Reviews of TAM CHIAK Kopitiam (Kovan). (Cafe) - Singapore (Singapore).

TAM CHIAK Kopitiam (Kovan)

491 Customer reviews

93 User comments

Cafe

Coffee shop

212 Hougang St 21, #01-349, Singapore 530212

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Information about TAM CHIAK Kopitiam (Kovan) (Cafe - Singapore, Singapore)

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A low rating doesn't always mean bad service. People tend to write reviews more when they're unsatisfied than when they're satisfied. Keep this in mind when evaluating.

Map

Opening hours for TAM CHIAK Kopitiam (Kovan)

Monday

Open 24 hours

Tuesday

Open 24 hours

Wednesday

Open 24 hours

Thursday

Open 24 hours

Friday

Open 24 hours

Saturday

Open 24 hours

Sunday

Open 24 hours

Peak hours

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Reviews of TAM CHIAK Kopitiam (Kovan)

Tried the laksa Yong Tau Foo in the night. Laksa was nice!!! Great flavour !!! Great price too! $6 min order and it's enough for one big guy! 😄 Clean environment. At night, left nasi lemak and yong tau foo.

t. u.

This place is one of my daily drivers. All stalls are competent. I like to mix and match between the stalls; chicken rice with hakka pork is a great combination for a carnivorous meal. If the chicken rice stall provides ginger for the white chicken rice and not just the roast chicken rice it would be perfect. No longer contented to just try from one stall at one setting.

L. c.

Live nearby so I eat/takeaway often. It's just a normal coffee shop la but they offer /some more "modern" and novel offerings at a slightly higher price. Also got a lot of neon sign lmao. But it's new and clean. If you want traditional hawker fare u can just go to the larger nearby kovan market, so that isn't their target audience obvi - Chicken rice: Not that fragrant but it's not horrible. It's also cheaper than the ones at kovan market?? But if you want better chicken rice & have a few more bucks to spare, buy at kovan market near Kovan mrt instead - Scrambled Egg rice: the kinda thing you'd think is a scam but is actually pleasantly good. Quite addictive actually. just that got no veg and the price point burns a hole in my wallet if i eat it often... - Mookata: Yum........ was good before the reno and is still good now. but lowkey got shrinkflation🥲 - Drinks: damn some of them are pricey as HELL especially the ice lemon tea $2.80 omfg..... Teh peng is $1.90 still ok i guess. overall the uncle is nice enough Will update when I try more of the stalls..

Y. F. T.

The food is above average, albeit the coffeeshop is a bit out of the way from the train and bus stop. There are plenty of good food options around and this is probably one of the best ones around. The coffeeshop seems to be totally smoke-free which is a great welcome. More coffeeshops should follow this. Regardless, the environment is pretty hot and humid when I was there.

R. N.

Scrambled egg rice with prawn because the char siew meet quite tough for me 😅. The rice is normal thou. Taliwang Nasi Lemak so so to me. Rice ok only. The cakes worth a try but a bit pricey ya.

W. H.

Finally tried Miss Tam Chiak coffeeshop. At Hougang St 21. Tried the Nasi Lemak. Not bad. Rice has the fragrance and not dry. Chilli was shiok (except gotta pay extra if request for more chilli!) Potato bricadil (? was fried just nice) ikan billi n peanut was crunchy. Only if the 2 slices of cucumber was sliced slightly thinner. Thick for biting.

T. J.

We were here around 10am and there is plently of seats available but there is only ru ji fishball noodles, wen kangji and nasi lemak taliwang operating, the rest of the stall only start 11am and the place quickly get very crowded. The nasi lemak is ordered via their kiosk machine. Dun noe y it very difficult to scan their QR code for payment so have to opt for cash payment, and this is where the issue come in. Their staff is busy with either packing or preparing. Waited very long for a plate of nasi lemak even though it not very crowded yet. Difficult to get their staff attention so i was thinking to go order ru ji noodles 1st and come back to pay cash and collect my nasi lemak but they never prepare my order until i come back to check with them after it way past my queue no. Their cash register only keep one $50 note, the staff went thru the whole coffeshop to ask for change also cannot get any small change. The guy behind me have to dig his small change seeing this situation. Y can't they follow danlao and ru ji, just paste the SG QR code on the stall. It so much easier for payment. They spend money on the kiosk machine yet they are clearing the queue more slower than dan lao and ru ji. Hopefully their boss should look into it to improve their operation for the kovan outlet. Their nasi lemak is good though. Payment via paylah from both dan lao and ru ji is also smooth. Ru ji meatball and fish cake is delicious.😋 The kopi o is good from 要要发. De sinn chicken rice buay pai but the queue is terribly long. Most of the stalls here have other outlet so i don't think is worth the trip to purposely come down unless you are nearby.

