151 E Broadway

I came here TWICE IN TWO DAYS which is a tall order for someone who prioritizes the novelty of each meal on vacation. It was that good! I ordered: - calamansi rose soda: this came in one of those adult capri sun packs and was refreshing and not too sweet - salted bek kopi: this was "white coffee" which apparently is a lighter roast of the bean which had never heard of before and gives a nutty flavor. This combined with the condensed milk meant this tasted like what western-style hazelnut creamer wished she was - tofu salad: crispy and spongy slabs of tofu topped with a tower of crunchy jicama and cucumber and dabs of sambal sauce (which has a back of the throat kick beware!). My stomach was unsettled from the rich food I was eating and this was a perfect light and protien lunch to continue my day - nasi lemak: the traditional dish of coconut rice, cucumber, a peanut and anchovy paste, hard boiled egg, and side of the spicy sambal sauce. This was so yummy but heads up the anchovies used are the chewy tiny dried ones, not the oily moist ones in a can, so have a floss pick nearby I wish I lived closer so I could try everything on the menu. Logistics: - indoor seating only - limited street parking nearby

I'm glad I finally got to try Kopitiam! It has a cool, casual, down-to-earth vibe which pairs really well with its comforting Malaysian dishes! Here's what I got: Nasi Lemak ($12): This is the national dish of Malaysia and a part of Kopitiam's all-day breakfast menu (side note: way more places need to be doing all-day breakfast, like, what a gap in the market), so I was excited to try it! I enjoyed the flavors, but the textures were a bit off for me, specifically the fried anchovies. They were kind of in between crunchy and chewy, such that they didn't meld well with the rest of the items. I think the value is great, and it's a well-rounded dish, but I would love for the anchovies to either be fully crunchy (like the fried peanuts) or chewy/meaty. Curry Puff ($4.50): I've actually been waiting for years to try this curry puff. I read a review raving about them when I came to New York a couple of years ago, but they were sold out by the time I came! So this time was redemption. The puff was solid! I enjoyed the flaky texture and flavorful filling. I don't think it can live up to the hype of thinking about it for 2+ years, but I'd recommend it. Honeycomb Cake ($7): I've also been wanting to try a cake like this for years. I've seen so many on social media, and the texture looks absolutely divine. It was great! The texture was bouncy and moist, and the really long crumb was simply fun. It was not too sweet, of course. There wasn't a distinct flavor per sé, but I'd agree with what their menu says: "toffee and caramel notes". It definitely had those. All in all, I think Kopitiam was solid. The next time I visit, it would be worthwhile to have a meat dish and certainly more of the snacks and sweets. The value is good, and it's awesome to have Malaysian food in the States, so if any of that sounds interesting, give it a go!

I'm picky about my Malaysia food, having grown up with the good stuff. Kopitiam always seemed to garner mixed reviews at best, so I kind of avoided the spot until recently, when a friend wanted to meet her new long distance beau and he picked Kopitiam to be judged, juried and (potentially) executed. I wish I could say we had a merry time, but it was a weird night. Mostly because HE was weird.....and brand new to Malaysian food, which made it just so much more painful for me (I hate playing tour guide/translator when I haven't offered to do so). But I digress. You didn't come here for my tea. You came for tea on Kopitiam. The good: - Kaya Butter Toast: Properly thick and large, with tons of delicious kaya - Nasi Lemak: Of course I've had better in the motherland, but for NYC, this hit all the right notes of coconut rice, plenty of ikan bilis, and tasty a sambal - Pan Mee with soup: Could've used more noodles, but the friedn anchovies were popping, and the broth was umami-tastic - Sambal Sauteed Water Spinach: What can I say, Asians just do veggies better. Get this when you need to see some green on your plate - Ondeh Ondeh: Hard to find and definitely worth the effort, so make sure to come early to hedge your bets. Then enjoy that sweet, sweet mochi-like texture with glorious palm sugar filling - Honeycomb Cake: Moist and decadent without being too sweet - Penang-Style Hand-Rolled Muah Chee: Made to order, but worth it if you've never experienced the glory of warm ground peanuts and sesame seeds served in chewy pieces. Mmmm, my childhood.... The Okay: - Otak Otak: Spicy grilled fish "quiche", but not quite aromatic enough and a bit dry - Malaysian Style Half Boiled Eggs: I like mine saltier - Oh Chien: Not bad, but needed way more oyster - Pandan Chicken: No pandan flavor + oversalted chicken + dry meat = I regret choosing this as a last-minute add-on All in all, I liked Kopitiam more than I expected. Can't wait to go back without having to entertain a insular white guy who can't use chopsticks just because he's boinking my friend.

