Kopitiam Malaysian & Chinese Restaurant, Street Food and Cafe in Oxford

First time here. Saw the review online thought I want to give it a try. The food portion is very small. I double checked the photos on google afterwards noticed that the chicken I have is just half the size of what other people have. The beef brisket noodles was recommended by the staff but the soup is tasteless and I couldn’t finish it. Would not recommend.

Kopitam is a very unpretentious place. Bright lights, minimailist decor. Service is quick & efficient. Very popular with the Asian community. We settled on tofu, nasi goring, prawns, curried veg & pancakes. They all arrived at our table piping hot, extremely fresh & packed with flavour. All four at our table declared the home made tofu to be the best that they had ever had. Prices are very reasonable. Beer is available. Simple dishes with fresh ingredients & great spicing satisfied us all.

Charge 20% extra if you pay by card for takeaway.

Amazing food, best satay skewers I've had

The service by the girls from Bangladesh was attentive, but the food itself was quite disappointing. As a Malaysian, I came in with lowered expectations, but unfortunately, even those weren’t met. I ordered the chicken satay, which was pan-grilled—understandable—but it had a sour taste that made me question whether tamarind was used in the marinade or if the meat had simply gone bad. Time will tell. The nasi lemak with rendang ayam had some redeeming qualities: the sambal was spicy and flavorful, but the portion of anchovies was sparse. The lightly fried boiled egg wasn’t to my taste; a regular hard-boiled egg would have been much better. The rice was just okay, but I would have preferred a fried chicken leg in aromatic spices instead of the lackluster rendang. The iced teh tarik, reminiscent of teh ais in Malaysia, was overly milky and lacked the robust tea flavor I’m used to back home. I’d describe this place as a Malaysian-inspired restaurant rather than an authentic Malaysian experience. However, I didn’t try their Malaysian Chinese dishes, which might be their strength. Overall, it wasn’t for me, and I won’t be returning.

You know the place is good when there is queue outside. I had booked so we didn’t wait long to sit down. Came here to try the hanaan chicken as we had in Singapore didn’t disappoint. Loved the atmosphere, it was crowded but with a nice feeling to it. Service was great and the food was fantastic. Had the satay skewers and squid to start, Hanaan chicken which was really good but the star was the Nase Gurung. Great experience overall.

Reasonable food, but my order was misunderstood (a stewed aubergine mains was bizarrely understood as sweet and sour pork!) and it took longer than planned to get my food. The dishes were tasty, though.

Made a booking and they pretend the booking was gone

Great food, generous portions. The team are very friendly. Would come back again when visiting next! We over ordered for 2 people & they kindly offered us takeaway boxes.

Nice food good quick service regular price ,nice for lunch varied menu

Super tasty Malaysian food, very spicy though! Very busy so it'd be good to book a table before you go. We got the mee goreng, Adam seabass, house ho fun which were all very tasty and probably a bit too much food for two people!

Really great food across different cuisines!

The food is a no. I was excited to try it but not worth it :( not yummy at all.

Unexpectedly terrific. No frills room, packed on a Wednesday with charming staff slinging out a constant stream of superb food. Why unexpected? There used to be a perfectly serviceable Chinese sit-in/takeaway here but this is both much nicer as a room but the food is another league above. The contrast with then and now is huge. Crispy Thai Chicken being a particular highlight.

Wonderful authentic Singapore laksa and juicy succulent satay in tasty peanut sauce - we were craving some Singapore food and had a lovely gastronomic experience in Oxford! Service was so friendly too.

We were starving when arrived. Quickly ordered hainan chicken rice, curry me noodle soup and chicken satay skew. Its peak hour so we had to waited for half an hour as the kitchen serve table by table. A bit disappointed at Hainan chicken rice, a lot of rice with limited qty of chicken. Highly recommend Malay curry me soup noodle and satay skew. They are just amazing

Nasi goreng is 🔥 Plus some v good, slightly crispy roti

coming from North America the portions seem on the small side but flavour wise it's very fulfilling.

