Eng research

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Bittersweet
Symphony

FNBE JULY 2013 - ENGL 0205 English 2

Name of group members: Sharon Chow Ci Yung; Lim Chong
Min; Tony Tang Lee Lung; Wong Yeong Cherng; Tan Zi Cin

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Kopitiam Culture in
Klang Valley and Kota Kinabalu
English 2 (ENGL 0205)
Research Assignment
Sharon Chow Ci Yung (0313387)
Lim Chong Min (0313739)
Tony Tang Lee Lung (0314002)
Wong Yeong Cherng (0313378)
Tan Zi Cin (0314079)
Table of Content
Artistic Front Cover


Page 1


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Cover Page

Page 2

Table of Content

Page 3

Key Summary

Page 4- 5

The History of Kopitiam

Page 6

The History of Coffee

Page 7

Background Information of Chong Kok Kopitiam

Page 8-9

Background Information of Sukimye Hainan

Page 10-11

Kopitiam
Background Information of Kedai Kopi New Chiu

Page12-13

Yuong
Comparative Analysis

Page 14-16

Recommendation

Page 17-18

Bibliography

Page 19-20

Appendix

Page 21-32

Reference

Page 33

Artistic Back Cover

Page 34

Key Summary
Introduction:
This research report centralizes on the coffee shop businesses in two geographical
regions which are Klang Valley and Kota Kinabalu. The similarities and differences of
three businesses of the same industry are highlighted in this report. We have chosen to
interview Chong Kok Kopitiam (Klang Valley), Sukimye Kopitiam (Klang Valley) and
Kedai Kopi New Chiu Yuong (Kota Kinabalu). In order to compare and contrast these
three coffee shops, we came out with the following research questions:



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1. When was the business founded?
2. Who were the key founders?
3. What prompted the founders to start the business?
4. What are your main products?
5. Who are your customers?
6. How many braches do you have?
7. Could you provide us the business’ most recent development? (last 2-5 years)
8. Do you have any competitors? Who are they?
9. How do you compete with your competitors?
10. How much capital is required to start this business?
11. Generally, do you feel it is easy or hard to enter this market? Why?

Methodology
a. Interviews
As a group of five, no doubt we have far more than enough manpower to
conduct the interviews. In order to complete three interviews within the shortest
time period possible, we decided to adapt the divide and conquer strategy.
Initially we wanted to conduct all the interviews together but later on we realised


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that would only be a waste of time. Therefore, we will conduct the interviews
separately with our respective teams.
b. Meetings
During our very first meeting, we will discuss about the potential coffee shops
that we will interview. We will also divide up the tasks equally among ourselves.
As some of us have different timetables, we will keep in touch with each other
and update each other via Whatsapp and Facebook.

The History of Kopitiam
“A kopitiam or kopi tiam is a traditional coffee shop found in Southeast Asia,
patronized for meals and beverages. The word kopi is Malay for coffee and tiam is the
Hokkien/Hakka word for shop” (Sumarjan, N., Mohd Zahari, M.S., Mohd Radzi S., Mohd
Haradiah M.H., Saiful Bakhtiar M.F., Zainal, A., 2013).
A typical kopitiam’s menu consists of half-boiled eggs, toast with kaya (coconut jam)
and butter, tea as well as coffee. The history of kopitiam can be retrieved way back in


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the 1850’s when the Hainanese migrated from China to South East Asia (Lim I., 2013).
However, by the time Hainanese migrated to South East Asia, other Chinese ethnicities
such as Cantonese, Teochew, Hokkien and Hakka were already here and dominated
most of the employment opportunities. For instance, the Hokkien worked as
shopkeepers or petty merchants while the Hakka on the other hand worked as manual
labors in tin mines or rubber plantations (Carstens, S.A., 2006).
Therefore, a large number of Hainanese ended up taking jobs as cooks in British
military camps and in the homes of British expatriates and wealthy Chinese. There and
then the Hainanese learned to make perfectly cooked roasts, cream of mushroom soup,
boil eggs, fry up crispy chops and knead dough for bread and pastries. As time passes,
they put these experiences from working as cooks to good uses by setting up their own
restaurants or coffee shops (Unknown, 2012).