I came in around 9pm and I had called beforehand to make sure they would take my order. I ordered a Mee Goreng and a Kiuh Talam- many of their dishes contain pork lard and while I am flexitarian I do not eat pork. I had really been looking forward to trying this restaurant mainly for the dessert!!! My sister was running late per usual... so while I was waiting for her I had some of the food. I ended up having to take it to go and a restaurant about to close is not a fun place to be because staff is all busy cleaning up. The noodles were OK, the Kiuh Talam was absolutely STELLAR!!! It was labeled as V+ for vegan but tasted of egg. I look forward to trying more of their menu.

This was on my way to get my leather jacket repaired, so I stopped by for a bite mid afternoon on a weekday. It was not busy, as it usually is when I had walked by at other times. I sat at a communal table where a couple was already seated. I pkaced my order at the counter and the brought dish when to my table. I had the fish balls in broth, and was pleasantly surprised that it differed from what I had in Chinese restaurants. It felt home made, and warmed my insides on an autumn day. Nice.

Very small and kind of dark inside but don't let that fool you. Staff is nice, food is fantastic and the soursop is fresh! I love Malaysian food and this doesn't disappoint!

The food here is really great and the menu has a ton of different options! The staff are also very accommodating. I'll definitely be coming back here to try out the other menu items. The only note I have is that since it's a self-seating arrangement it would be good if someone could wipe down the tables between guests more often!

Service: 4/5 Food: 3.5/5 Price: $ (under $20) Coffee shop vibe resto with lots of entree options. Decent amount of seating given the space. That said, you'll probably still have to hunt for a seat given how consistently busy it gets. Leans a little too hard into the hawker vibe for the bathroom situation- the paper towels were just sitting on a rung on a ladder. Despite the extensive menu (which you can find online), the food is only alright. I would only recommend coming here for drinks + small bites/snacks. I think you could get better entrees elsewhere. What I Ordered: - Kaya Toast: thicker toast + more filling than what I'm used to, more custardy than jammy, slightly sweet, bread was dry - Tok Tok Mee: slightly dry char siu, dense crispy wontons, good bouncy noodles with just a pool of soy sauce at the bottom - Hainanese Chicken Rice: overcooked chicken, dry rice - Pandan Chicken: sweet, well flavored + pure protein, which I approve - Nasi Lemak: anchovy heavy + very fishy, would not rec for those unfamiliar

Food/drinks: love the idea of bag drinks & love their Kaya toast! Their food is pretty heavy fyi but delish! Atmosphere: good for studying! Some outlets and has lots of seating + wifi! Also just like the vibe in general Service: slow service one of the days but everything was made fresh so I understand! Price: $$ pricey especially for Chinatown

Ordered 3 dishes and 2 has little flavor and the other was too spicy. For zero service(order at counter pay at counter), this is even more expensive than a restaurant with service. Will not visit again.

Tiny restaurant, no frills but the food is good. Tried the nasi lemak and french toast both of which were fantastic and so flavorful. Kalamansi beverage was very refreshing and a fun treat on a hot day strolling around New York. Price-wise, very good value for NYC.

My friend and I were looking for a breakfast spot and found this place on Yelp. We went at opening on a Thursday so it was empty. The interior gives a homey vibe as it isn't too polished or modern. You can a QR code to see the full menu the order at the front. I misread the description and thought we'd be able to choose the mains and sides for the "I don't know what to eat" set menu but they actually choose for you which is a fun concept. This included 1 main, 2 snacks, 1 sweet, 1 drink (either Teh or Kopi, iced or hot). Kaya Butter Toast (3/5): This was toast with a kaya jam (pandan-coconut jam) and butter. I've had Kaya toast before but never with a pandan jam. Curry puff (2/5): This was a good fried treat but it would've been better fresh. It was a bit stale and hard. Flavor was nice. Belachan Wings (5/5): Three caramelized shrimp paste chicken wings with a side of cucumbers, cilantro and sweet chili sauce. This was very good! I throughly enjoyed. It was perfectly crisp without being oily. Nasi Lemak (2/5): I enjoyed the coconut rice. It was fluffy and light in flavor. The ikan bilis (fried anchovies & peanuts) wasn't my favorite.. It was too salty and tough. I think it's just personal preference. It came with a side of cucumbers, hard boiled egg, and their house sambal sauce which provided a nice, fresh taste. Overall a good place to try if you don't want to wait. The staff were nice and helpful. The food isn't too heavy so it's a good place to start your day with.