Wow, I've found very nice and delicious Malaysia local food here, nice food & good service! Definitely will revisit again!

Had really delicious Nasi Goreng

I have to say, I was really looking forward to eating here, having heard very good reviews on the place. I ordered roast duck and rice. It was beautifully presented and the aroma was lovely. However, most of the duck I had was bone or skin, and very little actual duck meat. The experience was irritating, and the last time I had a meal out like this was at Opium Den on George Street about 12 years ago, also duck. The staff were friendly and the place was clean, but I was greatly disappointed.

Food was ridiculously good. Ordered homemade tofu and house special egg seafood he fen. However the food came really slow, had to wait 40 minutes

Street food from China, Malaysia. More like a canteen, but the food is very tasty. The staff is also happy to help you find out what is on the menu. Top!

Amazing! Love this place. The mapo tofu (my fav dish) was so good. Such a great addition to Summertown's restaurants & takeaways.

Got an absolutely beautiful medley of flavours, fantastic service, and totally wonderful meal! One of the best Malay places I’ve ever been too! Highly recommend the trip.

As someone from Singapore / Malaysia I’m impressed by the quality of food here. I wasn’t expecting it to be this good.

Excellent lakhsa, one of the best I have had anywhere in the world. Same applies to the fried calamari. Must try the crispy roast pork if available. Such a gem hidden in Summertown. I’m sure gonna be a regular.

Very tasty 😋 food, got a sweet and sour pork and rice was lovely. Small place but the atmosphere is really nice.

Great taste and Loads of choices, I’ve tried Laksa and Red Curry and few others dishes everything were so tasty plus the portions are decent 👌🏼😍

Buzzy café serving a wide range of Asian dishes. Extremely tasty food, great value. It's BYOB too - £3 per bottle of wine - although they serve ice cold Singha/Tiger beer. My beef rendang was delicious. As was the roti canai. We've been twice in a week!

After the best part of a week in hospital being sick and bunged up I wanted to have a nice meal as my first meal out so my dad suggested here. It was so delicious but most importantly we saw there was homemade hot plum juice. Having not been able to have a movement for a week, no matter the medication they gave me, the hot plum juice set me right within half an hour. I could not be more grateful and on top of that it was delicious. Food is medicine! Highly recommend!

Fatherday treat from kiddos, went there with friends and kids for first time. Food was lovely, service was great, didn't have to wait long for the dishes to come. Definitely will come back for more. Good job Chefs and staffs.

Wonderful place, the staff are lovely and very friendly. And the food is absolutely amazing! Highly recommend.

Delighted with the food here: quality, quantity, portion and price.

Authentic malaysian food closer to home. 😋

Delicious Chinese & Malaysian street food and cafe. This small cafe is well worth a visit it can be busy and difficult to get a table but well worth the wait to get a seat. great service and great help staff to help you with the menu

Such a nice little restaurant - staff were really attentive and we felt very looked after. Food came very quickly even though it was busy and tasted authentic. Good prices too would highly recommend

Best chicken rice I’ve had in the UK

Very nice Chinese Malaysian experience. If you're looking for authentic Malay cuisine though, I would give it a miss. However if you want the Chinese Kopitiam experience, this place is for you. Foods familiar to the Chinese cousines of Malaysia such as sweet and sour pork and wan tans are excellent but the Rendang and Roti Canai are only okay.

Had the asam laksa - very authentic - and the cereal butter prawns - very tasty! Would recommend =)

Everything on the menu looks inviting! Since the weather was nippy, I had a hot bowl of prawn wonton soup (4 pieces), and Hainanese chicken rice.Totally authentic! FYI, bring some cash with you as meals costing less than £20 will incur a surcharge of 10% for card payments.Will I be back again when I'm next in Oxford? Yes!