The History of Coffee
One of the signature products of a kopitiam is no doubt, coffee. Coffee has become
one of the most popular agricultural products in the world since its discovery around the
ninth century (Knox, K. & Huffaker J.S., 1997).
The history of coffee can be traced back way back to the discovery of the coffee plant
at Ethiopia. Kaldi, a young goat herder spontaneously decided to let his goats run a bit
wild and left them alone to find their own way back to the base camp. Kaldini found out
his goats were kicking their tiny legs around when he finally met with his goats. He then


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realized his goats ate the red barriers from a hillside shrub. Kaldini decided to chew the
leaves and red berries of the shrub out of curiosity (Arndorfer, T. & Hansen, K., 2006).
A few centuries later, coffee is now common beverage that is familiar to people from
all social classes. “So whether it’s a coffee break for factory worker or an afternoon café
noir (black coffee) in Paris, it’s essentially the same thing: coffee” (Arndorfer, T. &
Hansen, K., 2006).

Background Information of Chong Kok Kopitiam



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One of the coffee shops that we have interviewed is Chong Kok Kopitiam which is
located at Jalan Stesen, Klang. Chong Kok was founded way back in the year 1940
which was almost eight decades ago. The founder of Chong Kok Kopitiam is Foo Wah
Lian.
During the British colonization, Foo Wah Lian worked as a cook on a ship where he
gained western style cooking skills. With polished cooking skills in one hand and
Hainanese background on another, Foo Wah Lian decided to start up a Hainanese
coffee shop in order to make a living. 73 years later, Chong Kok is now one of the oldest
and most well-established traditional Hainanese coffee shops in Klang. It is now run by
the Foo Wah Lian’s granddaughter. Since the very first day of business, Chong Kok has
never relocated before.


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Chong Kok is popular among not just Chinese but also Malay and Indian due to the
great diverse of food it offers. One of its most iconic products would be no doubt bread
with kaya (coconut jam) and butter. Nasi lemak (coconut rice with fried fish) and Nyonya
cakes also receive a great amount of love from Chong Kok’s loyal customers especially
the Malays. These delicious food are usually accompanied by a cup of aromatic coffee
served in a small yellow cup with Chong Kok’s logo printed on it. When we were
interviewing Chong Kok’s current owner, she proudly told us that the coffee she sells
would be considered as one of the best in Klang.
Chong Kok is one of the very few coffee shops left in Klang that has a long history and
large number of loyal customers. As it offers quality food that comes with a reasonable
and affordable price tag especially to those from the working class who don’t have a
large monthly pay check for posh breakfasts at fancy restaurants.
Unlike other traditional coffee shops, Chong Kok is pretty up-to-date when it comes to
technology. Chong Kok actually has its own blog. The blog showcases Chong Kok’s
seasonal products like mooncake that comes in a great diverse of flavors. The blog is
also a platform for the coffee shop to make announcements such as its off days to the
fellow customers.

Background Infornation of Sukimye Hainan Kopitiam



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We interview a total of two coffee shops in the Klang Valley regions. Sukimye Hainan
Kopitiam is one of the two shops we interviewed. Sukimye was founded in the year
1993 which was two decades ago.
Sukimye was founded by Tan Heng Ann with the initiatives to make a living at the
Subang Jaya region as the location of Sukimye is right in the middle of a residential
area. Two decades later, Sukimye is now a well-known eatery among students who live
in the PJS 7 area. The founder, Tan Heng Ann has stepped down from his job and the
coffee shop is now run by Chia Jian Hao, Tan Heng Ann’s grandson.

One of Sukimye’s main products is coffee. As a Hainan coffee shop, Sukimye has its
own way when it comes to brewing a cup of aromatic and mouth-watering coffee.



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Although coffee is its main product but Sukimye do have a great diverse of products,
ranging from iced coffee, bubble tea to chicken chop.
In order to keep up with the competitors and ensure that its customers remain loyal,
Sukimye releases a new product twice a year which is once every six months. Since
students make up majority of its customers, Sukimye sells products like bubble tea,
something that most coffee shops do not have in order to satisfy the young adults’ picky
taste buds.