Excellent spot for quick or small bites and a refresher that'll likely yield a pick-me-up elevating vibe for the rest of your day. You come in and it's rather spacious and inconspicuous. Kinda reminds me of an indoor version of those street market table settings in Asia. You scan the QR code at the cashiers to see the menu and you come back to order after seating yourself. I dip the kaya toast with the soft boiled egg add-on ceremoniously every time I visit. The combo of the sweetness from the kaya, along with the light crunch of the toast, and then the savouriness of the eggs is absolutely divine. Foods are generally reasonably priced (at least for the smaller portions). I have yet to have a full meal here. They offer an assortment of Malaysian desserts, centered around the delightful nuttiness of pandan, coconut, etc, as well as quite a few refreshing drink options (non-alcoholic). This place is PERFECT for a catchup with friends or a quick pit-stop to fill your tummy along your travels. The staff are friendly and the food comes out with a quick turnaround. There are bathrooms available also, with a communal sink. Love this spot! A gem in the LES.

After paying an obscene amount at Wayan for misinterpretations and mushy rice, we had to make up for the experience by checking out Kopitiam. Though more Malaysian than Indonesian, Kopitiam offers a delicious authentic experience at reasonable prices. We shared the Kopitiam classics set menu ($27) - which comes with the nasi lemak, Kaya butter toast with half boiled egg and a drink. The rice came with anchovies with house made sambal with soybean. The soft boiled egg took me back to Asia. Peppery and delicious with the Kaya butter toast. Pandan Chicken ($10) - just a giant chicken meatball. It comes with three pieces and a sweet chili dipping sauce. It was my least favorite, but different. The Pan Mee dry ($17) noodle dish was chewy and thick. Like eating dumpling skin. Love the the textures and the flavors. Amazing and great portion to share with another Kopitiam is charming, easy and casual. Hits the mark an a great dining experience seeking out authentic flavors and favorites from Malaysia

Got the classic set for brunch on a saturday. Service was pretty fast. The nasi lemak was really flavorful. The anchovies were a little hard to chew but everything tasted great. My favorite was the butter toast so good!!

I came too late in the day and unfortunately most of their items had sold out! Definitely come here early if you want items with pandan or kaya in them. I decided to try their Kopitiam Sunrise drink and Street Style Oyster Noodles. The drink was not too sweet and perfect for a hot day. It comes in a cute little pouch so it feels like you're having a Caprisun almost. Their noodles were really yummy and they're perfect for slurping! Next time, I will come earlier to try their other items as well!

Expectations might've been too high but I was let down by the food. The char keow teow was super sweet. The curry chicken's flavor was good but the chicken was dry. Curry mee was fine. Service was quick though. You order at the counter and they bring it to your table. It was okay but not amazed. Might've come on an off day.

Kopitiam is excellent food. Anything you order will be good. I always grab some Kaya jam for home. Reliable choice.

Everything I had was perfectly executed and left me very happy. I believe the prices are quite fair and the decor is very lovely, reminding me of eating on the sides of the roads in Asia. I got the Kaya toast and penang style mochi. Their mochi was rolled fresh and was incredibly chewy, bouncy, nutty, and sugary. It was a perfect snack certainly made just how it's supposed to be! The Kaya Toast was not too sweet and had the perfect texture and coconut pandan flavor. What an absolute joy to have! Please stop by, this place is simply so wonderful. I am always impressed when I leave a restaurant having tried something new while not feeling like I overpaid for something mediocre and most likely inauthentic. You really don't get that feeling here, with the fresh mochi and well balanced toast, it really fits a true asian palate.

As newbies to authentic Malaysian cuisine, we ordered the "Kopitiam Classics" Set Menu. Our favorite was the Kaya Butter Toast. Although I enjoyed the flavor of the Nasi Lemak, it was mainly rice and a little heavy for breakfast. The eggs just seemed like runny eggs, but were great when added to a bite of rice. But for almost $30, a bowl of mainly rice, eggs, toast, and tea seemed a little pricey. The restaurant was dimly lit and not the most clean. Customers are responsible for cleaning their own tables, so I'm not sure how often the tables get a good wipe down.

