Kum Chuan Coffee Shop: Hawker Food @ SS13, Subang Jaya

Yes, you read it right. Hawker food. I thought it was time to be blogging about my true blue Malaysian side.

Being half Penangite and faithfully paying annual visits to the Pearl of the Orient, I've appreciated hawker food for as long as I can remember; much thanks to my parents who exposed me to local cuisine. So just FYI, my foodie journey doesn't strictly evolve around cafés and coffee (:

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Time of visit: 8.15 a.m. (peak hour) on a weekday 

Kum Chuan Restaurant is a coffee shop in SS13 which has been open for quite some time. I've made several visits here before and was never particularly disappointed.

Here's the must-order for any hawker food breakfast/lunch/dinner/supper. A cup of goodness a.k.a. kopi ais (to my non-Malaysian readers, this is our version of coffee and milk).

This was pretty darn good. I'd say it's kao enough (kao - thick, bold in flavour, has "body" ... you get the idea). In all honesty, I could have gone for seconds.

As for food, these are the 3 main dishes you should order:

Curry laksa with slices of char siew. One of my foodies mentioned that this has less coconut milk than the one she typically has. I thought this was quite well done! Bear in mind that this is a KL version of curry noodles which is different from the Penang version. 

Wantan noodles with char siew. I do recommend this if you're the type who goes for a slightly sweeter and more flavourful version of wantan noodles. The noodles were well mixed in the sauce before serving.

Hakka noodles. Verdict from my Sarawakian friend: this is close to authentic. Note: close. Still a dish I recommend trying out at this place! 

And of course, no hawker food breakfast is complete without the dynamic duo to accompany all the dishes you've ordered above: roti bakar (toasted bread; typically served with kaya and butter) and soft boiled eggs/half-cooked eggs. 

Yes, I still had room in my tummy for these so you can imagine my monstrous appetite. 

The best seat in the house? Under the tree/umbrella outside. That's where you'll get to experience the hawker food ambiance. 

Note: All dishes mentioned above are less than RM5 each. Sorry, I didn't get down the exact prices. #IrresponsibleFoodBlogger

Special thanks to Hanny & Aric, two foodie friends of mine, for accompanying me!

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Address: Corner of Jalan SS13/1A, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor.

Closed on: Sundays

Opening hours: 7.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m.

Stay tuned for my next post on a food trail done in Damansara! Have a great day, everyone (:

Caffeinated March

- On Thursdays, the grumpy cyclist consumes butter and beans with his flat white as he tries to rekindle his interest in the recent upstanding theory on brew and bread. -

Spot the names of 7 coffee places!

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Hi everyone! Apologies for being MIA. It's been a hectic month of so many events. I'm just thankful I can finally sit down and write.

Just to update you guys, check out my lists on Foursquare if any of you are interested in places I'd like to visit / have visited. I'm not the most updated with new and upcoming places but I hope the coffee list will make your caffeinated lives easier (:

Lately, I've been checking out these places:


1. Rekindle, SS2

There's something so humble about this cafe that makes me not hesitate to return. Its rustic ambiance and decorations may perhaps be the main contributing factors; sewing machine tables, bean bags, brick walls, etc.

Cappuccino. I've had it twice and the house blend (beans from Brazil, Guatemala, Indonesia & Australia) isn't as sour as most types you'd typically experience. The second try being too hot for immediate consumption but other than that, I'd have this cuppa any other day. 

Chai latte. It was an impressive glass with the right balance of cinnamon flavour to the milk, none significantly overpowering another - and this is coming from a person who rarely has chai latte.

Soy cappuccino. Thought I'd give it a shot but it seems as thought they're catering to the way Malaysians would expect a cup of soy coffee to be. The market here seems to picture this as having soy-flavoured coffee which is odd to me. 

Hot mocha in which I enjoyed. Truth be told, I prefer the iced version. Even mom loves it!

I love how the chocolate part isn't sweet or taste evidently like sweet chocolate milk. They use cocoa in which its bitterness when mixed with the coffee blend makes a perfect marriage. I personally do not drink mocha often because of how rare a few places would get the balance to my preference. If you're the type who loves a super sweet cup of mocha, I recommend you skip this one. 

Hats off to my good friend who made the cappuccino, chai latte and mocha for me!

p.s. Their cakes are to die for - red velvet, Nutella hazelnut, banana pecan, peanut butter chocolate and apple & cranberry. Do not ask me to choose.

Address: 25, Jalan SS2/64, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Closed on: Mondays 

Operating hours: 12.00 p.m. - 12.00 a.m. (Tuesdays - Thursdays & Sundays), 12.00 p.m. - 1.00 a.m. (Fridays & Saturdays)

2. Standing Theory, SS2

Located at one of the shop lots in the middle of SS2, the area wasn't very well lit and couldn't spot the place at first sight especially at night.