Very good food, for a very reasonable price. The staff was super friendly and nice. A lot of choices for vegetarians and vegans , if you know how to ask and order . There aren't clear designations on every meal , but there is a vegetarian page of the menu.

Food is lovely, great little spot

Second time at this place today. Such good food, lovely service, we will be back again soon. It feels so great to have this place in north Oxford.

Lovely restaurant. Food is so yummy! Will definitely be back :)

This restaurant is amazing!!! The food was divine and the staff were very friendly! It was just perfect !!!!!

Absolute gem of a place that truly gives the vibe of a casual Asian eatery with quick, no-fuss, delicious food at pleasantly affordable prices! It’s not just another takeaway that serves Westernised Asian food. The taste is about as authentic as you can get!

The food was so tasteless that I thought I got covid. Don't waste your money and appetite

DELICIOUS rendang and lemon chicken!! service was so fast I couldnt believe... this a REAL family-run business (the owner's son was reading a book in the back) so please support!!

Tried the wonderful homemade tofu (friends have recommended it too). They really deserve their reputation. Also tried the dumplings and ho fun (vegetarian options). The service was excellent, despite them getting increasingly busy. Prices were very reasonable too. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Great variety to try, lovely hot and sour soup. Tasty dumplings. Worth a lunchtime stop

Definitely a must to visit if you are in Summertown. I get excited every time I come to eat and it always good . The Lady host is really friendly and very welcoming . Food is delicious

Nasi goreng is a flavorful Indonesian fried rice dish typically mixed with vegetables, egg, and often accompanied by a choice of meat or seafood. On the other hand, ho fun with sauce is a Chinese dish consisting of wide rice noodles stir-fried with a savory sauce, often including vegetables and a protein like chicken or beef. Both dishes offer a delicious combination of flavors and textures. The Nasi goreng tends to have a slightly spicy kick, while ho fun with sauce has a smoother, savory taste. Overall, these dishes are popular for their rich flavors and satisfying qualities. Highly recommend for people like malaysia food .

I went in Kopitiam thinking I didn't like squid, but I had to revise my opinion after getting the delicious salt and pepper squid. It was so good we even had to order more! Special mention to the awesome coffee I got there too!

Solid Malaysian / Singaporean / Chinese food. Often crowded on weekends.

Небольшое кафе. Вкусная еда. Мне понравилась утка по пекински с блинчиками :(( внук обожает это кафе и всегда заказывает рис. Порции большие. Владельцы приветливые. Говорят по английски. Меню на стенах с фото блюд, легко выбрать. Представлена корейская еда. Стоимость блюд разная. Зависит от предпочтений и аппетита. Мне хватило 0,5 порции риса с овощами и 0,5 порции утки по пекински :)( кофе не понравился люблю варёный из турки. Как говорится на вкус и цвет... Народу было много. Все столики были заняты.

A hole-in-the-wall restaurant with authentic and delicious Southeast Asian food. Service was a bit disorganized, and I found it quite strange to need to go through the storage area to get to the WC, but for a quick casual meal, this place is lovely. A few things I'd suggest to anyone visiting - be proactive about going to the till for water refills and paying the bill, and make sure to have rice with the curries or sauce-based dishes - the main courses are very spicy and have a generous amount of sauce.

Came across Kopitiam by chance whilst visiting Oxford - did not have high expectations based on its quiet location and dinky atmosphere. But WOW absolutely incredible food and such warm hospitality..!! Hainanese chicken rice was 100% authentic, with the correct chilli sauce and minced garlic, tender chicken, and flavourful rice. Nasi lemak likewise beautifully prepared with quality ingredients and correct sambal, and Signature Hor Fun tasted every bit as good as it does back home in Singapore. Such a wonderful surprise and treat, will definitely return when next in Oxford!!

