Kopitiam Cafe

Kopitiam––which means "coffee shop" in Chinese dialect––began cropping up across Singapore in the early 1900s as a way for Chinese immigrants to sell tea and coffee. Still seen across Singapore and Malaysia, these cafés have evolved to serve food items such as spicy noodle laksa and nasi-rice curries. Kopitiam Cafe—a member of the Milpitas Chamber of Commerce—serves up these same dishes for the edification of the American palate.

In the glow of cylindrical hanging lanterns and floor-to-ceiling windows, baristas steep hot teas, tamp espresso drinks, and sink miniature gelatin pearls into fruit and cream–based bubble teas. After nestling into a modern red or white café chair, guests can impress taste buds by feeding them housemade wonton noodles or impress a barista by spinning a smoothie so quickly that it transforms back into actual fruit.