Their menu as well as their blend of the day.

Their signature round table which gave the impression of a medieval meeting area somewhat.

Their cappuccino which came with a piece of chocolate chip cookie rather the usual biscotti. Not my most favourite blend because it was extremely lemony and sour but not bad for a capp.

Address: 26, Jalan SS2/103, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Closed on: Mondays

Operating Hours: 11.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m.

3. Butter and Beans at Seventeen, Seksyen 17

First coffee place I've visited that closes its kitchen at around 8.00 p.m. - earlier than the typical night coffee hour.

I believe this was a rhubarb & strawberry sort of pie.

Did someone steal that cuppa?

I absolutely love the mural on the wall! Apparently it was done by the artist responsible for the murals in Penang, or so I've been told by one of the workers.

Address: BG-1, Happy Mansion, Jalan 17/13, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Operating Hours: 8.00 a.m. - 8.00 p.m. (every day)


4. Brew & Bread, Kota Kemuning

Drove to Kota Kemuning for the first time to meet a few friends, particularly one of my good friends who was heading back to Australia in a couple of days at that time.

I was surprised at how reasonable the prices were for some of the dishes. Fancy ones aside, the varieties of food & coffee I've tried here are all below RM10 each.

Jo Lyn's cuppa.

... as well as her omelette wrap which turned out to be an omelette but not a wrap. 

My cappuccino. Yeah, the art is cute but the coffee was just average to me.

RM6.00 french toasts which considerably cheap!

I made a second trip there with my high school girls and opted for sandwiches instead.

The ciabattas were absolutely warm and they look so cozy in the little baskets. It was no disappointing experience. 

What are sandwiches without coffee? Their cappuccino is still average to me the second round.

I also discovered their second branch in which recently opened at One City. Check them out when you can!

Address: 10, Jalan Anggerik Aranda M 31/M, Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam, Selangor
Closed on: Thursdays
Operating Hours: 8.00 a.m. - 7.00 p.m.


5. The Grumpy Cyclist, TTDI

An impromptu trip this one. Dad and I decided to head here after visiting Standing Theory because one dose of caffeine wasn't enough for the both of us.

This, and only this, was what I ordered. You should know what it is by now. Once again, being picky me, the blend isn't to my liking. On the side note, their long black is relatively cheaper than most coffee places in TTDI.

This was hanging on the wall literally above my head while dad and I were sipping our cuppas away.

Address: 36, Jalan Datuk Sulaiman, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
Closed on: Tuesdays


6. Flat White Cafe, SS15

I've been visiting this place ever so often to get my weekly coffee fix due to distance. This is probably the best you can get within SS15 methinks.

I was quite excited when I saw this display. Spot the coffee beans from Melbourne!

I only ever recommend this: Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake, their best seller.

They have other interesting drinks in which I have yet to try because I always go there for their cappuccino. Recently, mom tried their Espresso Bomb (no image) - a variation of the jagerbomb shot. At first, I couldn't match "fizzy" and "coffee" but after trying it, it was different but a legitimate drink and not something horrid. The fizzy part of the drink comprised sparkling water, vanilla flavouring and non-alcoholic Kahlua and you must drop in the espresso shot before consumption. Another popular choice is their Nutella cappuccino. 

Address: 73-1, Jalan SS15/8A, Subang Jaya, Selangor
Operating Hours: 12.00 p.m. - 12.00 a.m. (Mondays - Thursdays & Sundays), 12.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m. (Fridays & Saturdays)


7. Thursdvys, TTDI

As usual, I save the best for last. Thursdvys is the latest addition to the TTDI coffee culture. My parents and I visited this place after our trip to Quar/tet a couple of weeks ago.

Their concept is extraordinary. Their standard coffee is of one part ristretto (a short version of a shot of espresso) and one part milk. You may have your cuppa black if you please but I do recommend their standard.

The "v" in Thursdvys is simply for branding purposes. Thursday happens to be an important day to the founder for many significant events in his life fall on that particular day. To some it may seem ironic but I suppose in honour those events, this place closes on Thursdays.

It's interesting how there's this one orange section that stands out of the cafe. Made me ponder for some reason.

They started serving food on the 22nd March. The lamb pasta seems to be missing something in terms of flavour. Also, I expected strips of lamb rather diced pieces. 

I browse through that coffee guide every single time I visit this place because I miss Melbourne so much. Not once their coffee had put me in disappointment.

Their signature dessert: Banoffee Pie in which I absolutely love and highly recommend. I blame one of the barristers for introducing me to this. 

