Order Singapore Coffee Like A Pro

☕ How to Order Coffee Like a Local in Singapore

If you’ve seen the other poster on local coffee lingo, here’s a quick “cheat sheet” for visitors who want a good, strong cup without paying café-chain prices at Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Luckin, or Tim Hortons.

It all comes down to this formula:

Drink + Concentration + Milk + Sugar Level + Cold

A few things to note before diving in:

• The default “Kopi” in Singapore means hot coffee with sweetened condensed milk.

• Drinks are served hot unless you add “Ice” or “Peng” (the local way of saying “iced”).So if you want the classic local version, just say “Kopi” — simple and delicious.

Now, let’s mix it up:

• Kopi O Kosong → Black coffee, no sugar.

• Kopi C Siew Dai → Coffee with evaporated milk, less sugar.

• Kopi Gao Gah Dai Peng → Iced, strong coffee with condensed milk and extra sweetness (so it still tastes good as the ice melts).

And yes, the same logic works for tea too — just say Teh instead of Kopi.

Example: Teh C Gao Siew Dai = strong milk tea with evaporated milk, less sweet.

Here are the common “modifiers” you’ll see (and hear):

Term	Meaning
C	Evaporated milk
Gao	Thick / strong
Di Lo	Another word for “Gao” (less used)
Po	Thin / diluted
Kosong	Zero sugar
Gah Dai	Add more sugar
Siew Dai	Less sugar
Peng	Iced

💡 Pro tip: There’s no official standard for “less sugar” or “more sugar.”Ask for “less sugar” in Little India and you might get the same sweetness anyway… 😂 It’s part of the charm.

🍫 Bonus: Try a Milo DinosaurThis local legend is an iced Milo (chocolate malt drink) topped with a mountain of Milo powder — as if the café owner’s motto is “more is more.” It’s decadent, nostalgic, and perfect for Singapore’s heat.

☕ Why does local coffee taste so different?

Singaporean (and Malaysian) coffee uses robusta beans, which are stronger and more bitter than arabica. Traditionally, Hainanese roasters coat the beans in margarine (palm oil-based) and sugar before roasting — that’s what gives it that rich, almost smoky flavor with a hint of palm oil aftertaste.

The coffee is then brewed using a cloth “sock filter” and mixed with either sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk.

Want to elevate it? Try swapping regular sugar with Gula Melaka — coconut sugar syrup that gives your coffee a deep, caramel-like sweetness. You can even buy bottles of it from local supermarkets to bring home!