morning. The kopi tiam, despite competition from upmarket air-conditioned food centres and restaurants, is still the soul of the Chinese food.

David Lok is a well known Chinese cooking chef, he teaches cooking technique and develops recipes. For Chinese food lovers, please visit http://www.asianfood-recipe.com for more recipes and cooking techniques.