'Singapore’s most atas coffeeshop toilet' with air-con in kopitiam run by young towkays
There’s a hip new kopitiam at Bukit Merah with beers on tap, ‘DIY’ zi char, and most interesting of all — an air-conditioned toilet that wouldn’t look out of place in a cafe. Jio Kopitiam opened in May this year, and is run by three pals, Jayden Lim, Jurrel Toh, and Zac Goh, all 30.
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Zac, Jurrel and Jayden (from left).
The trio were drinking together when they had a lightbulb moment and decided to open a kopitiam that’s “more special” than typical coffee shops. They designed Jio Kopitiam to have somewhat of a beer garden vibe and contemporary interior with wooden tables and laminate flooring, though its most unique feature is its fancy toilet. We mean, have you seen the sometimes disgusting loos in the average kopitiam?
Toilet with air-con & illuminated mirrors
Jayden laughs when we bring up their toilet, saying "we aim for our toilet to be the most atas coffeeshop toilet in Singapore”, after noticing that most kopitiam toilets are “dirty, slippery and smelly”.
While their loo isn’t quite as luxe as a high-end shopping mall’s washroom, it’s still a huge step above regular kopitiam toilets. It’s equipped with an air-conditioner at its entrance, a toilet bowl, a urinal, and two sinks with neon-lit mirrors.
Most importantly, our 8days.sg TikTok video crew who visited Jio confirmed that their toilet is indeed clean. Jayden says he and his staff will check its condition “every thirty minutes”. They also do a “deep clean” when the kopitiam opens and closes for the day.
Build-your-own zi char & claypot dishes
Air-conditioned toilet aside, Jio Kopitiam has also been gaining some notice on social media for its unique concept stall (one of five different stalls within the coffeeshop), called Wok Hawker. It serves “modern” zi char, where customers can pick their desired ingredients like meats or seafood mala-style and have them fried together in different sauces like spicy mala, garlic or black bean.
The stall also serves claypot dishes, and is popular for its cook-it-yourself claypot la la soup ($38.80), which comes with 1kg worth of clams.
Jio Kopitiam is located at 107 Jln Bukit Merah, S160107. Open daily except Wed 7am - 12am. More info via Facebook and Instagram.
Photos: Jio Kopitiam
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