F. R.

$9.50 Personal I don’t like to add on tomato sauce on dried noodles. The bowl of soup is good. But noodles taste a little bland.

J. H.

The prawn noodles seriously needs to think if they are interested in staying long in this business or not. Ordered a $8 portion and it was ridiculously expensive with the portion given. The Korean army stew $9 was so much better which I think could even feed two person if you are not a big eater. But coffee was very good.

Too hungry did not take any photo of the omelette char siew rice. When back on my 2nd and 3rd times. Got hold of a few pictures before we enjoyed the omelette rice. Tried item 2, 3 and 4. I must say I will sure come back again.

M. O.

Good effort to spruce up the eating experience with Neon,Led setting . Very Instagram background . Some stalls are still closed . The scrambled egg and meat set very good portion but taste experience above good so call .. maybe I’m too hype up by the branding . Now I’m looking forward to try Mookata in the evenings . The drinks Teh Iced is a disappointment . Below par compare to regular coffee shops . Hope they work on the brewing formula . Anyway just started .. need to set in and warm up the formula and staff momentum . Overall : still very satisfied and leave happily cos hoping my next try here will lift my eating experience even better . 👍🏻

L. G.

Tried chicken cutlet scramble egg rice not bad Aso had grass jelly longan drink. Nice, seldom find in kopitiam drink stall to sell, they have several variety other than the usual can drink n hot beverages

T. R. P.

Newly opened Kopitiam in Kovan! Various good stalls including Dan Lao, De Sinn Hainanese Chicken Rice & Flaky Haus! Didn’t manage to try all stalls as some have sold out, understandably since it is just the opening weekend. Can get crowded during peak hours, so do to plan to head down early.

J. L.

It looks like a hipster modern coffeeshop, which is really attractive to youngster and cool chap like me. However, the food are overrated, but not overpriced. Chicken rice is okay, 8/10. chicken drumstick is bigger than a lot of chicken rice place, meat is tender and juicy. Just the rice lack fragrance. price is a little on the high side but not over the top. Fishball noodle is a disappointment. It is tasteless, and very ordinary. It is not expensive so cant complain. But if all these are the “best” foods chosen by tamjiak, then I’m a bit doubtful about her tastebud. Oh ya my teh O peng is over brewed, with a bitter after taste.

Tried Ru Ji Kitchen Fishball noodle in this new coffeeshop. Thankfully no queue unlike their other branches. Authentic old school taste. Noodle was QQ and perfectly covered with a not overly tasty and saucy chilli base. The taste and texture of the fishball told me it was predominantly fish. Very very nice. Fish cake reminded me of home. The type my mum used to buy from the market. Overall, probably the best fishball noodle in the vicinity. And just a stone’s throw from home. Hosay liao! EDIT: Unfortunately their “teh gau” cannot make it — colour was off at first glance because not enough (strong) tea. Hence, taste confirm off liao. One sip and true enough.

K. H.

The Scrambled egg rice is the absolute best, It’s a MUST TRY!!! It’s not like normal scrambled egg, it’s soft and savoury , taste like haven 🤤🤤🤤

J. O.

Tried the Korean stall. Bulgogi portion very small and can hardly see the chicken unlike their menu photo. Only tiny pieces otherwise taste not bad. Tteokbokki is tough but the sauce is nice. They will charge $1 if you ask for an empty bowl

D. A.

Had pork porridge with egg. Taste savory and rich. I think the non-air-conditioned nature of the coffee shop reduces the enjoyment of such dish in the intense Singapore humidity.

T. N.

an overhyped coffee shop just bcos of the celebrity backing and social media marketing. bought from the pastry stall, korean stall, chicken rice stall and ayam taliwang… and all were disappointing. forgotten photos taken of the other foods but yeahh first and last visit. many other better hawker/coffee shops elsewhere in the kovan or hougang area. and the closest parking is limited.

J. Y.

really nice kopitiam and i love the neon decors! ordered danlao's luncheon meat fried rice & i really liked it! the place is super hyped up so do expect the queues & waiting time to be long.

K. C.

Spoilt of choices, too many delicious food to try. Though most stalls having long lines, wait time wan’t too long as the line moves pretty fast. Nice food, clean place and good vibes! Will visit again soon!

T. P.

Tested chicken rice, average but was given only one plastic spoon, no fork nor chopstick, rice in paper plastic in a container, probably to save washing but problem after finishing the paper just fly when windy. Need to improve in their serving style. Others stalls not tested as it wasn't opened. Will come again. Coffee is 👍 good.

Overpriced food in general for a heartland location. Chicken rice was ok but pricey. Pasta was good though! 👍 Not all stores were open on monday.