As authentic as you can get within Oxford’s reach. Char kuey teow had the right mix wok hay and the fatty lard- personally can be a bit more oilier to suit singapore hawker standards. 8/10. The dry noodles with curry chicken was a 9/10- it was spicy, tangy, and the sweet sauces at the bottom completely covered the noodles. Loved the combination of veggies on the top. Friendly and attentive service, decent prices for the quality of the food. Will be a frequent visitor:)

A great restaurant for Malaysian and Asian food in the centre of Summertown, Oxford. The price is very good. The food is delicious. Highly recommend the homemade tofu and wasabi shrimp! Their drink menu is a bit confusing. Some coffee, milk, tea combo drink was written in the Malay name. I didn’t know what they were until I saw the explanation on the wall for the difference in all kinds of drinks, but that explanation was Malay <> Chinese, not sure how useful that is for non-Chinese speakers 😂 Anyway, highly recommend! I saw this restaurant also does Deliveroo, but the in-store price is at least 10% cheaper.

Coffee, Red Tea and Sugar, Yummy

The food is good and the prices are cheap. The waiters are also very nice.

Lovely little find! Oxford is the the best place for Asian food so was glad when we came across this little gem. Coming from a malaysian back ground the food here is really good and we visit at least once a month. Prices are reasonable and staff have always been friendly. Highly recommend

authentic Malaysian food! Very good

This cute little Malaysian restaurant has some great food options that are tasty and affordable. The staff we encountered were very friendly and welcoming. Would highly recommend trying the tea drinks as well. It was one of our favourite restaurants to visit while we were in Oxford.

食物没评论好多的好吃！还不卫生！。店女老板欺骗顾客乱加费！ 又一个逃税欺骗顾客乱收费的华人店🤮

Great food and very friendly people!

What a gem! Since discovering Kopitiam just over a week ago, I’ve kept coming back, and it never fails to satisfy the taste buds. The vibe is cosy and casual and brings you back to a Malaysian hawker stall, and the food is similarly unpretentious, heart- and stomach-filling, mouth-wateringly tasty, and unpricey. I almost cried when I discovered wan tan mee here - really brought me back to Malaysia - and their aromatic duck is divine! The restaurant is still newish so any good word of mouth would be appreciated! Go, eat up, and spread the word! 🍜🍛😋🤤🤗

A very pleasant Malaysian food experience in Oxford, it feels like a kopitiam in KL. I ordered the chicken sambal and it tasted homemade. I would recommend it. If they opened for breakfast, it would be even better.

Great Hainan chicken - amazing broth

Really friendly helpful staff, good taste and fair prices. Will be back soon!

Malaysian authentic cuisine mixed with Chinese influences

Amazing authentic malaysian food.

This restaurant is heaven on earth if you are a foodie. Servers authentic Malaysian food. Friendly, good quality, and reasonably priced. Butterfly prawns, Hokkien Mee, and Char Keow Teau a must try.

Inexpensive street food staples, Roti Canai and Teh Tarik, arrived at an expensive equivalent cost of MYR 64! Roti and gravy were excellent, and while the tea was of a good colour, it showed no evidence of being “pulled” – no light-hearted bubbles tickling their way through the condensed milk’s thick sweetness.

Ordered the chicken fried rice. It was extremely salty and what was in reality just rice fried with dark and uber salty soy sauce with slivers of chicken. Nothing of the nice and fluffy texture one would expect to find in even a moderately well done fried rice. For £7.90 it was very poor value for money. Severely overrated in my view.

Incredibly kind staff, let me stay in the restaurant after closing hours to charge my phone (with their charger) and wait until the rain stopped. Also, very delicious food. Would highly recommend!

What an experience !? It started with chicken dumplings. It was tasty and lovely. That's all I enjoyed. I tried the fried noodles. I didn't know what the principle of this dish was. Crunchy at the outside, and creamy when mixed with the sauce. Sounds great ? Yes, but with frozen vegetables and an awful sauce, it's not the same ! The texture was here, but not the taste ! I just didn't see the chef's personality there. It was made with no passion and no taste ! My friend took the curry with rice. What a disappointment. The rice was tasteless, and the curry without any flavor. The service was correct. It's just the cuisine that didn't meet my expectations. Please transfer some love to your food !