Background Information of Kedai Kopi New Chiu Yuong



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The second coffee shop we interviewed is Kedai Kopi New Chiu Young located at
Hilltop, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. New Chiu Young is founded by Ho Uui Kong in the year
1988. New Chiu Young first started as a hawker stall at Segama, Kota Kinabalu. A
decade later, the owner finally could afford renting a shop lot and start-up Kedai Kopi
New Chiu Yuong in the year 1998. Throughout the years, the business of New Chiu
Young started growing steadily day by day. Five years ago, the owner purchased the
shop lot he had been renting for ten long years. The name New Chiu Young is a direct
translation from its Chinese name which deliberately means a new beginning. The
name of New Chiu Young symbolises the turning point of the owner’s life.



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In the year 1998, Mr.Ho who was born and raised in Sandakan decided to move to
Kota Kinabalu as compared to Sandakan, chances of succeeding in business was way
higher back then. Therefore, he bided farewell to his friends and relatives back in his
hometown and moved to Kota Kinabalu in order to make a living. When he first started
his business, as he was inexperienced, he had a hard time making the ends meet. As
time passed, he started to master the secrets behind running a business and slowly he
gained a significant amount of loyal customers. Surprisingly, when he moved to Hilltop,
his customers back in Segama actually remained supportive and loyal towards New
Chiu Yuong.
New Chiu Young’s signature food is kon loh mee (egg noodles with pork). Kon loh
mee is a popular choice of breakfast among Chinese Malaysians in both Peninsular
Malaysia and East Malaysia. The egg noodles sold by New Chiu Young are freshly
made by the owner every morning. He has his own secret recipe to make such mouthwatering noodles. His secret recipe is one of his key components of his transition from a
small hawker stall to his own shop lot.

Comparative Analysis
We have interview a total of three coffee shops, Chong Kok Kopitiam, Sukimye
Hainan Kopitiam and Kedai Kopi New Chiu Yuong, from two different geographical


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regions, Klang Valley and Kota Kinabalu. Out of the three coffee shops that we have
interviewed, none of them owns a branch.
Although all of the businesses that we have interviewed are in the same industry and
sell similar products but they do have more than a handful of differences that distinguish
themselves from one another. First of all, when it comes to customers, all three have
customers coming from different social classes. For Chong Kok, majority of its
customers are from the blue collar working class due as it offers quality food at a fairly
affordable price. On the other hand, students made up a most of Sukimye’s customer
base. As Sukimye located right beside Taylor’s University and there are a great amount
of students who study at Taylor’s University live in the PJS 7 where Sukimye operates.
In addition, the market New Chiu Yuong serves consists of a majority of golden citizens.
To them, having breakfast at New Chiu Yuong and chit-chat with their friends in the
morning is part of their must-have daily routine.
When it comes to developing the business, Chong Kok didn’t really change much for
the past few years. Chong Kok wants to stick to its current style as the current owner
believes that not having fancy interiors and air conditioners is actually one of its vital
charms. Sukimye on the other hand had gone through a renovation and slightly
expanded the shop three years ago. Moreover, five years ago, the owner of New Chiu
Yuong bought over the shop lot that he had been renting for years. As the business of
New Chiu Yuong is steadily increasing, there is a possibility that the owner would open
up a branch in the new future.



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Out of the three coffee shops, Chong Kok is the only one without a competitor. Chong
Kok had been in the exact same location for almost eight decades and is now granted
the status of one of the most established coffee shops in Klang. The owner stated that
nowadays historical coffee shops who serve quality coffee is quite rare. Unlike Chong
Kok, Sukimye and New Chiu Yuong do have some strong competitors. One of
Sukimye’s strongest competitors Sang Wee Coffee Shop where the distance between
two coffee shops is just a stone’s throw away. In order to keep up with its competitor,
Sukimye releases a new product twice a year. New Chiu Yuong’s competitor is Kedai
Kopi Jing Jing. Popularity wise, Jing Jing is slightly more popular than Chiu Yuong as
Wang Wang’s targeted market comes from all age groups while New Chiu Yuong only
targets on golden citizens. However, unlike Sukimye, New Chiu Yuong does not have
any plans or strategies to keep up with its competitor.
Furthermore, all three coffee shops used different sums of money to start up their
respective businesses. For Chong Kok, its starting-up capital is equivalent to 5000
Malayan Dollar which equivalent to today’s RM60, 000. Sukimye’s founder started up
with RM 50,000 while New Chiu Yuong started up with RM 30,000 as it started off as a
hawker stall.

