Kopi tarik (pulled coffee) which is a very common fixture in many kopitiams in Singapore and Malaysia is getting rave reviews in New York. A tiny coffee shop in New York City’s Chinatown owned and operated by Malaysians Kyo Pang and Xin Nan Lin is changing the way New Yorkers think about coffee. The outlet is aptly named ‘Koptiam’.
Kyo who describes herself as a coffee freak handcrafts the coffee using beans roasted with fat in Malaysia. This technique of roasting is said to reduce the coffee beans’ acidic flavor.
Once brewed the coffee is poured through a strainer which resembles a sock. It is then pulled (tarik) to blend in the condensed milk and sugar, and also to cool the coffee to a drinkable-level.
Kopitiam also offers nasi lemak and toast bread, types of breakfast which are uncommon in New York. The outlet has no more than four stools for customers who want to dine-in and it also changes its menu every week. It has no ranking below ‘very good’ in TripAdvisor.