Address: 22, Lorong Dato Sulaiman 1, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur
Closed on: Thursdays
Operating Hours: 9.00 a.m. - 10.00 p.m.

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Happy cafe hunting! Till then, cheers.

AH OR Chu Yuk Fun @ Dataran Mentari, Sunway

Confession: I'm a particular person when it comes to what one would claim to be a good bowl of pork noodles

Just a note before you proceed: in case you are not aware, you may follow my blog via email or with your Google account. Just check out the sidebar on the left. I regularly share pictures on my Instagram, not necessarily food, but just bits and pieces of my favourite things and news.

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Alright, back to business. This post has been structured chronologically. You'll see why by the end of the review.

Does anyone actually remember Quilin Restaurant (I actually didn't myself so I had to Google it up)? Once upon a time, many years ago (probably almost a decade ago because I was really young), there and then was a single pork noodle stall amongst the many other food stalls under one roof. Something was so unique about this simple-looking bowl of pork noodles which tested the patience of every single customer due to its waiting time. They say that waiting for just one bowl can take up to 45 minutes or even an hour. To refresh your memories, check out this blog post here.

A few years later, the restaurant with food stalls closed down and was converted to a cafe (now known as Daiki Cafe) and above situated a shop lot hotel. Fans of the pork noodle stall were wondering where the business moved to. Did they even decide to stay in Subang Jaya?

Much later (I apologize for I really do not remember the specific dates), people started to discover where they shifted to. It was still an individual stall at a restaurant called Pomander. Next to them was a chicken rice stall which I thought I'd try, but I never did because a bowl of pork noodles sounded way better regardless of how long I had to wait as compared to chicken rice.

Photo source: http://www.vkeong.com/2010/03/pork-noodles-restoran-pomander-ss15-subang-jaya/

It didn't take long for them to own the lot.

As of today.

I used to head there for lunch sometimes but I've stopped about a year ago because one of the ladies was just not very pleasant to my friends and I. So to those who would still like to head there, don't expect too much from their service. They have so much business they can afford to not smile at you. Order your bowl(s), sit, have a chat with your friends or what you might probably do is play Candy Crush Saga on your smart phone, don't leave while waiting for your order (yes, don't leave your seat), Instagram your food, eat, leave and be happy that way.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

That's the bowl. And like I said, I haven't been there in a year. If I'm not mistaken, that bowl definitely will cost you more than RM6.00. Adding an egg would cost you RM1.00 and of course, the bigger your bowl gets, the more you pay. 

During my first year of university, a friend of mine mentioned that this pork noodle business expanded to another branch in Dataran Mentari, Sunway. I remember I was craving for pork noodles that day and I was eager to check this one out.

Photo source: http://my.openrice.com/klangvalley/restaurant/ah-or-chu-yuk-fun/274133/

And good lord, I was the happiest girl in the world. From the many times I've been there, I've only waited a MAXIMUM of half an hour for one bowl (but that was because there were so many people). I usually wait 10 - 15 minutes. Apparently, this one is owned by the sister of the guy based in SS15. Ever since this discovery, I never went back to the SS15 branch again. I should add that looking for a parking spot here in Dataran Mentari is way easier too!

I like how they don't mash up the egg and leave the yolk in its original shape. I have this love for egg yolks, you see. 

The menu is as such for this branch:

Small [RM6.00]
Large [RM7.00]
Special [RM12.00]
Dry (comes with a bowl of soup) [RM7.00]

With egg [add RM1.00]


The soup for Ah Or's is clearer than Ooi Noodle House in SS15 for some reason. There is much resemblance to the flavour but I personally prefer Ah Or's mainly because of how they present their dish, the aunties are way nicer and that I do not have to wait centuries for my meal. I'm still curious as to why Ooi Noodle house takes an hour to serve one bowl whereas Ah Or's can do it within half an hour to most.

So to this date, I have not discovered anywhere serving pork noodles either similar or better than this; even in Penang (or maybe I wasn't looking hard enough). If you think there's a bowl of pork noodles out there which is way better than this one, drop me a comment/email by all means! 

They have a Facebook page with, sadly, only 24 likes when I visited while doing research for this place.

Then I spotted this flyer!

I haven't checked out the other two branches yet but if you have, let me know how it is like. I personally did not know that they have expanded to 4 branches in total for now. 

Information for Ah Or Chu Yuk Fun @ Sunway:

Address: No. 3, Jalan PJS8/17, Dataran Mentari, 46150 Bandar Sunway, Selangor.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/AH-OR-Chu-Yuk-Fun-%E7%8C%AA%E8%82%89%E7%B2%89/302612109769427