Lastly, all three coffee shops find the coffee shop market hard to enter. For instance,
Chong Kok finds the market difficult to enter due to the minimal profits. Chong Kok had
been selling its food and drinks at a relatively low price so that it wouldn’t burden its
loyal customers but recently the prices of all the coffees shop must-haves such as


P a g e | 16

sugar, eggs and flours had skyrocketed and it was rather burdensome for coffee shops
like Chong Kok. Sukimye faces problem when it comes to employing workers as the
government sets the minimum wage at RM 800. Sukimye needs a minimum of two to
three workers in order to operate but paying RM 1600 to RM 2400 just for the workers
left a small business like Sukimye almost no profits left. New Chiu Yuong on the other
hand find the cost of business development is high. It requires around RM 100,000 for
New Chiu Yuong to open up a banch. That price tag left the owner with sweaty palms
as the chances of its branch obtaining as much success isn’t that high.
To conclude, out of the three coffee shops that we have interviewed, Chong Kok is no
doubt the most commercially successful one compared to Sukimye and New Chiu
Yuong. Chong Kok didn’t it just made it to the top in the coffee shop industry at Klang
but also remained on top for almost eight decades. Compared to Chong Kok, Sukimye
and New Chiu Yunong still have a long way to go when it comes to making it to the top
as their customer base isn’t as firm or large as comparison to Chong Kok.

Recommendation
Although all three coffee shops are receiving a significant amount of support from its
current customers but there are ways to improve their respective competitiveness.
Although Chong Kok is the prime member of its league but doesn’t mean that other
businesses do not see it as a competition. In order to remain on top, Chong Kok should


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update its blog at least twice a week in order to keep in touch with its customers. By
updating its blog frequently, Chong Kok stands higher chances to attract more potential
customers especially those from the younger age group who enjoy browsing through
food-related blogs during their leisure time. Besides, Chong Kok should expand its
interior space to accommodate more customers. At the same time, customers will feel
more comfort after expand the interior space.
Moreover, Sukimye should lower the prices of its food and beverages to attract more
customers especially the students who majority of them live on a tight budget. The
prices of the food are within the range of RM6 to RM7 while its competitors are RM5 to
RM6. Furthermore, Sukimye should promote its specialties on popular social sites such
as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Promoting online is the most effective and costfriendly way to increase Sukimye’s popularity among the younger age groups.

Lastly, New Chiu Yuong should diversify its menu. Instead of just focusing on noodles,
New Chiu Yuong should provide more choices for its potential customers. Porridge, Dim
Sum and steamed buns would be great additions to its existing menu. Besides that,
New Chiu Yuong should give the environment of its shop a facelift. For instance, install
air-conditioners and refurnish the walls. Nicely renovated environment and airconditioner are deadly charms to young adults.



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Bibliography
Arndorfer, T. & Hansen, K. (2006).The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Coffee& Tea. Alpha
Books. United States of America: New York.
Carstens, S.A. (2006). Histories, Cultures, Identities: Studies in Malaysian Chinese
Worlds. NUS Publishing. Singapore.
Freeman, J., Freeman, C. & Duggan, T. (2012).The Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee:
Growing, Roasting and Drinking with Recipes. Ten Speed Press. United
States of America: New York.
Knox, K. & Huffaker J.S. (1997). Coffee Basics: A Quick and Easy Guide. John Wiley &
Sons Inc. United States of America: New York.



