Kopitiam

Find Liberation from Boring Breakfast at Kopitiam | The New Yorker

"Anyone who feels, as I do, stifled by the categories of food considered suitable for breakfast in the Western world will find freedom at Kopitiam, which means “coffee shop” in Hokkien, a southern-Chinese dialect spoken in Malaysia. Here, you can eat nasi lemak, a national dish of Malaysia, at any time of day, but it’s especially satisfying in the morning, both comfortingly simple and thrillingly electric, a transitional wake-up call for the palate. A scoop of soft coconut rice, ringed with crunchy half-moons of cucumber and topped with a boiled egg (slightly overcooked, a forgivable offense), provides the comfort. The jolt comes from a mound of salty, chewy dried anchovies, so tiny you might not realize they’re fish but for the silvery twinkle of their eyes, studded with soy-roasted peanuts. To punch it up even further, add a dollop of jammy sambal, a paste of chilies and fermented shrimp. To really thumb your nose at yogurt and granola, order the delicate, fragrant fish-ball soup, too. Who decided you shouldn’t you have fish-ball soup for breakfast? You should!" - Hannah Goldfield