Penang Kopi-O Kau at Old Town Kopitiam

Penang's oldest kopitiams, particularly in the Georgetown streets of Chulia, Penang, and Campbell, serve the darkest and most intensely roasted coffee in Malaysia — the kopi-O kau (double-strength black) drunk from handleless ceramic cups while ceiling fans turn slowly overhead and newspapers in four languages compete for table space. The ritual is inseparable from the char siu pao and kaya toast that accompany it.