Yappy Kopitiam

I drove across the border to Bandar Seri Begawan on Monday night to take a short break (and a little indulgence). Though Brunei is not a gastronomic destination, there is this delightful Chinese cafe that I enjoy patronizing and yet have procrastinated to blog about it.

The Yappy Kopitiam is a family-owned eatery, or rather owned and managed by the indomitable, petite Yap sisters! I've known the wonderful Yap family since the late 80's (three out of the five sisters married my dear friends). But in all fairness, will I allow "guanxi" to cloud my two cents? Never mind, I'll just share my experience.

Opened last November, Yappy Kopitiam is located at the corner of a nondescript row of shops, adjacent to the Kiulap Plaza Hotel. It is not easy to find if you are not familiar with Kiulap area. Fear not - you can find some more write-up, photos and a good location map by a Brunei blogger here. The single ground floor unit cafe has its seating capacity limitation because of its partitioned aircon and non-aircon zones. But this disadvantage is easily overcome by the warmth and friendliness every patron will experience. For the first timer, you will be impressed by its cleanliness (including in the toilets - very important point) and an ambience reminiscent of the yesteryears coffee shop. There are also modern conveniences like free wi-fi and Astro tv to accomodate today's savvy consumers.
From the substantial menu, you will be spoiled for choices on Chinese and local food. No pork or pork-related ingredients are used. Each order is an individual plate serving; but any variations can always be arranged, Irene Yap smiled as she told me. We always try our best to use the freshest ingredients and keep the prices affordable despite rising costs, added the dynamic entrepreneur. What can I say - every time I visit the cafe I witness a good crowd. Good food, fair price and good service; a definitive recipe for long term success! These are my close friends. I have known them since 1990 and it was a rare opportunity that we could meet and have a cup of coffee together. Yappy Kopitiam's address is:
Unit 4, Ground Floor
Seri Anigma Building
Kg Kiulap, BE1518
Bandar Seri Begawan
Brunei Darussalam
Tel +673 2232168

Reservations are not a must, but it's better if you called because of limited seats. I hope you find this post useful; let me know about your experience and any other great places to eat in Brunei.