Centreville Malaysian Restaurant Mainstay To Close

FAIRFAX, VA — Malaysian Kopitiam has been in Centreville’s Sully Shopping Center for nearly a decade, but Halloween night will be its last as the owners retire and close shop, FFXnow reports.

Owners Leslie and Penny Phoon, a husband-and-wife team, told Fairfax Now the decision was “bittersweet” because their cuisine had built a loyal customer base.

"There's so many, many, many restaurants [in Northern Virginia], but not Malaysian," Leslie said. "We are one of the [few] very authentic Malaysian restaurants … You couldn't get any elsewhere."

While the Centreville location opened in 2018, Kopitiam has a history spanning more than two decades in the D.C. area. Its original Washington location operated for 15 years before closing because of parking concerns.

The Phoons plan to travel after retiring but will return to the area and may release a cookbook, launch a YouTube channel or sell the restaurant's sauce.

"[It would be] a food business, but not a restaurant," Leslie said.

For now, Malaysian Kopitiam is at 5085 Westfields Blvd. in Centreville.