W. P.

I always ask if the food will entice my return. I had the nasi lemak as most other stores are closed. I'll say....the nasi lemak doesn't make me want to return, not that's it's not good. It's just not enticing. For the same price better nasi lemak in other places. Cheers.

C. T.

New hawkers trying new flavours and bright decor. So if you are tired of the usual hawker food and don't want to pay at a restaurant, then this might be an option. No airconditioning tho.

TAM CHIAK kopitiam locate at Blk 212 Hougang St. 21. Owner by Mediacorp artists Chew Chor Meng and Love 972 DJ Dennis Chew with food blogger Maureen Ow, better known as Miss Tam Chiak, to set up Tam Chiak Kopitiam. Weekend too crowded by the Mookata customers. 😀 andy1122

C. L.

My family patronize Tam Chiak at least 2 times a week. We enjoy the Breakfast set very much, Good coffee with well toasted bread spread. Thanks for using quality butter & kaya spread. The 2 ladies who prepare drinks & breakfast set are so courteous, friendly & responsive. Thumbs up for the Yong Tofu too, good quality with reasonable pricing.

红.

This review only for the ordering system This place could use an online ordering system, probably newly open with crowds, the q moving quite slowly. Not sure worth the wait, have to try the food 1st.

K. T.

Tried Ruji Fish ball mee pok because it's one of the cheapest stall in this kopitiam. Very nice fish ball and different from others. Must try.

C. G.

Ordered 3 items and Chicken rice was the best choice, chicken was soft and tender while the rice was flavourful. Scrambled egg rice with luncheon was not bad, but chilli was not spicy and more towards being crispy. Lastly was Korean fried chicken in sweet and spicy sauce, sauce was more towards sweet and chicken was not crispy maybe due to the sauce.

S. S.

Went to try the mookata - price wise it is reasonable with the typical variety of meat and vegetables that you can order from. Meat was fresh and nicely marinated. However, they could do with some improvements to the payment/ordering system. You order via the QR code but you have to make payment at the counter which had a long line during the peak dinner crowd. Would have been nice if they had provided non-spicy sauces for customers that do not take spicy sauces.

I. N.

Overall the food is good and the pricing is not too bad . The most popular stall of course is Dan Lao which serves scrumptious eggs with rice and meat . Chicken rice has standard . Korean fried chicken is delicious . Chef De Pasta has top tier western food . 888 mookata is good and affordable . My only issue is because of the popularity the queues for most stalls especially Dan Lao is insane. Avoid during weekends. Weekdays around 11am to 3pm the queues are still quite ok . The coffeeshop is always crowded. 4 stars because of the queues and also hard to find place to dine in . I have mainly taken away .

P. W.

It's a lot of hype - food was 'normal' like other coffeeshops, but the crowd(!) was terrible - think long queues and packed seating. You need to have good maneuvering skills to bring your food and empty dishes to and from your table if you're sitting amidst the crowd. Save yourself the trauma and just go later in the evening for 888 Mookata - you can order via QR code on the tables and the crowd's thinner. We ordered fishball noodles (ok), scrambled egg rice (meh), Korean fried chicken (so-so & small portion), fish soup (so-so). We didn't order Nasi Lemak Taliwang, but have had it at their Ciyuan outlet which was good so quality should be similar.

H. W. J.

Maybe i shld do 2 separate reviews. The scrambled egg rice was highly overrated. I find it very ordinary and taste was meh. Doesn't leave a lasting impression nor any wow factor abt it. I don't know what the hype is all about..perhaps a novelty. I had the chicken cutlet set. I wldnt queue for it again. The pasta on the other hand was Wow! I'm not a huge pasta fan, especially bolognese but this was really refreshing, light and had a well balanced taste. I wld go back to try their other pastas again. Bought the Lemon Meringue cake from Flaky Haus and it was nice! Light, refreshing and sour enough. I wld love to go back and try their other cakes! As for the ambience of the coffeeshop, the red awning outside just makes pple angry! Especially on a hot day, that red shadow just makes the place feels hotter and the colour ..i dunno how to describe. Ugly, dark and angry. Try to sit inside if u can.

P. O.

Went there with a friend for breakfast. Both of us ordered fishball noodle. Noodle very q and the soup taste was good. Both fish and meat balls were also good. Ordered coffee as well, coffee smell good and taste was good. Will be back again for this noodle stall again.

X. M.

ordered grilled pork collar from western food stall. the whipped potato taste sour, not sure if it is the right taste and feedback to the stall. replaced with fries which are abit salty and oily. scrambled egg rice if hotter will be better.

C. O.

Tried egg fried and Korean fried chicken. Egg fried rice with tomato passable as tomato’s sweet and sour cover up the oilyness making it very gd to 下饭. Korean fried chicken is a disaster. Stay nearby can go eat but if far away don’t bother.