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Lim,I. (2013).The Revival of The Kopitiam Culture. Bfs Magazine. Retrieved November
26, 2013 from http://www.bfsmagazine.com.my/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=1802:the-revival-of-the-kopitiamculture-&catid=228:articles&Itemid=1524
Pendergrast, M. (1999). Uncommon Grounds. Basic Books. United States of America:
New York.
Sumarjan, N., Mohd Zahari, M.S., Mohd Radzi S., Mohd Haradiah M.H., Saiful Bakhtiar
M.F. , Zainal, A. (2013). Hospitality and Tourism: Synergizing Creativity
and Innovation in Research. CRC Press. United Kingdom: London.
Suryadinata, L. (2002). Ethnic Chinese in Singapore and Malaysia. Time Academic
Press. Singapore.
Suryadinata, L. (2007). Understanding the Ethic Chinese in Southeast Asia. ISEAS
Publishing. Singapore
Tan, S.L. & Tay, M. (2013).World Food: Malaysia & Singapore. Lonely Planet
Publications. Australia: Victoria.
Turnback, M. (2008). Coffee Drinks. Ten Speed Press. United States of America:
Berkeley.
Unknown. (2012). On Hainanese Cuisine, Or How Chicken Chops Became Comfort
Food in Malaysia. EatingAsia. Retrieved November 26, 2013 from
http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/kopitiam/
Unknown. (2013). Mooncake Order Online. Chong Kok Kopitiam. Retrieved November
20, 2013 from http://chongkok.blogspot.com/
Young, D. (2009). Coffee Love. John Wiley & Sons Inc. United States of America: New
Jersey.



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Appendix
a. Suvey Questionnaire
7. Could you provide us the business’ most recent development? (Last 2-5 years)


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b. Interview Results
i)

Chong Kok Kopitiam

- 1940.
- Foo Wah Lian
-To make a living with the cooking skills he gained from cooking on a ship
during the British colonization.



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-Bread with kaya, Nasi Lemak, Nyonya Cakes.
- Blue-collar working class.
- None.

- None.
-None.
-N/A.
- 5000 Malayan Dollars which equivalent to today’s RM 60,000.



P a g e | 23

- Hard because of the minimal profit. The prices of sugar, eggs and flour
are rising from time to time.

ii)

Sukimye Hainan Kopitiam

- 1993.
- Tan Heng Ann.
- The advantage of Sukimye’s location which is right in the middle of a
residential area,
- Coffee, bubble tea, chicken chop.
- Students.


P a g e | 24

- None.
- Underwent renovation and expanded the size of the shop.
- Yes. Sang Wee Coffee Shop.

- Release a new product twice a year.
- RM 50, 000.
- Hard because of the minimum wage for workers is too high. The minimum
wage for one worker is RM800 and the business needs two to three
workers. The business could barely afford it.



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iii)

Kedai Kopi New Chiu Yuong

- 1988.
- Hoo Uui Kong.
- To make a living.
- Kon loh mee (egg noodles with pork).
- Golden citizens.
- None.


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-In the year 2008, I bought over the shop lot that I had been renting for
years.
- Yes. Kedai Kopi Jing Jing.

- N/A.
-RM 30,000.
-Hard. The cost of business development is high. I want to open up a
branch but that requires a minimum of RM100, 000.



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c. Meeting Minutes

Meeting Title: Discussion on Research
[MEETING DATE]31/1

M E E T I N G C A L LE D
BY
T Y P E OF ME E T I N G

[MEETING TIME]

0/2013

MINUTES

[MEETING LOCATION]

11 am

E8.03

Sharon Chow Ci Yung
Discussion on The Research

F A C I L I T A T OR
NOTE TAKER

Tan Zi Cin

TIMEKEEPER

Lim Chong MIn
Tony Tang Lee Lung, Wong Yeong Cherng, Lim Chong Min, Sharon Chow Ci Yung, Tan Zi

ATTENDEES

Cin

Agenda topics
[TIME ALLOTTED] 11.15 AM
D IS C U S S I O N

C ON C L U S I ON
S

[AGENDA TOPIC] DECIDE ON WHICH

[PRESENTER]

COFFEE SHOP TO GO TO

SHARON

Research on deciding which three coffee shops our group are going to interview.

After gathering information from the internet, we decided to conduct our interview at

Kota Kinabalu and Klang.

ACTION ITEMS

P E R S ON R E S P ON S IB L E

Sharon Chow will be responsible to interview one coffee shops in Kota
Kinabalu and the other will be responsible for interviewing two

D E A D L IN E

All group members.

coffee shops in Klang.



