KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — The bowl that first won me over at Ah Gong Kopitiam was their BBQ Pork & Egg Lard Rice, a deceptively simple combination that reveals its charms one spoonful at a time.
At its centre sits a mound of steamed white rice, flanked on one side by generous chunks of glazed char siu, lacquered to a gentle sheen.
On the other, an unapologetic heap of fried pork lard: crunchy, golden nuggets that crackle deliciously between the teeth.
Crowning the arrangement is a single sunny-side-up egg, its edges crisped to a delicate frill, its yolk still molten and ready to spill into the rice.
Ah Gong Kopitiam in Bandar Mahkota Cheras. — Picture by CK Lim
Tender meat meets brittle fat, silky yolk meets plain rice — a study in contrasts that tastes like the ultimate comfort food.
This was our first visit to Ah Gong Kopitiam in Bandar Mahkota Cheras, and the shop made itself known even before we stepped inside.
A massive green-and-white striped awning stretched across the frontage, offering shelter to customers waiting patiently for their names to be called — a thoughtful gesture that hinted at steady demand.
We had come for a late lunch, so we were famished, our stomachs primed for savoury fare. In addition to the lard rice, we ordered their recommended Nasi Lemak with Fried Chicken.
Nasi Lemak with Fried Chicken. — Picture by CK Lim
The plate followed familiar contours: coconut milk rice perfumed with pandan, rich sambal, a scatter of fried anchovies and groundnuts, slices of cucumber, half a hard-boiled egg. Nothing out of the ordinary, quite frankly.
The fried chicken, however, stood out. This was executed in the rempah style — well-seasoned without being weighed down by excessive spiced threads.
For our second visit, we were in the mood for a casual breakfast rather than a full meal. (This might be the boon of having a kopitiam or a dozen in one’s taman; the surfeit of options and the choice to go light or to go heavy.)
We began with the Taro Butter Pineapple Bun. The Hong Kong-style polo bun was presented in its own bamboo basket, complete with a dainty handle, lending it an almost ceremonial air.
Taro Butter Pineapple Bun. — Picture by CK Lim
The bun itself was warm, capped with the familiar crackled crust that gave it its “pineapple” name.
Traditionally, such buns are filled with slabs of cold butter but here the addition of lavishly spread violet-hued taro cream offered a thoughtful departure.
Earthy and mildly sweet, smooth and faintly floral, the taro cream created a gentler, more rounded flavour profile against the richness of the chilled butter and the soft bread. This felt both nostalgic and novel.
This inclination towards subtle reinvention continued with our next order: their Hainan Kopi Butter Toast.
Hainan Kopi Butter Toast. — Picture by CK Lim
At first glance, it resembled old-school roti bakar with butter and kaya. Look closer, however, and you’ll see that the kaya had been replaced by a thick, intense cream infused with Hainanese coffee.
Spread across the crisp slices of toast, the coffee cream delivered deep, roasted bitterness tempered by sweetness. The contrast (again, that word — contrast! — which seems to be the theme of our meals here) was compelling: strong local coffee meeting mellow dairy.
This indulgent combination brought to mind another favourite — the Kaya Coffee Butter Sourdough Sandwich at Shan Mu in Taman Connaught, where espresso butter finds natural harmony with fragrant kaya.
Which made me wonder if Ah Gong Kopitiam ought to gild the lily further for its next roti bakar revamp: a Hainan Kopi, Butter and Kaya Toast, layered together, might well be worth exploring.
On both visits, we accompanied our meals with their signature Hainanese-style coffee. Traditional kopi, taken hot or iced depending on weather and mood. Robust, slightly smoky and properly brewed, this is the kick we all depend on at our neighbourhood kopitiams.
Traditional ‘kopi’. — Picture by CK Lim
We decided that Ah Gong Kopitiam succeeds not by chasing novelty for its own sake, but by refining comfort classics with small, intelligent twists.
One could always argue that most of these tweaks, say coffee-infused spreads on toast, hardly count as a new thing, but when it tastes this familiar yet altogether fresh, I’ll hail it as a reinterpretation done well.
Ah Gong Kopitiam
27, Jalan Temenggung 11/9,
Bandar Mahkota Cheras.
Open daily (except Wed closed) 10am-9:30pm
Phone: 016-206 6883
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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