Overall pretty good Malaysian food. I was exited to try this place as I love Malaysian breakfast, but was quite disappointed with their Nasi Lamak as I've definitely had better in Malaysia. Also their teh tarik was just okay, nothing to rave about. The best thing today was probably the Kaya toast, but for that reason likely won't come back.

Cute coffee / brunch spot highlighting Malaysian food! It's tucked away in Chinatown, right above a small bookstore. I feel like the desserts and sweets and coffee here are the best parts about this spot. I came with some friends for a Saturday brunch, and we were able to snag a table together. Low frills inside and, you order at the counter with a QR code menu and bus your dishes when done. Food came out very quickly. My partner and I split the Nasi Lemak, the national dish of Malaysia, the fish ball soup with vermicelli noodles, coffee, and kaya toast. The highlight for us was the Kaya Toast, which was buttery and sweet without being too sweet. The thick cut of toast was also a perfect texture, with some crunch of the exterior and soft interior. I was unimpressed by the Nasi Lemak and fishball soup, though. It's a very small bowl and I didn't think either were very flavorful or necessarily filling. I definitely remain intrigued by the other items on the menu and would consider trying it again, though felt like 2/3 dishes were ordered fell flat for the first pass :(

I loved eating here! We came with a group of 6 and were able to rustle up a table for all of us together, but it was very busy. We got so many different things. My favorite of this outing was the pineapple bun with the Malaysian jerky and butter and the Kaya toast. The butterfly pea lemonade that I got was great too. There's so much to try here I would love to come back and get some new favorites.

I had super high expectations coming into this place but it's not the most authentic Malaysian place I've tried coming from a fellow Malaysian. Came in twice - both around dinner time which appears to be their busiest times and had no trouble getting a table. However, it did start to fill up quickly but patrons were in and out as they finished their food so there won't be a long wait. So far, I've tried the otak, pandan chicken, kaya toast, pan mee, nasi lemak, ochien, pulut pangang and one of their kuehs. I think the one that really stood out was their pan mee (not sure a lot of places actually offers this) and their kaya toast. However, upon trying the pan mee, I thought it was a bit on the bland side and didn't have any uniqueness in taste to it. I will say that it's not too oily and does have small pieces of anchovies on top so it could be a good choice for anyone watching their weight. The kaya toast on the other hand was so aromatic and felt light and buttery that I wish I had a jar to be able to eat for breakfast everyday. This is a MUST TRY when you visit! The otak was a bit on the salty side IMO.. not something you can eat alone without complementing it with some sort of rice but does have the authenticity to it which actually reminds me of home. Everything else wasn't something that I felt like really left an impression with my taste buds Ochien (oyster pancake) felt like it lacked a lot of oyster and was more flour than anything. Nasi lemak felt like it didn't have a strong coconut flavor to the rice... but maybe I just prefer my rice soaked in a lot of saturated fat. As for all the other dishes, I felt like they were just okay.. nothing too special and probably not something I'd order again. I noticed that there are a lot of weekend specials (including Beef Rendang) that I still have the urge to come back and try! On a typical night though, I probably won't go out of my way to come all the way here if there's already a Malaysian restaurant nearby but if a friend or someone I'm with wants to try it, no doubt this is a place I'd tag along to.

KAYA TOAST!!!! Sooooo good. If they sold the pandan spread in jars, I would buy them in a heart beat. This is currently my favorite pandan dish in the city. The nasi lemak was okay, a little hard. The drinks were pretty good, we got the white coffee and kopitiam moonrise. We also tried the blue sticky rice which came with pandan on the side so yeah I loved that too. The cashier was really patient and gave us good recommendations! Plenty of space to sit, but we came in on a Thursday afternoon, so it's probably busy on other days.

Tried this place again because my friend really wanted to go. Their Kaya toast is good and something I'd reorder. My only gripe is I think the bread should be toasted longer so that it all has more texture. I ordered their muah chee and I thought it was bland and I wouldn't order it again. To be fair, I'm comparing it to authentic ones I had in Malaysia. I don't know of other restaurants that have this, so perhaps it'll do if you're craving it. Their desserts overall are good but I've had at least 6+ of their savory dishes and my friends and I agree they're all just okay or not very good. My friend said the teh tasted watered down too. I'd come back for the sweets. But not the other stuff.

