New Yorkers Can’t Get Enough of This Malaysian Kopitiam

It is a no-brainer that Malaysians are extremely proud of their food, and we’re excited to find out that a Malaysian woman managed to set up a kopitiam in New York, United States.

Located at Broadway, New York, the kopitiam, named Kopitiam, serves a lot of the Malaysian delicacies like nasi lemak, pulut inti, kaya butter toast, pan mee, otak-otak etc.

In the feature video done by Food Insider, it was claimed that the mid-sized restaurant that screams home to us is packed morning, noon and night (pre-Covid-19).

The kopitiam also serves traditional Baba-Nyonya cuisine crafted from family recipes handed down through various generations.

It started out in 2015 as a “small, four-seat shop” run by a woman named Kyo Pang. The small eatery was forced to close in December 2017 due to rent spike.

Kyo pang

The shop closure did not stop Ms Pang from giving up, instead, she paired up with a new friend Moonlynn Tsai and successfully set up the restaurant Kopitiam in the spring of 2018.

“Initially, I just want to have a little corner for myself and maybe for my friends,” expressed Ms Pang.

Being a fan of Ms Pang’s old shop, Ms Tsai wanted to connect with her and they decided to collaborate for the business.

“I met her (Ms Pang) about three years ago as a fan at her old location and then found that that a little over a year ago, she was going to close down the other shop. And we decided to talk and hung out for a little bit, and then we decided to go into business together after five days of meeting. And here we are.”

In the video, many trinkets, utensils and tableware were shipped by Ms Pang’s family all the way from Penang, magnifying the authenticity of her kopitiam despite being half the world away.

Apparently, Ms Pang’s family back in Malaysia also own a restaurant, and it has exclusive rights to Koon Kee’s white coffee beans for 50 years. Thus, making Kopitiam extra unique since it is the second restaurant in the world to serve Koon Kee’s coffee.

“My grandfather is a very, very good coffee maker. He was known for making coffee. Every single thing that’s here, everyone in my family plays a part of it.”

Ms Tsai believes that a Malaysian restaurant run by two queer women is “also a statement” as Ms Pang was revealed to have sought refuge in the States and the woman was not able to return home for 11 years.

We’re beyond proud of Ms Pang and her achievements and goal to represent Malaysia in the States. We hope that more Malaysians in the US would visit to support Ms Pang and Ms Tsai’s business!

Also read: This Old Kopitiam In Johor Serves Traditional Hainanese Breakfasts That Muslims Can Also Enjoy