K. P.

Patronised Tam Chiak Kopitam when it soft-launched on the week of 10th July 2023. The kopi tiam has nice vibes, selection of great food and opportunities to see familiar on-screen artists in person. Have tried Oppa Kitchen, De Sin Chicken Rice, Dan Lao, Ru Ji and Chef De Pasta over the past 2 weeks and they are great. The food is nice and reasonably priced given the quality. Even had the honor of getting my cup of Kopi C Kosong prepared by Miss Tam Chiak and it was good :) However during my visit on its official launch yesterday, we had our usual coffee and noticed that it was kind of diluted and not as fragrant and nice as it was and surprising the price has increased significantly having paid $4.10 for 1 Kopi C Siew Dai and 1 Kopi C Kosong. Price of drinks seems to have increased as noticed that Ice Lemon Tea is priced at $2.50 which i recalled paying $1.80 previously. I genuinely like the food here and am sure to come back to patronise the stores. There are still a few to try out especially 888 Mokata :) As for coffee, probably will get my caffeine fix nearby before going over to da bao my food.

j. y.

Came here ard 11+ to see & buy lunch as they were always crowded when I passby. Try the Hainanese chicken rice, there’s a queue but since I got time I joined in. Food is nice, price reasonable. But what I dislike is when I request for 鸡尾 they told me not enough ask me take drum instead. Guys you got 2 white chicken hanging there and a long queue behind. I believe you will sell everything if you have to cut that chicken hanging there. Pls satisfy cust request, thanks😋

J. S.

The hype was definitely due to the celebrity effect. Not much choices for breakfast. Minced meat noodle was nice. Nothing special on the coffee bread set. Bought the croissant and some pastries...Quite average.

S. K.

Solid coffee shop with modern ambience. Love the bright lights and clean tables. We had the famous scrambled egg rice, Bak Chor Mee, fish soup and chicken rice. Highlight was the scrambled fried egg rice from DanLao. The rest were fine but not outstanding. Fish was a bit over cooked. Enjoy the mix of stalls here, more variety than your average coffee shop. One suggestion to add a salad or stall with more veggie options. Saladstop express perhaps?

V. (. C.

If you come during peak hours (lunch/dinner) be prepared to wait from 30 minutes - 1 hour for your food. The worse is Oppa kitchen and Ruji are closed on Mondays so GG. Atmosphere at lunch hour : bloody hot. Chicken rice : meh. Ok only. Nasi Lemak Ayam Taliwang : go ciyuan cc for better seatings and cooler atmosphere. Ruji : good but not the best. Maybe rtf. Danlou : no chance try. Closed. Oppa kitchen : no chance try. Closed. Western : okok la pretty standard western. Waited 1 hour for steak. Will not rtf. Mookata : good alternative to golden complex. Must eat with a group of friends for maximum happiness. Will rtf. Wengkangji fish shop : good, but waited 30 mins. Would not rtf.

J. K.

Self service coffee shop. Got to get a mookata table else the other non-mookata tables are filled. Arrived at 1730hrs. Food is so so. IMO, prawn noodle 5/10. Wah Tan Fan luncheon 3/10 Mookata 6/10. Korean chicken cheese something 3/10. Would I revisit? Nope. Usual coffee shop, nothing fancy food wise. (No pictures, as it was too underwhelming)

A. L.

Love the mookata. Ingredients was fresh! Hoping they would have more varieties of ingredient available like bacon cheese roll.. etc. Love their beef cubes. Taste really good 😊

T. I.

Coffee shop is too hot & glaring in the afternoon during lunch. Wind from fans are not effective. The orange awnings need to be replaced to give a cooler effect. Tried the Korean food. Tasted too salty. Had to gulp down 3 glasses of water back home. Drinks in the shop are quite expensive - at least 50 cents more per glass compared to other coffee shop. Will not return to shop for lunch. May give it another try for dinner.

T. N.

Dinner time is super crowded. Food is unique with a better flavour. Typical queue for food service. Compact seating arrangement, thus the lost in atmosphere settings. Not suitable for wheelchair pax, due to the crowd and seating arrangements.

A part of singaporean culture, hawker, but a bit more modern and very clean. We’ve tried a variety of food 🍱 whereby all was delicious 🤤 I can recommend this place a/o any hesitation.

D. T.

Clean, tidy. Not your typical coffee shop kind of clientele. However, food taste wise do not provide any surprises for all the hype. All food OK.

K. A.

Majority of the food is ok but nothing to wow about.

R. L.

Plenty of good food options. Slightly more expensive than typical coffeeshop but much cheaper than cafe and restaurant. Strongly suggest to arrive early as it is always crowded.