Really great toast! We also got some cakes and it was so moist and chewy. Very unique flavors. The anchovies weren't my favorite but I think it's just not my palette. Great cafe to come and study or work. Lots of seating.

Malaysian food is super unique, even in comparison to other SE Asian flavors -- this spot was solid! Tofu Salad and Oh Chien (crispy oyster omelette) were the standouts -- especially the latter was fire. I was so-so about Nasi Lemak but worth a try, Kaya Toast HIT for a sweet item!

Food was decent except the beef rendang which was too dry. The other two dishes were good. The main issue I have with this place as mentioned by others as well is the flies. My friend and I were fanning the food with our hands the entire time to avoid flies landing on our food. This is a big enough reason to not return in the future. The appetizer came 15-20 min after the mains and I had to ask about it. They probably missed the order.

I went here for a Sunday brunch and it was pretty busy, but I went here early enough (11:15am) that I was able to get one of the 2 remaining tables or else I'd have to stand and wait for the next table to be cleared out. Food did take a while as it was full house with a small kitchen, about 30-40 minutes after ordering, so plan accordingly. I tried the Kopitiam Classics set menu and opted for the Teh Tarik which tastes like a milk tea. As I got iced, I paid a 50 cent surcharge, no biggie. Unlike other photos, they no longer do the bag with the Kopitiam label - it was an unlabeled bag. The total was $25.50 as the menu price is inclusive of tax, which is good. All types of credit cards accepted, but minimum $10 purchase or else you have to pay by cash. The Kopitiam Classics consist of their signature Nasi Lemak, Kaya Toast, Malaysian soft boiled eggs, and the option of kopi (coffee) or teh (tea). The Nasi Lemak was pretty good - the anchovies were dried so it was a bit harder to consume as it was fairly hard, but it was really flavorful. The sambal that goes with it is okay. It was a good well rounded dish given they also have cucumbers along the dish too. The Malaysian soft boiled egg was really good and I'd say you can try both dishes individually but ultimately mix both savory dishes for another way to eat it. The Kaya toast is better than the ones I remembered trying in Singapore, but it better be since it's 8x the cost. This one is more buttery and not as sweet in comparison, and it has a nice pandan and coconut flavor. It paired really well with the teh I got. Overall, the food is pretty good, but $25.50 for this is quite pricey. It's more of a one time thing for me, but I'd happily come back to try one of their kopi (coffee) as I really liked the tea here.

Kopitiam has been on my list for a while, and I have finally tried and confirmed that this place indeed serves tasty and affordable Malaysian fare. The place is a true hole in the wall and is located on an industrial side street near Chinatown. The interior is casual and you order at the counter. Service is pretty much self service other than when they bring the food to your table. Since I wanted to try the classics, I got the Kopitiam Classics set and the Pandan Chicken. The Nasi Lemak was good, but had a big portion of rice with not enough sambal/topping. The rice, advertised as coconut rice, didn't really taste like coconut.The kaya toast dipped in the half boiled eggs were really good. The bread was nice and crispy and there was a lot of kaya jam which made this more than worth it. The pandan chicken is a treat; the chicken is beautifully wrapped in pandan leaves and accompanied with Thai sweet chili. I couldn't really taste the pandan but the chicken was flavorful and juicy all the same. The only thing I was indifferent about was the Teh O Limau. I felt like the Teh (standalone and with the combo) was overpriced and not unique. Since it was hot the day my partner and I visited, I wanted something refreshing and mildly sweet but they didn't have a lot of refreshing tea options. It might've been better if we tried one of their coffees instead. Overall, my partner and I had a good experience and the food was great and affordable. Even though we didn't get full scale table service, the affordability makes up for the lack of it.

I'm so happy we have this place in nyc! We came with some friends visiting the nyc and tried a bunch of food. We got the classic kaya toast and even got a honey comb slice! Everything was reasonably priced and it's seat yourself. Definitely worth a visit.