Best Asain food in Oxford and the friendliest staff

Best malaysian restaurant so far..Nothing like the other Malaysian restaurant..

tiff is a great waitress because she taught me that waitressing is a word.

Authentic and tasty food but a little on the pricey end. Very reminiscent of what I have back home in Singapore.

Serving a wee bit small (Fried rice & hokkien mee), but if you need a fix from home, it is ok.

Very tasty food at reasonable prices. My particular favourite was the fried squid, which was unlike what you’d get in other places and felt more authentic. The restaurant owner was great at suggesting a few dishes to try and I loved them. Would come back again!

Excellent food! Tastes delicious, fast service. Tastes like home. Thank you, we will be back. Added: we come here every week for our delicious lunch, sometimes dinner.

A great place to go if you miss Malaysian food. However do not expect the food to be as authentic the ones you get in Penang or Ipoh or you’ll be disappointed. We had curry noodle, nasi goreng, laksa and prawn paste fried chicken wings. The latter two I would highly recommend.

Had the Ipoh curry mee and hor fun - excellent. Definitely will come back.

Excellent standard of home cooked Malaysian food, purposely stopped here on our way back to London, we tried the Asam Pedas (seabass) and Ipoh Laksa, not disappointed at all so ordered more dishes to take home.

Very tasty food and happy service. Will definitely use again. Hopefully deserts will be on the .emu next time.

Came here for dinner and ordered the beef rendang + plain rice. At £15.40 it was quite expensive but this would have been ok if the experience was good. However, it was dire. The beef rendang tasted very little like any beef rendang I have had in my 7 years residence + 13 years of frequent visits to Singapore and Malaysia. There are Irish beef stews which are more similar to the authentic version a nasi padang stall would sell. The meat was tough- as though it had been cooked quickly on a high heat rather than simmered slowly as it should be- and the gravy didn’t have the taste of spices or lemongrass that it should have. The plain rice, an unbelievably simple dish, was also poor. The grains were dried out and crunchy, like rice that cooks onto the bottom of your rice cooker. Despite this, I was planning on giving them two stars because the service was good and efficient, but then they dropped the ball by bringing me the bill before I asked for it. I find this incredibly rude: don’t shoo people out 30 minutes after they’ve walked in when they’ve paid upwards of £15. In their defence, the dishes at other tables looked a lot better than what I had, but there’s absolutely no way I’m coming back to give them another chance.

Mine was a takeaway so cannot really describe the atmosphere, but food order taken and ready when arrived. So no complaints. Bought 6 dishes fro two, which was a mistake

A hidden gem! I'm convinced this is the best Malaysian food in Oxford.

Genuine homemade food with fantastic flavours. I'll certainly be returning.

Very authentic Malaysian food! Tried Laksa and Char Keaw Teau, they were so good! It’s reasonably priced as well, will definitely come back!

Tastes terrible if you already know what Malaysian Cuisine tastes like. Tastes okay if you never had anything similar before. To support my claim, most customers are non-Asian, while proper Asian restaurants are booming with Asians.

Very authentic and friendly owner! My favorite Chinese place in Oxford. Good portions for a very reasonable price. I forgot my takeaway and she even popped it in the fridge for me to pickup later :)

Delicious Malaysian and Singaporean food, ordered Singapore Laksa and teh tarik today, great taste, authentic and yummy! Friendly restaurant owner and service!

Authentic delicious Malaysian food, excellent service. Portion isn't the most generous but ok, could be a bit crowded at busy hours.

Tasty and quick Malaysian food 🥳

We got a variety of takeaway dishes, and loved it! Reminded us a lot of food in Singapore, and brought back lots of memories. Highly recommend.