A Fan of Local Coffee Shops NG YI-SHENG Finds out Why Lai Ah Eng Loves Our Kopitiam Heritage
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April 2017 15 HERITAGE HERO A fan of local coffee shops NG YI-SHENG finds out why Lai Ah Eng loves our kopitiam heritage. hen Dr Lai Ah Eng was a take over his shop, free of charge, little girl, one of her teachers because he was returning to India. insulted her and her friends Wfor being poor. “You girls will never A training ground eat cream,” the teacher said. “You will only eat cow dung.” Today, Dr Lai is a professor at the Her father had migrated to National University of Singapore. She Malaysia from Hainan Island in China is an anthropologist: a person who around the year 1930. He was so poor studies human societies and cultures. and uneducated, he did not even know She suspects that working at her how to read or write. Luckily, he was father’s kopitiam was good training for able to make a living by running a the job. It was a centre of activity and a kopitiam, or coffee shop, in the city of window to the world. Kuala Lumpur. Five years ago, she was part Every morning, he would wake up of a team of researchers studying at five o’clock to light a fire in the oven, migration. Most of her colleagues slice the bread, and prepare coffee for were focusing on new immigrants his customers. People would begin to Singapore. She, on the other arriving just before six to hear the first hand, decided to look at how older broadcasts on the Rediffusion radio immigrants had become part of our station. community. She did this by studying the history of kopitiams. Growing up She learned that many early kopitiam owners were Hainanese, Growing up in the sixties, Dr Lai was just like her father. For instance, the able to study at the free school nearby. famous Ya Kun Kaya Toast business But, after classes, she had to help out was originally a food stall set up by Loh with the business, together with her Ah Koon, a Hainanese immigrant who mother and four sisters. She would try came to Singapore in 1926 when he was to do her homework at the counter, just 15 years old. Jack’s Place, Han’s and NG YI-SHENG when she did not have to wash the Killiney Kopitiam were all also founded cups and spoons, sell cigarettes, and by Hainanese people. The cooks served with their new neighbours. They also like wooden stools in their shops, to sweep the floor before closing. Usually, Asian versions of western foods, such began to enjoy each other’s foods, giving bring back memories of the “good old they would not finish work until ten or as toasted bread and pork chops, birth to the multicultural Singaporean days”. But, big businesses are making eleven at night. because many of them had worked as cuisine that we know today. it almost impossible to succeed as a At first, she hated the work. She servants in British homes. However, these kopitiams stallholder now. Dr Lai notes that if her secretly made a promise to herself: But, it was not only the Hainanese are now under threat. Previously, father had migrated in modern times, “I’ll never marry someone who runs a who ran food stalls. Immigrants from neighbourhood kopitiams were mostly his business would never have been coffeeshop!” But, after some time, she other parts of Asia did the same thing. owned by stallholders. But, since 2001, able to survive. began to appreciate how important In 1924, a man named Bhavan from many kopitiams have been taken over The Government is working to the place was. It was a place for the India set up Ananda Bhavan, which by chain operators such as Koufu, S11, address the current situation. They community to gather and enjoy cheap, is now a vegetarian restaurant chain. Food Republic and Kopitiam. have stopped allowing sales of their good food while listening to the news In 1958, a Sumatran immigrant set up These businesses often renovate newly built kopitiams, and only rent on the radio. Sabar Menanti, which still sells nasi the spaces, charge higher rents, and out them to operators to help keep It was also a very multicultural padang in Kampong Glam. then sell them again to make a profit costs reasonable. But, we should do place. Besides their own bread and – sometimes just after a few years, or more so that our beloved kopitiams coffee, they sold nasi lemak and pisang Our kopitiam heritage even months! As a result, the rents for may be enjoyed by future generations goreng, made by a Malay neighbour. stallholders keep going up. Because of of Singaporeans. Sometimes, people set up their own From the 1960s to the 1980s, the Housing the expense, many stalls are closing. food stalls beside the shop, including Development Board (HDB) began to We, Singaporeans, are proud of an Indian woman who sold appam and move people from kampungs into our kopitiam heritage. This is why Ya a Hakka woman who sold laksa. public housing estates. They also opened Kun and Killiney use nostalgic items At one point, developers bought the new kopitiams in these areas, bringing land and announced that they would together stallholders and customers VOCAB BUILDER demolish the shophouse. “My father of different races. “The kopitiam This series is brought to you by (say my-gray-tion; noun) = was so depressed, his hair suddenly naturally became one of the first public migration What’s Up in partnership with the movement of people to new countries turned white in one month,” Dr Lai gathering sites for those disoriented by National Heritage Board of Singapore. remembers. Thankfully, an Indian man resettlement,” Dr Lai says. Old friends cuisine (say kwi-zeen; noun) = food Discover our heritage and history on across the street offered to let the family could meet there and also make friends prepared in a certain style www.roots.sg..