I have hardly ever been so excited and then so *thoroughly* disappointed to try out a place. Was craving Hainanese chicken rice. I didn't want to wait until most restos opened at 11am so I found that this one was open at 10 with decent reviews, albeit a bit farther for me. That was my first mistake -- most nice dine-in restos open at 11 earliest. If it's open at 10, it's probably fast casual if not specifically breakfast/brunch. This was fast casual, which is no problem in its own right, but... Their menu said Hainan chicken rice would take at least 30 min, so I went to order that (and pay up front) first before sitting down to look at the rest of the menu with my mom. It came out in like 2 minutes. That was the first major red flag for something they *tell you on the menu* is supposed to take 30min. I don't know from what depths of rubbery expired food stash they must have magically whipped this out from because it was THE DRIEST CHICKEN. How do you manage to make DRUMSTICKS dry?! Their sauce containers were MEASLY. We also ordered pandan chicken (meh, at least it wasn't dry), "nyonya bak zhang", a sticky rice dumpling wrapped in leaves (I have never had a sticky rice dish this bland in my life), and char kway teow (meh). Ambiance: dirtyish hole in the wall, which might be fine, but for that "dirty hole in the wall street food" experience, one would expect yummy, flavorful, authentic food. This was was none of those things. I should have just waited until West New Malaysia few blocks away opened up at 11. The Hainan chicken was so god awful my mom said we could just go to West New Malaysia to order Hainan chicken rice. I did. Though slightly more expensive there, it was so much better value. I'm trying to see how this place could possibly have 4/5 stars, and judging by the clientele of this one morning and the food they tended to order, it's most likely for drinks and snack/dessert-type dishes. Maybe those items are actually good. Fitting for fast-casual in any case. I cannot remark on that but my experience for their actual food was so so lacking, at best. Biiiig miss.

Decent Malaysian food! Unfortunately I have an aversion to dried seafood so many of the dishes were out of the running for me. My girlfriend did enjoy the "Kopitiam Classics" set menu which comes with Nasi Lemak, Kaya Butter Toast, Malaysian Style Half Boiled Eggs and Kopi/Teh. The Kaya butter toast was really good, especially dipped in the half boiled eggs, perfect combo, savory but sweet with a mix of textures. The Teh Tarik drink was good, but kind of expensive for the fairly small serving. If you get it iced, it comes in a special to-go bag. For my meal, I got the Tok Tok Mee, which is the "street styled fried egg noodles with house dark sauce and pork lard, topped with cha siu, scallions, yao choy, fried shrimp & pork wontons". Taste-wise pretty good, where I was most disappointed was it didn't seem quite freshly prepared, especially the wontons, which were basically room temperature and slightly soggy. Also I couldn't tell if there was shrimp in it. All-in-all, if you're craving Malaysian food and you want a whole lot of options, check Kopitiam out, and don't forget the kaya toast+eggs!

I've never tried much Malaysian food and this place was so good! My top favorite dishes: Kaya butter Toast Pann Mee Dry Char kway teow Oh chieng Nasi Lamek Curry Belachan wings Hainan chicken rice

3.5 but rounded to a 4 -- I'd had great experiences in the past with Kopitiam but this time it did not meet my expectations. The service was still great though and the inside was super cozy. Overall I would recommend trying it out because the menu is so extensive with great options but this time I wish some of the food was warmer. - Nyonya Bak Zhang, （娘惹粽子）($8) which was blue and white rice dumpling stuffed w/ minced pork, mushrooms, winter melon, salted egg, was hard and not warm. It was kind of cold. I don't know if they forgot to warm it up or if they didn't warm it up for long enough but it did not taste as good as I had wished. - Pan Mee, (dry) 板面（干捞 ）which was hand-pulled to order flat flour noodles, fried anchovies, wood ear mushroom, shiitake mushroom, spinach, minced pork, anchovy broth, was good but a little salty. Would recommend though because the hand pulled noodles had great texture. - Kaya butter toast with pandan coconut jam -- delicious, classic. Definitely recommend - Penang-Style Hand-Rolled Muah Chee (V+)（槟城麻芝）-- ($7) "rolled to order", ground peanuts, sesame seeds, served warm -- HIGHLY recommend. Absolutely delicious texture and taste.