P a g e | 28

[TIME ALLOTTED] 11.30AM

[AGENDA TOPIC] DECIDE ON WHICH

[PRESENTER]

KOPITIAM TO GO

SHARON

D IS C U S S I O N

To decide which coffee shops to interview in Klang Valley and Kota Kinabalu.

C ON C L U S I ON

Chong Min, Yeong Cherng and Sharon will conduct an interview with the owner of Chong Kok

S

Kopitiam.

When Sharon returns to her hometown, Kota Kinabalu, she will conduct and interview with the respective owners of
Kedai Kopi New Chui Yuong. Tan Zi Cin will conduct an interview with the owner of Sukimye Hainan Kopitiam.
ACTION ITEMS


Gather at Taylor’s University on Friday at 8am to depart to Klang.
Conduct interview in Kota Kinabalu during Deepavali break.
[TIME ALLOTTED] 12.00PM

D IS C U S S I O N

C ON C L U S I ON
S

D E A D L IN E

Tony Tang, Wong Yeong
Cherng, Lim Chong Min.
Sharon Chow.

[AGENDA TOPIC] DEVIDING THE TASKS FOR

[PRESENTER]

THE RESEARCH REPORT

SHARON

To divide up the tasks that has to be done for the research report within the members.

Tan Zi Cin will be in charge of the artistic cover, cover page and table of contents.

Tony Tang will be in charge of key summary and reference. Yeong Cherng will be in charge of recommendation and
bibliography. Chong Min will be in charge of the history of the coffee shops.
Sharon Chow will be in charge of the brief description of the businesses and the comparative analysis.
ACTION ITEMS


We work individually on our tasks.

All group members.


D E A D L IN E


P a g e | 29

d. Pictures

Figure 1.0 Chong Kok Kopitiam.

Figure 1.1 Toast with kaya (coconut jam) and butter

Figure 1.2 Chong Kok’s counter


P a g e | 30

Figure 1.4 Sukimye Hainan Kopitiam.
Figure 1.5 Sukimye’s kitchen.

Figure 1.6 Zi Cin and Sukimye’s owner


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Figure 1.7 Kedai Kopi New Chiu Yuong.

Figure 1.8 New Chiu Yuong’s kitchen.

References


P a g e | 32

Arndorfer, T. & Hansen, K. (2006). The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Coffee& Tea. Alpha
Books. United States of America: New York.
Carstens, S.A. (2006). Histories, Cultures, Identities: Studies in Malaysian Chinese
Worlds. NUS Publishing. Singapore.
Knox, K. & Huffaker J.S. (1997) Coffee Basics: A Quick and Easy Guide. John Wiley &
Sons Inc. United States of America: New York.
Lim,I. (2013).The Revival of The Kopitiam Culture. Bfs Magazine. Retrieved November
26, 2013 from http://www.bfsmagazine.com.my/index.php?
option=com_content&view=article&id=1802:the-revival-of-the-kopitiamculture-&catid=228:articles&Itemid=1524
Sumarjan, N., Mohd Zahari, M.S., Mohd Radzi S., Mohd Haradiah M.H., Saiful Bakhtiar
M.F. , Zainal, A. (2013). Hospitality and Tourism: Synergizing Creativity
and Innovation in Research. CRC Press. United Kingdom: London.
Suryadinata, L. (2002). Ethnic Chinese in Singapore and Malaysia. Time Academic
Press. Singapore.
Suryadinata, L. (2007). Understanding the Ethic Chinese in Southeast Asia. ISEAS
Publishing. Singapore
Tan S.L. & Tay M. (2013. World Food: Malaysia & Singapore. Lonely Planet
Publications. Australia: Victoria.
Unknown. (2012). On Hainanese Cuisine, Or How Chicken Chops Became Comfort
Food in Malaysia. EatingAsia. Retrieved November 26, 2013 from
http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/kopitiam/
Unknown. (2013). Mooncake Order Online. Chong Kok Kopitiam. Retrieved November
20, 2013 from http://chongkok.blogspot.com/



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