Drinks

When you're at the kopitiam, this is your best friend when the weather is boiling. If you're stressed or annoyed, you drag out the vowel—'aiiiiis'—to let everyone know your soul is tired.

A vibrant, neon-pink drink that hits the sweet spot between floral and milky. It’s basically evaporated milk mixed with rose syrup, usually served over ice to cool you down after a plate of extra spicy nasi lemak.

It’s a Swiss Army knife of a word. It can mean that fluffy, steamed bun you grab for breakfast, the act of packing your kopi in a plastic bag to go, or even the tragic moment you bust your hand in a game of blackjack. Essentially, if you are wrapping something up, containing it, or taking it to go, you are 'bao-ing' it.

It’s how we order coffee at the kopitiam, but it’s really a lifestyle. It’s typically strong, dark, Nanyang-style Robusta coffee roasted with butter or margarine, served with condensed milk by default; if you just say 'kopi', that’s what you’re getting, and it hits the spot every single time.

The ultimate solution to Singapore's eternal sunshine, this is local coffee brewed strong with condensed milk and served over a mountain of ice. Best enjoyed in a plastic bag tied with a red string while walking down a humid street.

This is your go-to cup of coffee when you want that rich, creamy kick without the sugar-overload of condensed milk. Kopi C uses evaporated milk instead, giving it a smoother, slightly less sweet profile that still packs a punch.

This is coffee with a serious personality—thick, rich, and strong enough to wake the dead. It’s for when you’ve had a long night and a regular brew just isn't going to cut it, so the uncle keeps the water to a minimum and lets the coffee powder do all the heavy lifting.

This is your straight-up black coffee, no sugar and no milk allowed. You order this when you want to taste pure caffeine without the sweet, creamy fluff, or when you’re watching your sugar levels like a hawk.

The classic, no-nonsense fuel of the Singaporean workforce. It’s hot, black coffee brewed with just enough sugar to keep you going, but completely sans the heavy, milky sweetness of a kopi susu or kopi C.

This is the true test of a coffee drinker in Singapore. It is black coffee served exactly as the gods intended—no sugar, no milk, no nonsense. It’s bitter, it’s strong, and it’ll wake you up faster than a lecture from your mum.

The undisputed king of the kopitiam. It’s strong, robust Nanyang-style coffee mixed with condensed milk and served over a mountain of ice to save you from the midday Singapore humidity.

The go-to order for the health-conscious Singaporean who still needs their morning caffeine kick. It’s a standard local coffee where you politely ask the uncle to ease up on the condensed milk, giving you a brew that’s less cloyingly sweet and a bit more bitter-strong.

This is your regular local coffee, but leveled up with condensed milk and a bit of theatrics. The uncle at the kopitiam stretches the liquid between two metal mugs from a distance, creating a silky, frothy top that makes it taste way smoother than if it were just stirred with a spoon.

The heart and soul of the neighbourhood, this is your local open-air coffee shop where you get your morning kaya toast, kopi, and a side of gossip. Think of it as the ultimate community living room—shady, breezy, and the only place where it’s totally acceptable to sweat while eating piping hot noodles.

The ultimate minimalist choice. When you order your drinks or prata 'kosong', you're telling the uncle to keep it plain—no sugar, no fancy toppings, just the basics. It’s what you say when you’re watching your health or just appreciate things in their purest, unadulterated form.

Literally just having a cuppa, but in Singapore, it’s a total spectrum. It can mean a chill catch-up with your kakis, but if the boss or the police 'invite' you for kopi, run—that means you’re in for a very uncomfortable, high-stakes interrogation.

A glorious, sugar-loaded upgrade to your standard iced Milo, topped with a generous, heaping mound of undissolved Milo powder. It's essentially a dessert in a glass, beloved by kids and the young-at-heart who aren't afraid of a serious chocolatey crunch.

This is how you order your kopi or teh when you're trying to watch your sugar intake but still need that caffeine kick. It tells the uncle to go easy on the sweetened condensed milk, so your drink ends up less 'syrupy thick' and more balanced.

The ultimate kopitiam essential: strong, earthy black tea brewed with condensed milk and evaporated milk, then dumped over a mountain of crushed ice. It’s what you order when the Singapore humidity is trying to turn you into a puddle and you need a sweet, creamy hit of caffeine to survive the afternoon.

The refined cousin of the standard teh. It’s tea mixed with evaporated milk and sugar instead of the thick, syrupy condensed milk, giving it a creamier, less sweet, and slightly more 'atas' texture that doesn't overwhelm the tea flavour.

This is tea that's been brewed with a serious attitude. It’s extra thickened and concentrated, perfect when you need that extra caffeine kick to clear the cobwebs from your brain or survive a long afternoon in the office.

The go-to drink for the health-conscious or those who just prefer the true, slightly astringent punch of the tea leaves. It’s tea brewed the traditional way, but stripped of all the condensed milk and sugar that usually gives our local kopi its signature sweetness.

This is your plain, no-nonsense black tea with sugar, but hold the milk. It’s the go-to drink when you want that caffeine kick without the weight of condensed or evaporated milk clogging up your palate.

The ultimate order for the health-conscious or those who just want their caffeine straight up. It's a robust cup of black tea served without any milk or sugar, perfect for cutting through the richness of a plate of nasi lemak.

The ultimate solution to Singapore’s eternal summer. It’s our local black tea brewed strong, mixed with thick evaporated milk, and poured over a mountain of ice to keep you cool while you battle the humidity.

The undisputed king of the kopitiam, this is strong black tea mixed with condensed milk, then 'pulled' back and forth between two metal jugs to get that signature frothy, velvety top. It’s not just a drink; it’s an art form served piping hot, and when it’s done right, the foam is so thick you can practically rest a spoon on it.