Some few week back, on a Saturday morning! I had sent Gill to meet a website client of ours, as I was not involved so I drove to an old breakfast hunt, Hock Ban Hin Cafe. It is located at the corner of Anson Road and Siam Road. We used to go there for breakfast when my previous company office was still at that vicinity.

Hock Ban Hin Cafe basically serves drinks, soft boil egg, toast and curry puff(if your are early or lucky). Last time the curry puff used to cost around RM 1.00 or RM1.20, I am not sure how much is it now and whether the supplier is still supplying. The curry puff were quite tasty and value for money with egg, potato and chicken meat (which can be seen in chunk). But the main attraction there is the soft boil egg and toasted bread. The white bread is about half an inche thick, toasted on an open flame charcoal stove. It heat from the stove browns and crisps the outer surface of the bread and still leaves the middle slightly soft. The toast is either served with spreaded butter and sugar on the side, or butter and kaya (coconut jam). If you like soft boil egg to go with the toast, theirs ain't bad either. The soft boil is cooked to how you want it, soft and watery, medium and fluffy, or just 80% done. To me it actually depnds on my mood, but my favourite is the 80% done type because of the texture of the white and the yoke. The yoke is still under cooked, the texture is like cream cheese and taste creamy. The soft and watery type is not forte. The medium and fluffy eggs are good for dipping your toast, it tends give some added smooth texture to the crisp toast.

Other than the above mentioned is served at Hock Ban Hin, there is a Wantan Noodle stall run by an old aunty and an Indian Rice stall there. I have not tried the Indian stall because it only opens for lunch. The Wantan Mee stall serves up a very traditional Wantan Mee dry and soup. I will keep this wantan mee for my future blog.

On average, I would give this place:

• 3/5 for value
• 3.5/5 for taste & texture
• 4/5 for service
• 3.8/5 for cleanliness
• 3/5 for atmosphere

GPS Coordinates: N5*24'56.3" E100*19'12.5"۫

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Driving up and down along Jalan Tg. Tokong for 5 years, and I didn't realise that there was a shop making kaya in the traditional way and also preparing their own Hainanese coffee mix, not until Criz blog about it.

Ah Wang Cafe is located in place some sort like a food court in between some blocks of flats. It is just at the inner corner of the makan area, you can't missed it especially with the big signage.

It main serves hot and cold drinks, beers and toasted bread. Their signature coffee sold is the Hainanese 'Kopi', which fresh brew in the traditional cotton beg. The cup that I ordered had the bitterness and aroma of the coffee beans been stir fried, but it lack the creaminess of being fried in butter. I could see not much oil was on the surface of the 'kopi'. But still it was a good cuppa compared to the 'kopi' served by many coffee shops.

At Ah Wang, the main or core product is the breakfast and tea time favourite, roti bakar (toast bread) with butter, kaya or both (roti kahwin). The toast is crisp on the surface and slightly soft on the inside, and best taken immediately when served. Too much lingering and the toast would turn stale or no long crisp. The toast could also be enjoyed being dunking it in the coffee, what whatever drink of the moment, but not beer. OMG! The toast is spread with suffice amount of butter and kaya (coconut, egg & caramelised sugar jam), and yet is not too sweet nor oily.

Gill Gill enjoying her cup of teh-susu (tea with milk) and eying the toasts.

I would also like to highlight the Kaya (coconut & egg jam) at Ah Wang. The kaya is made the traditional way of double boiling (cooking with steam), stirring and finally touch up (coloured) with caramelised sugar. That is how my mom made it and that is how I like it, lumpy, sweet, fragrant and full of texture. Because we human are always attached to our memories, I still think my moms' kaya is the best, the creaminess from the coconut milk, the aroma and richness from the egg yokes, the sweetness from the sugar and fragrant and colour of the caramelised sugar(not artificial colouring). I still have the double boiler that my mom used to prepare her kayas in.

Overall, I would give Ah Wang Cafe:

• 3.8/5 for value
• 3.5/5 for taste
• 4/5 for service
• 3.5/5 for cleanliness
• 3/5 for atmosphere
  
  
  
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