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Exclusive Preview: New Clementi Halal Kopitiam By Tenderfresh Serves Chicken ‘Bak Chor Mee’

It also offers nasi ambeng, satay and a stylo Milo tower.

It also offers nasi ambeng, satay and a stylo Milo tower.

It also offers nasi ambeng, satay and a stylo Milo tower.

How the times have changed — kopitiams are no longer dingy spots to duck in for a quick bite. New halal coffee shop Kedai Kopi makes a kopitiam meal feel almost like a casual restaurant experience, albeit with heartland prices.

1 of 27 Collab between Tenderfresh and Kimly

The massive eatery at Blk 380 Clementi Ave 5, a short walk from Clementi MRT station, opened today (Dec 28) just in time for the start of Phase 3 after a brief renovation delay. It seats about 204 pax, with safe distancing, at its indoor and al-fresco areas. The kopitiam is a partnership between the folks behind homegrown chain Tenderfresh and coffee shop operator Kimly.

  • 2 of 27 The look

    The kopitiam is modelled after the Tenderfresh’s hipsterish Tenderbest Makcik Market at Bedok Point. Instead of gaudy plastic furniture, customers dine on wooden tables and industrial metal chairs.

  • 3 of 27 Not just a kopitiam for aunties and uncles

    The al-fresco area is decorated with millennial-approved strings of fairy lights.

  • 4 of 27 Filling a market niche for halal hawker fare

    Kedai Kopi’s space was acquired by Kimly’s subsidiary, which teamed up with Tenderfresh — a company with experience in running halal concepts — to cater to the Muslim market. Tenderfresh’s founder Jimmy Soh (pictured), 62, reckons that his latest venture is an “opportunity” to address a growing demand for wallet-friendly halal hawker food. “We have gotten a lot of feedback from our Muslim friends, especially during the Circuit Breaker period, about how there were not much options for them to dine out in their neighbourhoods. Most halal stalls were serving similar food,” he tells 8days.sg. The kopitiam’s stalls are in the process of applying for their halal certification.

  • 5 of 27 Nine stalls here

    There are nine stalls at Kedai Kopi, each offering a different concept. Six of ’em are operated by Tenderfresh. There’s its namesake stall, which serves Western fare like roasted spring chicken, and its mod zi char eatery Hawkerman Street Kitchen, which has typically non-halal dishes that are now pork and lard-free, like hokkien mee and char kway teow.

    It also operates 380 Nasi Lemak, a hawker offshoot of the defunct West Coast nasi lemak restaurant Nasi Coco, and Mee Bagus, a new concept selling bak chor mee-style mie ayam (which replaces pork with chicken). There’s Banana Grill, which specialises in barbecued seafood served on banana leaves.

    Here’s what to expect for the stalls, below:

  • 6 of 27 Mee Bagus

    Mee Bagus is the halal version of Gimee Face, a new pork bak chor mee chain that’s co-owned by Tenderfresh’s COO Kelvin Chua and Bakerzin founder Daniel Tay. The menu and food presentation are almost identical, except that pork is swapped for chicken, and the noodles are not served with vinegar (a condiment that Tenderfresh COO Kelvin says is not as popular with his Muslim customers).

  • 7 of 27 Mee Bagus, $3.50

    Mie ayam-style noodles with mee pok, minced chicken and chicken meatballs, tossed in a house-made chicken oil dressing.

  • 8 of 27 Kedai Kopi drinks stall

    Occupying almost one whole side of the kopitiam is Kedai Kopi, the coffee shop’s drinks stall that serves classic beverages like coffee and tea, plus breakfast toast sets with onsen eggs in chilled soy broth (instead of the usual soft-boiled eggs).

  • 9 of 27 Ohayo Set, $2

    The Ohayo Set ($2) comes with your choice of a hot drink and onsen egg, and you can add a la carte toast in four flavours like Kaya & Butter​​​​​​​, and Peanut Butter ($0.90 each).