I'm probably going to get a some heat for this review but after 3 visits in a span of 8 years, I think it's time to write an honest review. I first tried Kopitiam back in 2016 at its small, quaint location on Canal. It was just as I'd expected, being in this part of Chinatown: no-frills decor, cheap, and mainly a takeout spot. I had a Malaysian friend who raved about this place and even went as far as to say that this place would put Malaysian food on the map again since Malaysian food was (and still is) very underrepresented in the Asian community. And how right was she. Fast forward to 2024, this place is a top Chinatown food destination among food influencers. Their growth over the past few years is no surprise as they've worked hard in growing their presence. The menu has changed dramatically. It's no longer just basic Malaysian staples--everything has a little oomph for presentation. Their new location is much bigger. And way more chic. I took a friend here a few weeks ago because I was curious to compare it to my visits to the old location, where I starkly remember the Oyster Omelette and Nasi Lemak both being kind of plain and just okay, and not enough to make me want to go back that soon. Probably because around the same time, I was going to Pappa Rich very frequently and I had been spoiled by their presentations and portions. We originally wanted to do the "I don't know what to eat" set menu but the picks sounded disappointing and seemed like they chose the cheapest options with a higher markup so we decided to just get a few things individually. We got the Nyonya Bak Zhang and Oh Chien (Oyster Omelette). The oyster omelette was the same one I got years ago and the portion has definitely shrunk. Didn't find this anywhere near filling, so not sure why it's considered a main item. The Bak Zhang was very disappointing--it was cold and based on how dry everything (including the meat that started to taste spoiled) was on the inside, I suspected that this had been out for days. On top of that, nowhere did we see the butterfly pea coloring, which gave me more reason to suspect that it probably had already absorbed into the rice in some form over some days. We also got a Calamansi-ade and agreed that this was probably the best pick of everything we ordered. On top of that, they were out of many of the items we were ready to order. I really wanted to love this place as much as the influencers lol. Having been to Malaysia this year, I realized how incredibly diverse Malaysian food is and so much more than Nasi Lemak and satay, but Kopitian just misses the mark for me and it might be some time before I visit again.

Decent place for kopitiam food in NYC. Kaya toast was good but hard to eat. Will say it is pretty authentic, but seems like the focused more on the presentation of the toast, so it wasn't as good as it could be if they made it regularly (thinner toast, evenly spread on the toast). Overall good food and good service.

FOOD: decent taste, not the most authentic Malaysian food we had. But! The milo french toast is REALLY good when is hot and warm. Portion is on a smaller side given the price. SERVICE: Went in on a Monday noon time and there was only one person working. Is basically self service as you go up to the register to order and take a number stand with you. AMBIANCE: This is where they lost all the stars , the smell of the bathroom reaches out all the way to the tables outside... which is gross. There are boxes stacked lying around the register area which makes it look very messy. Below the bench there are boxes laying around including bottles full of sanitizers not clean at all. We saw good reviews so thought why not give it a try but it was a let down.

I loved the ice coffee - It's a quaint place on the New York Times best places to eat... It may not be for everyone....

After having bookmarked this for years, I finally got around to trying their nasi lemak. It was a very filling dish with the salty fried anchovies and peanuts. The cucumbers were a refreshing touch to the dish and the soy sauce egg was a nice addition. I also tried their teh tarik which came in a drink bag with a little hole to insert a straw. The straw I got was flat on both ends so it was bit hard to puncture the bag, I ended up just opening the top and sticking the straw in that way. Their kaya toast was stuffed with kaya jam, so much that you get a big bite of jam with each bite. Shoutout to whoever decided on the playlist of Chinese pop songs because there were quite a few songs I'll be adding to my own playlist. It's somewhat like self service. You order and pay at the counter then bring a numbered stand to wherever you're seated. Then the staff will bring your order to you. After you finish eating, you place the dishes and utensils into the boxes above the trash and clean up your own table.

Chicken Rice (Hainan) hit the spot! Just the presentation was a little bit awkward. Needed to get all the chicken juice onto the yellow rice. OR the yellow rice onto the chicken juice, but the plate was tiny. The chilli sauce that comes with it so tasty and had a good punch! Had to ask for more. Otak Otak was surprisingly authentic, again it hit the spot! Was craving otak otak for years. Tried to make it myself but gave up. So this was really a gift and will keep me coming back. A tad too much kalamansi leaf or maybe betel leaf. The ones I used to get back home had very tiny sliced leaves that were hardly noticeable. Still very authentic though, just a style difference. Wished it was bigger (longer) though for $6. Great ambiance, very hip downtown. Was hoping for more metal fork and spoons because my athritic hand cannot use chopsticks no more.

