Skip to main content
Hamburger Menu Close
Advertisement

Dining

This coffee shop in Bukit Merah has an air-conditioned toilet and 'build-your-own' zi char dishes

Cool toilet to match this modern kopitiam.

This coffee shop in Bukit Merah has an air-conditioned toilet and 'build-your-own' zi char dishes

Jio Kopitiam opened in May 2023 and is run by a group of friends. (Photos: Jio Kopitiam)

New: You can now listen to articles.

This audio is generated by an AI tool.

There’s a hip new kopitiam in 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.

From left to right: Zac Goh, Jurrel Toh and Jayden Lim. (Photo: Jio Kopitiam)

The three friends 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 a contemporary interior with wooden tables and laminate flooring.

Its most unique feature, however, is its fancy toilet.

The exterior of Jio Kopitiam's toilet. (Photo: Jio Kopitiam)

TOILET WITH AIR-CON & ILLUMINATED MIRRORS

Lim laughed when we bought up their toilet and said: "We aim for our toilet to be the most atas coffeeshop toilet in Singapore."  This was after noticing that most kopitiam toilets were “dirty, slippery and smelly”. 

He explained that they “went to shopping malls in Orchard Road, and realised that people tend to have a mindset like, ‘Wah, ION’s toilet is very clean’, and somehow they won’t dirty the place, unlike at kopitiams”.

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. 

A close-up of Jio Kopitiam's toilet. (Photo: Jio Kopitiam)
Our 8days.sg TikTok video crew who visited Jio confirmed that their toilet is indeed clean. Lim said he and his staff would check its condition “every thirty minutes”. They also do a “deep clean” when the kopitiam opens and closes for the day.
Modern zi char at Jio Kopitiam. (Photo: Jio Kopitiam)

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 coffee shop), 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, and black bean.

The stall also serves claypot dishes, and is popular for its cook-it-yourself claypot la la soup (S$38.80), which comes with 1kg worth of clams. 

Jio Kopitiam is located at 107 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 160107. Open daily except Wed, 7am to 12am.

This story was originally published in 8Days. 

For more 8Days stories, visit https://www.8days.sg/

Source: 8 Days/hq
Advertisement

RECOMMENDED

Advertisement