Johor Bahru Eats: Nanyang Kopitiams — The Modern Coffee Shops

Traditional coffee shops are deeply rooted in the culture and history of Chinese immigrants in Singapore and Malaysia, serving traditional kopi and teh, and classic, affordable comfort food from small stalls within their premises. These coffee shops are known locally as “kopitiam” (咖啡店), which blends “kopi” (Malay for coffee) and “tiam” (Hokkien for shop).

Nanyang Kopitiams are modern, retro-themed restaurants in Southeast Asia (typically in Singapore and Malaysia) serving similar comfort food as traditional coffee shops but from single kitchens instead of individual food stalls. All Nanyang Kopitiams serve Nanyang traditional kopi and teh, butter-kaya toasts and half-boiled eggs as standard offerings above a wide range of Singaporean, Malaysian and Indonesian comfort food (Hainanese chicken rice, nasi lemak, mee siam, laksa, roti canai / prata, fried rice, curry chicken, soto ayam, etc) and also traditional pastries (egg tarts, banana cakes, polo buns, etc). Some of these restaurants have specialised offerings that set them apart from others.

Nanyang Kopitiams in Johor Bahru are popular choices for affordable local meals, especially for breakfast / brunch with traditional kopi / teh after crossing the Singapore-Johor border in the morning.

Nanyang Kopitiams

Below is a list of Nanyang Kopitiams in Johor Bahru, including in nearby Kulai, that we have visited.

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Johor Bahru Eats: Beef Noodles, Beef Hotpots & All Things Beef