Just really packed and too crowded - granted the day my friend really wanted to visit was a day the restaurant was having a freebie promotion and the line was out the door even after 1, which is when they said regular dining would be open. We had to get on a separate line to then wait to order. The menu should really have photos given the variety of items and complexity, maybe that's on me to be more cultured or do the work prior but the menu is an endless scroll to navigate. I tried some of the things my friend ordered (and she ordered a lot) but wasn't super impressed. The Kaya Butter toast has really good warm bread that is soft with the crusts cut off. The pandan spread itself is room temp and generously spread, very strong in pandan flavor if that's your jam, for $8. The Nyonya Bak Zhang is essentially a sticky rice that seems unique but seemed pretty unremarkable to me - $8 for unseasoned sticky rice is not gonna be a repeat for me. My friends also ordered a bunch of small plates, noodles, and rice - many had anchovies sprinkled on top or seemed room temp which threw me off. I got the toktok mee, a dry sautéed egg noodle with sauce and bbq pork and fried wontons. Really really good, I'd recommend this! The wontons are room temp but this was delicious for $15. The service was very sweet despite the hectic ness. The employee at the till was very accommodating and nice! I'd have to come back and try this again at a different time.

I attended a comedy show recently, where I was distracted the entire time by the most incredible smell of salty deliciousness wafting through the air. The culprit told me the smell was his dinner from Kopitiam. So naturally, the next day I went to Kopitiam and ordered five things off the menu. The highlights that I would order again and again: the pan mee soup and the Mili french toast. The Pan Mee soup is exactly what I want when I crave a mild, fishy soup with a beautiful mix textures. You have the crunch from the fried anchovies and the chewiness from the hand torn noodles, not to mention the bounce from the mushrooms. The Milo french toast is incredible and I'm not even a French toast fan. The portion sizes are generous. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Ipoh Laksa (probably personal preference, but you'll like it if you like sour and spicy foods), and I found the Tok Tok Mee good but nothing very exciting.

The restaurant gets filled very fast so be prepared to wait a bit, however the food is worth the wait. Some stand outs are the oyster omelette, Kaya toast, street style chee Cheong fun, and the drinks! They have both great coffee and ades that come in cute adult sized capri sun pouches. The cha Kwai teow is also very good, but the portion is small. Think of this place as like Malaysian tapas. The one dish that I don't recommend is the Hainanese chicken - there isn't much meat and the flavoring is a bit bland. It's not the silky hainanese chicken that I am used to from Chinese spots. When you walk in, order your food then grab a table to wait. There is no tip and you self clean up after eating. There are two restrooms with the sinks separate outside.

Kopitiam is a solid place for Malaysian eats and I enjoyed their nasi lemak, which is the national dish of Malaysia. This place is inspired by kopitiams in Malasyia, which are traditional coffee shops that serve local favorites including nasi lemak, kaya toast, and coffee/tea/Milo. They serve the classic dishes here with a modern twist and it's very casual vibes. The dishes are definitely dressed up to be IG pic worthy.

I used to highly recommend this place because of its unique flavors and STRONG coffee. However, on my most recent visit, it seemed like everyone working there was born after 2010... which may also be the last time the bathroom received a deep cleaning... I found myself wondering, "Who's in charge here?" "How many times does daddy have to tell you to tidy up?" The other thing that bothered me was the amount of boxes and other random materials taking up space in the dining area. It almost became awkward to find a place to sit (or even stand) because so much of the space is essentially used for storage. My ultimate takeaway: go if you must, but be sure to get it to-go, and get out of there as fast as you can.

Super cute spot with a lot of seating. We ordered then sat down and they brought over the food. They had drinks in the fridge and pastries on display. I've been here a few times and had the opportunity to try a lot of their items. Their drinks are always a hit too. Some items are a skip (pandan chicken was dry) but I would give anything a try because it's pretty solid.

It's hard to find a Malaysian/singaporean joint here in the city and Kopitiam's one of them with total kopitiam vibes. Have been here a few times to grab a kopi c and finally checked it out for brunch. Got the pan mee with soup and the thick noods. Not the best, but pretty good for something outside of Malaysia/Singapore. The kopi c was a bit of a letdown. The hot one is lovely but the iced one was kinda watered down and needed a lot more milk. Asked them to add more which they kindly did. Overall, cute little place with a good selection of food to choose from.