From Ipoh to Tenom, a journey through Malaysian coffee

Malaysia’s coffee culture is much older and more varied than the modern café scene might suggest.

Long before flat whites and pour-overs became fashionable, kopitiams were serving strong, dark-roasted coffee to workers, families and other regulars. Different communities and regions developed their own ways of roasting, brewing and drinking the local coffee bean.

To mark International Coffee Day, here are five Malaysian coffees and the stories behind them.

1. Kopi O

If there is one coffee order every Malaysian should recognise, it is kopi-O. The “O” comes from the Hokkien word for “black” – referring, of course, to coffee served without milk, usually with sugar.

Traditional kopitiam coffee often uses beans dark-roasted with sugar and margarine, producing a strong, caramelised and slightly smoky flavour. Its history is closely tied to the coffeeshop culture shaped by Hainanese immigrants, whose establishments became gathering places where people could eat, talk and linger over a drink.

Ordering it is a matter of preference: kopi-O kosong comes without added sugar, while kopi-O peng is served over ice.

Whichever way you take it, a familiar cup and a favourite breakfast remain a comforting start to the day.

2. Ipoh white coffee

Ipoh white coffee traces its roots to the Hainanese who settled in the city during Perak’s tin-mining boom. Among its early pioneers was Sin Yoon Loong, established by brothers Wong Poh Chew and Wong Poh Ting in 1937, and still associated with the city’s signature brew.

Despite its name, the coffee is not white. The beans are traditionally roasted with margarine, without the sugar commonly added during the roasting of darker local kopi, then brewed and served with condensed milk.

The result is creamy and sweet, with a less smoky character than traditional dark-roasted kopi.

In Ipoh, the classic pairing remains simple: a hot cup alongside kaya toast and soft-boiled eggs at a kopitiam.

3. Kluang coffee

In Kluang, Johor, coffee and railways have been intertwined for almost nine decades. Kluang Rail Coffee began in 1938 as a canteen at the station, serving British soldiers and railway workers before becoming one of the town’s best-known kopitiams.

Its traditional Hainanese coffee remains central to the experience, usually accompanied by charcoal-grilled toast with butter and kaya. The original outlet retains its old-world character, making a cup there as much about nostalgia as caffeine.

The town also has a commercial coffee tradition. Established in 1966, Kluang Coffee Powder Factory is known for its Television Brand, the logo of which was inspired by the prestige of owning a television set at the time.

4. Sarawak Liberica

Sarawak’s coffee history stretches back to the 19th century, with an experimental estate established at Matang near Kuching in 1866. While Arabica struggled, Liberica later proved better suited to local conditions.

Known as Kopi Dayak, it was adopted as a cash crop by the Iban community. Today, smallholders continue to cultivate Liberica in different parts of the state, while development projects have sought to improve its quality and create opportunities for rural growers.

Alongside kopitiams, modern cafés serving locally grown beans are introducing customers to Sarawak’s own coffee crop, providing drinkers with more ways to explore this heritage.

5. Tenom coffee

Deep in Sabah’s interior, Tenom has built an identity around coffee. Cultivation developed during the British North Borneo era, when plantations were established and railway links helped move agricultural produce to the coast.

Today, the district is widely known as Sabah’s “coffee capital”.

Tenom coffee is prized for its strong aroma and smoky flavour, developed through woodfire roasting. Yit Foh, established in 1960, is one of the state’s pioneering producers that continues this roasting tradition.

For many Sabahans, Tenom coffee is an everyday comfort, enjoyed at home or in old-school coffee shops. Its bold, roasted character makes it a welcome accompaniment to a hearty breakfast.

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