Oriental Kopi Review: Famous Malaysian Cafe Opens In SG With Popular Nasi Lemak And More

Oriental Kopi opens in Singapore with famous Nanyang cuisine

If you’re like me and Oriental Kopi is usually part of your Johor Bahru food itinerary, good news: there’s no need to cross the border for your kopi fix anymore. The famous chain, which boasts 14 outlets in Malaysia, is now in Singapore at Bugis Junction. 

A joint partnership with Paradise Group, this new opening marks the brand’s first overseas venture. We hear there are also plans to expand and open eight outlets within Singapore in the next three years. FYI, the first outlet in Bugis is slated to open on 27 November 2024.

Food at Oriental Kopi

Starting with the perfect brekkie choice, we tried the highly anticipated Double Butter Kaya Toast ($2.60++). This features two thin yet crispy toasts slathered with Hainanese kaya and two slabs of cold butter for extra indulgence.

In case you didn’t know, there are two types of kaya toasts at Oriental Kopi: the traditional and the pandan. The one we had was the former, starring brown Hainaese kaya made using caramelised sugar, while the latter features a green Nyonya kaya made from pandan leaves. 

At first blush, the kaya toast was a tad underwhelming in terms of appearance. But it only took one bite to know that I was too quick to judge a book by its cover: the toast remained crispy despite being left out for some time, the kaya spread boasted a lovely balance of coconutty and mildly sweet flavours, and the fragrant butter was sliced just the right amount for an added creaminess.

We paired the kaya toast with their hot Oriental Kopi (from $1.80++) and iced Oriental Mocha ($4.80++).

The last time I visited Oriental Kopi in JB was a few months ago and I recalled the kopi as robust and full-bodied. But the one I had in Singapore fell short of the “gao” or strong flavour I had wished for. The saving grace, though, was how creamy the kopi was. I also appreciated that it was neither too milky nor sweet, which is a huge red flag in my books. 

Next, we tried the Oriental Mocha, which features premium chocolate and fresh milk for a deliciously rich and sweet brew. This tasted somewhat like an intense Milo, and I grew to like it the more I had it!

Moving on to the mains, I was the most excited to try the Oriental Signature Nasi Lemak ($9.50++), one of Oriental Kopi’s signatures. This mouth-watering dish comprises all the must-haves in a nasi lemak: fried chicken, an egg, steamed rice, a dollop of sambal sauce, crispy ikan bilis, fried peanuts, and sliced cucumbers.

Every component of the nasi lemak was delicious, but my favourite has to be the fried chicken drumstick and thigh, alongside the aromatic pandan steamed rice. I really enjoyed the crispy skin and tender meat within, perfumed with a rempah of ingredients with distinct notes of onion, garlic, and ginger.

The rice, on the other hand, was steamed to achieve a fluffy and moist texture, and I liked that it didn’t clump together. There was a delicate aroma of pandan leaves, but flavour-wise, the coconut milk was slightly stronger.

I had no gripe about their house-made sambal; there was a good balance of sweet and spicy, and my spice-loving colleague liked that there was a nice kick of punchy flavours towards the end.

While we thoroughly enjoyed the nasi lemak, my colleague and I didn’t feel the same about the Oriental Prawn Meehoon Mee ($9.50++).

Let me talk about what I liked first: there was a good mix of thin rice vermicelli and thick yellow noodles, which I thought added a nice textural variety. There was also a generous amount of ingredients, including two fresh prawns, shredded chicken, fishcake slices, some greens, a halved hard-boiled egg, and a scoop of house-made sambal.

But I wasn’t the biggest fan of the broth as the robust, prawn flavour was lacking overall. Plus, it was a tad too oily for my liking.

I had a similar opinion towards the Penang Char Kuey Teow ($7.50++), where the texture of the stir-fried noodles got my nod of approval, but the lack of that charred, wok hei flavour you’d expect in a decent char kway teow was hard to dismiss.

Unfortunately, the Oriental Egg Tart ($5.20++ for two) wasn’t ready during our visit, so I made do with the Curry Double Lava Egg Toast ($4.60++). This features a toasted bread topped with two poached eggs and paired with a side of curry sauce.

Tip: break the egg yolks and drench your toast in the curry sauce for a rich, aromatic experience. The curry sauce is relatively light without being too intense or heavy, so don’t worry about feeling heaty after your meal.

We rounded off with the Oriental Polo Bun ($4.60++), another crowd-favourite at Oriental Kopi. The first thing that caught my eye was the ice cubes resting on two slices of butter; it was a nice attention to detail to ensure that the butter remained cold for as long as possible.

The bolo bun was fluffy within, but I would have liked it better if the cookie crust on top was crispier for better textural contrast. Also, I liked that there was a tiny jar of condensed milk on the side as I could control how much condensed milk I drizzled, depending on how sweet I wanted my buns on the day!

Ambience at Oriental Kopi

Oriental Kopi is a 100-seater restaurant with plenty of tables perfect for those dining in pairs or large groups. It’s housed on the second floor of Bugis Junction, which is one of the most central and convenient locations. The restaurant is adorned with mainly wooden accents, exuding a warm, cosy atmosphere. 

Better yet, there’s a merchandise section where you can browse and snag their famous instant coffee and chilli pan mee noodles. It’s also a great way to kill time while waiting for your food to be served!

The verdict

There were both hits and misses, but the first Oriental Kopi outlet in Singapore is still quite comparable with the OG in JB. The next time I’m in the area, this new restaurant will come to mind and I’m keen on trying their other items too!

FYI, Oriental Kopi is in the soft opening phase, so please extend some grace if you encounter any hiccups along the way.

In related news, Great Nanyang Heritage Cafe is now open in Somerset! This Nanyang-style cafe sports a retro 90s look and offers old-school bites such as Curry Chicken Chee Cheong Fun. Else, check out Da Cheng Lok Lok, another JB-famous eatery that has also set up shop in Singapore.

Address: 50 New Bugis Street, #02-50, Singapore 188021
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 10pm
Website
Oriental Kopi is not a halal-certified eatery but uses no pork or lard.

Photos taken by John Lery Villanueva.
This was a media tasting at Oriental Kopi.