Kedai Kopi in Haig Road – a modern kopitiam with varied delicacies

Kedai Kopi in Haig Road is a modern coffee shop with a surprising spread of offerings – from BBQ Stingray and pasta to goreng pisang and cendol.

While some ordinary patrons were tucking into lunch at a swanky two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris, owned by the Prince of Luxembourg, no less (read our post Le Clarence Paris : 2 Michelin Star Restaurant in an 1884 Parisian townhouse), others were having a taste of Malacca – but not even in Malaysia but right here in Singapore’s Haig Road, at a humble coffeeshop. Such is life. But both the Parisian feast and the Haig Road hawker fare can bring their own kind of joy.

Kedai Kopi in Haig Road

Kedai Kopi (which literally means coffee shop) is part of the Tenderfresh Group, familiar to many for their F&B outlets like Amigo’s, Tenderbest Machik Tuckshop and ToriGo!

The coffee shop is located near the popular Haig Road Food Centre, famous for its Putu Piring. Despite its Haig Road address, the frontage is along Geylang Road, with Wisma Geylang Serai directly opposite it.

This modern kopitiam has a rather stylish decor with a mix of tables for solo diners or larger groups. The variety of tables and chairs of various shapes and colours might make you think you have wandered into a furniture showroom. Like a true traditional kopitiam, the space is naturally ventilated.

There are various individual stalls in Kedai Kopi – including the mandatory beverage stall, and stalls selling fritters, chicken rice, seafood, noodles, pasta, pizza and fried chicken.

Makan Melaka

The specialities of Makan Melaka caught our eye. We ordered the Cendol Melaka ($2) and the Claypot Asam Pedas Melaka ($10.50, plus $1 for rice).

Asam Pedas, a famous Malacca dish, features fish or seafood simmered in a tangy tamarind curry with a mix of spices. Ladyfingers, eggplant and tomatoes are other typical ingredients of the asam dish. We had never tried Asam Pedas in Malacca but Makan Melaka’s version certainly impressed. The spicy and tangy fish curry paired well with the blue pea flower rice. The red snapper was well cooked. The fish was tender, flaky and brimming with the curry’s aromatic flavours. Fans of asam curries would enjoy this dish.

Makan Melaka offers a variety of Cendol options, including Red Bean, Glutinous Rice and even Durian as extra toppings. We stuck to the classic ($2), featuring shaved ice, coconut milk, and the green jelly with its pandan flavouring and palm sugar. Simple, light and creamy. Each spoonful delivered a lingering sweetness and a smooth aftertaste. Simple pleasure.

Hawkerman

A range of local hawker dishes, including oyster omelette, Hokkien mee and char kway teow, are on the menu of Hawkerman. We ordered a plate of fried carrot cake ($3.50).

The portion of carrot cake was surprisingly generous. It was well fried and had a nice savoury flavour and a hint of wok hei.

Cheap & Good

While our friends in Paris might have left a hefty tip at the Michelin-starred restaurant, our entire meal at Kedai Kopi probably came to a fraction of that tip. In fact, with the change left over, we could even grab a packet ($2.50) of the famous Haig Road Putu Piring to bring home. We had a cheap and good dining adventure that brought joy without burning a hole in our wallet.

According to MUIS website (as at 29 April), the halal-certified stalls at Kedai Kopi @ Haig Road include Hawkerman, Mee Bagus, My Nasi Ayam, Tenderbest, PastaPizza and Toko Ngopi.

Kedai Kopi Haig Road
12 Haig Road, Singapore 430012

Opening Hours: 7 am to 11 pm

Nearest MRT Station: Paya Lebar Interchange (EW8/CC9)

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