In Klang, Chong Kok Kopitiam has stood the test of time. Still standing after all these years, they still make sublime coffee and perfect half boiled eggs
Sipping rich Cham and crumbly soft roti bakar is the peak of happiness, especially if you add on two perfectly cooked half boiled eggs. Sublime is the word. To some, this might be a past time thoroughly enjoyed by our grandfathers as they watch the world go by over their cups of white coffee. However, the more I indulge in it the more I understand how precious old school kopitiams are.
People watching is interesting, but couple that with a pre-war structure and design that hasn’t changed for more than half a century, somehow you start drifting to another dimension and everything just tastes and feels better. Despite the vibrant and bustling atmosphere, the light floating scents of charcoal toasted bread intertwined with rich grounded home roasted coffee somehow makes this a laidback hangout.
Stepping into the premise, the urge to find a quick seat is suddenly essential. Ordering is fast while waiting is painfully aggravating. You are surrounded by spoons stirring, lips smacking, bread crumbling, egg cracking, forks colliding with spoons and the sound of people eating! The noise suddenly magnifies the wait suddenly, your tummies growl. Then clang! A froth-filled ceramic cup hits the wooden table and then it is just between you and your coffee. The first sip is so rich with flavours and full bodied creaminess that it trickles pleasure as it flows down into your tummy leaving a warm fuzzy feeling in its wake. Caffeiene buzz? Pfft.. I wave in dismissal. It is just pure simple pleasure that you get from a cuppa here.
"The first sip tickles you with flavour and creaminess"
Not only is the structure pre-war, but the establishment, recipes, layout, customers and the owner date back to pre-war too! And it is this combination and delicious kopitiam vitals that has brought back generations and generations of customers. Till this day, there are still some vintage bottles on the right side of the shop window.
On weekends, there is always a wide array of food offered outside by the kopitiam. One thing about this place, you can NEVER go wrong with anything you order. Anything and everything you order is guaranteed to be tasty. I have never been one to enjoy noodles stir-fried in big amounts, as the taste is hardly ever there. But here, just grab a plate of kuey-teow or mee-hoon and a dollop of the house sambal and you find the taste is there. All simply delicious! Even their nasi lemak ayam merah is in a class of its own. True it is just parked there by another vendor, but it still tastes good to me.
Browse around the tables of kuihs, everything is within an arm's reach. Be a kuih glutton if you must but spare some room for their delightful cheesecakes. Everything they have in the shop is all homemade by them, even their cheesecakes. From baked, blueberry, marble, lemon, chocolate and a few more that changes from time to time. The base is a very thin cookie and you will always have a dense yet surprisingly light cheese topping. I urge you to try their blueberry cheesecake.
Another great item from their kitchen is their wholemeal bun. Softer than a baby's bottom! The exterior is lightly toasted so the insides are just soft and warm. The first time I had it, I didn't think much of it. Then it grew on me until I decided it is pure delight in a bun. As most kopitiams offer nowadays, if you like the stuff, you can always purchase the bun and toast them yourselves at home.
The best is saved for last, what I call the divine kopitiam trio. Cham (tea and house coffee with fresh milk), roti bakar (toasted bread), and two (not one not three but just two) perfectly half-boiled eggs. Even as a non-coffee drinker I can't hep but be charmed by the cham. The reason being that the richness of the cham stems from the coffee's secret roasting recipe with tea to bring that slight twang and fresh milk for subtleness. The roti bakar is the famous Hainanese bread, simply toasted as this place still toast them on a charcoal grill, slather it with butter (yes, still butter) and homemade kaya. But if you like it soft, there is always the Roti Kukus that brings out the sweetness of the bread.
The half boiled eggs deserve a paragraph of their own as till this day no other kopitiam anywhere can half boil their eggs like how Chong Kok does theirs. Maybe it’s the kampong egg? Maybe it's uncanny timing from years of experience. Maybe it’s the pot they boil it in. Maybe… maybe… maybe… We can always speculate, but the fact of the matter is their eggs always come out so perfect that you will NEVER need to scrape the sides of the eggs, or have odd raw bits and pieces. All you need to do is crack, split and tilt. The entire contents of the egg will be on the plate. *sigh* C’est magnifique.
More Photos To Drool On
If you MUST be healthy- there's sot wholemeal buns
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Foodster's Verdict
Chong Kok Kopitiam
Taste
Address:
No 5, Jalan Stesen Klang, 41000 Klang Tel: 03 3371 0996
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