  • 10 of 27 Bandung Grenade, $3.90

    This cute drink comes in a Yakult-shaped bottle, which contains a grape Yakult and bandung (milk-infused rose syrup) concoction.

  • 11 of 27 Milo Tower, $12

    Instead of beer, Kedai Kopi has Milo, Teh or Kopi Towers ($12 each), where you get two litres of your drink of choice to share with your kakis.

  • 12 of 27 Mr Teh Tarik

    Popular prata chain Mr Teh Tarik is a tenant here. It serves its well-known repertoire of pratas (from $1.10 for a plain prata), Indian rojak, nasi biryani and roti john (see below).

  • 13 of 27 Ham & Cheese Big John, $9.50
    14 of 27 Istimewa Nasi Padang

    Another tenant is Istimewa Nasi Padang, which sells nasi padang sets from $5. It’s currently run by second-gen owners, husband-and-wife Abdul Hadi bin Kamarolzaman, 43, and Noor Afiza bte Mohd Ali, 42 (pictured with their daughter, who helps out at the stall). The couple also has another outlet at Bukit Merah, and a flagship eatery at 28 Hoy Fatt Road that was opened by Abdul’s father 35 years ago.

  • 15 of 27 Nasi Ambeng, $35 for two pax/ $55 for four pax

    Istimewa Nasi Padang also serves fancy nasi ambeng with 11 side dishes. This includes beef rendang, beef lung, house-made bergedil, salted fish and house-made serundeng (spicy shredded coconut).

  • 16 of 27 Joy Satay

    Rounding up Kedai Kopi’s three external tenanted stalls is Joy Satay, which is owned by young hawker Wilson Lim, 27, who also has a stall called Le Satay at a Taman Jurong kopitiam.

  • 17 of 27 Satay, $0.70 a stick

    While Le Satay sells pork satay, Joy Satay sells only beef, mutton and chicken skewers ($0.70 a stick), along with a la carte Ketupat ($0.80 each), BBQ Prawn ($2 a stick) and Rojak (from $3 a plate) with cuttlefish, youtiao and century eggs.

  • 18 of 27 Banana Grill

    If you like rice, this is the stall for you. It has 14 kinds of rice sets including Salted Egg Chicken Rice ($5.50), which you can order along with sides like Sambal Stingray (from $13 for regular), Curry Fish Head ($24) and Furong Omelette ($6).

  • 19 of 27 Banana Leaf Seafood Fried Rice, $9.90 (feeds two)

    But its signature is the Seafood Fried Rice, which is served on a banana leaf.

  • 20 of 27 Sambal Stingray, $13 (Regular)/ $19 (Large)
    21 of 27 380 Nasi Lemak

    Named after the HDB block which Kedai Kopi is located in, this stall specialises in nasi lemak sets from $3.50 for a har jeong gai Shrimp Paste Chicken Set.

  • 22 of 27 Mak Spicy Chicken Cutlet Set, $3.70

    Does Mak Spicy sounds familiar when rolled off your tongue? This dish is inspired by a particular fast food chain’s popular burger with a spicy fried chicken patty.

  • 23 of 27 Hawkerman Street Kitchen

    Hawkerman has a small menu comprising just five dishes: Hokkien Mee (from $4), Char Kway Teow (from $4.50), Crispy Oyster Omelette (from $4.50), Lala Hokkien Mee ($6.50) and Black/White Fried Carrot Cake ($3-$5).

  • 24 of 27 Hokkien Mee, $4 (regular)/ $7 (large)


  • 25 of 27 Tenderfresh

    Like all Tenderfresh eateries, this stall offers an extensive chicken selection, including Fresh Fried Broiler (from $2.80 for one piece). It also serves a Lamb Chop (from $11.90) and Fish & Chips ($8.90). There’s also roast chicken (see below).

  • 26 of 27 Roasted Whole Spring Chicken, $14.90
    27 of 27 Address and opening hours


    #01-376, Blk 380 Clementi Ave 5, S120380. Open daily 6.30am-11pm. www.facebook.com/kedaikopisg.

    PHOTOS: ALVIN TEO

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