The ESSENTIAL Guide To Ordering Kopitiam Drinks

Ah, the kopitiam– that quintessential Singaporean food court with an abundance of delicious grub.

And who can forget the drinks stall? But buying a tea or coffee can be rather overwhelming if you’re not used to the lingo. Try ordering one of these popular cuppas with this handy guide. We’ve even provided pronunciation cues, including this one for kopitiam itself: “koh-pee tee-yum”.

Kopi (“koh-pee”)

What it is: Black coffee with thick, sweet condensed milk.
Alternatives: Kopi Siew Dai (“koh-pee see-ew dye”) if you want it less sweet; Kopi Gah Dai (“koh-pee kah dye”) if you want it sweeter; Kopi Gao (“koh-pee gow”)if you want it stronger.

Kopi C ("koh-pee see")

What it is: Black coffee with less-sweet evaporated milk and sugar.
Alternative: Kopi C Kosong (“koh-pee see koh-soh-ung”) for a non-sugar version.

Kopi O (“koh-pee o”)

What it is: Black coffee with sugar only.
Alternative: Kopi O Siew Dai (“koh-pee o see-ew dye”) if you want it less sweet, Kopi O Gao (“koh-pee o gow”) if you want it stronger.

Kopi O Kosong (“koh-pee o koh-so-ung”)

What it is: Black coffee without sugar and milk.

Kopi Gu You (“koh-pee goo-yoo”)

What it is: Black coffee with condensed milk and a small slice of butter (yes, really).

Teh (“tay”)

What it is: Tea with condensed milk and sugar.
Tip:Use the same ordering terms as with kopi when customising your teh.

Teh Tarik (“tay tar-rake”)

What it is: Pulled tea with condensed milk and sugar that is cooled by pouring and “pulling” it between two cups, which creates a rich, frothy drink.
Alternative: Teh O Tarik (“tay o tar-rake”) comes with only sugar.

Milo Dinosaur

What it is: Iced drink made with Milo powder, condensed milk and sugar, topped with even more Milo powder.
Alternative: Milo Godzilla comes with an additional scoop of ice cream.
Tip: To order iced versions of the drinks here, just add “peng” – it means ice in Chinese – to the end of the bev’s name (e.g.teh peng)